For sure. But I wouldn't say it's akin to asking for a gift. If it were a romantic relationship or friendship or even a family member then I would agree. You shouldn't have to ask in those situations. But a patient/therapist relationship is a whole other dynamic. If a patient isn't sure what is and isn't permitted then I don't think it's ever a bad idea to just ask. If I leave a session without asking for what I truly wanted to get off my chest then I feel like I wasted the session and I end up regretting it. And who's to say the therapist/psychologist isn't thinking the same thing? Perhaps he/she wants to comfort a patient but isn't sure the patient is comfortable with that. I feel both sides need to be as honest as possible.

In a perfect scenario, yeah, it would have a lot more meaning if they offered. And perhaps mine will if she senses I need one. She's very friendly and her intuition is exceptional. I called a mental health crisis line 2 weeks ago without her knowing and the next day I got a call from her out of the blue telling me to come in because she sensed I was not in a good frame of mind when I left our session the day before.