[Rive1976]

Im curious if my therapist reads here. The reason why is because today she said I think we need to practice more mindfulness. She said it has really helped her as a therapist. She said people may worry if others are looking at them and what they are thinking. Ive only mentioned that her. The fact that I dont like to be looked at in therapy.

[Out There]

It's probably a coincidence , mindfulness is a common thing , but understandable it could leave you feeling a bit paranoid. Have you looked to see where the feeling is coming from , anything that makes us feel something is coming from somewhere.

[susannahsays]

I think your fear could be gleaned fairly easily from your demeanor and other expressed concerns. So while it's possible she reads here, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion.

[stopdog]

I don't know if the women read here or not. I also don't believe if they had, they would have been able to recognize me at all from my posts. I don't think posters are as unique as it may seem to the poster. There are various types of posters and I think almost everyone fits into some one of the types. If you read back a few years or even months, the same questions and themes and responses get repeated continually.

[downandlonely]

I don't see how your therapist would recognize you from your name on here. You also list your location as USA, which has a population of over 300 million. So your therapist might be on this forum, but I highly doubt she would recognize you.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by downandlonely

I don't see how your therapist would recognize you from your name on here. You also list your location as USA, which has a population of over 300 million. So your therapist might be on this forum, but I highly doubt she would recognize you.

She would recognize my name. Then she could read my posts and gather that information quite easily.

[Lrad123]

This is a timely question for me because I just asked my therapist today if he read any online psych forums. I really assumed he does not and he confirmed this. I said, “please don’t because I occasionally post and wouldn’t feel comfortable if I knew you were reading.” He would very easily recognize my posts by their content. He replied, “what does that say that you feel safer posting on a forum than talking to me in our session?” But, the reality is that I only have access to him once/week for 50 minutes, and sometimes I have things I’d like to discuss or get feedback about, and he just isn’t available. So, thank goodness for this forum!

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by Lrad123

This is a timely question for me because I just asked my therapist today if he read any online psych forums. I really assumed he does not and he confirmed this. I said, “please don’t because I occasionally post and wouldn’t feel comfortable if I knew you were reading.” He would very easily recognize my posts by their content. He replied, “what does that say that you feel safer posting on a forum than talking to me in our session?” But, the reality is that I only have access to him once/week for 50 minutes, and sometimes I have things I’d like to discuss or get feedback about, and he just isn’t available. So, thank goodness for this forum!

Me too! 50 to 60 minutes once a week and I always have questions. Shes getting to the point now she isnt answering as many emails.

[Ididitmyway]

Originally Posted by Dnester

Ive only mentioned that her. The fact that I dont like to be looked at in therapy.

If you've mentioned it to her, that's how she knows about it.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by Ididitmyway

If you've mentioned it to her, that's how she knows about it.

Lol yeah but I meant to type here not her.

[zoiecat]

My T is always talking about mindfulness. It is also a huge part of DBT which many T use. Outside of T, I have noticed recently that there are even mindfulness magazines at the grocery store now. I would not worry that your T is reading this forum based on a mindfulness comment.

I have also told my T that I hate knowing he is looking at me when I am doing EMDR. I told him I feel like an injured animal and he is looking at me with pity. I would think this is a pretty common issue as well.

[susannahsays]

I hate mindfulness.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by susannahsays

I hate mindfulness.

Why do you hate it?

[susannahsays]

Many reasons. Mindful breathing triggers my asthma, for one thing. I also don't care for the detached aspect of mindfulness - it feels an awful lot like dissociation/depersonalization/derealization to me. I'm also never a fan of throwing judgement out the window. Having compassion for oneself is fine, but it strikes me as rather narcissistic to practice withholding judgement of oneself. And I don't think mindfulness is necessary to achieve self-awareness and be able to separate feelings from reality. At least, I don't find that to be true myself - and I don't think I'm superior or enlightened in some special way. I am prone to valuing facts over feelings, though, so maybe that helps.

[InnerPeace111]

I think the only way a T could recognize a client for sure on PC is if 1) direct [and possibly some indirect] quotations are used with a high degree of frequency over a long period of time; 2) very specific clothing descriptions of either T or client are provided; and/or 3) the exact dates and times of therapy sessions are continually posted over a year’s time span or longer. Other than that, highly unlikely a T would be able to identify a client on here.

[LonesomeTonight]

Originally Posted by InnerPeace111

I think the only way a T could recognize a client for sure on PC is if 1) direct [and possibly some indirect] quotations are used with a high degree of frequency over a long period of time; 2) very specific clothing descriptions of either T or client are provided; and/or 3) the exact dates and times of therapy sessions are continually posted over a year’s time span or longer. Other than that, highly unlikely a T would be able to identify a client on here.

My T could totally figure out who I am on here if he wanted to, because of all those things. But he's also said he wouldn't go on here, and I trust him. And even if he did...I mean, we talk about much of this stuff anyway, so...

[Anne2.0]

If you want to know something from the therapist, this thing is no different. Ask. I think it is unlikely as I agree with others that mindfulness has become very popular in therapeutic approaches, because it works a lot. Worked for me, even in the context of having meditated for a couple of decades, as mindfulness is more about developing a kind of muscle to stay present/grounded in the moment of now. I think it's a helpful skill but like everything, doesn't work for everyone.

[SlumberKitty]

I doubt any of my T's have read on here. I just don't think they have time to search out every psychotherapy forum and even if they did, I don't think they would necessarily recognize me. And nothing that has ever been said in therapy made me think that they did read here. You could always ask your T if he/she reads on here? Might put your mind at ease. Kit

[blackocean]

im sure a small amount of therapists lurk here and i worried about this. seems unlikely that both a therapist and patient would both come here at the same time.

[seeker33]

Originally Posted by susannahsays

Many reasons. Mindful breathing triggers my asthma, for one thing. I also don't care for the detached aspect of mindfulness - it feels an awful lot like dissociation/depersonalization/derealization to me. I'm also never a fan of throwing judgement out the window. Having compassion for oneself is fine, but it strikes me as rather narcissistic to practice withholding judgement of oneself. And I don't think mindfulness is necessary to achieve self-awareness and be able to separate feelings from reality. At least, I don't find that to be true myself - and I don't think I'm superior or enlightened in some special way. I am prone to valuing facts over feelings, though, so maybe that helps.

Interesting point of view, thanks for sharing.

[Rive1976]

It was just weird the way dhe mentioned it. She said mindfulness helps with things like worrying about if people are watching you and judging you. I have only mentioned that on here that I dont like being looked at. Now with practicing mindfulness shes looking at me more says notice your hand on your mouth because I always hide my mouth. I hate it. It feels kind of triggering.

[velcro003]

my T doesn’t even have time to read the stack of books next to her bed, so i doubt she’s reading an online therapy forum. and even though she’s relatively young, she’s not a huge internet person. she showed me a meme once and was like “i don’t really understand these, but this is hysterical.”