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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Suedehead on August 19, 2008, at 12:35:29
So, my T's vacation is finally over. I saw him yesterday. It was...well, it was a lot of things, I guess. I was relieved to find that we still have a great rapport; I had worried that something would be missing after two weeks apart (kind of silly, I know) but our relationship doesn't seem to have suffered. That said, I was pretty hostile toward him at times. We talked about my being angry at him for leaving, and for the way he responded to my admission that I would miss him at our last session before he went away. It was hard, but good, too.
I could say a lot more about the session, but I'm actually posting for a different reason right now. My mom has been sick for a few days. She's at the hospital right now, in surgery. Not a very risky procedure or anything, but I'm pretty worried. There is a (small) possibility that she has a malignant tumor. It's being biopsied today so we won't know for a couple of days. I kind of want to call my T because I'm scared, but I don't even know what I would say. I just want to be comforted. I have no idea if this is appropriate. He said that I could call if I had an urgent problem (he left it up to me to define "urgent"). He also said that I could call if I just wanted to leave a message to tell him something that I hadn't been able to express in person. So, I know that he is at least sort of okay with phone calls. I guess I'm just wondering what everyone thinks. Would you call your Ts under similar circumstances? Do you think it's reasonable that I'd be upset about my mom and needing to talk to someone, even though in all likelihood she'll be fine? Thanks for any input. I know this is kind of a ridiculous post. I just have so much anxiety about balancing my emotional needs with other people's rights to privacy/space/etc.
Posted by Phillipa on August 19, 2008, at 13:01:31
In reply to Worried and not sure if I should call, posted by Suedehead on August 19, 2008, at 12:35:29
Your Mom is lucky she has such a good support system in you. And it's very hard to wait. Did you ask if it's over how the specimen looked to the doc as sometimes they can tell. You could leave a message that you're worried and see if he calls back. Phillipa
Posted by raisinb on August 19, 2008, at 17:42:44
In reply to Worried and not sure if I should call, posted by Suedehead on August 19, 2008, at 12:35:29
I am all in favor of calling your therapist when you need to. Most are great about it. That said, therapists have different phone call policies, and some have boundaries stricter than others.
As I see it, you have two options: 1) Call him and (probably) get what you need, though this does carry the risk of rejection, or 2) Next session, tell him about your dilemma and get some clarification.
Whatever you do, don't do what my therapist and I did. She never told me I could call her, so I never did (for a year and a half). Meanwhile, I stewed endlessly about how crappy it was that she was only available to me in these little fifty-minute increments. Then she started asking me why I never called her--I said she'd never told me I could--she was shocked and "thought it was assumed." Boy, did I yell at her!
Since then, she always urges me to call her if I need to, or even if I just get sad or lonely and need to talk. I don't do it very often, but I know she is happy when I do. It sure would have been smarter to ask her what her policies were in the first place, though.
Posted by sassyfrancesca on August 20, 2008, at 8:53:25
In reply to Re: Worried and not sure if I should call » Suedehead, posted by Phillipa on August 19, 2008, at 13:01:31
I would call him for support and comfort....that is why you have him, right?!
Hope your mom will be okay.
Hugs, Sassy
This is the end of the thread.
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