Hi Sunrise,

I'm sorry you've had trouble getting your topic up for discussion. It sounds to me like it is really important to you. If it were me, I'd follow up your email with a phone call at this point. It's true, as you said, that the therapist might be busy. Maybe their email or computer isn't working too. If you really want to meet, I'd call the therapist. And if you do meet, be clear that you want to meet to discuss this one particular topic.

When going to counseling, or seeing a physician as well - we are in charge. We are paying the fees. The clinician we are seeing are our employees. If the therapist is consistently deciding the topics for discussion, and those are not the topics you think need to be discussed, you have a say about that. I would bring that up with the counselor. You can say, "I appreciate that you want to discuss this topic, but this week, I think it's extremely important for us to discuss Topic B instead. We can resume talking about the other topic on the next visit. This is very important to me, and to our counseling relationship." I think most counselors would appreciate that. If not, then you need to have a discussion with the counselor about why they are not understanding it. It's been my experience, anyway, that if they are consistently avoiding a topic of importance, it can create a lot of confusion and frustration in the working relationship. You two may need to discuss the situation together, and your feelings about it if this has been going on for awhile. If he is still focused on discussing the divorce situation to the exclusion of other topics, then you need better clarification on why this is so. You may need to be bold, but remember - you're in charge! It's your right. Your therapist is your employee during your session time. If you're not discussing the topic you think needs to be discussed, then you need to change the topic.

Hope it all gets worked out.

Take care,
ErinBear