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Interesting thread. I think the really critical issue here is not, "How does the doctor/therapist/counselor refer to the individuals they are attempting to help?" but rather, "How do we refer to ourselves?"

For example, Merlin noted that she prefers to be "a patient". She has her own reasons for why she feels the way she does and they're important to her. If she should find herself in a relationship with a professional who refers to her as a "client" it's probably going to have an impact on her relationship with them. Others prefer that they be referred to as "clients". They too have good reasons for feeling as they do.

Any successful relationship is based on compatability. It's a bit like this... some people want to live in the country and some people want to live in the city. If two country folks, or two city folks meet up... it can produce a compatible relationship. But if a country folk gets matched to a city folk...? it can lead to some conflict and disatisfaction -- they're not compatible.

I know myself well enough to know that I would not find satisfaction in a therapeutic relationship if I was referred to as "a patient." Calling me a patient makes me feel like I'm sick. I don't want to be sick, I want to be well and if I'm going to shell out some of my hard-earned dollars, I want a bit of "rah-rah" from the sidelines. I assure you, that would be enough to send some "professionals" screaming from the room -- they don't do "rah-rah", they do "something else". We would have to get a divorce, so fast. We're not compatible.

Overall, the "labels" probably don't matter near as much as "the fit". I think that's where the focus really belongs.