Yes I know that title suggests the presence of highly unethical behavior. Here's the situation...
I'm currently working on finishing up my associate's degree and will graduate from my community college at the end of April. As some of you may know, I've been searching for a therapist for several months and have met a few different clinicians, but haven't yet found one I've been able to connect with. The following situation/suggestion probably sounds insane and borderline inappropriate (and like a cheesy movie plot!) but I've been thinking about this for awhile and would like some input.
I'm currently taking an introductory psychology course with a professor I've had in one previous semester. She is a limited license counselor in our region and (as far as I can tell) has practiced in the field for several years. She is a very sweet person and appears to be highly cognizant of boundaries between therapists and their clients, at least from what she's mentioned in class.
This semester has been incredibly rough for me and she knows this. She mentioned in a (class-related) email to me last month that I didn't seem like myself and asked if everything was alright, so I gave her the gist of my situation and told her that I was in the process of seeking a therapist. Between that and my class papers which often ask about personal experiences with mental illness, I think she's been able to gather a good amount of basic information about me.
As unlikely as I know it is, do you think it would be unethical or just plain weird if I asked her to counsel me after I graduate, thus making me a former student? I feel stupid even asking this question, which is why I'm doing it here before asking her in person. I can completely understand why she wouldn't want to if I were a current student, but would the same boundaries apply after graduation? Our last class is April 25th and I was going to stay after class to ask her that day. I graduate the 26th.
At the very least I guess I could ask if she could provide the name of a different therapist so that I've got a starting point. That sounds less weird/creepy in my mind.
Thoughts?