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Hi everyone. I am new to posting but I have been lurking for quite a while. I have learnt so much from you all posting about your experiences.

I have been seeing my t for 13 months, mostly weekly. My GP and psychiatrist have been telling me repeatedly to end with him for the last six months and to me that feels like death. The main problem is that he continually breaks his boundaries.

I have huge issues of attachment and transference feelings towards him. I have tried eight times to end and each time I just keep going back. It is an addiction.

I have always been upfront and honest with him about the feelings of attachment and erotic transference I have. Once I asked him what would happen if I hugged him, since I knew he wouldn't hug me. He said he wasn't going to go there and discuss it. I kept asking and he still refused to answer. I said I could just force the issue and hug him and he said he would feel violated. I had a huge meltdown then and left feeling like he thought I was a revolting human being and a rapist.

After a week of being very distressed about the whole issue I rang him and said I would like to discuss it but did not want to go to his rooms. He offered to me meet me at another place which he did (he had told me before that he would never meet clients outside his rooms) and then ended very abruptly with me and left me with no support and refused to take my calls even though he knew I was suicidal about the ending. I left many messages about not being able to cope and begging him to let me come back to therapy.

A week later he did let me go back and it was apparently my fault that he ended because it wasn't working.

That was about four months ago. There are also problems where is is warm and cosy one session and then cold and icy the next. One time he gave me a look - it lasted long enough for me to know what it meant - but maybe I misread it - I am so confused. I do get that he doesn't want me, that he has broken boundaries because he didn't want a suicide on his watch, but the look he gave me is so confusing and changes everything for me. He has also told me that I misread the look.

In our last session I told him that I need him to hold really tight boundaries because I unconsciously manipulate him to break those boundaries and when he does (easily) I see it as a chance to get closer to what I want - him.

He didn't take that very well and said that he is just flexible. I gave him several examples of boundaries that he said were not negotiable that he has since broken. He said that so long as I stay in my chair and he stays in his chair, I will be right, that he won't end again. I answered that makes me think there is a chance that he wants to get out of his chair. He ignored me. When I left after that discussion he made a point of standing across the other side of the room away from me. I pointed that out and said that I was never going to jump his bones and he ignored me again. He has made me feel like I am so repulsive and vile that he couldn't bear to be touched by me.

I know that I am searching for something but I am not sure yet what this is. I am seeing a new t and really need to end with my old t but the feelings of despair are overwhelming and I need to find strength to do this.
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Hi Halo, and welcome to the forum. I lurked for a long time too at first. I’m glad you jumped in and I look forward to getting to know you.

I SO understand the “warm and cozy” one session and then “cold and icy” the next. My T was the same way. The inconsistency kept me on edge, on guard, waiting for the hammer to fall. I thought it was just my trust issues, but now I believe it was his counter-transference leaking through. Your T’s counter-transference isn’t just leaking through, it’s threatening to cave the roof in. Not only is he failing to cope with multiple counter-transference issues, he’s not even able to conceal them. You are getting more injuries when you need healing. You are getting poisoned when what you need is nourishment.

You said you are getting mixed messages from him. Messages that he wants to transfer you, but also a “look” at one point. Was the look seductive? I also struggled with trying to understand a confusing mixture of seductive and fearful messages from my T. I still haven’t figured it out, and I don’t know if I ever will, or even if I need to. Now that I’ve been away from him for a while, I see that whatever it was, it was some form of counter-transference. And it turns the therapy into a chaotic mess that is anything but healing.

You mentioned addiction to him. I also suffer from addiction. One way I think of addiction is the inability to let go when something just isn’t working any more. In this situation, I think it’s linked to self-blame. Like me, you keep trying with this T because you think there is something you’re doing wrong. But it’s not you, it’s HIM. Of course you unconsciously manipulate him to try and break boundaries. As a T, he should expect that and have the training and compassion to deal with it in a way that keeps you both safe and allows you to heal. And if he can’t do that, the ethical thing to do is transfer you so that he doesn’t injure you any more.

And if he can’t do that, which it sounds like he can’t, then I hope you can find another T who will be the T you need. You sound like a very strong person who needs a T who can meet that strength with strength and integrity of their own. I hope you find him/her. Please keep reading here and draw hope and strength from the accounts about T’s who know what they’re doing. And please keep posting and let us know how you are doing.

SG
Hi Halo.

As usual I think SG put things extremely well but I'll just add my two cents worth.

To be honest I'm appalled at the way your T has been handling things. It is so unfair for you to be going into what should be a safe environment and to be met with unpredictability and coldness. It is simply not right. It is up to your T to maintain the boundaries and to deal with your feelings and issues openly and without judgment.

I agree with SG in that the best option is to find a new T if this continues. It has gone too far already in my opinion, you do not deserve to be hurt further. I hope you get all the support and care that you need and deserve from him/her.

Take care and I hope you can continue being so brave and strong.

Mrs. P
Thank you for your replies, they are very comforting. It is very reasurring to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

SG yes the look was definitely seductive and very intense.

Mrs P (love your new name) - I have always felt judged and criticised by him. Some of the things he has said such as when we were talking about how much I hate my body he said "some men prefer larger women". That made me very upset and I felt like a freak that only men with freakish fetishes would want. I am married with two children and about 25kg overweight. Another time I said I would kill myself if I had contact with my family again (very very abusive family) and he laughed at me and said "Do you really mean that? Are you joking?" I walked out very upset. He rang about an hour later and tried to make things right. Another time a mutual friend took my son to his house for a BBQ (their children are friends) and I was horrified when I found out that he didn't ring me to come and pick him up, he definitely knew that I wouldn't want my son at his house.

HB - I do have a new T who I have seen twice. He does psychodynamic and has assured me that he will know how to contain the erotic transference issue should it happen.

This is a huge mess. I am so drawn to wanting to go back. I don't know why. Maybe it is replaying the relationship I have with my family and I think I can fix it with him since I can't repair the relationship with my family ever. My brother-in-law has stalked us for over a year and my family all supports him and is abusive towards me for going to the police. I have cut all ties with my family and will not be seeing them again. That is very hard for me because I have always been a devoted daughter and pretended that I have a loving family. That is why I went to therapy in the first place.

I am so sad now. Feeling very sad and desperate.

Halo

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