[Suratji]

I'm finding that I want to be a couple minutes late to session because it makes me a nervous wreck sitting in the waiting room. And my T is always a couple minutes late coming to get me. And even arriving late, I still have to wait for her. She has a light switch in waiting room that turns on a light in her office to alert her that I've arrived and it's only 3 steps away. Why does it still take her a few minutes to come get me???? If I'm alone, I'll pace the room or I've even taken my iPod to dance away the jitters.

[purple_fins]

Yes, I hear you, waiting can be a difficult part of therapy.

I wish the therapist I see HAD a waiting room
I have to sit right inside the entrance to the whole building. There are a couple chairs there, I sit and wait.... while people walk by-- in and out of the building.... ugh.....
another "thing" that makes going difficult

fins

[Perna]

I use to bring a book, my head would get to worrying about it too much (was she there, was it the right day, what if it's not or she forgot). Fortunately, at the end my T and I were the "only" ones in the afternoon (no client before or after me) so I could get there early and wait in my car in an obscure part of the parking lot where I could still see when she came and then I'd "follow" her in after a minute or two, LOL

[BlessedRhiannon]

My T is in an office building. Her waiting "room" is the lobby for the floor her office is on. So, I sit there waiting, with all the traffic through the lobby, and other people having conversations, and I get more and more anxious! Fortunately, my T is almost always right on time. She's learned that if the traffic in the lobby is especially heavy, then I need a few minutes to calm down, and I've learned to ask for that as well.

I tend to either bring a book to read, or listen to music, or even play a game on my phone. Just something to distract me from the other people and the waiting.

[splitimage]

My T's office is in her home, so it's really private - once you're buzzed in, she has a seating area, with 2 comfy chairs at the end of the hallway away from her office, with a really big plant that kind of conceals you from her office doorway. If she has clients before me, her office is at the top of the stairs, so they come out and go right downstairs, so there's no awkward interaction.

My pdoc. Totally different scenario. He works in a psych hospital, and all the pdoc's have thier offices along the outside wall. There are chairs outside their offices on the other side of the hallway. People who work there are always walking up and down and I feel like they're staring at me, wondering what's wrong with me. I try and bring a book, and keep my head buried in it.

My addictions Dr. is also awkward. She works out of a different hospital. Psychiatry and addiction services share a waiting room that's in the entrance to the unit where the offices & treatment rooms are, so there's lots of traffic. The downside is I've been going to this hospital for treatment since 2006, so I know a lot of the staff, and my Dr's other patients. So when they see me, they want to make small talk, which I find incredibly awkward. Fortunately my appointments are usually 8:30 in the am, so there aren't as many people around.

--splitimage

Originally Posted by Suratji

I'm finding that I want to be a couple minutes late to session because it makes me a nervous wreck sitting in the waiting room. And my T is always a couple minutes late coming to get me. And even arriving late, I still have to wait for her. She has a light switch in waiting room that turns on a light in her office to alert her that I've arrived and it's only 3 steps away. Why does it still take her a few minutes to come get me???? If I'm alone, I'll pace the room or I've even taken my iPod to dance away the jitters.

I would be a nervous wreck as well, so I am not sure I can offer any suggestions on this. I am lucky that I am the only one in the waiting room when I go to my sessions. She takes me right away normally.

This last time, she had an appointment run over and I had to wait! That was grueling!!! I was standing up looking out the window trying to take my mind off of the wait.

I heard some laughter behind me and turned around to see my therapist with a couple. I knew that lady!! That was an awkward moment. I turned back around and looked out the window. Finally, my therapist said, "Are you ready?"

She did ask me in my session if this little incident, "threw me off". I had to admit that it did! I don't know how you all do it waiting in a room with other clients, knowing they are seeing YOUR therapist!

