Struggling with my therapist's pregnancy Part 2

I'm sorry, Scarlet.

It's wonderful that you can express care for L's children through investing time in making something for them.

I hope you will continue to be gentle with yourself as all this unfolds.

Hugs,

Lost

Just had my session. First time in months no crying. Either the topic wasn't that deep (talking about guilt and anger) or I'm just really numb for some reason. Probably both. We were talking about getting my needs met. Something about feeling rejection and abandonment. Idk. Because it wasn't anything deep, it kind of felt like a waste.

Hugs Scarlet,

That must be so hard when you feel as though you're on a deadline.
Doing the deep work all the time is hard going, but feeling like you can't do the deep work is even worse, in my opinion.

I hope you continue to find a path through this that works well for you.

Lost

Thanks, Lost. Thank you for understanding about not being able to do deep work especially on a deadline. It's stressful. Every moment counts. And time goes by too fast when you need it to go slow. (And goes too slow when you need it to go fast). Four and a half months is all I've got and that's only if she makes it to her due date. Babies can come early. I came 3 weeks early.

I just want to get to a place where I have confidence in my relationship with L. Where I can feel secure and maybe even a little safe? Three months, on my own without a therapist is hard. I know I did it last time, but I did have a little therapeutic support during it. This time looks like L will be my only therapeutic support.

Hugs, Scarlet.

Unfortunately, babies can come early.
I was three months ahead of schedule.

No need to answer here, but I am wondering what that sense of security would look like for you?

Might T be able to offer a suggestion for an empathic backup, even if she is unable to be an empathic backup?

I remember how hurt you were by G. *hugs*

If L is it, that's a lot of pressure on a relationship that's already feeling really fragile.

I'm holding the hope that you can regain some sense of trust in her, because that feels important to me in terms of safety.

Intellectually I understand that I have to trust R, because she's the only person who can physically sit with me through all of this.

The timing of the summer break was atrocious, but it's taken us a couple of months to even begin to rebuild that trust.

It's a whole different topic, compared to what we need to be working on.

All this to say I see you, and I'm holding hope for you.

Hugs,

Lost

I would use the three months to find a new therapist and begin working with them. It is appalling practice that she is aware that she is working in an unethical way with you and yet continues. I can imagine that parts of you welcome these unboundaried interactions (the emails she believes would be career ending, her sharing intimate details about her life/body/health, etc) because it feels special, because you are attached to her, because you believe it is proof of how deep your bond is. I feel for you Scarlett, I really do. It is not evidence of deep therapeutic care, it is evidence of her lack of awareness, professionalism, skill: evidence of her lack, not your connection. I don't read examples of harmful practice and then hope for you to continue working with her. I hope for better for you. My stuff with my ex-therapist is written through this, and I am on repeat again with you, so leave it as you will. There is no animosity here.

I don't feel any animosity, Comrade. Not at all.

I know I must be irritating to some. Maybe many. I complain about my relationship with L and I know even by her own words that she is being unethical. I'm being unhealthy, she is being unhealthy, and that's probably why our relationship is having problems. Simple things, like not telling me she would let me know when she starts trying for a family, wouldn't have resulted in such big ruptures. And yet I stay. I stay and I know better. I know what people are telling me is good sound advice. And still I stay. It will probably never get better. Maybe this rupture can be worked through, maybe not. But we will always run into issues because of her loose boundaries. I never had these issues with T. Worst thing with T is one time she wasn't listening to me about something. I probably never had boundary issues with ex-T either. There were other warning signs with ex-T.

I just want what she is offering so badly! Last in-person session, I really think I was finally ready to quit. My goal was to remain silent, to fight her advances. But I couldn't. She brought up good memories which made me start crying. And then it was too late. I wanted to hold onto those memories. I wanted what we had back.

I just don't know how to do it. Maybe if I just ghosted her? But I promised I would have one last session with her, a closure session. And my word means a lot to me. I feel trapped. Trapped knowing what I crave she is offering me, bit what she is offering me is unhealthy.

I'm sorry everyone for being pathetic and a pain. I feel like maybe I should just stop complaining. It's my choice I'm staying. I'm doing this to myself. I can see now how/why divine gave up on me.

You’re not pathetic or a pain Scarlet. This isn’t easy and nobody else is in your shoes right now

Seconding this.

Scarlet this is all so hard. Can you talk to T about this?