PS: The Apology I Wish I’d Gotten

I wrote the apology I wish Sam had had the courage to write to me. (Warning, really long and totally theoretical.)

The Reversiest of Roles

When Sam's niece dies suddenly, I became her therapist comforting her.

Three Months of Hell

We went back to twice weekly sessions, but it only made things worse as Sam disclosed more and more, making me feel closer and closer as she both implied and explicitly spoke about our intimate relationship.

An Expert Weighs In

The professional judgement of Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a world renown forensic psychologist, with opinions as to how Sam "markedly deviated" from her responsibilities as a therapist.

The First Next Session

Despite my initial desire to end things, Sam persuades me to continue seeing her. What a mistake.

Letter to Sam

My goodbye letter to Sam. (Spoiler, it didn't stick, and that's why there's more of this blog.)

“I love You. I am Deeply Immersed With You.” — Sam

The relationship with Sam became blurred as she used suggestive language and pushed for more frequent, insurance-questionable sessions. Our dynamic came to a head when Sam admitted to seductive behavior and told me she loved me.

Who I Am, Why I’m Writing This

Patients aren’t usually the authors of case studies, but I thought it was important to document how this happened, the impact these boundary violations had on me, and some of the flags I missed along the way.

What Makes This More Than A Story

You're going to read about my breakdown. I'll introduce myself and a pseudonym for my former therapist in another post. What makes this more than just me telling my story is that I will post recordings, images of texts and emails, and some of her notes.

Boundary Violations – A Simple Intro

It is fundamental that anyone who goes to a therapist is there to get help with their own problems, not to be a solution to the therapist’s. That's not how it turned out in this case. Here's a little explainer on boundaries and why they're important in therapy.