[SpiritRunner]

My T has her own practice and no receptionist so, usually, when I have my app't no one is in the waiting room. I have gotten to the point where I arrive about 2 minutes before session because I hate to sit there waiting....there are magazines to read, but sometimes I am so nervous I don't even see the words. I hate T chitchatting with the client leaving as they come out of her office and the client walks past me out the door, too. I think I am going to start being a couple minutes late, too, instead of a couple minutes early.....ha, maybe wait down the hall until I see that the previous client has actually walked out the door!

[anilam]

Funny. I have never waited for my T. I ring, he comes and I follow him in. He has a waiting room but nobody ever uses it. Why?
Really what kind of T keeps you waiting when you are on time?

[Omers]

I get the jitters too. I haven't done this with current T but did with a past T on days where I was particularly socially avoidant... would T be willing to call you when they are ready (assuming you have a cell phone)? You can wait in the safety of your car and not come up until they are there, door open.???? just something that worked for me during a tough time.

[lifelesstraveled]

I used to be like that when I started T for the very first time. I was a nervous jittery mess every single week to the point where sitting in the waiting room didn't feel real. It was worse when there were others in the waiting room.

It gets better over time. I started bringing a book or my ipod, but it does get better!

[Suratji]

Only twice have there been other people in waiting room and that I don't mind. I just hate waiting and I hate the transition between waiting room and her office.

My T shares a building with 4 other T's. They're not a group but the whole building is only their offices. They don't have a sign out front and there's a parking lot in front of building. They also have a side exit so people do not have to exit through waiting room. I've never used side exit. I guess I don't care who sees me.

And it's only 3 minutes from my house. I used to leave 20 minutes early because I would be worried that I'd be late. What a major miscalculation of time. Then I'd park my car around the corner and wait. Now that was agony. So,now I leave house just 5 minutes before appt.

[PTSDlovemycats]

Suratji she could be late because she might be jotting down some notes in the last patient's file. Just a thought...

[Suratji]

Originally Posted by PTSDlovemycats

Suratji she could be late because she might be jotting down some notes in the last patient's file. Just a thought...

Oh, I agree and of course, 2 minutes is nothing!!! I don't blame her but still - in that 2 minutes I wonder if I have the wrong day/time, how much longer will I have to wait, and on and on.

[elliemay]

My therapist has close to a 1000 old magazines in his waiting room. We've joked about his "archive".

When I'm nervous I will start organizing the archive (people just have no respect for order!) and it really passes the time.

With my OCD, I could spend days in there. Sometimes it's a relief when he calls me into his office.

[PTSDlovemycats]

Suratji -I often have those same thoughts too...

[BlackCanary]

I go to a large center, so I am checked in by a receptionist - always know I have the right date and time. This part of the process used to bother me, hated being seen and recognized. Too late for that now!
I actually try to arrive about 10 min. early so that I can a) get checked in and b) chill out for a few minutes. I put on my headphones and look through my journal, or just close my eyes and relax. Everyone is there to see a therapist or psychiatrist, so we've all got problems
Maybe get some meditative or ambient music (I like ocean sounds) to help clear your mind while you wait, keep some of that anxiety away?

[Suratji]

Originally Posted by BlackCanary

I go to a large center, so I am checked in by a receptionist - always know I have the right date and time. This part of the process used to bother me, hated being seen and recognized. Too late for that now!
I actually try to arrive about 10 min. early so that I can a) get checked in and b) chill out for a few minutes. I put on my headphones and look through my journal, or just close my eyes and relax. Everyone is there to see a therapist or psychiatrist, so we've all got problems
Maybe get some meditative or ambient music (I like ocean sounds) to help clear your mind while you wait, keep some of that anxiety away?

Last time I studied a couple of fabric wall hangings in office. They're kinda like quilts and have maybe an Middle Eastern of East Indian type of motif and each square has a different design. So, I pretended that I was to interpret each square. It was fun and I showed it to T when she came for me and she admitted she had never really looked that closely at them. Nothing like being anxious in waiting room to put your attention on small stuff. Creative interpretation beckoned me.

