[annielovesbacon]

I know someone just posted a similar thread, but I didn't want to hijack it. My experience is a little different.

So my very first therapist was a woman I saw at my university. She was getting her PhD, so at my university she was doing her practicum. When she completed her PhD, she left and I started seeing a new therapist. I found out recently that she has started a private practice near my hometown.

Now, I literally only had eight sessions with my therapist. I was in such a bad state that I don't even remember most of them. I didn't understand therapy, and I didn't understand how to make the most of it. So, I didn't make a lot of progress. I don't know if that's on that therapist -- I would lean toward no, considering that I only saw her a few times, and I was so scared of therapy that I barely opened up to her.

My question is, would it be weird if I started seeing her at her private practice? Would she even remember me? (To be clear, this is a theoretical question -- I don't have plans to move back to my hometown, but if I did, I would definitely look into seeing my old T.)

[Lemoncake]

If you were comfortable with it then I don't think that it would weird at all.

I don't think it would be weird, I think a lot of people stop seeing a T and then go back to the same T at a later date.

[ElectricManatee]

Not weird at all. I saw my T at a university counseling center first (she was a staff psychologist there) and then eventually followed her to private practice. I bet your old T would remember you. Eight sessions within the last few years is likely to stick in her mind. But either way, you would likely have to go through the intake process (forms, psychological history, etc) at the new practice. My T definitely remembered me and my background, and we still had to do all that. (I also signed a form releasing the therapy records she wrote to her, which amused me.)

My only concern would be whether somebody fairly new to the profession would have the training and experience to adequately help you. I know you mentioned before that you weren't sure that your most recent T had the background necessary to help with everything you wanted to work on. So you could potentially consider starting the T search over to find somebody who has specific experience with eating disorders or substance use issues, if that does not describe either of your former Ts. I say this mostly from my own experience of having several lovely, well-meaning, dedicated student therapists who just didn't have what it took at that point in their careers to help me very much. (I was/am a slightly more complicated case than a first-year student with homesickness and roommate conflicts.) My current T is middle-aged with like twenty years of experience doing therapy, and it makes a huge difference in how she works and in how confident I feel that she can handle whatever I throw at her.

Hopefully this is not too far off-topic or out of place, but I have seen your Dear T posts, and my heart goes out to you. Have you considered looking into getting a T to fill the gap while you are studying abroad? If your counseling center can't offer you services, can you ask the study abroad office if they have suggestions? Or if you have health insurance, you might be able to find a T in private practice who can do Skype or phone sessions while you are away. It is becoming more common for therapists to offer that. Being away from home when you're already going through some mental health stuff sounds so stressful. I know you want to make your T proud by going it on your own, but I don't think she would want you to struggle needlessly. In fact, getting help and support for yourself is way more impressive than trying to white-knuckle your way through. There's no shame in asking for help.

[InnerPeace111]

Not weird at all.

[toomanycats]

I think it would be just fine!
Most therapists have an 'open door' policy that once a client leaves, if they ever need to come back, the door is always open

[Crookedspin]

Hi, I had a psychiatrist while inpatient who I found about 10 years later was covered by the insurance I had then recently acquired. I felt a little weird calling him, kind of wishing I was "all better" and a bit embarrassed about "still needing help." But I'd really liked him and everyone I asked said to not worry about it. It was fine--he remembered me (I'd been in horrible shape and he gave me ECT during that IP stay). It was really cool, actually--I was in much better shape when I got back in touch with him than when we originally met, but it was helpful that he knew just how bad things could get for me. He greeted me really warmly and I totally felt not only welcome, but was that much more convinced that he'd really cared that first time around. As others here have said, I think it's always implied that you can come back to a T and I know of people who have taken quite a few breaks with the same T over a decades-long relationship.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I just recently went back to an old t who had left for private practice. I don't regret it all as I feel comfortable with him.

[annielovesbacon]

Originally Posted by ElectricManatee

Not weird at all. I saw my T at a university counseling center first (she was a staff psychologist there) and then eventually followed her to private practice. I bet your old T would remember you. Eight sessions within the last few years is likely to stick in her mind. But either way, you would likely have to go through the intake process (forms, psychological history, etc) at the new practice. My T definitely remembered me and my background, and we still had to do all that. (I also signed a form releasing the therapy records she wrote to her, which amused me.)

