E-mail exchange:
Thursday night (note: T had mentioned being in office a bit Friday morning, so I was hoping he'd see this before leaving on his trip rather than bothering him while away):
Hi Dr. T,
[brief car update]

On another note, I think why I randomly started crying today in session is that I'm struggling with your being away for 5-6 days. But that seems kind of pathetic/silly (yes, judging myself), so I didn't feel like I could really talk about it. I think it's partly that, last time you were away, we were still seeing Dr. Ex-MC (though not regularly), so could have theoretically contacted him if needed. So that's part of why I asked you about e-mail. And maybe it just helps to know that you'll be in a Wifi-accessible area and not, say, on the Arctic tundra. I wanted to ask where you were going or at least if it was for business vs. vacation, but knew you wouldn't answer. For some reason, knowing that would make me feel more secure. But I know that's a boundary of yours, so I respect that.

I think I just needed to express that I was struggling with this. I mean, I know I can get through it. It's more that I just had to get the feelings out. But I was afraid to say it in person because it's kind of embarrassing and I worried about your reaction. I think I just want you to say that you understand why it can be hard for me (see: attachment/abandonment issues) and that it's OK to feel this way.

Thanks,
LT
T (Friday afternoon):
"Hi LT,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I appreciate your sharing your concerns and feelings about the gap in our work together. I understand how it will be tough knowing that I am unavailable and I'm glad you were able to communicate it with me. I will check my email at least once a day, so if you need to reach out that will be OK although you may end up having to wait a bit for my reply.

Thanks again for letting me know what had been on your mind - it makes perfect sense!"

Me: "Thank you for responding and for understanding. I hope you enjoy your time off and have safe travels." (Note: I only responded because he said at one point that it bothered him if clients didn't acknowledge when he responded to e-mails.)

His response made me feel better. It felt validating and like he seems to be understanding/accepting the attachment thing more. And I got an exclamation point!