Abandonment

Dear GoodTherapy, I had been seeing my therapist for 28 years. Around March, she was unwell. This was a rare occurrence in our time together. But her viral infection persisted until about ... Read More

Dear GoodTherapy.org, My dad abandoned our family when I was in elementary school. A week after my birthday, actually. At 8 years old, I was man of the house. My mom was already bringing ... Read More

Our first therapy session began … The day I found her text on my husband’s phone is a day I will never forget. My whole life changed in an instant. I was stunned and in disbelief. I ... Read More

Therapists go on vacation. Therapists need time off for health reasons. Therapists have emergencies. But what does it mean for you when your therapist needs a break? It can be difficult ... Read More

I am so sorry for your loss. You are understandably grieving. You’ve lost your partner unexpectedly, and if that weren’t enough to cope with, you are also trying to take care of your ... Read More

I can only imagine the range of emotions you are experiencing after a blindside like this. Based on the information you provided, the way your husband handled the situation absolutely seems ... Read More

I am so very sorry that this is how the relationship with your therapist has ended. You mention feeling angry, hurt, confused, and even abandoned. Given the scenario you presented, I can ... Read More

If her heart is broken, maybe it’s because her father broke it first. Her inability to accept herself is probably because he told her that she would never be good enough for anyone or ... Read More

The foster care system has a disproportionate number of LGBT youth in its care—the result of so many being abandoned by their parents. This often happens at a time when children most ... Read More

It’s easy to understand why you feel hurt; your experience with this therapist is a reminder of previous abandonments in your life. Perhaps those abandonments are even the reason you ... Read More

Thank you for your question. Boy, oh boy were you put through the wringer. My heart ached to read of your experiences. I suppose the short version of my answer would be to see a therapist ... Read More

Thanks for your question. Six years is a long time to be living with this kind of uncertainty! And not only is this situation more common than you might realize, but the concept of certainty, ... Read More