Posted by Penny on October 21, 2003, at 8:04:47
In reply to Getting worse, posted by DaisyM on October 20, 2003, at 20:27:21
> Now I am really confused. In my head, my goal is to improve my coping skills so that I never call him again (between sessions). In therapy, my goal is to ask for emotional help when I need it and not feel so friggin guilty about it! I've been watching for transference - I've read a lot about it. This doesn't feel like it, but maybe???
I understand the desire to not need to call your therapist in between sessions, but perhaps calling him without guilt - being able to feel that (a) you need his help, (b) it's OK to need his help and (c) he's OK with you needing his help - is a better goal for right now?You are paying him to be there for you. Try to not limit yourself to thinking "Okay, I can only need him during the 45-50 minutes a week I see him." You say, "In my head, my goal is to improve my coping skills so that I never call him again (between sessions)." - perhaps improving your coping skills would include calling him between sessions. *Maybe* if you had a scheduled call - where you could perhaps leave him a message to say, "I'm okay," or "I need to talk to you," - you might find you don't actually need to talk to him as much between sessions as you are afraid you do.
Forgive yourself for needing your therapist. That's what he's there for! It sounds like a healthy coping skill to me...
P
poster:Penny
thread:271258
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031011/msgs/271383.html