[Mike_J]

I really HATE waiting, that coupled with my being habitually early (people not being punctual is one of my pet peeves) so I get stuck waiting all the time, and it almost always stresses me out. The sole exception to this is my therapist’s waiting room.

It gives me a chance to calm down a bit, think about what I’m going to try to talk about with her. That and practice my telekinesis, I try to spin the large globe that is on the other end of the waiting room, so far I haven’t been able to make it move but that doesn’t seem like a good reason to stop trying. I just keep thinking how cool it will be when I finally make it move. Or will it just be a sign that I have finally completely lost it when I “think” I have made it move and I really haven’t, how would a person ever know for sure, but how does any of us know anything for sure?

[Sweetlove]

I get a bit nervous too, but it has been better in the last few months. When I first started seeing my T, I would almost hope he didn't come out to get me! I was petrified of seeing him. It is much better now, I still get jittery but I still want to see him.

I used to show up at my exact appt. time or even a couple minutes late. Now, I get there anywhere from 5-15 minutes early...gives me time to use the bathroom, write out my copay, and just relax and think for a bit.

[Suratji]

Originally Posted by Mike_J

I really HATE waiting, that coupled with my being habitually early (people not being punctual is one of my pet peeves) so I get stuck waiting all the time, and it almost always stresses me out. The sole exception to this is my therapist’s waiting room.

It gives me a chance to calm down a bit, think about what I’m going to try to talk about with her. That and practice my telekinesis, I try to spin the large globe that is on the other end of the waiting room, so far I haven’t been able to make it move but that doesn’t seem like a good reason to stop trying. I just keep thinking how cool it will be when I finally make it move. Or will it just be a sign that I have finally completely lost it when I “think” I have made it move and I really haven’t, how would a person ever know for sure, but how does any of us know anything for sure?

Wow, what a great idea - practicing telekinesis. I think I'll try it tomorrow.

[Suratji]

I must confess - it's the whole morning before session jitters. It just seems more amplified in waiting room.

[online user]

Now I am feeling guilty...our sessions with T usually run over....hubby and I are going through a lot and he is really challenging us. So, making progress, which is good. But sometimes we run 10 minutes over, sometimes 20! Sometimes there is someone waiting all that time; sometimes we may be cutting into his lunch or dinner hour.

We always try to be on time. There is a small waiting room for 2-3 therapists. Private really, unless you run into someone you know. I think scheduling yourself early or late might be easier if you can. And do bring something to read. You know, a newspaper can block all of your face!

[sailaway1]

My T has a shared practice in a home converted to an office. So the waiting room was once the living room - and still has the fireplace. Its cozy but wierd b/c it feels like I am home and yet not. Some days the whole waiting room is full and some days I am the only one. I dont know which is worse for me. When its full it means we are all there for the same thing but no one looks anyone else in the eye. When its empty I feel like a little kid waiting for mom. Guess since I am just still not comfortable with going it shows huh?

[Can't Stop Crying]

My T's waiting room is a cramped space with 3 chairs. I hate it! He does appointments straight back to back with no time at all in between. He never runs late (which should be a relief I guess) I am so uncomfortable with bumping into the client before me leaving or the one after me arriving...he even has people barge into the room because they don't realize that it is his office...ugh! I hate waiting rooms in general, but all the emotions so close to the surface right before a T session and then some of his other clients are so chipper they try to start a conversation or something... I want to write a big note on me that says LEAVE ME ALONE! I also want to make a sign for his door that says in session, please have a seat and I will be with you shortly...I could go on and on with my waiting room "issues" so I'll just stop here.

[Elli-Beth]

My T's waiting room used to have 2 chairs but they took one away. At first I thought it was just for a day because someone was testing in another room, but it's been like 2 weeks now.

A friend drove me last week because I get upset and have trouble driving myself, and while we were waiting I had to stand the whole time. Awkward!