[irishgirl4]

First of all, I hate partial. I hate, hate, hate, it!!! I swear it makes me more suicidal. I have to fight with the doc all of the time over attending my kids' school events. She doesn't want me missing a minute of the program.

Today, I referred to my therapist by his first name. She corrected me and told me to call him "Dr. _____". My therapist calls himself by his first name. He signs emails with his first name. Did I do something wrong?

I bawled and bawled. I could not take being corrected on top of everything else.

It's all just too much right now....

[wing]

I guess making you do that was a way for her to set boundaries, but he is certainly sending mixed signals by signing his emails that way. It sounds to me like it's ok with him, but she butted in. It annoys me that drs expect to call me by my first name, yet insist on the title for themselves. My dr and I have never discussed it, or called each other any name! I guess it's a given that we know who each other is...weird.

[PT52]

Originally Posted by irishgirl4

First of all, I hate partial. I hate, hate, hate, it!!! I swear it makes me more suicidal. I have to fight with the doc all of the time over attending my kids' school events. She doesn't want me missing a minute of the program.

Today, I referred to my therapist by his first name. She corrected me and told me to call him "Dr. _____". My therapist calls himself by his first name. He signs emails with his first name. Did I do something wrong?

I bawled and bawled. I could not take being corrected on top of everything else.

It's all just too much right now....

If it were me, I would want to call her an FDB, which would be a REALLY bad idea. You're not a child - you most certainly didn't do something "wrong". At most, you didn't meet her expectations. You might address it by telling her (respectfully), that you would rather not quibble over semantics and waste valuable time you could be spending on your treatment...just a thought..

[BlackPup]

If your therapist wants you to call them by their first name then thats fine, If your doctor wants the fancy titles then humor him. I refer to my T (not a doctor) by first names and doctors by titles. I generally do not call them any name in appointments. When I am working as a vet, I refer to myself by my first name.

[BlackPup]

Hope your program gets better. They are trying to help you even if they are doing a crappy job of it

[racee]

i call her dr. than her first name...she is a doctor and i'm comfortable with it i don't know what she prefers i never asked. i like the formality of it keeps a safe distance. i go there for her expertise not to make a friend.(but that's my own insecurity issue crap) i think for you to connect with your therapist or p-doc or whatver wherever you go to, they need to make you feel comfortable and if first name basis makes you comfortable than they need to put aside their "title issue ego's"

[Skully]

Jerk?.......I can't stand her she never has appointments available. I have to book an appointment 3 months out if I have to reschedule...just not happy with her...besides, I know more than she does so she is of no help to me. And she is the only therapist available right now so I am stuck

[Tsunamisurfer]

I guess I was lucky to have two really good people as T and pdoc.
My T wanted to be called by his first name. A humble guy, who is a high ranking officer in the army, yet doesn't want to be addressed by his military rank or title. He says its not his identity.
My pdoc is the opposite - he calls me Mr. (surname) and I call him Dr (surname) although technically his title is Professor, but his role for me is doctor. He seems happy with that.
In both cases, there is no disparity, and we get along just fine.

If your T wants to be called Dr. X but wants to call you by your first name, I would be inclined to correct him and suggest your surname would be more appropriate under the circumstances. Mutual respect is important. If title = respect (in your therapists eyes) then that would be consistent with his view of respect, surely.

I call my therapist by his first name, but I call my pdoc by Dr. so and so. I think the difference is the formality of the relationship. My t and I spend a lot of time together, so first name just makes sense. He's a doctor by degree though, but it would seem awkwardly formal to call him Dr. so and so.

[katertot]

mine refers to herself as donna to me, but i call her dr pellegrino. she's a doctor. idk, i'm weird about it, what with studying to be a doctor myself, i would want the respect that comes from all the hard work.

[Anneinside]

Originally Posted by farmergirl

I call my therapist by his first name, but I call my pdoc by Dr. so and so. I think the difference is the formality of the relationship. My t and I spend a lot of time together, so first name just makes sense. He's a doctor by degree though, but it would seem awkwardly formal to call him Dr. so and so.

I agree with you. We have different standings with a pdoc than a tdoc. The therapist/psychologist hears all the pain in our lives while the psychiatrist hears about our symptoms and stressors, briefly. I have a profession/personal relation with my psychologist and I call her by her first name. She has earned a Ph.D. and is entitled to the title of Dr. but I feel it would put too much distance for me. I call my psychiatrist Dr. and I want to have that professional distance, I want to look up to her and see an expert.