[WePow]

I want to post a poll based on several comments I have read here lately. See, even with my T sick this week, I turned down a phone session. I needed it. But I HATE the phone SOOOOO much that I refused to pay for a session that was torture. So I want to know where you guys stand.

[CantExplain]

My T did offer phone therapy while I was away on business, but she was so dubious about it that I didn't take her up on it.

So it's never happened.

I only talk to T on the phone in emergencies. Usually we talk from 10-20 minutes and I don't really think of that as therapy. It's more like crisis management. Only one instance in all these years seemed to be actual therapy. He returned a call about 11:00 one night and kept me on the phone for an hour and a half. That's longer than our usual sessions.

[lostmyway21]

I only call in extreme emergencies, and he either answered right away or called right back. I HATE talking on the phone and he knows that. So he knows it's urgent.

[bipolarmedstudent]

Do T's typically charge for phone time, texts, or emails? Or is that free?

[PreacherHeckler]

Originally Posted by bipolarmedstudent

Do T's typically charge for phone time, texts, or emails? Or is that free?

My therapist does not charge for phone calls or emails, but in general it depends on the therapist's policy. Some charge and some don't, but all of them should explain their policy ahead of time so you don't end up being surprised by an additional fee for a phone call or email.

Originally Posted by bipolarmedstudent

Do T's typically charge for phone time, texts, or emails? Or is that free?

Mine doesn't, but I'm respectful of his time outside our paid session. I think different T's handle it differently.

[Silent_tsol]

I only use the phone in emergencies, and that's a 911 emergency that I've never had to do. I would text or email 911 if I could. Do NOT like phone

[whoswho]

I am notoriously bad at calling my T, even in emergencies. I am working on that, though! But I would never have a therapy session over the phone. I hate talking on the phone enough as it is!

[newtus]

ive never heard of a phone before

[bipolarmedstudent]

Originally Posted by Silent_tsol

I only use the phone in emergencies, and that's a 911 emergency that I've never had to do. I would text or email 911 if I could. Do NOT like phone

LOL at texting 911. The sad thing is I can see the teens these days doing that.

[newtus]

Originally Posted by bipolarmedstudent

LOL at texting 911.

sooo many people would abuse that privilege lol

[healed84]

I don't mind on the phone T.. The longest I think we have ever talked on the phone is like 8mins.. I only use it when I am not doing well. Last week T had a cancellation and he offered for me to come it... However, I wasn't sure I would be able to find child care in the short amout of time and he said ifI couldn't I could call duriing that time and he would talk to me on the phone. I said, if I could find somebody to watch the kids, I would prefer to come in to his office. I think anymore than a couple min phone call, I would get uncomfortable.. I would to see his face, body language, etc.

[Nelliecat]

No way could I have a session on the phone. I've never even phoned her when I'm in crisis. I've spoken maybe 3 times very briefly on the phone this last year just to arrange appointments - and at those times I am in efficient mode and can switch off the emotional me.

T calls me when shes out of town, like now. Its certainly better than nothing, but we have several littles who cant talk, a few who dont understand that its our T on the line, etc so they dont get the therapy they need. They need t in person who can hold their hand and color and play.

ours doesnt make herself available by phone but were sure if it was a real crisis that couldnt wait she would let us call.

[pbutton]

I have NEVER spoken to my T on the phone. I hate talking on the phone.

[unaluna]

when we had our rupture last summer, after two appointments on one friday (one in the morning, one in the afternoon), T called me (unexpectedly) Saturday afternoon and we talked for an hour. I am used to having long conversations with my friends and family on the phone since high school (altho not so much lately, times have changed for us too!), so a phone call is automatically comforting to me. This call with T was very good. Because he was NOT looking at me, and it was rather a sensitive subject, I did feel more free to say things that would have been more difficult in person, and that is probably why he called. This past Wednesday, I never made it to session, which NEVER happens, except in my dreams! I was still kind of sick, I think, from the bronchitis. Anyway, as I was calling T's cell (about 5 times!) to tell him I was gonna be late, then that I was gonna be really late, then that I gave up, he said, do you just want to talk on the phone? Well, I didn't because I was outside and I still had to call to cancel the taxi, so it wasn't like I could just TALK right THEN. So he asked if there was anything he should know about that was happening (ie why I was acting so strangely, so out of character for me) and I said no, and he believed me, we said I sounded sad or something. Anyway, yeah, it USED to be really weird on the phone between us, like getting a call from the president or something, but I think since our long call, and that whole incident in which I finally came to trust him (even tho i'd been seeing him already for 4+ years), the phone finally became really okay, it's JUST him, like just a friend, on the other end.

