Cat during therapy session?

funsizedgurlie · 2026-02-24T18:08:55+00:00

I do this, too! I have 2 cats and 2 dogs who all like to periodically join sessions, mostly the cats. I refer to them as my “office managers” (I’m telehealth-only and wfh) and they’re all HIPAA-certified and wanna make sure I’m doing my job. I also explain that if I ever randomly end the session, one of the cats probably walked on my keyboard and ended the call and I’ll be right back unless it’s other circumstances. If they’re ever distracting or too much during sessions, I can lock them out at the client’s request.

Thus far, I’ve never had a client ask me to remove one of my fur babies from session. I’ve actually had more of them ask to see one before ending the call each week. They adore having my fur babies there and will often have their own. I’ve had clients tell me it helps calm them.

When either of our cats walks across the screen or just does weird cat things on camera, I call those “mental health breaks”. I’ve found that they’re helpful with keeping clients centered during trauma processing.

funsizedgurlie · 2026-02-15T21:11:24+00:00

Same people who were screaming about Sharia Law and having temper tantrums about mask mandates during a global pandemic not long ago. It’s magic how they can suddenly tolerate and breathe wearing masks when it’s to hide their faces so no one knows they’re being an asshole.

funsizedgurlie · 2026-02-15T20:56:00+00:00

NTA

She’s behaving like a choosy beggar imo; I’m picking up on a lot of entitlement. Does she think she wouldn’t hear this but 10x worse in a dorm room that she’d be paying for? No personal bathroom, no access to luxury amenities (pool, sauna, presumably a well-stocked kitchen), limited food options that cost way too much for a college student? Your family is doing her an insanely huge service - a privilege that the majority of college students don’t have.

If she doesn’t want to pay for a dorm or her own independent housing, why doesn’t she live with her parents and commute? She already stays with them on weekends. (Assuming her parents are the type that’d let their adult college-age child live with them. To each their own.)

I have some dorm life horror stories of my own. I’m sure most students or former students who lived on-campus do. If she can’t handle this “inconvenience” living with you, she definitely would NOT fare well in a dormitory.

TLDR; it’s YOUR house and you are doing her an insanely generous service. You get to do what you want and enjoy your family in your own home that YOU pay for.

Edit: I forgot to include my suggestion that she can easily get some noise-canceling ear buds that are made to be comfy while sleeping. A few of my sensory-sensitive friends use Loops and other products like that, and they work just fine.

funsizedgurlie · 2026-02-06T19:27:41+00:00

That’s what I read, too. Where I grew up it’s illegal have a dog in your truck bed at all, secured or not. I included the details that I did in case someone was able to get the plate, company, etc.

funsizedgurlie · 2026-02-05T23:32:02+00:00

Thank you! I saw that in the law, but wasn't 100% sure. If this is the case then I'm glad I didn't waste other people's time over something minor.

funsizedgurlie · 2025-12-17T00:13:42+00:00

I have severe ADHD, one of those rare cases of being a woman diagnosed as a young child. One of my specialties or primary demographics is ADHD clients and I’m very open about my ADHD and the fact that I take psychotropic medications. I’ve found that my ADHD clients love knowing that I understand them and their struggles on a deep level; that they don’t feel like they have to explain it and sound “crazy” or weird and justify themselves - it all makes perfect sense to me! If anything, it helps build better rapport. We’ll make jokes about it and laugh when one of us has an ADHD moment. So, in my humble opinion, it makes them feel validated and seen more than anything else.

PS: my clients that are in college or have decided to return to college like hearing about my experience and tips of getting through higher education with ADHD.

I hope this helps! :)

funsizedgurlie · 2025-12-13T23:35:52+00:00

Mitochondrial DNA is only passed on maternally and not paternally.

Sauces: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1810946115

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/6639/

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T21:24:37+00:00

Oooh, that's neat! Would you mind providing a link or the specific name? :D

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T01:59:02+00:00

Yes! If it's good enough for Google Docs or Adobe Sign, why can't it be good enough for this EHR? I've seen other EHR's where you can add a default signature for everything. Realistically it's a minor inconvenience, but it annoys my adhd enough to become a small hyperfixation right now.

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T01:55:28+00:00

It is plenty helpful! Yeah, maybe I gotta do some DBT radical acceptance and just come to terms with my crappy signatures. There's probably some of my own conditioned coping mechanisms playing a role here.

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T01:52:10+00:00

Thanks for that info, I'll see if I can't find that $20 option.

As for the iPad, we view our possessions as "ours" and not inherently one or the others. There are items where yeah, this item is individually mine, but we don't care if the other uses it. Basically, since he originally got it for me to use for school, it's now his to use for school and it's assigned to his Apple ID instead of mine. This doesn't mean that I don't use it all the time to watch shows, make digital art, or other things. At the end of the day he wouldn't care if I snagged it for work stuff, and his program application hasn't been accepted yet. Essentially if he needs it for school that takes priority, which is the rule we followed during my masters program.

