Counselling

[ailbhe]

I met the practice counsellor today. She's big on confidentiality. I told her how many people have listed this journal as a "friend". Heh.

I get six sessions on the NHS, apparently, after which there will be a review. Today we mainly did Background Facts; I gave her yesterday's journal entry as a starting point, and some bare bones about the physical stuff involved. She asked if she could talk to my other medical people - GP, health visitor etc - and I said yes, of course; I'd much rather everyone knew what was going on.

Perhaps I need to come up with a list of stuff I need to deal with for my next session. I can't help feeling it would be more useful to come up with that list in the session, though.

When I got home there was email from a journalist who wants to talk to me about the birth trauma thing for an article. I can't do phonecalls - they're hard enough at the best of times - but agreed to talk in person or via email or similar. There must be lots of people out there who hate discussing personal stuff with strangers over the phone.

Also pointed her at this journal. I'm beginning to wonder how many people read this journal precisely because it has stuff about traumatic birth in it - a lot of people added me to their lists during the pregnancy and after the birth.

Possibly some people dropped me, but I haven't noticed. I think one used to be able to check that for Livejournal journals at least.

Rob was home while I was at counselling; Linnea was asleep. The whole time. What a well-behaved baby!

Comments

[tiggsybabes.livejournal.com]

It all sounds very positive.

I don't like phones, never have. I prefer face to face best, followed by e-mail / lj / chat programs / text messaging for communicating.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

This off-site utility lets you see who's added you to, or dropped you from, their "friends" list; I believe it only works from first date you sign in, though, and not retroactively.

Joule

[pne.livejournal.com]

I believe it only works from first date you sign in, though, and not retroactively

*nods* The first time information is requested for a given username, you see nothing; the name is just added to a list of accounts to check or something and it'll pull up your list of friends on that day. After that, you can see what's changed since that point in time.

In Ailbhe's case, the first time was sometime before 14 Dec 2002 (the first date on her page). The dates are a bit jumpy because you only see rows for dates where someone asked for her information; any changes in between two such points won't be shown.

Re: Counselling

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to wonder how many people read this journal precisely because it has stuff about traumatic birth in it

i was gonna say something about this yesterday but decided against it because it might have sounded like i was encouraging you to be unselfish, which i am not -- but in my experience talking about one's own problems open and honestly can help others tremendously, to deal with their own situation better, to get ideas they might not have had otherwise, to learn that talking about problems can actually help, to not feel alone and crazy.

yay for the counselling starting!

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

I think making a list before the session and then going over it *in* the session to jog your memory for more would be most productive.

I added you because we talked about the birth - my birth experience having been incredibly traumatic as well, I find what you went through fascinating and compelling, and my heart goes out to you. Plus I just really like you and enjoy chatting with you. :-)

Also, I am phone-phobic. I became that way when I had the nervous breakdown after my father passed away - it's much better now, but I still have trouble making and taking phonecalls at times.

Just FYI...

[the-ogre.livejournal.com]

...I read your journal because I liked your writing on alt.poly when I was reading, have met you in person (and thouroughly enjoyed hanging out with you) and it's a good way to keep up with someone who lives 8000mi away.

[angua.livejournal.com]

I added you to my friends list because I met you at the DWcon and I enjoyed chatting to you. I only did it recently though because for a while I was hiding from the world and not adding people I didn't know very well.

[marlespo.livejournal.com]

was it jane who contacted you?

[ailbhe]

No, someone else entirely.

[marlespo.livejournal.com]

Well good for you for doing it - I was going to say Jane was wonderful if it was her, but it isn't so I won't say that. ;) I know it is hard to do what you are doing, and you've got a lot of support along the way. (hug)

[firecat]

Perhaps I need to come up with a list of stuff I need to deal with for my next session. I can't help feeling it would be more useful to come up with that list in the session, though.

Then your list of stuff to deal with for your next session is "Come up with a list of stuff to deal with for the next session"...

[k425.livejournal.com]

Make a list as things occur to you, and take it alond as something to talk about. I always find that without a list I'll remember something really important just after I've left a meeting.

I friended you (and Rob) when I spotted your names in someone else's journal. Can't remember who, but another afper - and that was why, I keep finding old afpers here and friending them.

You know, it's just clicked that you met the counsellor from the GP's practice, not a trainee counsellor. You'd never guess I can spell, would you...

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

FWIW I friended you because of your posts to the OU community, because you mentioned you were pregnant. This would be a bit more than a year ago. I was trying to get pregnant at the time and I'm also an OU student. Plus although I am not an AFPer, I know lots of them so there was some crossover from friends lists, IIRC.

[seren.livejournal.com]

I drop in and read your journal, having seen your posts on the uk_pregnancy community (we also have a couple of friends in common). I think you've been amazingly honest and open about what you went through, and I wish you all the best with your surgery and recovery. Linnea sounds like a very clever little girl, and I enjoy reading about her progress.