Hi Cherybery and Sleeps,

Thanks so much for thinking of me today. I had my joint meeting with the two counselors. I still think it was very nice of them to plan it. I liked some things about the new counselor. She likes animals - that was good news, because I really like animals too. It sounds like she has done a lot of work in her life that is very caring, even before she became a counselor, and that was very impressive to hear about. I don't know about this though. I just don't know right now.

I guess this is hard to discuss and hard to understand, but I have had bad abuse issues in the past with female people, and it is very hard to talk to a female counselor. I haven't done so. I'm not sure this will work, even though I know my counselor thinks this is the best match of the people he knows. He realizes it would be a problem that she is a female. I have done much better talking to people who are male. I'm not sure if I can work okay and feel safe with a counselor who is female. It felt really terrifying today, even with my current counselor in the room. If I don't see this counselor, unfortunately he doesn't know another one to recommend. I'd have to figure it out on my own, I guess. So it's a big problem.

Thanks for listening.

Take care,
ErinBear