[Elkino]

I have a bit of a weird question. I ended up thinking about what if therapy would abruptly end because something would happen to me.
(I'm having health issues, so maybe that's why it came up ;-)).

Anyway, I'm not really telling many people around me that I'm in therapy. I do have a T who's really nice and who cares a lot.
So now I wondered. Imagine I end up in a hospital or something and I don't show up for therapy... Is my T allowed to contact any people in my environment?

I'd think that they are not allowed to do that because of confidentiality, but I would find it rather harsh too... if a T cares and wonders why you suddenly quit but can't find out what exactly happened.

Anyone ever ended up in a situation where you didn't show up for therapy and weren't able to let your T know? What happened?

[atisketatasket]

I would think if the therapist were concerned enough (like if they knew you had health problems), they could justify to themselves calling whoever you gave as an emergency contact (if they do that in Europe). They wouldn't have to breach confidentiality, just say Elkino has missed several appointments with me.

But that seems dicey, and I think many therapists are used to having clients just disappear when they decide not to come back, so while they might wonder, they might not act on it.

Are you actually wondering if your therapist would do this? Is this kind of wondering how much she cares?

[stopdog]

Could you just ask someone you trust to leave a message saying you were hospitalized and will contact her when you get out? My partner has asked me do that and given me the number to call if anything were to happen to her. I have not asked her to do it with the two I see, I don't think they would particularly want the information.

[Elkino]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

I would think if the therapist were concerned enough (like if they knew you had health problems), they could justify to themselves calling whoever you gave as an emergency contact (if they do that in Europe). They wouldn't have to breach confidentiality, just say Elkino has missed several appointments with me.

But that seems dicey, and I think many therapists are used to having clients just disappear when they decide not to come back, so while they might wonder, they might not act on it.

Are you actually wondering if your therapist would do this? Is this kind of wondering how much she cares?

It's rather that this 'confidentiality' to me is also about the fact of being in therapy. Because I almost don't tell anyone, I wouldn't want them to find it out either. That's probably my biggest concern. Not really wondering how much she cares. I do know she cares though.

I also do think that, indeed, lots of therapists are used to people 'not showing up anymore' (I read that lots of clients have so much difficulties with saying goodbye that they rather 'disappear' right away, so...) and might wonder, but not act on it, as you mentioned.

[awkwardlyyours]

Could you give your therapist the number of a friend / someone you trust and tell her to call only if you don't show up or contact for x days (where you decide x in advance with her)?

So, this might be stretching credulity but if your therapist is willing to do it, it may be possible to pull it off -- you could ask her to call your friend and say that she's your friend / colleague and that you'd given her this person's number in case any health issues came up etc. Unless your friend is super suspicious (which under the circumstances may be an unlikely thing), you may be able to get away with it?

ETA: And, you could always warn your "emergency contact" friend that you're going to give their number to your other (non-mutual) friends to serve as a source of information in case you're incapacitated etc. But, again, all that might be good in theory and totally useless for your circumstances....apologies if that's the case!

[Lauliza]

It is an ethical breach unless they have reason to think you're in danger of harming yourself or someone else (and you have expressed this to them). You would need to provide a signed release for them to contact anyone outside of their practice about you (unless you are a minor). I've never seen an emergency contact form in outpatient paperwork but if you wanted to give them one I'm sure you could. That said, unless you're in some kind of day program, the only person a T would call in this scenario is the client. A no show is not unusual and Ts are often pleasantly surprised when clients do show up on a regular basis.

[Chummy]

Maybe you could tell one person who you're close to or your emergency contact about your T's and if something would happen to you then that person can call or email your T to tell them about you?
Or you can have a piece of paper in your wallet or something and on that paper you can write down things you want to be done in case something happens to you and write down this and that person (T) needs to be informed about you?

What your T is allowed to do is what you have agreed to, I think.
My current T has my parents Phone number, but that is also because I live at home. When I didn't showed up one time, she called that number (she didn't had my mobile number).
Earlier this week I was in the hospital and my mum has send my T an email about it. Last session my T told me about that email and another email my mum had send her. My T told me she had to tell me about what was in that email, because I'm her client and she had also told my mum that. But my T can't tell anything to my mum or any other person without my permission.

