I think only Ms. Rubin can know what she hears/expects from her coworkers and patients and I imagine every patient reacts differently, depending on that patient more than on the therapist.

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In my more ungenerous moments about our profession and its rewards, I also think we get a certain amount of narcissistic gratification out of believing we're so central to our patients' lives that they're unable to manage without us and will, as we say to each other, "pay us back" for not being there.

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That's stated as a therapist's belief, not a patients so I don't have any trouble thinking those therapists could misperceive and/or interpret any behavior as "paying them back" or more upsetting than it is, etc.

I believe most clients do manage during their T's absences and it is just "another" topic of discussion, not new trauma or acting out or anything else "childish" that results.