[MASIMO]

I have found helpful the ability to listen to my therapist
speak when ever I want. Just the sound of his voice
calms and comforts me. I have saved a number of messages
he has left for me over the past year on my cell phone.
And when I am feeling lonely or needy, I listen to them.
I kind of tune out what he is saying and just listen to the
tone of his voice. I have never told him I do this, I would
be too embarrassed! It helps me a lot, expecially when he
is on vacation.

[skysblue]

I like to also listen to saved messages. Most of them have really good advice and suggestions that I can use at any time. And I doubt I will ever tell my T that either.

I also listen to my therapist's messages. I love and cherish them. I have asked specifically for certain types of messages. I also have my T reading a few child stories for my inner kids. We listen to them at bedtime.

I have had clients call and specifically ask to be left a message so that they can repeat it as needed. Usually before I go on vacation I get requests so that they have something that makes them feel connected.

[WePow]

Stormy, do you think Ts mind that clients want to feel bonded to them?
I know I had some msgs from my T that I had saved, but when I thought he didn't want me to bond to him when not in the office, I deleted them and tried to force myself to not want to bond with him. :-( Now I am seeing things a bit differently, but it is strange and I wonder how a T feels about a client wanting to listen to their voice.

[mixedup_emotions]

I do the same. I listen to his messages repeatedly - and probably way too often. I am too ashamed to admit it to him as in my case, it seems like a compulsion. Yikes.

[WikidPissah]

I delete T messages as fast as I can, it kind of creeps me out to think his voice is in there...lol. We are all very different and very much alike!

My T doesn't do any phone contact unless he needs to reschedule an appt, but I do have the original voice message from him when I set up the initial appt about 5 months ago. Whenever I feel like I'm missing him, it comforts me just to listen to the sound of his voice. I would NEVER tell him this, because then he'd probably want to discuss it.

I have things with my T's voice to listen to. We made one of those recordable story books together, and I also have on my iPod a thing of her reading a story as well. It helps a lot to hear her voice.

[delicatefade26]

I really really wish I had a voice mail of my T...but we don't do phone stuff only email...I sometimes read those and try to picture the way he would say it-I desperately would like to have him leave me a message...maybe I can try to get one out of him someday...

[nannypat]

I told my T I use his messages to listen to his voice to calm me when things are difficult or when he is away and he thought if it helps it was a fine coping skill. I was a little embarrassed at first to tell him but he was fine with it.

I asked my therapist once if he would leave me a specific kind of voice mail and he said in his opinion it was a bad idea. But he does leave voice messages sometimes letting me know he's calling me back.

I don't know what to think about this whole topic. I can see how it could be harmful, but I can see how it could also be helpful.

[rainbow8]

My former T was against my having photos or messages from her. But I'm still in therapy so her methods didn't work. I have a meditation tape that we did in my session and my T knows I listen to it to hear her voice. It is very calming.