Okay.. I have this fear about my T finding this site.. reading posts and realizing its me. So why do i care? Cuz sometimes i tell stuff here that Im not ready to share with her. Allot of times i even refer to her in here or my feelings about the therapeutic relationships. Anyone else share my fear?

[Fuzzybear]

Not T... but yes. I fear people IRL who I know reading my posts..... I think probably many share that fear

((((( EV ))))))

I do understand what you mean about T finding the site though as well....

[kimmydawn]

I understand what you're saying. I told my t about this site and found myself watching my posting, editing more, etc. I never knew when he might read and I might post about something that I wasn't ready to go one-on-one with him yet.

I did that because I knew he knew about the site, my role, etc.

However, prior to that, I didn't have that concern. Maybe I should've, but I didn't.

Think about it this way...if your t did find this site, how would she know you by your user name? With ALL the posts on this site, I don't think that one would stand out more than the other. Also, EV, I don't think you give enough information for someone to say, "Oh, that MUST be her." Do you?

I hope you feel better about it.

KD

mostly i think no. but a few times ive posted things here that i've either emailed to her "word for word" or that i decided to get a "second opinion on here". so it would be too much of a coincindence. Then if looking at other posts about my family background, related issues, and geo location.. then yeah.. i think it could be obvious.

Hang in there Estersvertue. this topic has been discussed before though I don't know where the posts are at them moment.

My part of those posts was saying no I don't have this problem in fact I have invited many friends including a past therapist SKR here and to other on line support groups. When SKR was my therapist I helped her register for the same on line support group that I was in so that she could come in at any point and read what I was posting and it also helped so that during therapy sessions I didn't have to go into a big explaination of on this forum we ware talking about and this is... My present therapist LL is a part of at least three of the same websites and or on line groups that I am a part of. in fact I told her a long time ago I think the same day I found this Psych central that I was going to register here and what name I was going to use.

I think its great that my therapists like to come and read what I am posting and so on about and seeing what survivors in general go through. What better way of knowing what survivors need then to find out from survivors themselves what they go through.

Before I even started entering on line groups I knew there was a possibility of people I know that may read what I talk about on like. Its called the world wide web. that means that the whold world can at any point register for an online support or therapy group just like I do. So I always follow a rule for myself -

No matter how secure the site appears to be I don't post anything that I would not say to people in my real life because I may just be talking to my neighber, my child, my friends, my abusers, my therapists, co workers lawyers DHS caseworkers and so on and not know it.

It may not be my place to say this but I am going to because I have been here a long time and have seen this topic send the whole community into uproars and so on of fear of therapists being here.

Alot of on line support groups if not all have right in their guidelines that the members need to take care of theirselves and what they post about because you don't know who you are really talking to and that the groups are accessable to others to read.

for the new people - and maybe those that have been here a while and have forgotten -

Psych Central has had many discussions about the fact that these community boards are open to others to read at any point.

They are not searchable by google and so on but anyone can follow mental health links including for example Psych Central is a link on one of my local hospitals websites so there were going to be professionals here including therapists within my local community.

Some therapy professionals have taken a risk here and have disclosed they are in fact therapists so we already know there are therapy professionals here, and they are not here to practice therapy on anyone. They are here for their selves and to learn how to helpo their many clients not just those that they may recognize here.

The bottom line is that yea a persons therapist may in fact be here under another name just like every one else here is. everyone posts what they are comfortable posting. That includes whether or not you post things here that you would not post to your therapist. As far as I know if you are not comfortable with your post you can consult with a moderator or administrator about having the post removed. posts are not permanent they can be deleted so don't panic over the fact that therapists are here regardless of whose therapist they are and so on.

[Liv28]

((((ESTHERSVIRTUE))))))

[complic8d]

That thought has crossed my mind, if I print anything I cut off the poster's name and the website at the bottom of the page. I also bring things up here that I am not ready to talk about yet with her. But, I do realize when I post that anyone has access. It is the WORLD WIDE web.
(((EV))))

[(JD)]

Well, I invited my T to read if he wanted to (though I don't know why, I tell him everything anyway.)

