I’m on my way my counseling session right now. I am really happy to have these sessions. It is a requirement for us to have support within our community and not just relying on the service of the dog or of the organization.
In my particular case most of my supports are outside of town. And because this is a new process for myself and adding new things to my life causes more anxiety it was highly suggested i speak with a counselor in town regarding any issues i may face regarding this process.
I will write more of my thoughts after the session.
The session has now been long over, and I can’t remember a lot of what was spoken about. I waited far too long to post. But I do know that I did talk about how my life is going to be changing and my anxieties that are coming up as a result.
I find it fascinating how something so small and so amazing that will bring me a peace of mind later down the road can cause so much anxiety. I am wondering how I’m going to deal with people walking up to me and asking me questions about Widget if/when he is fully trained. Lately, i’ve had weird experiences on the bus with strangers asking me weird questions and approaching me, and it got me to thinking about how i’m going to handle having a dog with me all the time. It won’t be easy.
I spoke with Emmi – my counselor about this. She’s a new counselor, and I am not sure if she understands the larger picture of me having a service dog and the anxieties that are arising now, but that’s ok for now. I don’t think she needs to fully understand. I can also talk to her about this as time goes on. She is an intern and it’s over beginning of August.
We’ll see what happens.
The Service Dog Journey 