But before this T, I had a T had this big agency. I missed a session because I was too anxious to go and I was also too anxious to call (and I didn't had an email address from that T). I got an email from the secetariat which said that if I didn't showed up at the next session without cancellation, then they assume I didn't want any therapy anymore and they would end my contract with that T.
So if I wouldn't had showed up because I was in the hospital, they wouldn't had known that but just assumed I didn't want therapy anymore.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by Lauliza

I've never seen an emergency contact form in outpatient paperwork

I'm in the US and I had to give my therapist (outpatient) an emergency contact as part of the intake forms -- I don't know though if that was in case I had an emergency during therapy rather than the sort we're talking about here

[luvnola]

I don't know about other therapists, but I just didn't show up for a year with current t of nearly 8 years and she never called or anything. She would never call family, but she also never called me. I went back and she said she was happy to see me again and that was it; she never asked what happened or why I didn't show up for a year. I think they are used to clients coming and going.

[rainbow8]

If I didn't show up for even one session my T would be concerned. I think I will give my daughter her number just in case. I never thought of that. I know T once told me that she has a plan if something happens to her, but I'm older so more likely I need the plan!

[rainbow8]

If I didn't show up for even one session my T would be concerned. I think I will give my daughter her number just in case. I never thought of that. I know T once told me that she has a plan if something happens to her, but I'm older so more likely I need the plan!

My sister and my husband both have t's email and phone number to contact her, and she has their numbers, if something happens to me.

[Elkino]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

Could you give your therapist the number of a friend / someone you trust and tell her to call only if you don't show up or contact for x days (where you decide x in advance with her)?

So, this might be stretching credulity but if your therapist is willing to do it, it may be possible to pull it off -- you could ask her to call your friend and say that she's your friend / colleague and that you'd given her this person's number in case any health issues came up etc. Unless your friend is super suspicious (which under the circumstances may be an unlikely thing), you may be able to get away with it?

ETA: And, you could always warn your "emergency contact" friend that you're going to give their number to your other (non-mutual) friends to serve as a source of information in case you're incapacitated etc. But, again, all that might be good in theory and totally useless for your circumstances....apologies if that's the case!

I think if I'd give my T an emergency number, just like that, she'd start to wonder whether I'm suicidal or something. So I might do it the other way around and ask a friend to contact T...

Originally Posted by Chummy

Maybe you could tell one person who you're close to or your emergency contact about your T's and if something would happen to you then that person can call or email your T to tell them about you?

That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

Originally Posted by luvnola

I don't know about other therapists, but I just didn't show up for a year with current t of nearly 8 years and she never called or anything. She would never call family, but she also never called me. I went back and she said she was happy to see me again and that was it; she never asked what happened or why I didn't show up for a year. I think they are used to clients coming and going.

Really? I can not imagine I'd be a therapist and not wonder where someone went after all those years. Even though there are boundaries and privacy and all that stuff... I would want to know my client is doing well.
Anyway, didn't it bother you? I guess not, as you apparently went back to that therapist.

I was 20 minutes late for my last session and had no surefire way of contacting my T.

She could have asked the clinic staff to call my mobile, but she didn't.

I don't have the clinic's direct number so I couldn't pass on a message via the counter staff either.

She ended up waiting for me because I'd never ever been late in all previous sessions with her.

We had to have a short session though, less than the hour as I'm the last slot of the day.

If I suddenly no showed, I don't know what would happen. Clinic policy is 3 no shows in a row = they close your case saying that you dropped out of therapy.

[ScarletPimpernel]

If I am not on time or don't show up, my T will know that something is wrong because I will go to session even when I don't want to. But I also have my mom and my fiance as emergency contacts.

Maybe it's a cultural thing?, but I don't have any shame about seeing a T. Everyone who knows me knows I see a T. It's never been something I've hidden. Now being on meds and seeing a Pdoc is something only people close to me know.

Originally Posted by Elkino

I have a bit of a weird question. I ended up thinking about what if therapy would abruptly end because something would happen to me.
(I'm having health issues, so maybe that's why it came up ;-)).

Anyway, I'm not really telling many people around me that I'm in therapy. I do have a T who's really nice and who cares a lot.
So now I wondered. Imagine I end up in a hospital or something and I don't show up for therapy... Is my T allowed to contact any people in my environment?

I'd think that they are not allowed to do that because of confidentiality, but I would find it rather harsh too... if a T cares and wonders why you suddenly quit but can't find out what exactly happened.

Anyone ever ended up in a situation where you didn't show up for therapy and weren't able to let your T know? What happened?

I've had this thought many times. I know my T would first email me if I didn't turn up for session.
Then she may phone.

I have her business card lying around somewhere. I'm not sure if my family would find it nor am I sure they would be able to access my phone with her name in it.
Them I think how will she know?
But if she left a voice message, in side my hubby would get her number from there.

You can see I've thought about all this too lol