If the site was open to search engines, then everyone could find it. But while the articles and references of information on the site are searchable, I doubt even having your T use those would cause him/her to take time to read through the thousands of posts here and correlate any to you.

[jennie]

There are over 11,900 members here at this site. There are also many mental health support forums. What are the odds your counselor will find you? She doesn't know your username, right?

[Rhapsody]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
esthersvirtue said:
Okay.. I have this fear about my T finding this site.. reading posts and realizing its me. So why do I care? Cuz sometimes i tell stuff here that Im not ready to share with her. A lot of times i even refer to her in here or my feelings about the therapeutic relationships. Anyone else share my fear?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

((((((( HUGS ))))))) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ((((((( HUGS )))))))

I can understand your fear, for I was once fearful of the very the very same thing.... but now I have healed enough that I am no longer afraid that any one that knows me might read what I have held with in me from past wounds. I am personally glad that I can now release my pain.


LoVe,
Rhapsody - ((( )))

[Meta]

I can understand the fear. I too fear my therapist or anyone else recognizing my posts but I get too much from just posting alone to let it stop me. And the responses are priceless to me. My therapist, this forum and other groups and outlets are all necessary to my healing. I think a sensitive therapist understands we may be more comfortable in an anonymous forum. We will get to where we can be ourselves In Real Life. Maybe this forum offers a stepping stone.

Best to you and everyone else here who have through their shares offered me another tool for recovery.

Meta

[Sailaway]

I've thought the same thing. She knows I spend a lot of time on the water and that I would love nothing more than to escape, hence the sailaway. If she were to scan the few boards in which I post in then it wouldn't be to hard.

The conversation we had the other night (which I am truly thankful for by the way!) is one of which I wouldn't be able to talk about one on one not to any detailed length anyway. The worst thing that could happen I suppose is that I would get "found out" and that would lead to me actually having to talk and well that would be pretty painful. So, I understand your fears but this site is obviously helpful so I say keep writing.

~Sail

[Rapunzel]

I get nervous too that my T could read my posts here if she chose to. I know that she doesn't have time to do that. I wonder when she even really has time for her own life - she works 6 days a week and writes to me on her off day and in the morning and evening before and after going to the office.

She knows my sn because I told her what it is, and I have told her that I post here. Sometimes I tell her about some of what I post here and what I learned. Once she expessed interest in what I told her I posted and in the feedback I got (since I told her I got some good feedback), and I hesitantly sent her the link to that thread, and she read it. That was so scary! But it turned out ok.

It particularly makes me nervous if I post about her (one small part of that is that I am embarassed for her to know that she is referred to as "T" just like many people refer to their therapists - it really seems to minimize her as a person, I guess, although it also protects her identity and confidentiality). I worry that she might take exception to what I say, and disagree or be offended. And also that she will catch me wallowing or whining, and she would not be pleased that I engage in that stuff.

well i fortunately dont have the fear about my therapist reading this, as she was the one that reccomended me to this site and ive already told her shes more than welcome to read my posts. i speak to her about everything, so nothing would be new to her.

i do fear about family and friends finding this site, but if you have noticed, many of the pages of posts have disappeared, which means the posts have been deleted (old ones), so if my family or friends came here they wouldnt be able to find out that much because all the severe, deep stuff i have felt i posted a while back, now its more support i offer. if new people were to look at the site, they wouldnt know how you feel. they wouldnt be able to read every single post you have posted because they no longer are in the forums.

once i realised that the posts are no longer here, i feel far better. i no longer worry about fa,ily or friends finding this place. and i was never worried about my therapist reading my posts, because i am as honest here as i am to her, and i have been going to her for 4 years now so she knows everything.

if you fear your therapist will read something you havent yet spoken to her about, she will understand that it is easier to speak about issues here, and that you might not be ready to speak to her. she will recognise that you are talking to others about how you feel and as long as it is helping you progress through your depression etc, how can she complain. it is for the best that you post here, so she cant hold a grudge, because you are healing yourself. do you understand what i mean?

simon