Friday, March 11, 2011

Your Thoughts and Prayers Please for Someone Who Has Helped me Heal

hearts′ empath ♥ brick-red ♥ brecciated jasper & black hematite stylized as an aphrodisiac silphion seed overdubbed by a tricolor broken-hearts-symbol ಌ

Many of you know how much I've healed during my work with Leonard, my Exposure Therapist for my OCD struggles, and now he needs thoughts and prayers for his own healing. I went for my session yesterday, and another therapist came into the waiting room to tell me that Leonard had tried to call all his clients, but that he must not have gotten to me, and that he was in the hospital. He gave everyone a good scare, but it sounds like he's going to be ok and out of the hospital soon, but he has healing ahead of him, and I'm not sure when he'll be back to seeing clients.

I am so grateful for the compassion and skill of this therapist, and saddened that he is going through this hard time. I also feel for his other clients, especially ones who have just started, or who are in OCD crisis. The rapport between therapist and client is an amazing tool for motivation and growth and courage in facing what we fear. Leonard once told me he felt honored that his clients trusted him with their personal thoughts and fears.

Life by its nature is full of the unexpected, pain and suffering, but also contains joy, love and meaning. In the past, my OCD would go into overdrive trying to figure out the suffering, with compulsive analysis, but I am learning that some questions have no answers, and I am able to live in spite of this. I never thought I'd find someone to help me face my OCD, and it feels like a miracle that I did, and I hope for miracles in Leonard's life too.

Edited to add: I saw Leonard for therapy on Tuesday. He is doing much better, and his tests came out negative, so that was a relief! Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers.

4 comments:

  1. Best wishes for Leonard's recovery. Hope all is well soon!

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  2. I'm glad that Leonard is going to recover and hope that he does so soon. I had a very old therapist who - though he didn't do CBT with me - we were very close and he helped me "grow" very much. He died last year and that was very difficult for me. He was one of the very few people in this world who I knew cared for me unconditionally. It's distressing when therapists get sick but it sounds like you are handling it very well. Kudos to you!!!! (I'm glad my new therapist - who I have a great rapport with - is younger than me!!!)

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  3. I'm so sorry to hear that Leonard is sick. I hope he has a fast and thorough recovery.

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  4. Thank you for all your well wishes! Leonard is out of the hospital but needs more tests. Uncertainty for sure. . .

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