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Originally Posted by mindmechanic
I have a question for all of you. Given that this is happening because of something happening in the therapist's life, shouldn't the therapist be making reasonable accommodations to ensure that the patient can still financially afford therapy instead of telling the patient to figure it out? I think that regardless of whether a patient is on a sliding scale or not, if something like that happens in the therapist's life, then it's on the shoulders of the therapist's to make reasonable financial accommodations.
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No. The therapist has no financial obligation or personal responsibility to you beyond each individual agreed upon session. The therapist is free to leave, change or quit practise entirely at any time without needing to compensate clients.
It sounds like you are saying the t should finance your therapy or give you therapy for free because she is moving. Can you imagine any other occupation where this would happen?
To think of it in a different way lets say your dentist knows you are struggling financially and offers you some necessary treatment pro bono or at a greatly reduced rate. Your dentist then needs to move state for family reasons that he doesn't disclose to you. Your dental work isn't finished. He says you can travel to his new practise and he will continue to see you at the reduced rate there. You would like to but you can't afford to pay for the travel costs as well as the reduced fee.
Should the dentist either pay for your travel costs or perform the dental treatment for free so you can still afford it, since he is the one that moved?
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Originally Posted by mindmechanic
Something happened in the therapist's life. It's changing the trajectory of the patient's therapeutic work.
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Yes. SOmething happened in her life and it has changed the contractual relationship between the two of you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindmechanic
So the therapist has to be the one who makes the accommodations.
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No. Her circumstances have changed. She has told you the previous "terms" aren't going to work for her anymore (because she won't be here). New agreed upon terms have to be decided upon. She has offered you some. She isn't being heartless. She isn't throwing you under the bus. She needs to be with her family. She is offering for you to still have contact with her. It won't be the same. Not nearly the same. And she wants you to have support face to face during that time as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindmechanic
It's not the patient's responsibility. Why the heck am I paying for the consequences of things that happened in her personal life? How is that on the shoulders of the patient? Shouldn't it be on the shoulders of the therapist from where and whom the change and problem originated?
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Her obligation to you doesn't extend that far. As a human being she is committed to her family. They will likely always come first, as it should for every person. Family should always come before work. Even if it is emotional and relational work like therapy. But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you or feel some responsibility towards you. (But she is not financially responsible to or for you, that is your responsibility no matter what.)