[seventyeight]

i know i've posted about this before, but i thought i'd do it again - see if there are any different thoughts/opinions/feelings. i should mention that i've been thinking about this again since i logged on last week when it was my therapist's birthday, only to find someone else posted a thread that it was their therapist's birthday - that day too! i found the coincidence alarming for one, but also really odd seeing as not many people post about their therapist's birthdays to begin with.

at any rate, do any of you worry that someone else on here has the same therapist as you? i know there have been recent threads on privacy and whatnot, and it seems people are worried about their therapist coming on here and "finding" them, more than they are about having the same therapist as another PCer. i was just wondering if i'm alone in my paranoia of this!

[learning1]

seventyeight, that actually hadn't occurred to me. Maybe if my t had referred me here, I'd be worried he'd referred others here. But I don't think it's likely anyone could ever identify me even if they did have one of the same t's I've had. Given the size of the parts of the world that have therapists and the number of people on PC, the odds seem really small that someone else from my neck of the woods/city would be on here.

[Suratji]

I don't worry about T finding me. I already told her. And someone local with the same T? Highly unlikely for me. Can you PM the person who mentioned the birthday and ask which hemisphere? Or region? Then you can be sure.

Just think statistically - how many are posting vs. how many English speakers in the world. The odds are very very slim

I'm more worried that someone I know in RL will find me here. Yike

No, this kind of freaks me out too, actually. I'm not sure why.

I told T once that I posted on a board, and I told him some of the responses and how helpful they were, and he asked "do you mind if I ask the name of the website?" and I literally said "yes, I do" (nicely, of course! lol). It just felt weird in that moment to either picture T coming here, or T recommending it to another client. And I wanted to have time to think before I decided to tell him what website it was. (and it never came up again after that)

I think it feels weird to me because I am CHOOSING to write things about myself but my T isn't choosing to be included...so if another one of his clients was here, that would just feel odd to me.

When I was growing up, NOT TELLING was the hugest deal in the world. I promised myself that when I grew up, I would NEVER tell my kids "don't tell". (so they are free to walk around blabbing about any stupid moments I have to anyone and everyone! lol). I remind myself a lot that "don't tell" isn't a rule with T. There is nothing secret (except the things I bring to him, and parts of his story that he's told to me..he didn't tell me to not tell, but I just wouldn't). It's actually kind of hard for me to wrap my brain around. In fact, I've never even told this to T, because it just feels so confusing and difficult and kind of scary. Huh.

Anyhow, that's my very long way of saying "nope, you're not alone!"

[velcro003]

No, I highly doubt that is true. The probability is very low, and my T does such a good job at making me feel like I am the ONLY client she works with, that it isn't something I ever think about.

[seventyeight]

just to clarify, it wouldn't bother me in the sense that i wouldn't be "anonymous" anymore - just that it could complicate the issue. for instance if i did know that another PCer and i had the same therapist, i'd vigilantly read their posts and/or make comparisons to my own therapy and my personal relationship with my therapist. for instance, what if i learned that that PCer was allowed to email my therapist (and i wasn't) or if my therapist said the same exact things to me as them, etc.? plus there's this:

I think it feels weird to me because I am CHOOSING to write things about myself but my T isn't choosing to be included...so if another one of his clients was here, that would just feel odd to me.

yes, that's a lot of it! it's not her choice that i mention her, and to be reading what someone else has to say about her as well would really take it over the top, i think.

[velcro003]

it would be odd for sure, and I would SO read the poster's posts...but how would you know for sure?

[seventyeight]

and my T does such a good job at making me feel like I am the ONLY client she works with

aha! maybe that's part of the problem.. my partner and i see the same therapist, so i'm sure some of my paranoia has to do with that. hm..

but still, are treehouse and i the only ones that worry about this?!

[sunrise]

78, I don't worry about another client being here, but I would not like my T to be here. I try to disguise the key details but sometimes I post what is probably way too much identifying information. I don't think I would be bothered much by another of his clients being here. It might be interesting to hear how their experience and perceptions of him differs from mine. I think my T is great but I can see how another client might get very easily fed up with him, as I see certain behaviors he does as being criticized by others here from time to time (not directly criticizing my T, but criticizing behaviors they are experiencing with their own T that my T does). So I think if there were clients here of my T's, they might be the ones who say "I'm fed up and quitting," and then they look for someone new.

[BlessedRhiannon]

at any rate, do any of you worry that someone else on here has the same therapist as you?

Ya know, it never even crossed my mind until you asked. Now, it's got me wondering! I'm just going to go with the assumption that it is statistically improbable that someone on here has the same T that I do and go happily on my way.

[Can't Stop Crying]

I feel pretty possessive of PC - don't want anyone I know invading my safe place...I don't know how I'd feel if another of T's clients were on here, maybe invaded is the right word. I don't want my T on here either because I feel like I'm talking behind his back or something. Yikes...that's a lot to think about!

[elliemay]

okay, let's say that there are 60 people that post here regularly (there is likely more, but let's just assume that number). Believe it or not, there is almost a 100% chance that someone will have the same birthday as someone else - and that extends to our therapists too, as we have individual therapists.

So it's not a coincidence that at least two of our therapists share the same birthday - it's practically a mathematical certainty.

BUT, to your overall question. Because this is a world-wide site, the chances of us having the same therapist is very low. However, for all I know, you could live in the house next to me!

It may sound like a lot of us have the same therapist because I think modalities of therapy are very very similar, and well, we are more alike than we are different. We all share the same insecurities, needs and problems.

If I knew that one of my other therapist's clients was on PC, then I might freak out, or I might not.

If you really want a kicker, walk out of your therapist's office all slobbery and weepy and see someone you know sitting in the waiting room.

Awkward!

been there!

[anilam]

I am from CZ so there is a very slight chance that I would come across someone I know.
I would hate that.

[with or without you]

No, that's why I don't disclose my location at all on this site.

[with or without you]

Originally Posted by elliemay

okay, let's say that there are 60 people that post here regularly (there is likely more, but let's just assume that number). Believe it or not, there is almost a 100% chance that someone will have the same birthday as someone else - and that extends to our therapists too, as we have individual therapists.

So it's not a coincidence that at least two of our therapists share the same birthday - it's practically a mathematical certainty.

BUT, to your overall question. Because this is a world-wide site, the chances of us having the same therapist is very low. However, for all I know, you could live in the house next to me!

It may sound like a lot of us have the same therapist because I think modalities of therapy are very very similar, and well, we are more alike than we are different. We all share the same insecurities, needs and problems.

If I knew that one of my other therapist's clients was on PC, then I might freak out, or I might not.

If you really want a kicker, walk out of your therapist's office all slobbery and weepy and see someone you know sitting in the waiting room.

Awkward!

been there!

Don't know my T's age or her birthday...she's a closed book unless you ask.