[skysblue]

I heard an LPC refer to her clients as her patients. Is that right? I thought the term 'patient' is reserved for use by medical personnel (including psychiatrists).

[brillskep]

Yes, it can be used. "Client" or "patient" depends on the therapist's approach.

[iheartjacques]

My T calls me his patient as he's a psychiatrist. But he does the talk therapy too.

[ThingWithFeathers]

My t would not call me her patient. We are all clients to her.

[JaneTennison1]

I would feel like I was a client to a T but a patient to PDOC as they are a Dr.

[CantExplain]

I prefer patient.

I haven't the foggiest what my T refers to me as -- my name I guess. His office tends to refer to his clients as patients because it is an office that has three psychiatrists in it. I don't particularly care one way or another. Not a hang up for me either way.

[Ellahmae]

T refers to me as client but I prefer patient.

[junkDNA]

im sure he refers to me as a client. because he refers to his other clients that way. i dont think he would call me patient, and i wouldnt like that either.

[stopdog]

I use customer. The woman refers to clients. I would not see one who said patients.

[atisketatasket]

Mine say clients. I occasionally use the word patient - it comes more naturally to me than client.

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[eeyorestail]

I don't think any of my Ts have called me a patient. Pdocs yes.

I don't think it's the appropriate term, and I would probably find it annoying, but if they were a good T I would try to look past it.

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My t uses "client" and that's fine with me.

[ManOfConstantSorrow]

Actually my T uses neither 'client' nor 'patient' but just says 'people' she works with. I find that works well for me, although I understand that I am in [my version of] reality a client.

[PinkFlamingo99]

I get "patient" with the new one, but I see her in outpatient psych at the hospital and don't pay anything. So I'm not sure "client" makes sense.

[luvnola]

I've had several t's over the years and have been called both client and patient. It doesn't really matter to me what they call me bc it has no impact on the work we do.

[mcl6136]

My old cold distant T referred to me as a patient. And he insisted on being called a Doctor. He had a master's degree.

Go figure.

[Leah123]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I use customer. The woman refers to clients. I would not see one who said patients.

Same here in terms of how I view it. I think customer is most empowering because of the connotations around customers being in the driver's seat and expecting good service on our terms.

Patient, to me, is connotative of disability. I don't see myself as disabled, more as problem solving in therapy.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

Sometimes my T calls me a patient and sometimes says I am a client. I prefer client. Patient is when you are at the hospital.

[LazarusLong]

I have depression, a potentially fatal disease. I think of myself as a patient, maybe to reduce the stigma in my mind.

[ScarletPimpernel]

My Ts have always said clients. I prefer being called a client.

[justdesserts]

My t most often uses the client, but I think we've both (or maybe just me) slipped up and said patient. I greatly prefer the term client, but I think that because of the way therapy is set up, clients are viewed as having a pathology and therapists as the ones working to help "heal" the pathology in many cases. My pdoc always uses the term patient, even though he is the farthest thing from a traditional doctor I can imagine.

[Gavinandnikki]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

I haven't the foggiest what my T refers to me as -- my name I guess. His office tends to refer to his clients as patients because it is an office that has three psychiatrists in it. I don't particularly care one way or another. Not a hang up for me either way.

I feel the same.

Client, patient, whatever. No diff for me.

Actually, I think I was my therapist's client AND patient.

[divine1966]

Mine refers to clients as patients. Don't know why.

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[Lauliza]

I think the protocol for therapists who are not MD's is to use the term "client". I think PhDs and PsyDs use patient more than an LPC or social worker, but I think it should be reserved for MDs, unless it's in a hospital or treatment center. That's just my take on it though and what I've been taught so far. I don't think there are actual rules around this.