Quote:
Originally Posted by Lourdes22
I'm in the United States and I'm wondering what is considered normal physical touch between a patient and therapist. My T has been increasing touch without asking and it is making me feel uncomfortable.
I have worked with this T for a little over a year but this didn't begin till a few months ago. It's gone from shaking hands to side hugs, placing hand over mine for long periods of time during the session, and today kissed my forehead after hugging me very tight for a longer than normal time. I don't know if I am overreacting and this is normal, or should I say something? I've read conflicting things online about whether this is ok or not.
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This does not seem acceptable, particularly since the way you describe it, it seems to be escalating in intensity. You absolutely should tell him to stop, that you are not comfortable with him touching you in any way.
Touch in therapy is not always a problem. I had therapists who hugged me (well we hugged each other), but it was just a friendly hug in greeting or departure, very mutual, and nothing untoward about it. But beyond that, my therapists, all of them, ALWAYS asked before they touched, even if it was just a slight touch of my hand to illustrate something. They always asked permission first, and it wasn't a regular occurrence for touch to occur (other than the hugs which were completely benign).