Yep, I tried (and mainly succeeded) in doing the same in session yesterday, as my T will be away next week. We kept things lighter, and it felt more about the connection (some joking around, etc.). We did discuss a bit about what I could do during the next week to make things easier, like self-care (yoga, walking, meditation, etc.), support system, etc. And T reassured me that it's fine if I do end up emailing while he's away, so it helped to hear that. I brought up one thing that could have potentially caused a therapeutic relationship issue, depending on his answer, and he was like, "Are you sure you want to discuss this topic?" But it was an easy answer and the one I was hoping for, so it was fine. And I did talk a bit about how his going away was hard for me, and he seemed to really understand and "get it" this time, unlike the first time he went away a year ago (he's had other trips in between, but they've been shorter ones). It helped that he understood. I told him near the end that I had wanted to avoid really intense topics, and he said (semi-jokingly), "You didn't want to leave with a big ball of trauma to deal with over the next week?"


I think the mix of mostly light topics, coping strategies, and a bit of reassurance was a good one. So maybe consider that, Scarlet?