Do you have pics of your therapist?

Do you have pics of your therapist? If not, if you had the opportunity to get one, would you? What if your therapist didn't know about it? Would that make you feel guilty? Is that crossing a boundary?

What do we have this need to have one? Do you want/need one?

Wow what an interesting thought.

I think I prefer to only have an image of my T in the T room - I think I would find it a little freaky to see my T anywhere else, even if it was a photo.

I have one that he let me take with my camera phone. It was sort of a safety blanket because I was going to a weekend family thing and I knew my abuser was going to be there. I also have a recorded voice memo on my phone with my T telling me that I'm safe that I listen to A LOT, especially after nightmares and flashbacks. My very first "anchor" was his business card with his handwritten message to me on the back. I used to carry it everywhere but now it's taped in my journal.

Oh Squiggle... what a question... one that got me in a lot of trouble at the beginning of therapy!

I was desperate to find a picture of my T because I wasn't able to hold on to her between sessions. One time when she was going out of town, I decided I desperately needed a picture of her. So I did what many of us have done - I googled her. I actually really did a long, involved search online and found a picture of her buried deep in the interwebs. Once I found the picture, I felt so utterly horrible, I knew I had to tell her what I did, and I knew she was going to have to terminate me because I crossed a boundary. I felt HORRIBLY guilty, and it was an excruciating week before I saw her again, so I held on to that angst for a full week. Then when I saw her, I dumped everything out, sobbing the entire time. She was so great about it, though, and didn't terminate me. Instead, she made me promise that next time I felt so strongly that I needed something like that, to ask her instead of going to google (though there is absolutely nothing on her online! The picture was a total piece of luck to find!

For me, the picture was necessary because I struggled to hold onto her between sessions. Having her picture helps ground me when I'm feeling out of control or anxious. I wanted to not tell her, but I knew that would be dishonest, and that she wouldn't trust me if I didn't tell her what had happened.

Now that I have her picture, I do open it up on my computer when I'm feeling stressed, and yes, just seeing her does calm me considerably.

I have one (well, more than one, actually) and no, T doesn't know. I don't look at them very much, but I did at first. Now I just feel uncomfortable when I see the files names on my computer, but not uncomfortable enough to delete them, not by a long shot.

no i dont have any pic of my T i dont think i want one either.i dont know why but it would make me hugely uncomfortable.even if she gave me one i feel it would be crossing one of my boundries.i'm not her friend ,kid or anything just a client.it scares me to be anything more .it is a recipe for disaster.to personal.been there dont that dont care to visit it again

t has a website that i found a couple of months ago advertising his business, clicked on it and lo and behold. a pic of t... since i am not very computer savvy, that is where it stays, on his website. i think for me, it is safest there.

My T's pic is on his FB page (which is totally closed except for the name and picture) and also on a website about his practice.

As for whether I had the opportunity to get one without him knowing about it...I know at this point there is NO WAY I would feel comfortable with that. Any piece of info about T that I've "found" (instead of him telling me) has caused me the most enormous amounts of anxiety and guilt, and I've ended up telling him about every one of them, crying and horrified with myself. He's always been 100% gentle and accepting, and I am grateful for that. But I know now that I do NOT want to make myself feel like that again!

Hey,

Yes I have two. Both found on google.

I know my T wouldn't be entirely comfortable with clients having a photo of her because I discussed with my T once how I had read a study once stating how many clients found it comforting to take an item from the therapists room or have a picture of their T to help between sessions. My T said she felt it crossed boundaries if she was to give a client a photo and that it could create dependance even for a client to need to take something from the T room as a way of coping. What I found funny but equally sad was that she said, "maybe if a client wanted to take a tissue with them or something that would be ok."....like seriously...a tissue.

However the 2 pictures I have would have been available to anyone online who happened to come across them and although I don't tell her I have them because I don't want to make her uncomfortable, I don't really feel bad about having them as I am not using them for any devious purpose apart from my comfort the rare time I look at them. I used to be afraid I would forget her and I don't have to be if I have a photo.

Do you have a picture Squiggle?

I have her pic because it's posted on the Psychology Today site and I copied and pasted it. She had it professionally done, she said. It's really nice, friendly yet professional.

I don't need it, but I like having it. When she first said I could email, it was going to be through the PT site, so that's how I happened to see it. Now I just email her directly if I email.

Oooh, I love fun threads like this. :-)

I carry a liitle photo album in my purse that has a word on it that my T and I talked about that is a connection for me to my inner little girl and to my T. I have pics in it of people I love and things that make me happy and that represent the word on the album. I have a picture of my T's office that I took for something we did at church and she loved that her office represented what my project was. I showed her my album at one of my sessions and she said, "I think you need a picture of us together for your album." Holy smokes, it made my day. I said, "No way, are you serious?! This is so amazing of you to offer that to me." She came to see me at one of my business events and she broght her camera so we could get someone to take our picture, but we were visiting with each other so much that she forgot. I am going to make sure I look nice next week when I see her and get someone in her building to take our picture, because I want that picture like now. LOL!

