NightSky
MyPTSD Pro
Email has become so important in my work with my therapist. I email her usually once between sessions. (We meet once a week for an hour). I don’t process until later. In her office (even though I’ve seen her for five years) I often dissociate and can’t say things I need to. Sometimes I’ll come home and email that night because my mind is spinning and i need to tell her what i couldn’t say. Sometimes I’ll email during the week if there’s something pressing I want to make sure we cover (nightmares. Triggers. Etc). I have struggled massively with this- just like you. Feeling guilty. Not wanting to push the boundaries. She has repeatedly reinforced that it is part of our process and she values it. We’ve gone over and over what it is like for me to get a response vs not. Normally she responds within 24-48 hrs with a few lines or a paragraph. Sometimes she doesn’t respond at all. So after much wrestling with this alone I finally told her I couldn’t handle misinterpreting silence and we came up with a system. In my subject line, I write 1, to indicate this is an email sharing information I want you to have. No need to respond other than letting me know you got it if possible. 2. This is an email that is hard for me to send and I need a line or two to know you’re not angry, I’m not pushing boundaries, haven’t said too much, etc. 3. I need to talk on the phone. Because I’m spinning out of control. 3 has only happened once.
This has been transformative in learning to ask for what I need. And feeling supported through the whole process and not just an hour a week. But it has taken years to hash out what it looks like for us.
Please trust that if your T told you to email, it is in no way pushing a boundaries. They don’t tell you to do it unless they welcome it.
This has been transformative in learning to ask for what I need. And feeling supported through the whole process and not just an hour a week. But it has taken years to hash out what it looks like for us.
Please trust that if your T told you to email, it is in no way pushing a boundaries. They don’t tell you to do it unless they welcome it.