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So, the week before, my T saw me on a Monday and then scheduled my next session for Tuesday. Then, when he saw me on Tuesday, he scheduled the next session for Wednesday. I'm sort of used to appointment times being a little inconsistent, but this week it is really bothering me. I've had a really intense longing to see my T, and waiting an extra day feels like torture.

Last night, I dreamed I went to therapy and my T wasn't there. Instead, he had arranged for a back-up (female) T to meet his clients. I go in with my husband, and the back-up has another guy sitting in session with us, with the door and window open. I can hear people talking in the hallway, and someone is out mowing the lawn near the window. It's almost deafening. I start to talk, but then I realize that my husband and this strange man are going to hear everything. So, instead, I ask the T, "Who's he?" She explains that he leads clients in a special exercise that helps rid them of their anxiety. It sounded really ritualistic to me, so I asked if it was some kind of spiritual/religious thing. They both said, "No! No!", but I could tell they were lying.

Finally, I got really frustrated and told the T I needed a few minutes to clear my head. Everyone left the room, and I debated whether to stay or go. I really wanted to talk to someone, so I decided to stay. However, the T did not come back. I waited for over 20 minutes, but she did not show. I finally realized she had gone to see another client! I was really upset. Then, another female T came into the room. She seemed really together and professional, because the first thing she did was close the window to muffle the lawn mower. I felt so happy because I felt I could really talk to this woman. But then she called a bunch of employees into the room for a meeting. I was standing there, no T, no session, and nobody seemed to notice or care!!!

Furious, I went out into the waiting room and wrote a nasty note to the back-up T, saying that her behavior had been unacceptable. I added that, in the future, I would ONLY see my T, even if I had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment.

I woke up feeling incredibly rattled and desperate to see T.

Here's the kicker: my T has a private practice. I've never known him to use a back-up. He doesn't even have a receptionist.

I've been thinking about calling my T, I guess to be sure of him, but it seems so silly. My session is tomorrow; I could just wait. But between the week of longing, the dream and everything else, I feel like I'm building into an emotional hurricane. I have so much I need to discuss in session tomorrow, but there's something so much deeper in me that seems beyond words, and I feel I'll just go in there and sit without saying anything. And if I call him, what would I say? "Sorry to bother you, I had a crazy dream about some back-up Ts who hijacked your practice." I don't know what to do.
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Hi Affinity... I know the dream rattled you and it would me too... but it was also kinda funny at times.

I think it would be perfectly acceptable for you to call your T and say I had a bad dream that rattled me and I just needed to hear your voice to know we are still connected and all is okay. Then when you see him I think it would be wise to talk to him about why he is moving you around and adding extra days to your wait time. I'm not saying he can't do that but that you need an explanation because it seems that your unconscious is coming up with all kinds of inventive scenarios. I think it's worth talking about.

Hugs
TN
Thanks, TN. I did finally call him--after spending half the day unable to concentrate. He was very understanding, and it was so good just to hear his voice. This is not the first "abandonment" dream I've had while in therapy. Apparently, I have some sort of latent terror of being abandoned that shows itself whenever the connection to my T grows stronger. Ugh. And it does not sit well with my façade of self-sufficient independence. The whole idea of being attached to this man, WHOM I PAY!!!, makes me crazy. It's beautiful and ugly, unnatural and effortless, painful and joyous all at once. *Groan and sigh*
quote:
Originally posted by Affinity:
Thanks, TN. I did finally call him--after spending half the day unable to concentrate. He was very understanding, and it was so good just to hear his voice. This is not the first "abandonment" dream I've had while in therapy. Apparently, I have some sort of latent terror of being abandoned that shows itself whenever the connection to my T grows stronger. Ugh. And it does not sit well with my façade of self-sufficient independence. The whole idea of being attached to this man, WHOM I PAY!!!, makes me crazy. It's beautiful and ugly, unnatural and effortless, painful and joyous all at once. *Groan and sigh*


OMG! I could have written this post. (Just substitute 'man' for 'woman' and we're there, pretty much!) Crazy, crazy thing, therapy and attachment. I'm glad you called and I'm glad it helped. Your dream is so layered and interesting and reminds me a lot of mine. Dreams are such amazing things and tell us so much! Even though they're unsettling.
Thanks, Beestung. I still really miss my T, but at least I know he'll be at session tomorrow!

I'm sorry to hear you're going through the same attachment angst. I've been struggling with attachment for weeks (I can't even utter the word in front of T), but it finally seems to be happening on its own. With or without my permission, I'm not sure. Roll Eyes

Yes, this dream is incredibly layered. I didn't even include all of the details (a big one being that there was an unmade bed, instead of a couch, in my T's office!) I'm sure my T is going to ask me about this dream at session tomorrow. It will be fun picking it apart.

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