termination

I want to reply to the comments on termination, perhaps to "defend" myself, but almost because I suspect (hope?) that my issues and thougths can be of some general use.

1) I get laughed at when I call myself "borderline". Of course, I would also get laughed at if I identified myself as schizophrenic or DID. I am dysfunctional in therapy (or I was with this specific therapist) but I am darn functional outside of therapy.

2) I was already seeing one of my "new" therapists for backup when my therapist was out of town teaching, which was very often. A release had been signed and, until my (old) therapist fired me, I never even asked if they had spoken, to avoid even the appearance of triangulation on my part.

3) Both my "new"/back up talk therapist and my new emdr therapist have been thoroughly advised of the situation with my old therapist (even, especially, the parts that make me look bad). Both have said, and I thoroughly agree, that I could not have continued with them and seen the old therapist.

I say all this because every effort was made on my part to be "aboveboard". I will point out at this time that I used the phrase here "I quit" as a convenience... the reality was "murky". In any case, it wasn't the fact that I saw other therapists which got me fired... it was my criticism of my therapist's techniques which seemed to offend her. I will say at this point that I have posted here (under different names) praising those same techniques, and received unsolicited emails from my (old) therapist praising me for THOSE posts.

Murky, murky... my point in saying all this... and I'm only just realizing this WAS the point, so please forgive me -- It is always and solely the therapist's obligation to set and maintain boundaries, to consider the client's best interests, healing and safety in all (esp unsolicited) communications & contact. Otherwise, therapy becomes one more place where a client (esp a dissociative or traumatized client) reenacts insidious dynamics of being "special", "different" and "apart". Such dynamics, of course, originate in the trauma.

A final note: it is my understanding that clients do often see emdr therapists on a consultation basis. Thus, violating the "don't see two therapists at the same time" rule.

Replies:

afterthought, by wondering, 08/10/03 Re:afterthought, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/11/03 Re:afterthought, by wondering, 08/11/03

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