I have seen my T's other clients a few times, but not very often as she usually manages her time well. I am usually ok with it, I mean I do feel a bit jealous at times and wish I was special..the only one etc but I try to rationalise my feelings and not think about it too much.

However one time I had left my session and I realised I forgot to pay so I went back to put it in through the front door mail box, as I did I seen the car of the client who must have been in with my T and it brought up so much unexpected feelings of "I am just one of many, she is probably reacting to them the same way she reacts to me, there is nothing special about our relationship, i'm just a client, she probably doesn't even really care" and it felt upsetting.

The following session I told T how I felt and she said something that I thought was interesting - she compared me not wanting her to have other clients to - do you not let your friends have other friends? When she said this I realised that there is something different about each client and each relationship, just like we have with the friends in our lives. We know that our relationship to a friend is unique as we are and just because they may have other friends, doesn't really take away from our friendship. My T wasn't saying that I was her friend or anything like that but just comparing them to make a point really. She said she often thinks about how it is strange for clients to see other clients because she herself was in therapy when she was training and found it strange. It was nice to feel validated.

I can't say that I am always level headed about it and sometimes it bothers me but not as much as it used to really thank goodness as I rarely see the person before or after me.

Great question!