My only concern would be whether somebody fairly new to the profession would have the training and experience to adequately help you. I know you mentioned before that you weren't sure that your most recent T had the background necessary to help with everything you wanted to work on. So you could potentially consider starting the T search over to find somebody who has specific experience with eating disorders or substance use issues, if that does not describe either of your former Ts. I say this mostly from my own experience of having several lovely, well-meaning, dedicated student therapists who just didn't have what it took at that point in their careers to help me very much. (I was/am a slightly more complicated case than a first-year student with homesickness and roommate conflicts.) My current T is middle-aged with like twenty years of experience doing therapy, and it makes a huge difference in how she works and in how confident I feel that she can handle whatever I throw at her.

Hopefully this is not too far off-topic or out of place, but I have seen your Dear T posts, and my heart goes out to you. Have you considered looking into getting a T to fill the gap while you are studying abroad? If your counseling center can't offer you services, can you ask the study abroad office if they have suggestions? Or if you have health insurance, you might be able to find a T in private practice who can do Skype or phone sessions while you are away. It is becoming more common for therapists to offer that. Being away from home when you're already going through some mental health stuff sounds so stressful. I know you want to make your T proud by going it on your own, but I don't think she would want you to struggle needlessly. In fact, getting help and support for yourself is way more impressive than trying to white-knuckle your way through. There's no shame in asking for help.

Thank you so much for your response. My old T who is now in private practice, she has listed on her Psychology Today profile that one of her specialties is eating disorders. I never mentioned my ED to her (like I said, I was a naive client and not good at being vulnerable) so I don't know if she would be good with that or not.

Thank you for caring about my experience abroad, that means a lot to me. My current therapist has told me that I can call her if I need to -- I can't have regular phone sessions with her or anything, but I can call her if things get really bad. I also will need to find a psychiatrist while I'm abroad since one of my medications I could not get in bulk (xanax is a controlled substance) so I will need to find a doctor to prescribe that for me in Ecuador. Maybe I will ask for a referral to a therapist while I'm there, or hopefully my university abroad will have counseling services.

Thanks again for your kind response

I did it decades ago. There was a 2-3 year lap. Why? I don't remember. but unfortunately, I did not have the same desire to work with her and moved on to work with someone else. I stuck with it for 2 months.

[AllHeart]

Originally Posted by annielovesbacon

I know someone just posted a similar thread, but I didn't want to hijack it. My experience is a little different.

So my very first therapist was a woman I saw at my university. She was getting her PhD, so at my university she was doing her practicum. When she completed her PhD, she left and I started seeing a new therapist. I found out recently that she has started a private practice near my hometown.

Now, I literally only had eight sessions with my therapist. I was in such a bad state that I don't even remember most of them. I didn't understand therapy, and I didn't understand how to make the most of it. So, I didn't make a lot of progress. I don't know if that's on that therapist -- I would lean toward no, considering that I only saw her a few times, and I was so scared of therapy that I barely opened up to her.

My question is, would it be weird if I started seeing her at her private practice? Would she even remember me? (To be clear, this is a theoretical question -- I don't have plans to move back to my hometown, but if I did, I would definitely look into seeing my old T.)

If you liked this t, found benefit in seeing her before, and, think she could match your current needs, why not? It wouldn't be weird at all. I went back to my first t for my second round of therapy after a 7 year hiatus. I had thought about going back to him for my 3rd round but decided my therapist criteria needs had changed and went elsewhere.

It's impossible to say if your t would remember you or not. T's see a ton of people over the years. Some have great memories, some don't. It's nothing personal.

I don’t think it would be weird at all to see her in private practise.
What is drawing you back to this t Annie? You say you only had eight sessions and you can’t remember most of them but she must of had an impact on you. Is there some unfinished business between you?
I just wonder because you said you were too afraid to open up to her. How would going back to her help you now? I am just really curious not judgemental. I was drawn back to a few ts over the years and wasn’t sure why until after I seen them.