Private therapy / telling GP

[Batinahat]

I am paying for private psychotherapy and EMDR at the moment to tackle mental health issues - trauma, anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and PTSD. I mask really well and function 'normally' with work and around most people who know me but I am recognising how much that actually takes out of me. Sometimes I find work a good distraction, sometimes I find it is triggering for me due to the topic of my work. I am considering taking some time off work while I have the EMDR treatment - haven't decided yet if this is best but if I did want to ask to be signed off I would obviously need to talk to my GP. So far all of my diagnosis and treatment is through therapy so hasn't been connection to my GP. Does anyone have any experience or advice about telling the GP? Should I ask my therapist to write to the GP? Should I take a letter in as part of an appointment? Any thoughts or advice?

Are you paying via any insurance? I just ask because if so, your therapist will have written to them already.

No not via insurance, just paying myself

I'd just go in and state what you're doing and say you're struggling with trying to work productivley at the same time and ask them to sign you off.

As a psychologist and therapist, I would in some cases support a client in requesting sick leave. I would usually write a brief letter, usually in collaboration with the client (nothing about a client without them) to say that I support the need for time off work during this phase of the therapy. But only if the client wanted my input, or in some cases it’s been required because a GP was being difficult about signing off.

I would definitely tell your GP. I'm open with them that I take private therapy and have been signed off in the past. Therapist and GP didn't have to communicate at all.

Thanks for the replies, so sounds like my starting point if I do decide to take some time off is to talk to GP first and if there's any issues or they want more info I can ask my therapist to support with letter/evidence.