Couch 155: The International Operator

Glad you're home, Elio.

((Daisy))

You got it, anais.

Demunie, I'm so sorry your area is filled with SHEETY doctors.

Daisy, I am so sorry about your cat. It's not your fault.

Artie, I'm grieving and exhausted and in a funk. Healing energy sounds lovely, especially from a distance. ❤️

Hi, Couch.

Session in an hour. Can I request pocket riders? Hugs and head nods to all in need.

Thanks,

Lost

Pocket riding

Session in 40 minutes.

And I feel like grown up S is out to play.

Me! Yes, I'm able to be in two (three, four...) pockets at the same time

Thank you Cap!

How are you doing?

6 mins now.

How was your session, Lost?

Hi couch,
HR scheduled a work course right on my therapy day on 21 Nov...

She's so booked, 21 Nov was the earliest I could attend :/

And now I gotta reschedule because HR won't reschedule the training...

How was your session, Lemoncake?

I'm so sorry!! I hope you'll don't have to wait two months?!

I dunno I'm flying to Scandinavia mid December to visit my partner. If I can't get a session before then, I have to wait till mid January 2018 or longer as that's the end year / new year peak period for new intakes...

Sounds quite awful
Can she offer you phone/skype/email sessions at least?

I can call the hotline to call the clinic to "ask the clinic to ask her to call me back' once every two weeks if I don't have a session scheduled for a brief talk (it's gone up to 45 minutes once though).

Long procedure... I've waited in the hotline queue until it disconnected me after an hour.

That's up to her to call me though... Sometimes the hotline makes it really hard to even get to the clinic line / relay the message to the clinic because some operators probe and don't accept "Psychological reasons. She's my psychologist."

No Skype or email. Some clients have her work email but I don't. I don't even know if she has a personal Skype (hospital outpatient clinics here don't do Skype) and even if she did, my room at home isn't completely safe and I have no personal Skype access at work.

I can "ask the clinic to ask him to call me back" only in case of emergency. I'm sure I never will.

If some clients have her work email, you can ask her to give you it? You said she offered you a phone check because of the long break, right? You can ask her. I think she'll understand that two...three??... months break without any therapy is too hard...

Damn, I'm so sorry that your T isn't easy to access for you as well

I wish he'd offer you out of session contact. Many of us with childhood trauma from abuse do better with it.

(And while I understand, deeply understand that you believe "nothing" happened to you and that you don't have "real problems"...I don't agree. You did have horrible stuff done to you and you weren't protected or seen or heard or loved. Your pain and problems are very real. Capt, I believed the same of myself for many years...made so many posts about it on the couch...and I know you wouldn't say "nothing" happened to me or that my problems aren't real *hugs*)

I've never dared to ask for her work email. I already type and print long letters for her to read and message her instagram (with her permission). I don't think she can do / is willing to do email therapy.

I think she offered a phone check yes, if no slots open up - not very sure what her "drop you a line" means. One problem is it's the clinic staff who'll check if slots open up, not her. She said she'd instruct them but I know they can forget. I had so much trouble with community mental health for my meds recently because of something similar.

He said he can give me his email. But I'm not going to remind him of that. And that I can message him VK in case of emergency... But I won't.

I don't need out of session contact. I'd feel guilty for bothering him. "Dear T" thread is enough...

"I don't think she can do / is willing to do email therapy." - but you can ask! Am I understanding correctly that you can contact her directly via instagram? That's cool. I don't mean you should do it every day... But at least you have some way to stay in touch... if you don't want (can't) to email.

I'm sorry you have to deal with the clinic staff. My T's clinic's receptionists mess up quite often...

I do hope he does give you his email some day. I wish you'd feel less guilty, especially if he's offering the contact *hugs* I'm glad the Dear T thread helps.

Yes, I can contact her via instagram. Her boundaries are that she won't reply and we'll discuss if I message too much. I just messaged her!

Good reception staff are worth their weight in gold... I wish the hotline operators didn't gatekeep so much. I tell them T said I'm allowed to ask her to call me back, but some still insist on knowing my reasons.

I missed this last night, but am going to practice again today after I get home from work, so will send your way. I'm sorry things are so hard.

Atat-- coming to Boston anytime soon?

https://m.facebook.com/events/125179...l%22%7D&aref=3

Eta upon further research it looks like a nationwide sensation

Oh dear lord.

I nominate you my representative.

I will admit I became intrigued by a narwhal onesie a few days ago

I Googled. Very fetching. Suits your coloring.

And it comes with a horn!

Eta: I think una would look awesome in an elk onesie.

And Argo in a beaver onesie, of course.

And SD as a...dragon?