Posted by seldomseen on October 25, 2009, at 12:35:24
I'm in long term therapy, so I have a lot of experience with the vacation, illness, family emergency etc... therapy interruption. I just kind of continue on, taking it day by day, and know that he'll be home. Sometimes, we even pick up right where we left off with out any down beat at all.
Well,this vacation is bothering me, more than a little bit. Perhaps it is because he said "you know I'm going out of town and won't be here next weeK" I indicated that yes he had told me that and I understood. He kind of sat back in his chair and sighed. I didn't really know what to say. Then he brought up the list of 5 words that I used to describe him and just let it linger in the air for awile.
I had no comment, except to say, that I had learned to tolerate these absences quite well,and that, in reality, I only "had" him for 45 minutes once a week.
I think I'm bothered because that may have come across as harsh - albeit true, but there is this undercurrent of something bugging him and I think it is related to the 5 words. He keeps bringing up the fact that I chose to place "empathetic" as the final word. The first was provencial (he doesn't use computers, still handwrites bills, doesn't email and won't take debit cards etc, wears pocketwatches etc..).
I'm worried that there is something unresolved here, and I'm left to wait until his return to address it.
Did he want me to express upset at his vacation? Why? Doesn't he not realize that even in his absence my life *has* to go on. It's his decision to go, I have no say so in it at all.
Is he worried about the words I used to describe him and how that might reflect our relationship in my mind? Did I not pick the right words? How can I pick the wrong ones?
Is he trying to pick up on how I feel about him? Well, now THAT'S a fundamental shift in all that I understand about therapy.
Really, I'm just perplexed, worried and anxious over him being gone, but then I'm anxious about his return as this is going to have to be addressed.
Does anybody have any *idea* about what is going on with my therapist, cause I gotta admit. I'm fairly clueless.
Thanks
Seldom.
poster:seldomseen
thread:922382
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20091022/msgs/922382.html