I don't have a pic of my T. I have found one on Facebook, but I know if I told her that she would not be happy, so when I am feeling really bad, I sometimes go look at it. I have never googled her before though.

I have several. Yes my T's know. I've asked for them. We're usually cuddling together very close. I love them. They comfort me.

Also, I have allowed clients to take a picture of/with me that they keep.

I would much rather my client ask and get a picture of me/with me. It's a wonderful way to address needs and communicate. While I can understand why my clients may google me to find a picture, this is a bit uncomfortable for me. Though, not termination worthy. Just something to talk about.

Yes, I do. I mentioned in another thread about friending someone on facebook that is also a friend to my therapist. I did talk with my therapist about this. She said she was okay with that, but she would no longer reply to any posts on this friend's page. That way I can't see anything she writes. I am glad of that!~

When I friended this person, it brought up more of my therapist's facebook page. It brought up her homepage and some pics. I cannot get into her facebook wall or anything, but there are a few pics on the front page.

So, to answer your question, YES, I have a pic of her and her family. I also have the pic she put in a magazine to advertise her business. I don't feel guilty about keeping either of them. I have seen her family in person anyway, so what difference would it make if I had a picture?

Her family was pulling up as I was leaving therapy this week. They parked right beside me. It was kinda strange, but I thought it was great! It helps me to see her as a real person. I know that does not work for some of you, but it helps me tremendously to know that she is a wife and mother and probably faces some of the same struggles that I do.

Why does that make you uncomfortable? What would you talk about with a client who googled you?

I thought at one time about asking for a pic of T. I have also wished I had pics of her office. I don't think I would ask at this point, though.

As far as telling her I have the pics I have, I wouldn't even consider doing that. I am way too scared of seeing Ts anger, and it seems like she reacts out of anger a lot and then sorts out what she's really feeling later. Way too risky for me.

I think it's just generally uncomfortable for me that any person has a personal photo of me without my knowledge. While I am aware anything that is posted online is for public viewing, for me it just is uneasy. Even if it were an acquaintance on my facebook page, and they told me "Hey, I saved/printed a picture of you", it feels odd to me. Now - I'm not saying that it's bad, or negative, or anything like that. Just, different. Maybe because I'm still a "new" therapist getting used to this.

What would I talk to a client about? I'd ask what they were searching for in google. Maybe I could answer better then the search engine could. :-) If they said they were looking for a picture, I'd ask about "Well can we take one together, that way it's more personal, it's something you and I did together."

Nope and never even thought about it until now..

*goes off to google*

My therapist would probably react the same way. She would want me to ask her directly anything I want to know. In fact, I have done that. As far as a picture, I have no idea how she would feel about me taking a picture. I am the one who would feel like a total idiot! She would probably be okay with it, but I am sure we would have to have a discussion about why I wanted it.

I am not obsessed with her or stalking her. It is just nice to see a pic every now and then when I am having a low moment in the day/week.

Ok, so I got through the first page and gave up. I see her tomorrow anyway

I don't think searching for her picture is at all 'stalking'. It's natural to be curious. Especially about someone you are very connected to. I can definitely appreciate the attachment and connection to a picture. Again, I have several with my own therapist that I cherish So not having one, I can understand seeking one out. But, again, to do this without 'permission' feels odd to me.

I was honestly looking up T's mailing address one day (wasn't googling to find out more stuff about her, that came later LOL) and it was on a professional website with her picture. yes, I saved it and look at it when I'm missing her. I've never told her.

When I was looking for stuff on my T online, and found the picture of her, I was so excited for a split second. Then I knew I had to tell her what I did/found. Then I freaked she would terminate. So I'm glad to hear that if a client did that and told you what they found they wouldn't necessarily be terminated!

It is a natural curiosity, and yes, I google all my medical professionals - I want to learn a little more about them (do they have any lawsuits against them?!) But I'll admit, in searching out and finding my T online, I was more distressed than any of the other medical professionals I work with. People have to remember anything online is available to anyone! If you don't want to be found, don't be out there! (Rant over!)

Yes, I have several photos of my therapist that I have taken if her in her office. She is cool about it. I can take a picture anytime I want to. The last photo I took I posted on my bulliten board at work. Someone at work asked me if it was my Mom and I just smiled and said no. I told her about it and she laughed and said "I look too young in the photo to be your Mom!" But the reality is she is old enough to be my Mom. My therapist has no problems with me needing a photo of her. It helps me between sessions. She has also made a few recordings for me that I have on my iPod including reading a few children's stories for me and has hand written several letters to me encouraging me in dealing with issues we are working on. I would not want a photo of her if she did not know about it. To me hat would feel like stalking her. But I don't have to worry about that because like I said I can take a picture whenever I want to.

I know this is going to sound weird, but my H had to drive me to a session once, and he took a couple of pictues of my T and of the outside lobby while he was waiting for me. I'm not sure she was too happy about it but she didn't object. My H likes to take pictures.

I also have seen her Facebook photo (that's all I can see, just one photo) and her photo on psychologytoday website. She has a website too, but it doesn't have her photo. She knows I've looked at her photos.

My H also took pictures of my former T and she told me I should delete them from my computer so I wouldn't obsess about her.