I have been in and out of therapy so many times that I am on therapist number 19.

The patting on the leg from women therapists - I have always requested women therapists and have never had on pat me on the leg. I think it might be because when touching did bother me I said so right off the bat at the first session that I have with a new therapist. All of my therapists have always asked before touching. I am also usually comfortable with a therapist sitting next to me but there have been a few occasions where I have asked a therapist not to sit right next to me, other times I have gotten up and moved around the room when a therapist has gotten too close to me before I was ready. Theres nothing in the rules of therapy that says the client must remain seated. Sometimes I walk around looking at all the picures and knick knacks. This one office I was in was so fasinatingly colorful and lots of knick knacks that I never sat down in that room. There was just so much to look at and enjoy - butterflies and rainbows and pillows and ceramics and poetry sketches. LOL

A friend of mine who sees women therapists also has never had a problem with being touched without permission. She is on therapist number 7. She also says at the beginning of seeing a new therapist that she is not always comfortable with being touched and that she would always like the therapist to ask before touching, reaching out a hand or holding her for comfort.

Therapists welcome being told if you welcome touching or not and how to do so that makes you most comfortable. In fact here in the USA its now a part of training protocal that therapists must ask the client before touching the client because of sexual assault, or OCD and so on where touching a client can actually cause panic attacks, flashbacks and so on. Not to mention therapists are often targetted with sexual assault charges when some clients get upset at them.

So suggestion when starting therapy let the therapist know you don't want to be touched in any way. and they will most likely honor that.