Valentine's Day present for T?

Woah, whats with the Mum thing in the US.
In the UK, it's really only a romantic thing. Giving someone a valentines card is a common way of letting them know you have the hots for them, or are in love with them romantically. It's clearly a bit different over the pond, so my thoughts might be a bit off (if I gave one of my kids a valentine I would get some reeeeeeaaally funny looks) but maybe wait til her birthday and make a nice card then?

[QUOTE=RedSun;4918673]Woah, whats with the Mum thing in the US.
In the UK, it's really only a romantic thing. Giving someone a valentines card is a common way of letting them know you have the hots for them, or are in love with them romantically. It's clearly a bit different over the pond, so my thoughts might be a bit off (if I gave one of my kids a valentine I would get some reeeeeeaaally funny looks) but maybe wait til her birthday and make a nice card then?[/QUOTE

Same where I live. Valentine's Day is only a thing for couples in my country, I'm amazed to learn that people in the US give something to their mother/friends on V Day.
So obviously to me giving gifts/cards for Valentine's Day to your therapist is highly inappropriate.
But you can perhaps still give her a card when you see her, just without mentioning Valentine's Day? It's a sweet gesture per say, just not in the context of Valentine's imo.

Yes, clearly there are a lot of regional differences - I got wished a happy Valentine's Day by several people yesterday, and I'm single. I think of it more as a fun day for people who want to acknowledge it, rather than the exclusive preserve of couples. I do tend to associate it as much with children giving cards to all their classmates as anything else. when I was in my 20s I remember getting little cards and bits of chocolate from friends as well. It wasn't about romantic love- it's more like wearing a green shirt on St Patrick's day even if you're not Irish. Just a fun little gesture that makes a nod to the festivities floating around that day.

Is that more like how you think of it, ilikecats?

ETA: Of course, wearing green for St Patrick's Day is another regionalism that will mean nothing in many parts of the world! Cultural differences are hard to articulate in a relatable way, I realize!

Valentine's Day is a lot of things here in the US (commerce does that), but giving a card to someone who recently had you tracked down by cops and hosptialized fits into a different category. It's great that you appreciate her. Is there something wrong with leaving it at that?

[QUOTE=Myrto;4918693]I had to smile at both your posts. You have to realize that the United States is BIG on commercialism! Any and every holiday is hyped to the highest degree so that sales go through the roof. There is a Valentine's Day card for everyone in your life. You could probably find one for your Sanitation Worker if you were so inclined.

That said, I have to agree with others that a Valentine's Day card and/or gift is not something I would do. I like my therapist a lot but she isn't a friend, lover, family member or close friend. Yes, I tell her more intimate things than I do to all those other people, but it is a one-way relationship, not really a free flowing two-way street. PLUS you have to realize that every therapist worth anything is going to want to explore ad nauseam what's behind the need to give him/her a Valentine's Day card But if you're up for that, it might be an interesting and enlightening discussion!

Yes, this is more how I think of it. For me, it's not just a romantic holiday, it's a fun holiday for anyone you care about. So I am going to give my T the card, and if she wants to talk about it and why I felt the need to give it to her, I'm okay to talk about that.

Well, let us know how it turned out, I would be curious. It's a bit hard to see for me how a Valentine's gift from a client could make a therapist happy (or even comfortable) if it's a healthy therapeutic relationship, but see what come of it.