That you are more than just a weekly paycheck for her/him?

My T told me that the money "pays for her time, so she can pay the rent, but it doesn't pay for her caring-she gives that for free, because she wants to, it's just something that happens."

I'm not sure if I believe her or not.

Has it come up in your sessions?

[stopdog]

The therapist has said she cares. I am not certain how it matters/what difference it makes. And that line about paying for time not caring just irritates the snot out of me. I have read it here many times. Happily for me, the one I see has not used it.

[critterlady]

I believe my T does care about me, at least in a therapist kind of way.

[Hope-Full]

I've been told the same thing - I pay for Ts time, not for Ts care. It also helps me to remember that T chose this profession for a reason, the same reason I chose mine - cause I genuinely love what I do. T has said that it's in helping others overcome challenges that is most satisfying.

So yes, I do believe, I do know, that my T cares about me more than as a paycheck, in a healthy, unconditional positive regard, way.

[livie15]

When I first started seeing my T, I asked her (In a moment of frustration) "You must only do this for the money- why else would you deal with people like me?"

Her response? "If I thought a patient couldn't pay and really needed me, I'd keep seeing them in a heartbeat- I do what I love, and just happened to get paid."

So, yes, I don't doubt that my T cares for her patients

We've never had that conversation, but I've never had any doubt that he cares. It is evident in his actions.

[Butterflies Are Free]

Yes, my T cares about me very much - she has expressed this in both words and actions. Ts are human and can care just as much as we can.

I know my T cares because when I started to question my need to even be InTherapy , he got his feelings hurt. He said he would be sad because we had developed a Theraputic bond and he would miss me.

[scorpiosis37]

Absolutely. I have no doubt that my T cares about me. I can feel it from her. She goes above and beyond the call of duty. For instance, she's on vacation right now, but she knows that I was going to be getting 2 does of bad news this week, so she offered me a phone session-- she will actually be talking to me from *sunny destination.* Yes, I'm paying for that hour, but she offered it to me because she truly cares. Having that relationship with her and feeling her investment in my life are what make this round of therapy feel so different from any therapy relationship I've had in the past. I think you can tell when someone is *just* doing their job, and when someone is genuinely invested. And it makes a huge difference. Having a strong and secure therapeutic relationship with her makes me feel like I have this underlying support I've never had before. Thus, eventhough I'm really struggling right now with my 2 doses of bad news, knowing that I have T's care and support (and the support of my friends & family) are what are going to allow me to get through it. I love my T and I feel very strongly that it's mutual. Of course, she's not my friend or my family; our relationship is strictly professional. But, as my T often says, "we're both still human."

[Emptty]

I know my T cares... I can still remember the look on his face in the first few weeks of treatment, "you're paying for this, not your parents? Oh no no don't give me anything, you can keep the two sessions a week it's the unlimited T plan!"

At the time I forced him to take the copay, pride got in the way.. now I pay nothing and he's still around

[sconnie892]

I recall some conversation with t in which her caring about me came up and she reassured me she did care. Recently she told me her greatest wish for me was that I would find joy in my life. I know it is her job to provide quality therapy, but things like being consistent, being on time, etc. also tells me she respects and cares for me.

[CantExplain]

Yes, I feel my T really cares about me.

[KazzaX]

I think she does care. I have seen a lot of Ts that were in it for the paycheck only, and you can certainly tell by their mannerisms and the way they approach the sessions. It is extremely obvious when this is the case.

This T i'm seeing seems to put a lot of effort into the sessions (unlike all my previous Ts). Honestly though I wouldn't mind if she didn't care as long as she does her job properly. I don't know her from a bar of soap (she's my T not my long lost sister), but she is entitled to care/not care/etc as long as she keeps it to herself and doesnt let it affect her work.

[autotelica]

It took a long time for me to believe that my therapist cares for me. Initially, I just thought it was an act. But she's gone above and beyond. It's kind of hard to ignore above and beyond.

I am quite distrustful of people's emotions. Because I don't feel very deeply but I'm great at faking it, I readily assume this is what others do too. I can't imagine caring for a bunch of sad-sack characters parading in front of me every day, so I just assume that my therapist doesn't either. But now that I'm finally grokking how weird my outlook is about the world, I'm realizing that it actually is possible that my therapist could care for all of us. I don't know how or why, but she does.

Sometimes I do think she cares -other times-no.

Yes, I believe she does. She puts in a lot of time and effort that she doesn't have to. She seems genuine in her words and actions... 'real'...

[karebear1]

I believe my T cares a tremendous amount for me. She shows it in her actions on a consistant basis. I'm so thankful taht she's like this too. If I had chosen a T that was anything but genuinely caring- it would've made a big mess out of me!

[unaluna]

I think it's a lot easier for him to feel (and even admit or declare) his feelings about me, than it is for me to feel and comprehend and absorb his feelings about me. it's like a foreign language to me. ironic, cos I speak foreign languages, but I don't speak emotion.

[Sunne]

Very much. It makes me feel safe.

[stopdog]

I am not certain how I would even know. I don't usually think about it. I mean she sits there and has not fallen asleep or taken a phone call. I am not fully certain what else it is the therapist is supposed to do.

[franki_j]

Yes I do. At first I didn't, then when I told her I couldn't go anymore b/c of financial reasons she offered to see me for whatever I could pay her. Also she has told me she cares about me and does go above and beyond what her job requires. Especially now, I am feeling so grateful for her support and caring, to the point where I don't know how I can ever thank her.

[Wren_]

t1 i know cares he has shown that over and over in many ways; t2 i think does but it's harder to believe at times and it's a different sense of care than with t1

[bluemountains]

Hmmm, I don't know if she thinks about me out of sessions, but during our sessions she shows lots of care and concern. This is all I need. This makes me feel more accountable for my actions between sessions because I know she will follow up with the tough stuff.

[shezbut]

Actually, my T and I have discussed this point a couple of times.

Personally, I feel as though he doesn't truly care about me. I am merely a patient, a "job" for him. Why should he personally care? He doesn't see me that often. Rarely talks about himself, or his own troubles. Just listens to me complaining about life circumstances. One less negative person to drag him down.

My T claims that he does care, but I still don't believe him. I doubt that I ever will.

Yes she cares. Though I still struggle with believing that even though she goes above and beyond. I've internalized enough uncaring people to last me a life time and coming across someone who does care feels so nice unyet so scary. I think sometimes I have to minimise her care just to survive it.