Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahSweden
Today me and my therapist briefly touched the subject on what she does if a client doesnīt show up for a session. It wasnīt a talk about our relationship per se but I talked in general about other therapy experiences Iīve had.
She said something like she would wonder where I was but it was rather obvious she wouldnīt call me. I mentioned another T I had some years ago and that she once called me when I didnīt show. She didnīt comment on that, my current therapist that is.
In a way I feel I perhaps have partly misjugded her for being more caring that she actually is. I know many T:s donīt call or check up on their clients if they donīt show but I think itīs an important thing to do.
Iīve seen this T for ten months and Iīve never cancelled nor did a no show but something could happen to me and then it seems she wouldnīt try to reach me.
Should this be a reason for ending therapy with her?
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I dont know how things are done in your location but here in america therapists usually do not call their clients if they dont show up. here they treat adults like adults capable of making their own decisions whether they want to schedule appointments, cancel appointments or just dont show up...
that said .........sometimes on rare occasions............ if someone has a history of being on time and attending sessions regularly a therapist will do a "well check" phone call.
A "well check" not like getting deep into conversations. its a check to see if you are running late or something came up but you are doing ok, lets reschedule. and if not doing ok lets schedule sooner than your next appointment phone call.
example I have a history with my present therapist of going to every session on time and if I am late or cant make it I call in before my appointed time.
recently I had to skip a session. I had forgotten I had that session scheduled due to one of my children's schedules. since my history was not missing appointments and calling when I needed to miss, my therapist did a "well check" call to very briefly check in and reschedule. the full phone call took only about 5 minutes.
more and more insurance companies are requiring clients to call with in a 24 hour time slot of their appointments or they will bill the therapist. and a lot of times, not always but a lot, the therapist must pass on this bill for payment to the client. who must some how come up with 100- 150 dollars for skipping a scheduled session without calling in their self to reschedule or cancel.
my suggestion is talk more with your therapist and let them know whether you would like a phone call when you dont show up and possible reasons why you would not show up and what you expect from your therapist should they make that phone call. this way your therapist will understand why this is important to you and that you dont have any plans to manipulate or take advantage of this rarely used option of a phone call. (I say rarely used because sometimes even though a therapists rule is no phone calls they sometimes will make exceptions. under special boundaries/ rules for those calls)