"T gave my session to someone else"

A fairly common complaint on this forum is that T has given our regular slots to someone else.

That happened to me, and I raised it with Mr T.
It turns out that the slot already belonged to someone else. Mr T is winding down a long-term patient and skypes her every three months. So the appointment was made before I even had a regular slot.

Oops!

But he didn't make a meal of it or make me feel bad, so I'm OK.

I am sorry this happened to you CE. I am also glad to hear the therapist did not make it worse.

I'm glad you raised it and that Mr T did have a good reason for why it happened ... and let you know in a way that didn't make you feel bad ...........

It can really hurt (a lot) when session times are given away

I also apparently took someone's regular spot who was phasing out. My t gives me a heads up two weeks in advance of when this patient comes back for a 'check in' and we alter my schedule. It was fine once I understood what was happening.

I'm sorry, but that wouldn't wash with me. I would expect to be warned about this when first arranging/accepting the slot.

Can't explain. It shows a lack of professional protocol when you are not advised earlier that your appointment time has been changed regardless of the reason.

My t once double booked a times and i was beyond upset because I was already in a state.

You deserve an apology.

I'm impressed that you addressed it, CE! It certainly alleviates a lot of distress when you're able to talk to T about it.

I've had the same session day/time for over 4 years. I gave T two weeks notice once of having to change that session time for one week and he ended up giving away my session time on the wrong week right in the middle of a rupture. I was somewhat disappointed but since we were able to work out another session time earlier the same day. I figured it was an honest mistake, although I wonder if the rupture contributed to it.

T sometimes uses double booking and session time changes as an example in his analogies when trying to address the idea that he may do things that are upsetting but know that it doesn't come from a place of maliciousness and intent to harm. It's more about being human and accepting that he has flaws.

Yes! I went to schedule for the month of July with the receptionist and she was like Fridays at my time are all filled. I was bummed! T started to say something about it during one of our sessions, and just said.. So, I gave your usual Friday spot away.. I looked at him and said.. I know!!! He chuckled, and I said that was ok b/c I took a summer job, so Fridays don't work now. He was off the hook, but it really did make me feel a little.. I don't know, disappointed at first!

I don't know why/how one would know when being rescheduled what was the reason. But I did not have to schedule/think a time was mine, it just was, all we ever said to one another was, "see you next week" unless at the start of a session T would say she had to reschedule but I rarely knew why; the one time I can think of was when she was going to continuing ed courses that were required and the lectures kept turning up in my spot so we discussed whether we wanted to change my spot rather than keep rescheduling that week's to Saturday or whatever. I liked going in on Saturdays, it was almost a treat.

I think I'd be annoyed, too, tinyrabbit, if T were to tell me someone else had been scheduled for the slot I'm in (unless I had to call/schedule slots); if the other person isn't regular, they don't get a regular slot anymore. But if I call a secretary or something to schedule every week/month or whatever, then that would be different for me, too, I'd have a couple of slots I "liked" just for that contingency.

Ironic, as this is happening to me right this very minute....

T was on vacation, so I haven't had a session in nearly a month. On Tuesday, we had an email exchange where I asked him if he could reschedule my session this week. He offered a session tomorrow afternoon, and I confirmed.

I just got an email from T today asking if I had responded because he "gave away" my session time today since he hadn't heard from me. I forwarded my response to him which showed that I confirmed it 10 minutes after he offered it to me (3 days ago). That slot is no longer available, and he has no other openings.

OUCH.

He did tell me. He said, "Next week can you come at 2 because I have a skype at 3". Which wasn't a problem. It was later that I realised he had "given my slot to someone else".

Hmmm... Madame T said that forgetting isn't an accident: the subconscious does it on purpose.
(That's when I forgot, of course. When she did it, it's an act of God. )