Quote:
Originally Posted by stopdog
From what I have read, explaining gifts can come up in a lot of therapy. While not all gifts are a problem, and small homemade baked goods are common and not often a big deal - they can be.
" Many if not most authors seem to agree that a gift in psychotherapy requires the therapist to express genuine appreciation and gratitude and, when appropriate, to also explore the meaning and conscious or unconscious intent of the gift with the client (Knox, et. al. 2003)"
Gifts in Psychotherapy and Counseling, by Ofer Zur, Ph.D. |
This rings true for me. I have given Dr. T exactly 1 gift in 6 years (and nothing to ex-MC--he had a stated no-gift policy--or ex-T), and we spent time discussing it both in the session I gave it to him and for parts of a couple other sessions, months later. Including where he opted to place the item in his office. It was for a 5-year therapy anniversary and cost under $25 (I figured $5/year wasn't much of anything).
Honestly, in retrospect, I probably should have just gone with the thank-you note that went with it. As he seemed to appreciate that the most. Or just given him chocolate or a cupcake (store-bought, as I have never made candy and can't bake--though I can cook! A risotto seems like an odd gift though).