[SpiritRunner]

T1, I hardly ever called .... I would rather see her than call her, though I did if it felt particularly urgent. She never wanted to be on the phone too long, because she didn't care to do much 'work' on the phone, I think. It was typically 5 minutes for a phone conversation with her.
T2 was different. I didn't want to call her and 'bother' her either ..... but once I felt really upset about something and called her. It was right after she left work and the next thing I knew, we had talked for almost 2 hours - I was so amazed she gave me all that time! I didn't think that would be a regular occurrence though, that she would allow long phone calls as a general thing, but it turns out, she does do that on occasion with certain clients whom she deems do need that extra time outside session to go over things or deal with things. When I would question the time she had spent with me or say I felt there should be some sort of compensation for her giving me 2 or sometimes 3 hours of phone contact some weeks, she said she considered it part of her obligation to her clients to be there in that way (and that most didn't need or want that, but there were 2-3 who did seem to need that extra care/time), that she had always done that if it seemed needful and that it was better to do that and avert a crisis ....
It got to the point where we seemed to accomplish more on the phone than face to face! I guess some things I felt more free to share on the phone, because it removed some of the vulnerability factor for me, I think ... my voice could still be heard, but my eyes couldn't be seen.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Originally Posted by bipolarmedstudent

Do T's typically charge for phone time, texts, or emails? Or is that free?

My T does not charge me extra for texts or emails, but I imagine that if it became excessive, she might. For phone calls, her policy is anything under 10 minutes, she doesn't charge for. However, when in crisis, I've been on the phone with her for as long as 30 minutes with no charge.

I have had a couple of phone sessions, and she does charge me her regular session rate for those. Once, the roads were closed due to an ice storm and she couldn't get in to her office (I couldn't have gotten there either) and she emailed me early in the morning and asked if I'd be willing to do a phone session. I HATE talking on the phone, so I wasn't sure how effective it would be, but it was surprisingly fairly effective. I prefer face to face, but on the rare occasion, a phone session is okay. The other time I had a phone session was when I was out of town for a week and dealing with family. I needed that time with T. She's offered it when I've been on vacation, but I declined, because I was doing well.

When I've been in crisis, talking with T on the phone has helped tremendously. I typically just need someone to help me calm down and think, rather than panicking and reacting, and T's voice is very calm and soothing and she's willing to just be with me on the phone if I need to cry, or help me talk through things if that's what I need.

[velcro003]

i've talked to mine a few times, when i am feeling particularly awful. i think maybe once i asked her to call me back, but the others she says that she can call me if i want, and i have. she can tell the difference between voicemails i leave her that just need to get stuff out that i can't say in session versus needing to actually talk to her. they've all been 10 minutes and under, and she's never charged me.

[ECHOES]

I don't mind brief contact by phone, but I wouldn't be interested in a session by phone.
As much as being face-to-face terrified me in the beginning, I would miss that so much I'd rather just wait until I could see my therapist again.

[critterlady]

T spent 40 minutes on the phone with me after my mother died earlier this week. It was definitely not as good as face-to-face, but way better than not talking to him at all. I've only called him for crises and if he has open time on his schedule, I'd rather go into his office.

[Butterflies Are Free]

I am okay with using the phone and do phone sessions if I am sick or if my T is sick. I also do a short check in with my T at the end of the week. She charges by the hour so I might talk for 1/4 or 1/2 an hour, etc... And then she just includes it on my bill. I do prefer to see her in person but appreciate and get a lot out of the phone sessions. My T does not use email with her clients or text them, so hearing her voice is nice.

[with or without you]

Unlike most people here, my relationship with my T is primarily phone-based. I really don't call her outside of sessions though.