Posted by Joslynn on April 11, 2004, at 20:36:45
In reply to Compassion of Convenience, posted by Speaker on April 10, 2004, at 10:15:14
This whole issue would be so much easier for both therps and their clients if the therps would give you a little written pamphlet. It would include basic things like payment, phone call policy, when to cancel, etc.
Both my pdoc and my therp have voicemail at their offices, so I use that knowing that I am not bothering them personally at home. (In spite of previous posts, both my pdoc and therp will call if I am obviously losing it a little, like if I am crying. I will usually call my therp for those kinds of things but if she is on vaca, I call my pdoc. If I am really losing it, I leave msgs with both of them. They almost always call back the next day or later in the evening in those cases. I guess I have used the vmail thing in a crisis about, hmm, maybe 3 times a year?)
My pdoc also has a beeper for emergencies. I used it one time when someone I knew died and I was hysterical (my therp was on vacation). Pdoc called me later that evening and was very nice to me . He listened to me cry and helped me feel a little better.
My therp has an answering service for emergencies. I think I called it 2-3 times in the past three years. One time there was a mix up and she did not return an emergency msg from the answering service! That did not go over well with me. However, she was just so pleased that I was angry with her! She likes to see me angry and says that is something I should show more, even if it is towards her.
I have had to feel out the boundaries though, neither of them ever spelled them out to me.
How hard would it be to prepare some written guidelines?
poster:Joslynn
thread:334855
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040409/msgs/335330.html