Posted by Dinah on August 20, 2008, at 18:30:09
In reply to When you quit, what does your therapist do?, posted by Looney Tunes on August 20, 2008, at 11:19:05
My therapist said that I taught him all he knows about quitting.
I did it several times in the early years. He'd always say that he would really like me to come in one last time to discuss it. Once when I said something cynical about him wringing one last fee from me, he offered to have me come in for no charge. Then we'd talk out whatever was bothering me and if I decided not to come back, he'd express regret, say that he enjoyed our time together and would miss me, and reminded me that he was available if I ever needed him in the future. Once I lasted two weeks before crawling back. He never made a big deal about that at all, and never made me feel in the slightest big ashamed.
We talked about it years later, when I had quit quitting. I hadn't realized how much it confused and upset him at the time. He still remembers that he said on one of those occasions that he'd miss me and that he cared about me, and that I looked at him and told him I didn't care about him and wouldn't miss him. He teases me about it now, in a friendly way. But I think it bothered him then. It must have, since he still remembers it. He didn't mention it until long after though.
poster:Dinah
thread:847334
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080810/msgs/847430.html