How do you cope when your therapist goes on holiday?
I always hate it when my therapist goes on holiday and I feel like she's "not there". How do you guys cope when this happens? Or even if there is just a longer than usual time between sessions?
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@Chiaroscuro1 The first thing I would do is ask the therapist going on holiday to give you things to work on in their absence. On your last session with them, sit down together and work out the best way for you to get through the absence. I worked with a therapist who gave me written work to do between sessions, that we would then go over on our next session (homework, for want of a better word).
If self-motivation is an issue, and you feel you wouldn't do the work, have someone work with you, to keep you on track. You could always ask your favourite listeners on 7cups to help support you through this absence, and to check in with you and see if you are doing ok.
@LunaHecate - This is excellent. It makes total sense. Thank you so much!
@Chiaroscuro1 you're welcome! Feel free to pm if you need anything :) I'd be happy to see anyone through any therapy breaks.
@LunaHecate - Thank you. This is very kind of you. I appreciate it a lot.
@Chiaroscuro1
Mine gives me homework to do, and I journal, journal and journal some more. I pretend I'm still talking to her on the page so I don't lose out on the time to focus on my healing. Obviously, I still miss it but I try to schedule some listener chats when she is gone too. Or when I feel really rubbish and next session feels a million yrs away, longest 6 days ever 
@LifeIsMyCanvas - Thank you for sharing. I hear you and I understand.
I do other stuff like playing a game or reading :-)
I think it helps to read or play a game
@Chiaroscuro1 This is constantly happening to me because my therapy is usually on a Friday, which means they get missed if it's a holiday weekend, and she usually seems to get other meetings scheduled on Friday (which bugs me that they take precedence over me). My therapy is supposed to be weekly but sometimes ends up fortnightly or even monthly, which is why it's taking me so long to get better (my therapy is mostly focussing on phobia work, but if I've not seen her for a while then I usually have other issues to work on by the time I see her then we have no time for the phobia work).
I guess I just come onto 7Cups or Elefriends to cope, just finding somewhere else to vent when she's not around to listen to me.
I also continue to do my coping techniques that she's taught me and try to do some mild phobia work at home.
@LittleLotte - That would frustrate me boundlessly. Have you thought about talking to her about it or maybe moving your session? And what is Elefriends?
@Chiaroscuro1 She can't fit me in on any other day, and I'd struggle to find time on another day too (I do a lot of voluntary work now). Plus she works at other centres on different days and they're just too difficult for me to get to (currently it takes me two hours to get there anyway).
Elefriends is a bit like a mixture of the feed on 7Cups and Twitter, but for mental health. It's a good place to safely vent and it's run by the UK charity called Mind.
@LittleLotte - I'm really sorry to hear about your situation with your therapist. That would really be a big problem for me. I also live more than 3 hours away from my therapist and I see her only once in 3 weeks, but we speak over the phone in the meantime.
Thank you for the info about Elefriends. Definitely going to have a look at it.
@Chiaroscuro1 I'm LittleLotte on Elefriends too, if you decide to sign up.
I wish I was able to speak to my therapist on the phone but it's just not allowed, I can't even discuss changing appointments, only the reception staff will speak to me.
@LittleLotte - Goodness, that is just really awful. I signed up on Elefriends yesterday. Chose a different username, but I'll be on the lookout for you 
.
@LittleLotte - Btw, I tried to find Elefriends in the Play store, but couldn't. Is there an app for it, maybe with a different name? I'm using Android.
@Chiaroscuro1 There is an app, although I don't use it. This is the link the Elefriends website gave me for it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yoomee.elefriends
@LittleLotte - Thank you 
@Chiaroscuro1 Keep ur self preoccupied with some other interesting hobby or activity while she returns from the return, Enjoy nd Relax or u too plan a short trip where in u can have fun
Thank you
I try to focus on the things she told me to do while she's away. I try to take it as a chance to implement whatever coping mechanisms or things we've talked about. I look at is as like a "real world test" where I'm taking the training wheels off until she comes back to see if I can successfully implement the tactics we've worked on while she's away.
It never hurts to ask if they have a backup therapist in the office either, or to use either 7cups listeners or crisis text lines if you really get in a bind.
@astuteScorpius - "Real world tests" can be meaningful. How does crisis text lines work and where do I find it?
@Chiaroscuro1
https://www.crisistextline.org/
I'm not sure where you're at but this is one for the United States, I'm sure you can google others as well.
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
My state also has a local crisis line that I've called before so your state/territory/country might have them as well, they're usually just a google search away.
@astuteScorpius - Thank you for the information. I'm in South Africa. I've tried some helplines before (over the phone), but the ones I reached were not a lot of help. I'll see if I can find a textline. And surely somewhere there must be lines that can actually help.
