Therapist is leaving

[Devastatednowtotally]

Just been told that my therapist is leaving. I’m completely devastated as I’ve been seeing her for years and she has really looked after me in dark times.
She has referred me to one of her colleagues but I don’t think anyone else will keep me safe.
Has anyone else been through this and got over it?

Just me then?
I might have become overly dependent on her because I don’t have any friends or family so she was the only person in my life who cared about me

Twill she do teams or zoom and you on a headset with microphone? Maybe a fresh perspective might be what you need?

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm sure whilst a part of you understands your therapist is making life decisions that are right for them, a part of you might also be feeling vulnerable and deserted. This is definitely something to talk through with your therapist and discuss how you can make the ending work for you (ie a gradual ending, if circumstances allow). It might also be an idea to ask them to recommend another person you can work with. Having that sense of continuation, even through another recommended therapist, might help ease that initial feeling of abandonment. Remember: your therapist is trained to work with attachment and will want to work with you to find a way to bring your therapeutic relationship to a healthy and gentle closure.

Wishing you all the best.

Thank you, that’s so kind. It is all very sudden and I only have one more appointment so there won’t be a gradual ending. I think I’m in denial that it is actually happening so it’s going to hit me even harder after my appointment.
I don’t know what will happen to me when I hit rock bottom next time without anyone looking out for me,

No option to continue with her at all unfortunately

That's hard, I'm sorry. All the more reason to use your last session to talk through how you feel and create a plan with your therapist for what you will do if you go into crisis & how you can keep yourself safe. Do ask for recommendations too. You've got this. Change is inevitable so try and see this as a transition to the next chapter - and think on how you want that to look. Your therapist might not be your therapist anymore but a part of that relationship will be integrated into you. You need to trust you can tap into that source of healing and inner wisdom.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to survive this? She was the only one who stopped me self-destructing in the last three years so I don’t know what’s going to happen to me now.

Are you going to continue with the colleague she’s referred you to? You can explore your feelings around the sudden ending with them, maybe?

No, I can’t face seeing anyone else and having to go through my history again, It feels like everything is unravelling so I’m not going to fight it any more,

You shoud definitely go to her colleague - they are trained to belp you deal with the transition

Op I think your therapist has let you down. Attachment issues should be addressed early on in the therapeutic relationship to prevent what is happening to you now.

please try to reframe things. It is not your therapist who has stopped you unraveling in the past . You have stopped yourself -with the support of your therapist. Another therapist can support you just as well.

Try to take things a day or an hour at a time. Try not to imagine the worst case scenario. Good luck

Explain that to your current therapist and ask her to give the new one your full history so you don't have to start from scratch.
At least give the new one a try.

Agree and its really poor thar they've sprung this on you with one session to go.
You are in control. You have helped yourself and kept yourself safe, no one else.
I wonder if theres anything group therapeutic sessions you could join? No expert here so I dont know if that's better or worse but groups are certainly encouraged here and may be suitable.

I'm surprised this therapist gave you just to one week's notice it is rubbish. But, as we don't know the circumstances, I don't think it's helpful to focus on that: see the other therapist, if only to work through your feelings of abandonment, and that will give your space to think next steps more clearly. At the moment, you're in the eye of the storm. Seeing the colleague will be a way to contain those emotions until you are able to regulate yourself again. As someone who had a long term therapist then moved country, I didn't believe I would find another therapist who could support me as meaningfully. But when I did need support again, I found someone great- and, as therapists, they couldn't have been more different from each other but each was what I needed at that time. All best.

Thanks. It’s hard for me to trust anyone and everyone dislikes me so I try to avoid people.