Posted by Penny on July 1, 2003, at 21:48:53
Any thoughts on your therapist's OTHER clients?
While seeing my former therapist, I was sitting in the waiting room one day before our appointment and a girl I worked with came out. She said, "Wow, what are you doing here?" and I told her I was there for therapy, and she asked who I saw and I told her, and, surprise, surprise, she also saw MY therapist. That's how I felt about it: MY THERAPIST.
I told my therapist about it, and she was a little surprised that we knew each other, though I'm sure she realized (or should have) that where we worked wasn't a very big place - everyone there knew everyone else. Anyway, I ran into her a couple more times in the waiting room and finally mentioned to my therapist that it bothered me a bit seeing her. I don't know if my therapist changed her appointment time, or if the girl had ended therapy or what the case was, but I never saw her again in the office. And I was perfectly okay with that.
My problem with it? I was always feeling very possessive of my therapist and couldn't help but think "Does she like my coworker better than she likes me?"
Even now I wonder if my former coworker is still be treated by my former therapist, and I'm glad I don't know, because if she is, I think it would bother me. The fact that she would still 'have' my old therapist, but I don't.
On the other hand, there's a girl who sees my current therapist, usually just before me. When I'm sitting in the waiting room and she comes out, she doesn't even make eye contact - she keeps her head down and walks directly out of the office. Very quickly. I remarked to my therapist that I don't think the girl likes me very much. She appears to be about my age. My therapist asked why I felt that way. I told her that she (my therapist) was that girl's therapist before she was my therapist, so I felt like the girl probably resents me for seeing HER therapist. My therapist said that there could be many reasons for her not looking at me when she left, but acknowledged that that could be one of them.
When I left therapy on Monday night, the girl was waiting (appointments had been moved around due to my therapist's vacation), and she didn't look at me again. I guess I'm okay with this, I mean, I can somewhat understand. But there's a woman who's waiting when I get out of therapy and we always smile at each other and say hi as I'm leaving. I don't have a problem with her seeing MY therapist. Guess I don't feel as possessive. Am I growing?
poster:Penny
thread:238620
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030529/msgs/238620.html