[retro_chic]

So I saw T today and I didn't even get a chance to bring up the attachment issues I've been having as I started talking about something that happened in the past week which turned into a whole conversation that lasted the whole session. I don't really mind because it was something I wanted/needed to talk about anyway but I'm starting to feel stressed out that there are just so many things I need to talk about and not enough time. I know you can't rush these things but I'm wondering if there is a more efficient way of doing this? I'm feeling a lot of pressure to get a job and get my life together at the moment which is hard because of my depression/anxiety and I just want it gone so I can get on with my life.

Also, on another note, I was my T's last client for the day and I saw her at the train station afterwards (apparently we catch the same train). I kind of stood behind a pole but tried to look normal/casual at the same time haha. When the train came she went out of her way to get on a different carriage so she must have seen me and wanted to avoid any awkward interaction. We also got off at the same station. So weird and awkward. I've never run into a T outside the office so I didn't really know what to do.

[iheartjacques]

I probably would've done the same.

[Argonautomobile]

Haha, weird. It's like when you're a kid and you see your teacher at the grocery store on the weekend. Like, what, you mean Teacher doesn't prop herself up in the closet and deactivate until Monday morning?

I know what it's like to have too much to talk about When in doubt, go meta--"I feel a lot of pressure to make all these changes in my life, but there doesn't seem to be time enough to talk about it. What do you think is the best approach, here?"

Maybe just talking about the pressure itself will help ease it more than trying to prioritize and shove a bunch of topics into fifty minutes a week?

[AnxiousGirl]

That happened to me yesterday in my session. I went there with the intention of bringing up something that has been consuming me for the past few years but when I lied and said there was nothing on my mind, we talked about something completely different (but also helpful in a different sense) for the entire hour. At the end though, not sure if T noticed anything about me, I was encouraged to write an email about whatever it was that I did not speak about in session (related to health anxiety). I want to take the chance and email but at the same time it worries me that I would be a bother to T.

I have never seen T outside of session but I'm worried that one day I will because I'm usually around the area where the office is because there are awesome restaurants and shopping areas I like to go with friends. Not sure what I would ever do if I saw T outside of session though. Probably just leave my friends and run !!

[LonesomeTonight]

Originally Posted by AnxiousGirl

I have never seen T outside of session but I'm worried that one day I will because I'm usually around the area where the office is because there are awesome restaurants and shopping areas I like to go with friends. Not sure what I would ever do if I saw T outside of session though. Probably just leave my friends and run !!

My marriage counselor now live about 45 minutes from the office, but he used to live really close by (before we started seeing him). He told us recently how he used to be at the mall right by there with his daughter, and he'd run into clients who'd come up and talk to him, and he'd just tell her that they were "a friend." She eventually caught on, he said, and she'd say to him after, "Was that a friend or a 'friend' (as in client)?" Though he couldn't really say. All I could think was "Oh God, I can't imagine running into him at the mall with his daughter"--especially since I had some rather intense paternal transference at one point.

He also mentioned going to the beach with his family one weekend--the same one I got to every year with my family. That brought a whole new series of thoughts into my head, like, "Ack, what if I run into him while he's in his bathing suit?" (since there's also been some erotic transference).

[WanderingBark]

In regards to feeling like there isn't enough time, maybe ask your T for a second session during the week? My T has been really great at noticing that we don't have enough time to cover all the topics that I (we?) find important and he suggested a second and now a third session which I happily took. For me, having the extra sessions helps so much.

Running into T outside of the office is always an event haha. Not with my current T, but in college I ran into my then therapist outside of the office and he actively ignored me even when I blatantly said 'hello' to him. The next session, he apologized and said that he couldn't acknowledge me because that might 'out' me as a patient of his which would breach confidentiality. We also talked about how in the future I would like our accidental interactions outside of the office to go, which I thought was nice.

[retro_chic]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I think next session I'm going to say something along the lines of what Argo said. I can't afford two sessions a week but if she suggests it maybe we could work something out?

Also, I'm glad you guys all feel just as awkward about running into your Ts as I do! I used to think it would be nice to run into T (I think that is mostly to do with transference and wanting to be friends with T). Weird how the reality is so different haha.