Hey Abbondad, I know what you mean about therapy making you feel unsettled and emotionally wrung out.
Once I identified the timing of my meltdowns coincided with IC, I talked to my IC at the next session about what to do about it. My IC, while getting into some very deep stuff, is also practical and focuses not just on how I feel but what I DO. Of course these are related but....
Your behavior is something you actually have a LOT of control over, in contrast to thoughts, memories, and feelings which for me anyway, arrive uninvited and tend to hang around way too long, like bad house guests.
So we discussed different options I had in modifying my behavior before, immediately after, and somewhat later after therapy, so help me through those rough hours or days.
Possibilities included a lot of really basic self care, but also "tricks" I could play on myself so I could snap out of the blahs, blues, paralysis, and sobbing. For example:
Eat protein for breakfast instead of carbs so I didn't get a blood sugar crash right after I got out of session.
Leave 5 minutes earlier than I need to so I am not anxious in the car just because I'm worried about being late.
Reschedule my mid day. Do not see, speak to, read texts or emails or otherwise interact with WS for at least X hours after session so I avoid unneccessary triggers when I am raw.
Plan exercise, such as walking the dog, a bike ride, or chopping wood for my first activity after session.
Call my sister to listen to her tell me about her life. This allowed my mind to put therapy into the subconscious for a while while I was distracted.
Set an alarm on my phone for 90 minutes after session and take my second dose of AD meds that day a couple hours earlier than usual.
A rule; If I have to cry, I have to also make tea. Crying is OK, but once the mug is empty my tears would usually dry up. If not, another mug of tea. It ritualized my meltdowns. It acknowledged them. It gave me not just permission to cry, but a format for doing so. Hey, my life sucks. I hurt dammit. If I need to cry, it is legit! Get it done in style, with love and care for me and what I am coping with.
Shower. Wash that shit down the drain. Soap or no soap, shampoo or not. Doesn't matter. Get under the water. Then dry off, lotion, clean comfy clothes, and step outside into the air. It's about your skin. You live in it. It holds you in. Help it get soft and flexible. Stretch some muscles. Breathe 15 super deep breaths to purge stale air and bring fresh in.
Find something visually pleasing to look at. Grass, trees, the dog, your mug. Focus on the details of what your eyes are drawn to. Study them.
Anyway, you probably get my point. Meltdowns happen. But you have a life to live so best to shorten their duration, lessen their severity, and not wallow. Don't let them consume you.
You will get through this. We are all here to assure you. We got through it, so will you. Find a way to get through therapy and the next six hours, by aknowledging the stress and caring for YOU during this tough time.