[DoggieDad]

I know that I do.

[Utterly]

Expecting a therapist to remember anything that's not absolutely hammered home is a tough situation. Some have great memories and some don't. Expecting that others *should* read your mind, even a therapist, isn't a wise move.

If you want them to acknowledge your birthday, prime the conversation a couple of weeks running, then on the week you could give them some time to recognize it first and then be really obvious later on.

[stopdog]

I would not like it at all. To me, recognizing a birthday is a personal familiar thing and the therapist is not in my life in that way nor granted that level of familiarity by me.

It would be nice, but no, I know I will never get that.

[tealBumblebee]

I don't expect T to. I wouldn't mind if she did but wouldn't be hurt if she didn't. I think, I prefer though, not to know if she would remember it. I specifically failed to mention the date or why I had chosen not to come to session (to celebrate out of town) until after the fact. I hope she forgets for this next upcoming one so that I can do the same. It falls right after the Christmas/New Years celebrations but before Valentines Day, so hopefully the holidays will distract her.

[pbutton]

Considering last year he cracked open my chart and said "You have a birthday coming up." and I responded "What the hell?" ... I don't think he'll be throwing me a party any time soon.

[nottrustin]

I know she somewhat remembers but she doesn't acknowledge it. My birthday falls the week of Thanksgiving. Since losing my mom the holidays are very difficult for me. We discuss it every years as is has a huge effect on my mood.

[trdleblue]

Mine falls on a world wide holiday so it shouldn't be so difficult to come to mind, but my t has yet to remember. It usually falls during his break, so I am sure that makes it harder.

[Lauliza]

No, they have a lot of clients so I wouldn't expect one to remember my birthday. I'd think it was weirder if she did.

[JaneTennison1]

I don't expect her to remember but when my appointment was a few days after my birthday I mentioned it had been in the context of a conversation, she wished me a happy birthday and we moved on.

[ThisWayOut]

I don't expect t to remember, even if i prep her about it...

[Petra5ed]

I said no, but this year I'll probably be hurt when I don't get one. I know he has no plans to acknowledge my bday, and it's not expected of a therapist... But I think it's secretly hoped for, and I know it will hurt and make it hard for me to keep up my happy fantasy about our relationship.

[wotchermuggle]

My T forgets mine, even though we have the same birth date. Every year he's like, "How do you know/remember my birthday?" and I get to feel stupid explaining....again. It's funny though, in a way.

This year I brought her cake because I was seeing her on my birthday. She thought it was sweet and wished me a happy birthday. It was sort of hard for me to celebrate my birthday because I was suicidal and didn't like that I was aging because it meant I wasn't dead, so we talked about that too.

[JaneC]

It's my birthday this week, the day before I see my therapist. Last year he didn't remember, and even when I said that my birthday had been since I saw him last he didn't acknowledge it.

It really hurt.

My birthday is part of an issue for me, I share it with my sister who is younger than me........and I have these terrible 'I'm second best" feelings and emotions around it.

This year, I expect nothing, hope he would say something, but expect nothing.

[junkDNA]

yes

pretty sure he knows around about when my bday is. are birthdays are a month apart. hes given me a card before on my bday. i dont expect him to give me gifts or anything. i acknowledge his bday too

I'm undecided on this. This summer t told me that she almost texted me on my birthday but then decided it wouldn't be professional. (this was the first year she even mentioned my birthday) I wished she had at first, but I had a good day without hearing from her, so was able to feel good just knowing that she'd thought about me. Really the only reason I expect anyone that's not family to remember my birthday anyway is because it's on a popular holiday here in the US, July 4. Hopefully by next summer I'll forget that she thought about texting me this year. Maybe by then this insane level of attachment I'm feeling right now will be over.

I still wish I knew when her bday is. I've never asked because I don't think she'd tell me.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I know my T's b-day and she does remember mine...it's the same month. We have both agreed to never acknowledge each other's b-day. She actually asked me if it was important for me to have my b-day acknowledged. She said for her teenage it's extremely important, so she wanted to make sure. She would never give a gift though or call.

[sweepy62]

Well this t birthday was in march, and when she gave me the appt card she said oh I'm going to see you on my birthday . So on the day of the session , I said happy birthday . My birthday was sept. and she always sees me Wednesday but this time she only had tues , and she gave me the appt card , then I said hey you are going to see me on my birthday, I thought she would forget, she didn't.

[musinglizzy]

I wouldn't expect it, but my T did send me a "happy birthday" Email this year. It was the first happy birthday I got that day.

[roimata]

We have the same birthday. I don't really care either way. If I have a session the day of, she acknowledges it. Otherwise she does not. I would care if it meant getting a cupcake or not getting a cupcake. That is usually not the case.

[iheartjacques]

I don't expect them to remember or bring it up. But if I say it's my birthday soon, or it was my birthday, most people do say happy birthday. current T and I were talking about my milestone birthday. He asked if he wished me a happy birthday and I said no, so he said happy birthday and I said thank you. Nothing this year. Probably only because last year was such a significant number

[TMI, sorry.]

No and I don't care. My birthday is not a big deal at all to me.

I expect my T to congratulate me when I bring it up, but I don't expect her to remember it. Honestly, there are a lot of important things about me for my T to remember - my birthday is not one of them.

I generally bring it up either casually, like "Monday was my birthday so my gran came over and I managed to talk with her for half an hour which is more than I manage most of the time" or less-than-casually "It was my birthday yesterday and that was hard for me because it only reminds me that I'm still alive".