[onlymedid]

But she has a very good point. She cannot guarantee confidentiality over the Internet and she worries about messages being intercepted. I only asked her because I really want to talk about my abuse, but I can't seem to speak it or even face her if she were to read it if I wrote it out.
She told me to write or type it out and print when I am ready and if I want to show her, then she will read it or talk to me about it. She also said that sometimes just writing it out is a release.

IDK, I just thought she has a good point about the Internet and emailing. I never thought of it that way!

BJ

Hey. I had an old T who was not too fond of email. She believed that things could be taken the wrong way, especially on the clients part, because of transferance, projection, etc.

For example: If T were to respond with just a short statement, the client could think T is upset at client because it is just a short reponse.

Or clients might put feelings into emails where they don't necessarily belong.

I believe this, because it has happened to me and I have attributed feelings to the emails, that were not correct.

[onlymedid]

Well, yeah, I can understand that!

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Riptide said:
Hey. I had an old T who was not too fond of email. She believed that things could be taken the wrong way, especially on the clients part, because of transferance, projection, etc.

For example: If T were to respond with just a short statement, the client could think T is upset at client because it is just a short reponse.

Or clients might put feelings into emails where they don't necessarily belong.

I believe this, because it has happened to me and I have attributed feelings to the emails, that were not correct.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

My T explained to me today, not to be offended by his brief responses, but he likes to use the emails more as a way to really read and take the time to think about what's going on, whereas I use them as a connection and a process tihng-- so it works out for both of us. We both believe that things shouldn't really be discussed on email because face to face contact is needed-- you truly need to see one another and be present with the nonverbals and allt hat.

[kimmydawn]

I understand that one!

When I was in t, I created an online journal at livejournal.com

I invited t to read when there was something he should know and he did...even commented at times.

It was the most healing thing I could've done for myself, and MASSIVELY helped move therapy along...his understanding me so much better, because, like you, I couldn't verbalize some things. Further, I couldn't stand for him to read it in my presence and by the time the next week would've rolled around I wasn't even close to being in the same place.

So, he'd check the journal before my appointments. You can make each entry private for just you and friends specified. Your t could be a friend, or you could give her the actual password.

It's just an option for you and t.

KD

Similarly to KimmyDawn, my T and I don't use a journal, but he set up a private email address for my emails only. Me and him are the only ones who know it. So that means my stuff is safe and I feel special knowing that T has a personal email account for my emails on his home computer.

[onlymedid]

Those are some really good ideas! I think I will start a journal online because I can sure type a lot faster than I can write which means my thoughts can come out quicker and I won't lose them! LOL

BJ

[PsyChris]

I think it really depends on what your T is comfortable with.

Communication technology does have a place in therapy. Statements can be misconstrued face to face, over the phone, in writing or in e-mail.

As for interception, there is not a very high likelihood any of us are interesting enough to spy on :P

[onlymedid]

I don't know about you PsyChris, but I am fascinating!

BJ

[MissCharlotte]

I have a friend who is a T and she does not do any client work over the internet and that includes any insurance claim information because she feels that it is a privacy issue as well.

My T does not do email either. Actually, I don't really know that because I never asked him but he doesn't seem like the type and it's not something I am interested in. For me, it feels too impersonal.

Peace

I said yes to email. I emailed. Then I emailed when I was angry, unfortunately. Now my T says no to email. I've been banned, LOL. And that is the end of my story.

[Merlin]

I email my pdoc occasionally. I usually have to tell him to check it. When I went to Europe he asked me to include him on my mailing list, so I guess he checked it then. As for privacy, I have no secrets so large that it would matter if someone read the emails. It they did it deliberately it would seriously damage out relationship, but I wouldn't blame him. And if the government is monitoring my email don't they have something better to do

[chaotic13]

I really liked being permitted to email or write my T, however I used it very sparingly. I'm not really sure who retrieves the messages I send. Once my T had asked me a professional question during a session and I sent her a follow-up email with a document file attached the next day. In the next session she said the office manager could not figure out how to open the attachment. This leads me to believe that the office manager, receives, prints, and files e-mail messages. Then I thought, 'hey thats OK because the really personal disclosure I sent I snail mail within an inside envelope marked confidential.' Then I thought, 'I'm such an idiot!', the freaken office manager probably ripes open, reviews, and files all that mail too. I am just kidding myself thinking people give a crap about confidentiality. I hate thinking about how much access the office personal have to my individual patient records.

I would really like to send occasional written messages, it was helpful to me, but I've since stopped doing it. My paranoia got the best of me on this issue.