my t shook my hand the first time i met him. i figure he was trying to see how anxious i was (kaplan and saddock say that a handshake can clue you in to anxiety by way of dampness and / or heat). in preparation... i always go bathroom, wash, and THOROUGHLY DRY my hands just before going in to that first appt. serves me well everytime mwah haha! I don't want them feeling a hot clammy hand when they first meet me. ew :-( its pretty %#@&#! obvious how anxious i feel sometime in the first five minutes at any rate.

personally... maybe i'm a bit odd... but personally i do find handshakes a bit erotic. can't help it sorry (blush). not in all contexts, of course... but i think therapy is kind of an erotic situation in the first place. i think firm boundaries with touch are important. and precisely where those firm boundaries are placed differs for different clinicians and it can be different with different clients too. (you might find that you would prefer less touch with clients if you have the experience of one of them declaring undying love for you and / or making a sexual advance towards you and / or flinching away from you and / or threatening to sue you for sexual misconduct. or... maybe not. different therapists have different boundaries that work for them.

i wish my t could hold me.
but i'm too big at any rate.
too big.
yuk yuk YUK