Advice please.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Hi,

I've been seeing my current therapist for a year now. I started seeing her once a week however as the therapy progressed, I found it hard to manage my emotions and distress inbetween and we both decided twice weekly sessions would be a good idea. I have been having twice a week sessions since about March this year.

I've been lots of therapists over the year and took the decision to discharge myself from the NHS. I found a private psychologist and we clicked from the first meeting. As she says, we have a strong therapeutic relationship and I feel I can talk to her.

Last week, she told me that she was pregnant and will be taking maternity leave from Jan 2015-Sep 2015. She seemed quite disappointed having to tell me as we have come such a long way in a year. I'll continue seeing her twice a week until she goes on maternity leave.

She said she has a colleague who would be happy to see me and asked me my thoughts. She said she feels I need to see someone in the interim and she will come with me to meet the new therapist if I want her to
Or she will even just wait outside if I prefer. I'll agree to meet her but I would like to return to her when she's back from leave.

Another thing I'm worried about is affecting her and very cautious now as I know she's pregnant. I always think too much of others.

I told my therapist about the fact I've ordered dihydrocodeine online. It took so much to tell her and I'm pleased I did but part of me is angry I did.

[tiptoes]

Well done on tell her about the pills, I know it mustn't have been easy. I am proud of your for telling her.

I know it is hard to change the people you see when you have built up a good relationship, I've just had to change care coordinators due to a restructuring within the team. I was so nervous about meeting my new CC, I thought it was going to be awkward and weird and that she wouldn't understand the things that are hard for me right now. The appointment actually went surprisingly well, it wasn't awkward or weird. She let me talk and we came up with a plan moving forward. Change doesn't always equate to a bad thing.

I think it is great that you have built up a good relationship with your therapist. I think she seems to understand you well. You seem to trust her, trust that she has your best interests at heart and because of that you can be honest with her. Do you think you can focus on this. I think that this trust can be extended into trusting her to find you a suitable stand in whilst she is on maternity leave.

In terms of you affecting her whilst she is pregnant, to be frank. It is her responsibility to ensure that she is unaffected by what her clients have to tell her and not yours. Also, she will have been pregnant over the last few months whilst you have been seeing her do you have any evidence that she hasn't been able to handle what you have said to her then versus when she wasn't pregnant?

Stay strong x