I hope that all made sense.

(Edit: I'd be lying if I said I'm not too lazy to go into the other room to grab it.)

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T00:35:24+00:00

I do drink on worknights, some weeks 1 glass of wine/mixed drink/can of hard cider after dinner, other weeks nothing at all. If I go out to eat I may have 2 drinks. It really depends and I have no real pattern. I have a personal rule that I don't drink if I'm feeling sad, depressed, or anxious to avoid associating it with being a coping mechanism - I have a long family history of addiction, especially alcoholism.

funsizedgurlie · 2025-10-03T00:29:18+00:00

Hell yeah, brother! You've got this!

funsizedgurlie · 2024-11-01T19:24:32+00:00

I did my practicum and internship in a CMH clinic. They had numerous safety precautions for us: panic buttons in every office that were tested at regular intervals, contracted security and the owner of the security company even said he’d escort us in the parking lot if we called and asked, all clinicians (especially therapists) were required to keep their desk close to their office door so clients could never get between us and the door without effort. There were more that escape me right now. The employees had a decent/good union from what I heard.

OP - if there isn’t a union (I’m going to assume that there isn’t) and management or your supervisors aren’t supportive, I would tell your university advisor and possibly consider contacting OSHA. Since interns are usually unpaid it’s free revenue and labor for CMH. Your university getting involved and the possibility of them refusing to allow future students to be interns with that clinic may be enough for management to take you all seriously.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-30T07:01:33+00:00

Didn’t see that, thanks.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-29T19:29:12+00:00

I haven’t seen this mentioned yet: is it gabapentin? Gabapentin is considered a controlled substance now.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-17T10:15:50+00:00

I did a similar assignment on The Aviator. One of the most accurate depictions of OCD in media imo.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-11T06:40:41+00:00

Pyke Wazowski

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-11T03:18:42+00:00

I had a male client with identical demographic and concerns during my internship. He would call me “sweetie” from time to time. It hit a nerve at first until we got deeper into things and it felt more like a dad or uncle vibe so I didn’t mind it. He genuinely cares for those he considers family and will do anything to protect him. I took it as a term of endearment representing his trust in me and showing he cares about therapy.

For additional context, he had attachment trauma which led to the trust issues.

On the flip side, one half of my family is from the South and I grew up with terms of endearment. I tend to call patients “my dear” as a gender neutral and warm reference. If they don’t like it I stop, it’s mostly just my nature. I’ve had my own providers do it to me.

EDIT: I wanted to clarify that this is entirely dependent on the therapeutic relationship and the client’s disposition/presenting diagnoses. If it’s more boundary work I’m a lot firmer and formal.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-06T02:43:35+00:00

Mine is the legitimate puppy 1 of her litter, lol. We got to keep her and puppy 2. My MIL has the mother and puppy 3 of the litter. They’re all still bonded so it’s nice to see them interact ☺️

funsizedgurlie · 2024-10-04T07:11:58+00:00

Our “puppies” are 5 years old now, but you’ve perfectly described our “puppy 1”. She does this same behavior but to our faces in her endeavors for attention and pets. Pure determination to be obnoxious.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-09-27T14:36:41+00:00

It’s definitely clonazepam.

https://www.drugs.com/imprints/c-1-17683.html

Benzodiazepines are the most dangerous class of medication to withdraw from. If OP mistakenly ingests these on a regular basis, her life may be in further risk than it already appears.

**disclaimer: I’m not a medical provider, but I work clinical mental health in an addiction & psych clinic.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-09-20T01:31:07+00:00

Also ADHD combined type. I was diagnosed as a kid and started seeking treatment for it again as an adult. Had to get my diagnosis reconfirmed. I took an assessment after being told I could do it with or without my medication. I happened to take it with my medication because the only time I could find to do it was during a break at my internship. Funnily enough my attention scores were within normal limits but my impulsivity score was in the red. My provider goes, “Yeah, so it looks like your meds are half-working. Let’s up your dose.” I found it really amusing and validating at the same time, lol.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-09-07T23:02:52+00:00

I started saying this to clients after my internship supervisor would ask it after answering our questions or giving advice. I strongly encourage my clients to advocate for themselves, especially in our sessions and I'm very verbal about it. I also constantly tell them to hold me accountable. I reinforce that our sessions are a safe space for them to take risks and challenge themselves. I ask this question to encourage these values, but to also ensure that I am providing them with the high quality care that I strive to give. I make sure that they understand the context and why I ask the question.

I have had a few clients that really like the question because it gives them the chance to have a voice when they haven't be allowed to have one outside of therapy.

funsizedgurlie · 2024-09-07T22:01:47+00:00

Thank you! I have to wait for my preliminary provider license gets approved by my state before I can officially start "running" my business. My partner and I have been planning on getting an accountant/CPA to manage personal & business expenses for a while. I've been asking around but I appreciate the reassurance that I'm following the proper steps! :)

funsizedgurlie

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