we always have these running little jokes that tie into a specific movie... so i'm getting him the collector's edition and some nice choclates because i know he has a weakness for them

i'm not going to be elaborate about it. i'll drop them off between sessions and i'm leaving a xmas cake for the secretary. This isn't some kind of fetish thing for him, this is just what i do. My pdoc got a painting last year, liqueur the year before.

and there is a cultural thing here which *should not* be ignored by any T... where i come from it is a deeply rooted tradition that one gives gifts to certain people... doctors, nurses, lawyers, etc... as a token of gratitude. Generally those gifts are homemade, and usually are food. It is rooted in the early settlers there, who were very poor and often could only pay for services through items like gifts of food or other basics. It was all they had. To reject a gift like that would be deeply insulting.

and another point is that the gift is given freely, without expectation. In fact, to reciprocate would be a little demeaning to the gift giver. The point was it is a representation of giving of the very little one has.. to give a gift in return would negate that.

i guess i will have to explain that to my T.. soon. He seems like the type who would accept a small reasonable gift... but i have to make sure he understands it's significance to my culturally.