Poll Contact With Therapist Between Sessions

[Lucille]

She keeps asking me to email her when I need her, but also saying I need to rely on my friends for support... I personally find it difficult to make myself turn to her when I need help. I try to compartmentalize so that I don't overly rely on her, in hopes that I can eventually do get through it on my own. Is that odd or harmful??

 

[healingangel90]

At the end of our sessions, my therapist says I can email or call her office and make an appointment to come in and talk to her if I need to. I've emailed her twice and scheduled one extra appointment in the month and half I've been seeing her. It's still hard for me to ask her for help, but I'm glad that I built up the courage to ask for help when I needed it.

 

[Grace Hope]

My recently ex-psychiatrist for two years was also my care-co-ordinator for six years never once acknowledged that I needed any help. She refused extra appointments when I was in serious trouble, stopped the tiny bit of support I had. She ignored the fact I have illnesses and physical disabilities so I had nothing, no one to help me when I am I need.

I cancelled this persons from my life. I`m not going back to her for appointments ever. I hope she gets struck off. I`m sure the East and North Hertfordshire NHS trust can`t want a doctor who is cruel, inhumane, and discriminates against her clients on thier pay roll.

I have now got a advocate to help me make a complaint, a GP appointment on Thursday who also has psych qualifications. Things are changing at last.

 

[Lucille]

There was one time when I reached out to a preacher/therapist "between sessions" (except that I didn't have regular appointments scheduled at the time and didn't have a next appointment scheduled) via email. But then the b*st*rd didn't reply or acknowledge he got my email. I saw him a month later just by chance, and he suggested I come back for a session. I asked if he got my email, and he replied "Yes. I printed it out and put it in your folder. You should make an appointment to come in and talk to me about it."

Needless to say, I never went back because I was so betrayed and hurt that he saw my suffering and didn't do anything about it. Thanks for failing to be my religious adviser, not just my therapist. Can't believe he waited to hold off until he could charge me for his support.

I think that probably had something to do with the reason I didn't seek therapy again until years later... the whole distrust thing.

But I recently reached out to my new therapist via email when I was having a hard time, and she did help me. She scheduled me an emergency appointment the next day, which I really appreciated and really needed! :rolleyes: *relief*

 

[a3a2]

I have occasionally e-mailed or called, but I don't do it unless I am pretty desperate. Like many others have mentioned, she encourages this if she feels I may need the support.

 

[myself]

my t calls about once a week to check in, but I never pick up the phone.
Phones stress me out; I have told her this, and requested she email instead. She Emails me now, but I don't always respond. She's asked that I call her or email at least once a week or when things get really bad and is encouraging me to call when I'm reallly stressed out but I never do. She's afraid I'll digress and get worst; I have a hard time talking about stuff, get panic attacks about 3 times a week, am really depressed, and have suicidal thoughts (but don't plan to act on them).

 

[Jen93]

I email sometimes. I can say quite mean things- I dissociate during emailing her a lot. Other than that, I'll email her to make an appointment.

 

[BloomInWinter]

I was abused a lot as a paramedic. I work very hard to remember what it felt like to be abused by people I was sincerely trying to help. It chips away at one's humanity over time and really destroys our self-esteem too.

I'm sure I've been unkind and unhelpful to my T.s at times but I've tried very hard to never take my traumas out on the people trying to help me. But I do understand wanting to.

That's transferrance, and it doesn't help me heal nor help them want to help me.

I don't want to be a source of other's compassion fatigue. :<

 

[nownull]

I email my therapist if I am having a really hard time between sessions and she always emails me back very thoughtfully. I find this helpful. I can just pull out my phone no matter where I am and write down my feelings and anything that is distressing me and know someone who cares and is helping me will read it.

 

[Britt.f7]

If there was a button that said no, though she would let me, I wouldn't reach out to her between sessions. Not that I don't need her, just that I wouldn't reach out.

 

[therapybankrupt]

If I am having difficulty I can call to get support! The office also has a walk in clinic after hours.

 

[who am i kim]

I do not want to get my therapist into trouble. But in a crisis I can phone her I also email her as there is not a lot you can cover in a hour session every 2 weeks. So the emails keep her up to date with what is going on with me and is useful for her to know me better.