Bridgett,
First of all....I AM THE WORST PERSON to be replying to this post...LOL
I really don't have any words of wisdom other than...your post caused a gut reaction within me. Not because your T crossed the no-touch boundary, not because you kissed your T, not because of the gender thing. More because of the grief your actions seem to be causing you. And... well your expression of just not KNOWING what to expect next, just hit a core fear of mine.
I am SOOOOOO afraid that if I ever let go and let myself get caught up in the moment something like what you just described might happen. Not necessarily kissing my T, I really don't think that will happen, but just... doing something that later I would just be mortified by.
First... I would say YES (IMHO) a boundary has been crossed. Maybe it was just a bit of empathy taken a bit too far, then again...maybe not.
Either way I DO NOT THINK you should beat yourself up about it or think you are in trouble. You were emotional, your T was providing you with a lot of caring energy, she initiated the contact and well it is not uncommon for your body to respond in a routine way. Here is a question for you... Who was the last person who you felt emotionally connected to, who you might have sought comfort and protection from, and who gave you big firm bear hugs? My guess is that maybe it was your bf or at least someone you were intimately involved with. Your body likely just reacted to this type of comforting. I don't think it necessarily means that you want to be involved with your T. Physiological response vs. a conscious choice. I understand why you would be regretting what happened but... I see nothing wrong with your actions. I think this situation is exactly why many T's have no touch policies, they just prevent stuff like this from happening.
Now, your T... her kissing back...IDK I have trouble seeing her response in the same light. She is a professional, she is trained to provided empathy WITHOUT getting caught up in the moment. IDK from an East Coast US perspective... I think she crossed a major boundary. Maybe kissing people on the lips is OK for some cultures that kisses a lot..IDK.
I can totally see why your confused about what it all really means. MAYBE it would be appropriate for you to go into your next session and be open minded and see what happens. I would be extremely cautious thought because you are emotionally vulnerable at this point. If your T is an ethical T, this situation will need to be talked about in detail. It is totally unethical for your T sexualize the relationship, EVER. Your the client and if you get caught up in things and attempt to sexualize it, their supposed to be able to handle this and protect you against this. But THEY shouldn't be the ones getting carried away.
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"Joy is your sole's knowledge that if you don't get the promotion, keep the relationship, or buy the house, it's because you weren't meant to.You're meant to have something better, something richer, something deeper, Something More." (Sara Ban Breathnach)
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