[skysblue]

My T will be out for an indefinite time to take care of her dying husband. Knowing this bit about my T's personal life changes our relationship significantly.

I feel closer to her than ever. I feel honored that she felt o.k. about disclosing this info.

Luckily I'm in a very stable emotional place and I feel o.k. about not being able to see her for awhile. I'll be thinking of her though and wishing her well.

Has anyone else ever encountered such a situation in their therapy?

[musinglizzy]

In January, my T shared with me some things going on with her daughter...T was scared and having a hard time with it, canceled and/or rescheduled several sessions, etc. I thanked her for trusting me enough to tell me. She said "of course." Unfortunately, that situation did end up going on around the same time my T changed her boundaries with me, which hurt me a great deal. But I was happy that she shared that with me, for the most part. It also helped me understand why our schedule was so inconsistent for awhile.

[Mully]

Yes. Last September, my T's husband got very sick and passed away suddenly. She was away until about February. It was a hard time for me because I was in a rough place- and yet I obviously felt so much for her and what she was going through. Since she returned, things have changed. Probably for the better, ultimately. It helped me see her as more human, and as a real person. We have talked about her husband's passing a few times; she says that it changed her work in some ways because it was something she had to disclose to some of her clients to explain her long absence and that it has led to some good discussions with people. It brought up a lot of feelings for me that I wouldn't have expected, for sure.

Yes, my 2nd T's son was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and eventually passes away. He was not much older than me. It was a very difficult time for my T, a man who by his own admission never really dealt with depression until his son passed away. The major effect on my therapy was simply times he could not be there to hold sessions, but he remained supportive and available as much as possible (more than I would have imagined actually) throughout.

Similar but not as bad. Two or three times now my t's husband has been severly injured and almost died. It makes things very intense and hard for her to be there for anyone.

[AllHeart]

Originally Posted by skysblue

My T will be out for an indefinite time to take care of her dying husband. Knowing this bit about my T's personal life changes our relationship significantly.

I feel closer to her than ever. I feel honored that she felt o.k. about disclosing this info.

Luckily I'm in a very stable emotional place and I feel o.k. about not being able to see her for awhile. I'll be thinking of her though and wishing her well.

Has anyone else ever encountered such a situation in their therapy?

Sorry to hear this. Sounds like you two have a healthy bond. It's great to hear that not only are you feeling okay about everything, but that you are strong enough to hold her emotionally through your thoughts and well wishes.