Couch 215: The Overcoming Couch

I barely slept last night. I have a session with the in home therapist in an hour and then an hour after that ends I have my half of our CPS team meeting. I'm really hoping T1 joins like he said he'd try to do. I haven't heard anything from him saying he can't attend yet.

Today I was supposed see t in person for the first time since March. I cancelled last minute which is something i have never done in close to 10 years of therapy. I was talking to his receptionist this morning about all the protocols they put in place for people to come in and it just freaked me out. Waiting in the car, wearing a mask, t taking my temp just made it feel all too weird for me. I was so anxious. I am not complaining about the safety measures, because I think they are ridiculous.
I totally understand them all.
It just makes me feel weird about t now. Please somebody tell me they understand.

I get it, healed. Therapy in a mask completely defeats the point of therapy IMO.

I get it healed. I keep thinking about calling my t, but a hug was so much a part of our ritual, i dont know what it would be without it. Like i cant step through it in my mind without getting hung up there. And every spot in between. Does he lysol every door handle? Etc etc etc.

It would feel really weird for my therapist to take my temperature. I also wouldn't do a therapy session when wearing a mask. I don't blame you for cancelling.

I would be giggling the whole session thinking "its not that kind of thermometer!"

Its a gift AND a curse!

So, I had a moment of weakness in the midst of despair over the pandemic and riots and stuff and emailed ex-MC Sunday for the first time since September or October. Yes, I know, please try not to attack me for that, I'm fully aware that it was stupid. It was basically a saying I hoped he and his kids were safe and giving an update on how I'm doing right now and that I'd been doing much better before pandemic. And saying how Dr. T was helping me. He replied yesterday afternoon, a cordial and generally supportive reply of like 5 sentences. I was content with it.


Today, Dr. T asked if I wanted to talk about the email with ex-MC (which I'd told him Monday I'd sent). He said, "So, he replied around yesterday afternoon?" Me: "How do you know that? I didn't tell you that." Dr. T: "Oh, apparently he BCCed me on his response." Me: ".........." I said how I'd revoked permission for them to talk back when I'd terminated with ex-MC 2 years ago--though the forms were filled out at Dr. T's office, so possibly ex-MC was unaware? Still, I thought they expired in a year anyway. Note that I checked my email, and it was a BCC, as Dr. T was not shown as a recipient. (We discussed the email briefly, how I was trying to reach out to someone who'd given me comfort in the past.)

After session, I started wondering if ex-MC had copied Dr. T on every email response. So I emailed Dr. T. He wrote back immediately and said it was just this email he'd been BCCed on. I asked if he could let ex-MC know I'd revoked my consent. He emailed a few minutes later, copying me, to tell him that (referring to me as "Mrs. [my last name]," which amused me). Ex-MC wrote back a bit later saying "Thanks for letting me know."

It really bothers me that he copied Dr. T. Maybe he wasn't aware that I'd revoked privilege, but I haven't been his client for 2 years. I guess I just figured it was assumed at that point? Also thought that they permissions were only good for a year anyway techinically. Not sure whether to say anything else, because this could theoretically be complaint-worthy, I'd think (against ex-MC, that is).

You have to grant/revoke with both parties. Each time we grant permissions between my husbands' doctors, the form is filled out in both offices. Revoking, I'm assuming, would work the same way.

OK, thanks. I only filled out a form in Dr. T's office to grant, so I'd figured it would be the same for revoking. Maybe I should have been more thorough in revoking.

It might have been poorly executed on all ends, but it has never been sufficient with any of my husband's doctors to only have that permission filled out in one office.

I think that the telling her she's a good girl likely translates in the tone of your voice. i don't know that cats understand words but i've experimented - i use a particular voice (apparently) when i tell my cats it 's time for treats, and they come running. when h said my voice is different i started saying nonsense words in the same tone and they still come so... i think it's how my voice sounds that they associate with treats.


we have to feed our diabetic cat separate from the other 2 or else he'll just eat their food instead of his, so we close him in the bedroom while he eats and feed the other 2 in the kitchen at the same time. if we put his food in the kitchen too, he'll ignore it and shove one of the other cats out of the way and eat theirs.

I read that cats understand like 3 yr old humans.

You know my friends cat would read 7:00 on the VCR and run to the kitchen for his dinner. It was hilarious. He would wait for the numbers to turn from 6:5x.

Omg that's so smart.

I believe that they do understand too. Belle goes nuts every time the word "cheese" is said. Our local pet store also has fancy cat food that had cheese in it and 80 something % meat.

Think you guys might like this:

Older dog unimpressed with hyperactive puppy | Daily Mail Online

But why BCC the response? Why not just be open about who all is getting the email? That would tick me off.

It makes sense to me. I'm sorry you had such a hard time. Would you consider a phone or skype session?

Exactly, that's what really bothered me. Had Dr. T not made that comment about what time I'd gotten the email, I'd have had no idea it had been copied. It just feels sort of underhanded to me.

It also makes sense that you would email someone who has previously helped you. I don't see it as anything wrong.

Also hiding the copy to Dr T would bug me too as it's not open.

I think the temperature taking is ridiculous. Completely stupid.

Its not that kind of thermometer!

I had my brussels sprouts today

Everyone on the Couch should now don a virtual mask.

That would really bother me, too. I remember it sounded like your ex-MC handled things with you pretty badly, so maybe he now feels the need to cover his *** when communicating with you. Still crappy to go behind your back.

ETA: I wonder if privilege really applies after 2 years? Maybe it's like contacting an old friend at that point, they can gossip as they please.

Cats definitely understand more than we might give them credit for. My cat, Helios, will start meowing at the bedroom door around 8am for me to wake up and feed him. He does this even though my husband is usually awake and out in the living room. Helios just knows that I feed him.

I would say defensive.

I just meant i was feeling feisty, not farty! Its not tear gas, just little pepper bombs!

Since she’s still an active client of Dr. T, confidentiality definitely applies. What ex-MC did was absolutely out of bounds.