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Old Mar 07, 2017, 04:43 AM
ScrewedUpMe ScrewedUpMe is offline
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Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 394
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruh roh View Post
I don't think there's anything at all therapeutic or respectful for a therapist to show up to work moody and not acknowledge that their mood is affecting the person's therapy (and then, as in the OPs case, not acknowledge it until a spouse calls to find out what's going on).

They often tell clients not to be mind readers, so I think that needs to include not having to read the therapist's mind about why things feel so off or weird. What's wrong with them saying at the top of the hour, I'm sorry if I'm not myself today. I'm going through something that's not related to you, and it's affecting my mood.

I went through about 6 months of therapy not knowing that my therapist had been through three major losses until she said something to me when I asked for an "in the event of sudden death" letter to be given to me so that I don't show up for an appointment one day and she's not around and no one has called. I asked for the letter because of the death of another provider and two who moved prior to that, and she said she needed to catch her breath because of these losses of hers. So all that time, I had no idea, and I wish I had. I wasn't upset about not knowing because it wasn't like she was being cold or weird, but it might have explained certain days that seemed off that I couldn't find a reason for.
Thanks for this. Sorry to hear that happened to you. That must have been really hard to find out all those months afterwards and realise it wasn't necessarily you or the relationship with T that was off. My therapy with T has been so focused on building trust and the relationship between us that this stuff is really counterproductive. I wish T would be more honest about it. I know she suffers with anxiety and I think I see evidence of that sometimes, but this session was just so off. I really felt T was frustrated with me and am now considering it was not me, but her stuff. But again, until she says that to me, I can't assume that really.
Hugs from:
atisketatasket, ruh roh