ArcaMax

First this: NO therapist should discuss her own personal life with you, even if it is to discuss a relatable experience. That is a red flag. Your time in therapy should be completely devoted to you. Your therapist can gas on about her divorce to HER therapist.

I can also imagine the challenge of meeting with a grief group when all of the other participants are also grieving. The most effective groups are guided on a path through raw emotion and toward mutual support and comfort.

If you are willing to speak with a counselor through video conferencing, it would expand your options.

Video therapy has exploded during the pandemic, and there are many commercial therapy services that run on a subscription model. For a weekly fee, you have daily access to a therapist through text and video conferencing. Thoroughly research the terms before trying this.

There are also many online forums devoted to grief and grieving. After reviewing several, I would recommend griefhealingdiscussiongroups.com. This is a free site where online discussions on its many message boards are monitored by grief counselors. Discussions are both supportive and helpful. This option is available to you any time throughout the day and night. This might be your lifeline while you continue to look for a therapist.

Dear Amy: I have a sister. Our relationship has been strained since childhood.

I have attempted to be closer in the past, but it never was successful.

We are polite when we see each other, but that’s it.

Over the years our mother has tried to manipulate me into situations where she thinks my sister and I could bond. The latest attempt was absolutely ludicrous. She said my sister had offered to help me clean out my father’s house, which I was preparing to sell. My sister has been completely estranged from him for decades and we have not spent a night under the same roof for over 30 years.

My mother is 79 and in excellent health.

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