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| Sun, 03-25-2007 - 3:11pm |
This is not exactly a friend question but here goes (more like a mentor issue).
I am getting rehab due to an automobile crash I was in. One of my theropist (speech theropist) told me that her husband left her and now they are getting a divorse. She then read me something she read her children trying to help them get through it.
My guess is I am one of the few patients she confided in (and I try to respect her priviacy and won't tell any other patient unless she says its ok). I think she told her department head (her boss) since the two of them seem to be close.
I just met this lady when I started my rehab less than a year ago. She is more to me than just another theropist but I can't really call us friends.
My question is how do I be supportive without over-stepping the patient/theropist relationship? The topic of her husband comes up now and then and I don't know how to handle it.
She and her husband seem to be getting along somewhat. I think he is even in her cell as an emergency contact. I think if some of the situation was diffrent they could remain friends after all this is over.
Never the less it is very stressful for her and her children. How do I give her support?

digerati03...
Pianoguy thinks that you should ask yourself if you trust this woman on a professional level as opposed to a personal one?
If she's "sharing too much of her personal life" with you...you might want to consider the services of a different PROFESSIONAL therapist?
I'd also be a little nervous about the 'confidentiality' bond that most professionals are required to take before they begin their professional practicing?
But the final decision about keeping her or seeking out somebody else...IS YOURS!
Pianoguy
Dig,
Have you ever sat next to someone on an airplane or long car ride you didn't know and by the end of the trip you knew their life story? You probably never saw them again and so you might wonder why they told you all kinds of personal things about themselves. Very often people will open up to someone they don't know because it's "safe." You don't know them, their history, their baggage, etc. So, you can't judge them as easily as someone they know well.
It sounds like your therapist just needs to talk. That's OK as long as she's not asking you or expecting you to solve her problem (asking for advice or asking for your support in a way you don't find comfortable.). I suggest if you like her that you can be supportive to her by simply listening. You don't have to offer advice or opinions...just listen. A timely nod or "uh huh" can be validating and you don't have to become further involved.
If you aren't comfortable with sharing her personal concerns it's OK to say, "I am sorry you're going through a divorce, but I'm not comfortable discussing that with you when I come for therapy." Then, she'll either stop sharing or you can ask for another therapist.
Good luck and remember we can empathize with others without having to rescue them from their troubles or take on their problems as our own. Setting boundaries is OK and healthy. You decide what's comfortable for you.
Best wishes,
CL-Wisdomtooth2020
In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away
-shing xiong
Karen ~ wildlucky4me ~