I have been seeing my therapist for 10 years and she is semi retired I am depressed and upset about ending with my therapist after 10 years. Advice?

If Shirley is not really careful here, this social worker will get a restraining order against her so Shirley won't be able to go within 500 feet of the woman, and that INCLUDES the synagogue, meaning Shirley will no longer be able to attend services there. Stalking is against the law.

This lady is in the wrong forum.

Your last post was closed by the Administer. She also deleted a duplicate post. You NEVER respond to our questions. Your therapist was a Social Worker. I think you need more help than a SW can give you. She gave you a year to find someone knew. At this point you r harassing her. I really don't think you read our replies to you because this is what our Administer replied on your last post.

Hi Shirley1946,

I am sorry that your therapist has retired and understand that finding a new one can be stressful and difficult. If you are having a mental health emergency, please immediately call SAMHSA’s 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

I'm also writing to ask that you please stop posting the same question repeatedly on the Caregiver Forum. Other members have already responded to your initial post, which you can find by copy/pasting this link into your browser:

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/i-have-been-seeing-a-therapist-for-10-years-and-she-has-retired-what-do-i-do-now-473566.htm

Additionally, please refrain from posting the name and location of your therapist(s). This infringes on their privacy and violates our forum policy. I strongly discourage you from going to your therapist's house as well.

I have compiled a list of online resources that may help you find the mental health services and supports you are seeking:

American Psychological Association Psychologist Locator
https://locator.apa.org/

Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

GoodTherapy
https://www.goodtherapy.org/

Montgomery County, MD, Behavioral Health, Counseling and Wellness Supports
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/Resources/Files/A&D%20Docs/DND/DNDMentalHealth.pdf

I have private messaged and emailed you the contents of this post as well. I hope this helps. Please take care of yourself, Shirley1946. 

Lastly, I agree with JoAnn29's recommendation and will be closing this thread to new comments.

-AgingCareCM

You seem to have a very unhealthy relationship with your therapist that you cannot let her go. And the fact that you are disrespecting her requests to not contact her, speaks volumes of just how dysfunctional(on your end) this relationship has become.
My belief is if you're still needing to see the same therapist for 10 years, they perhaps are not doing their job, and it's time to find another anyway. So on that note, I wish you the best in finding a new therapist that will better help you and that it won't take another 10 years for you to get the help you need.

Last time you were 'showing up at her door' Shirley. How'd that work out for you? This social worker/therapist is asking you NOT to send cards, show up, or call, and now you are sending her a Passover card. We've answered every single post you've written on this site, and there have been many, all on this very subject. Here's another answer:

Don't send her a card.
Don't call her.
Don't show up at her door
Realize the relationship you had with this social worker/therapist is how OVER finished kaput and no more.

Move on.

Find another therapist.

Forget about this one.

Put her out of your mind.

What will 'happen' if you send her a Passover card is NOTHING because she's already told you NOT to send cards, call, or show up on her property. Because she's retired now and the relationship is over.

Finished. Kaput.

You've gotten SEVEN answers so far to your question. Is that enough?

See if you can find a psychiatrist to help you now, it's time to move on to the next level of medical help.

This poster has asked this question several times. OP never responds to our questions. She was given several month's notice that this therapist was retiring.

What everyone said.

I worked with a woman whose therapist stopped seeing her after a number of years. The woman was as distraught as you sound. The woman proceeded in a manner that was on the verge of stalking...even finding out the therapist's address simply to drive by her house.

You had a professional relationship that ended. It wasn't a personal relationship and its end isn't personal. If the therapy did ANYTHING for you, especially after ten years, you should be able to regroup, take a breath, and move along...maybe to another, maybe better, therapist. I'm sure it's hard...but you need to respect ALL the boundaries she set.

You might even find a strength you didn't know you had by respecting it. Wouldn't that be AWESOME?

I'm sorry but she used to talk to you for money and she doesn't do that any more.

It sounds like you have perhaps been having a hard time with the separation for a while or she simply knows you so well that she has come to the conclusion that difficult as it is for you and probably her as well a clean break is what’s best. Did she give you some names of other therapists she would recommend at some point? Was there a period of time when she was still seeing you but had told you she would be retiring and tried to help you transition but you kind of went on telling yourself “I have time to find someone else” or “she might change her mind, she will keep seeing me” and didn’t follow through with trying to find someone else? It’s hard when you have a long time relationship with a therapist or any doctor that knows you and you trust to even imagine starting over with someone else. It’s like any relationship that’s ending, you just can’t see your way through not having them to rely on but in actuality a new relationship can open up a whole new world of understanding and contentment. Therapist sometimes do this on purpose with clients who they feel have plateaued with them but would benefit from continued therapy with someone else. Try to see this as a new opportunity rather than simply the end of something you don’t think you can live without.

She does not want to be friends with you. She is no longer your therapist. Respect her boundaries. She has blocked your emails and texts. She has said not to send her cards. Do NOT send her a passover card. Say hello at synagogue and nothing else.

She told you not to send any cards Shirley. She’s not your friend and has made it clear. Honor her boundaries.