Posted by Dinah on April 29, 2008, at 16:44:19
In reply to Re: Event for T herself, posted by myrtledog on April 29, 2008, at 16:09:41
My therapist's mother was ill and then died during our time together. He was gone for about three weeks by my recollection. But when he came back he came back because he felt able to put aside his own concerns and be a therapist to me. He did not in any way want me to change how I was with him in order to protect him.
I can't deny that there have been times (over a very long term therapy) when for various reasons my therapist has not been as capable as usual. And it felt weird to need to make allowances for someone whose time I was paying for. But he was human, and he isn't always on top of his game.
I think the only thing you can do, or I could do, is to trust them to know their limitations, to be aware that they might not be totally themselves, and to be honest with them if their stuff is getting in the way of your therapy.
Someone said to me at the time, and I do believe it is true, that my therapist was probably glad of a chance to think about something other than his own loss. So that letting him be my therapist and letting him do his job was probably the best thing I could do for him as well.
poster:Dinah
thread:826292
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080423/msgs/826317.html