Posted by mair on January 12, 2005, at 16:48:14
In reply to T calling between sessions...what do you think?, posted by Speaker on January 12, 2005, at 15:38:48
Maybe I'm just cynical, but it seems to me if he checks in with you, he's determining when the contact is and not the other way around. I could maybe see it as a good gesture if you were coming off a rough session, but maybe not as a usual occurrence.
Did you call your previous therapist alot? I think this is a tough one for Ts because they really don't want people calling all the time unless it's appropriate in the context of the therapy, but their less than warm and fuzzy policies don't distinguish between those who might call too much, and those who are so inhibited that they'd never call. I definitely fit into this latter category, so I'd probably err on the side of not calling for fear of calling at a time when my T might deem it to be unnecessary.
My T discussed with me the possibility of making it a regular homework assignment for me to call her, just to help me get over my inhibition about it. I didn't do it because it didn't feel genuine; I suspect that having her call me on a regular basis would seem strange also. I'd far rather have her take the initiative of reminding me that calling her is ok, particularly when I'm not in great shape. I've really had to teach her that this is what she needs to do - I think in her mind she didn't need to say it because it was assumed. I would never make that assumption without alot of encouragement.
Mair
poster:mair
thread:441237
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050111/msgs/441264.html