When your therapist asks "how are you?" what do you say?

I'm not sure that my T ever asked ths, but I'll assume he did. What was more common was, "So, how have you been?" and the implication was "since we last talked." I never heard it as a mere pleasantry. Even now, when either of us uses the phrase in an e-mail, it seems to have "more" meaning attached.

My T seldom asks that anymore because my response is always, "I'm good, thanks. How are you?" She knows better now so she rewords that question, along with many others.

I usually say "fine," and she looks at me and goes "fine for real? And then I tell her she never lets me get away with anything, and go from there.

I hate this question too! It's normally asked as, 'so how has your week been', 'how have you been' etc and the last time she even said ' I know I always start by asking this...' and I said 'yes and I will always just answer it the same - yeah yeah, all good, fine etc'
I do understand why she asks but I find it very hard to get started in the therapy hour and direct questions like this actually do not help.
I hate it in the real world too and I tell people off for asking, but I can't do this to poor T because she is just doing her job and I think that it is the one time it is actually appropriate, whether I answer or not!

My T asks me this as a ritual, first off, before anything else is said and she often says it in the hallway to her office as more of 'Hello--" greeting/space filler. It kinda bugs me.

T: (Opening the door to waiting room) "Hey ..."
Me: (Getting up and walking ahead of her into hallway towards her office) "Hello..."
T: (Walking behind me down the hallway) "How are you...?"
Me: "Uh. okay... "

Whether I am or not, I always say "Okay..." It makes me think, 'Of course I'm not okay- why else am I here?'

It's kind of awkward for me and I don't really like it. Each time I answer, it feels disingenuous. My back is ahead of her and I'm not gonna answer honestly in the hallway. Yeah, it's only about a 15 foot trot but it passes other offices and I'm just not gonna talk about anything till we get into that room and my butt is on that couch.

I just wish she's say hello and leave it a that. We don't have to fill the void between the waiting room and her office with 1 word banter.

Mine usually says "so how was this week?"

If asked in the hallway, I say okay, usually with a sarcastic laugh. In the room, I'll say really how I've been doing.

This sounds like how I am. My marriage counselor often asks in the hall, and I'm usually like, "Good! You?" no matter how I am. If I'm actually like, "I'm OK," then it's probably a sign that something's really wrong. In the office, he tends to ask it of me and H as a way to start the conversation and find out what's on our minds/how the past week has been. And I'll look pointedly at my H, to see if there's anything he wants to bring up. Sometimes I'll bring something up. If not, sometimes it's just sort of like, "It's been a pretty good week," followed by some crickets chirping. Then MC will ask what we want to talk about or else make some other small talk or joke around until we're really talking.

T doesn't usually ask till we're in her office. With her, I tend to respond with "Tired" (which tends to be true lately) or "I'm doing OK." I feel like I rarely actually say "Good!" Partly because I feel like she could probably see right through me if I said that! I usually just start talking about stuff after that.

I hate that question hoping he comes up with a new one. I also ask him how he is doing, after all i'm trying to be polite.

"And how are you?" said Winnie-the-Pooh.

Eeyore shook his head from side to side. "Not very how," he said. "I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time.".

I say "I'm ok" Near the end of us working together she began asking a different opening questions. Personally I like better, "So, what's been going on?"

Me and my therapist have talked about how I relate to Eeyore. I cuddle with a stuffed Eeyore every night.