[gaia67]

Do you have a preference?

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by gaia67

Do you have a preference?

I haven't noticed.

One T I knew definitely preferred "patient".
"Patient" means "sufferer". "Client" means "vassal".

[wotchermuggle]

I think he's referred to other people he sees as clients, but he's not used the word with me.

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I haven't noticed.

One T I knew definitely preferred "patient".
"Patient" means "sufferer". "Client" means "vassal".

Interesting!
My perception is more on the lines of "patient" means "sick person" and "client" means "capable adult"/"equal".

My T refers to "the person in your chair". Not when he talks about me specifically, but when he refers to his clients/patients.

[~Christina]

My T and I consider what we have is a partnership.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I haven't noticed.

One T I knew definitely preferred "patient".
"Patient" means "sufferer". "Client" means "vassal".

He was going back to the Latin roots.

In Rome, "clients" were hangers-on who looked to their patron for advice and protection. They would clap his speeches, boo his enemies and sit at the lower tables in his grand banquets. (Or come in afterwards and collect the leftovers.) In times of disturbance, they would also be street toughs.

[Miswimmy1]

My old t says client and refers to us as a team.

My new t says patient and therapist.

[jkbob]

I have no idea.

[Moodswing]

Client because you can only be called a patient if your therapist has a M.D. after their name.

[crazycanbegood]

She says patients. I say clients. She refers to me as her client now. I have trained her.

[murray]

I've never heard my T refer to either "clients" or "patients", he always simply refers to "people that he works with."

[WhiteClouds]

My T told me that they (we are his customers. Slapped the transference right out of me. It boils down to $$$$.

[crazycanbegood]

Too bad T's don't offer warranties

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Moodswing

Client because you can only be called a patient if your therapist has a M.D. after their name.

What about a D.O.?

In all these years I don't recall him using any particular term except my name. He probably has, but it wasn't something I noticed I guess. Now I think his secretary uses the word "patient", but she basically runs the office of three pdocs and a bunch of therapists of varying degrees, so the term "patient" is what she uses for the docs and she just uses it universally. Doesn't matter to me really one way or the other.

[stopdog]

The one I see uses client. I think the meaning between patient and client has shifted over time from the latin origins. I don't mind consumer. I would mind patient in its current use, but I don't like it in any context - md or not. I would never refer to myself as a patient.

[unaluna]

My preference is for "Sugar pie honey bunch" or "The Queen" or of course simply "Her Majesty". Oh darn now you all know my real identity - yes I'm a Kardashian. I'm Bruce Jenner

Originally Posted by Yoda

What about a D.O.?

Good point. And nurses, physical therapists, etc. also use the term patient. My niece is an audiologist and calls her patients "patients". My sister was a radiotherapist and referred to her patients as "patients". In the hospital, every person who worked with me, from the pdocs down to the social workers referred to me as a patient, medical degree or not.

[content30]

My T says "clients." I like it...I'm not in a medical office or hospital....

[1stepatatime]

Originally Posted by crazycanbegood

She says patients. I say clients. She refers to me as her client now. I have trained her.

I can relate...
In the past my T has referred to those who see her as her patients...but I have said clients when making reference to her....clients. Since then I haven't heard her refer to me or anyone else as her patient.

[Victoria'smom]

My T or Pdoc refers to me as my name and others as a person, girl, guy...

[Raging Quiet]

'Client' is the word my T uses; but her practice is at home so it also feels a less clinical situation.

[The_little_didgee]

She calls me Didgee.

Originally Posted by CantExplain

He was going back to the Latin roots.

In Rome, "clients" were hangers-on who looked to their patron for advice and protection. They would clap his speeches, boo his enemies and sit at the lower tables in his grand banquets. (Or come in afterwards and collect the leftovers.) In times of disturbance, they would also be street toughs.

But that is not the same thing as saying that that has anything to do with the present-day meaning of the word, or that "client means vassal". It is equally "true" to say that client means "bender", since the original root of Latin cliens "client" is probably clino, "bend".

If your T feels that "client" is a word he doesn't like to use because of its etymology, and that to him it has an underlying meaning of "vassal" (which is super interesting, because the word "client" has never had that particular meaning!) that is different, and of course it is a valid meaning to that person. I'm glad you mentioned this - it's really interesting to hear.

[tinyrabbit]

Mine talks about clients. He's a private therapist, I choose to be there, I don't think patient would be the right word.