Rupture and repair

Jeff Levy, LCSW
(originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, August 2014)

Abby shot up from her seat and ran out of my office.  I asked her to stop and tell me what was wrong, but she left without saying a word.  I quickly called her cell phone but she didn’t pick up so I left a message.  I tried to reach her later that evening and I still got her voice mail.
 
I had an urge to continue to reach her throughout the week, prior to her next regularly scheduled weekly appointment, but I also had an inkling that she’d only feel more pressured and anxious.  She’d never left my office like that before and I was fairly sure I had unknowingly said or done something that triggered her response.  I decided to wait until our next scheduled appointment, hoping she would attend as she had done in the past.

Read More