[objectclient]

Hi guys. I have started individual therapy with a new T and there's something about her policies that make me a little uncomfortable for some reason.

It states that a client is no longer considered a client after 6 months have elapsed. I would have thought this to be too short a time period and for some reason it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable as there is no long term protection. I live in the same town as my therapist and so there's always going to be that possibility of bumping into her in the future and I wonder if I am no longer considered a client after those 6 months, will she maintain my confidentiality or is she going to be saying hi across the grocery aisle in the supermarket?

Secondly, it states that if sexual attraction develops during the course of therapy (on the part of the client/therapist/both) the client will be referred to another therapist. Now I know about transference and it hasn't happened as of yet but this policy makes me feel a little uncomfortable as it sounds like the therapist is incompetent at handling it.

What do you guys think? Does this therapist sound trustworthy?

[Ellahmae]

Doesn't sound like someone I would see, but I guess it depends on what you're going for and what kind of therapy she does? I would trust my gut, if you feel uncomfortable on both of those issues I would look elsewhere.

[Vandelay Industries]

I don't know about 'trustworthy' but they certainly seem weird. Move on if you have other options.

[unaluna]

Sounds like she has issues. Like she uses her practice as her own private dating service! We had a case in our town where the school board got sued because they had substitute teachers sign away their right to become permanent hire if they worked more than x days. Turns out, you cant "sign away" your rights. So IF you have a "right" to be treated as a client forever...?

[tradika]

Um. I think you need to clarify with her what her policies mean. We can prejudge her, and she may truly be incompetent, but there many be a reasonable explanation.

It is my understanding that some of this information is codified in their organization. Such as the dating policy. It would be grounds for licensure issues to date a client.

[Argonautomobile]

Could be dodgy, could be that she just sucks at writing contracts. I'd personally tend to think the latter (you'd be amazed at how often people's brains stop working because they're writing Something Important) but who knows? If you're not comfortable with her, go to someone else.

I sort of understand the 6 month policy. I think that mainly has to do with a client having to restart paperwork, etc. if you haven't been in contact for that long. That may not be all that unusual; it's just rare to see it actually outlined in paperwork. I know I haven't actually been into my T's or my Pdoc's offices in nearly two years and I am rather certain I'd have to restart my file.

The sexual attraction thing seems a bit of a red flag perhaps that this is a therapist not comfortable dealing with transference issues at all. I've never had to deal with transference issues in therapy myself, but it is a very common issue for many. I sort of give her credit for being upfront about it which is more than most will admit to, and later they doing an awful job of dealing with transference issues, but if you are wanting a therapist comfortable dealing with issues of transference, I suspect this won't be the one.

[Lauliza]

The six month policy is not that unusual. The practice I go to has the same policy (although it's ultimately up to the therapist. I think Lola's right in that it has to do mostly with administrative reasons. The sexual attraction part is very odd - not because it's her policy per se, since it is probably the policy of most Ts. I think it's really weird that she actually wrote it in a contract (makes me think she had a problem with a previous client). That's just so awkward and it would make me uncomfortable too. If it really bothers you I'd see someone else.

[atisketatasket]

I kind of like the refer out if attraction develops policy. Everyone knows where they stand from the outset - something that is not all that common in therapy. I don't see it as incompetence, or as an indication she's not trustworthy - quite the opposite in fact.

[LonesomeTonight]

The 6-month thing is probably administrative, but it should have been worded better. Like, you'd have to have a new intake appointment, something like that. The sexual attraction thing seems odd...like something happened to her in the past. I agree that it sounds kind of like she wouldn't deal with transference well.

I suggest you ask her about the policies--could just say something like you're concerned about confidentiality for the first one. And for the second...yeah, not sure how to ask about that. Maybe that you've heard transference is common, and is that what she means? Or something else? Still seems like an awkward question, however you say it.

[Petra5ed]

This wouldn't work for me on both counts, so I would recommend someone else. It probably depends on what your issue is too. Certainly if you have something like childhood trauma find someone else.

[Rive.]

I don’t see anything wrong or 'dodgy' about either of these conditions.

She provides therapy on a short-time basis, which is not uncommon. Likewise, not all therapists believe in, or work with, transference (nor do they have to). In that case, it’s perfectly justified to refer clients to someone with this specific training and/or who will be better placed to help them.

I don’t see anything that indicates she is incompetent or untrustworthy. Just that she practises in a certain way, as she is entitled to. It depends on what you/clients are looking for.

[brillskep]

First thing I want to say is, I think the good news here is that this therapist has anticipated these issues and put their expectations in writing, so you know whether or not you are okay with them from the start. It often happens that therapists don't discuss or contract for such situations and then the clients are caught off guard in very delicate situations by some boundary they were never warned about.

The first question that popped into my mind after reading the 6 month contract was, can it be renewed? I understand you feel the need for long-term security, but this could be a way of ensuring that clients keep coming only if they still need therapy and not just out of habit. I agree that 6 months is too short for depth therapy, but this might be a therapist who only works short term, and this is important to know when you decide whether or not this is the right therapist for you.

Confidentiality outlasts the therapeutic relationship, but it might be different in your country or region, so you should check the laws where you live. On the other hand, just greeting you has more to do with the therapist's tact and your personal boundaries, I think (this may also differ based on specific laws). My suggestion is to let your therapist know that you don't want her to greet you in public, ever, if that is important to you. It is, in my opinion, a very reasonable boundary.

As for erotic transference, again it depends on the therapist's orientation. This sounds to me like a purely behavioral therapist who isn't conerned with long-term or depth therapy, so transference would just hinder that process, unlike in a more psychodynamic therapy which should never try to restrict what you can feel for your therapist as long as you don't act it out.

It sounds to me like you have needs to which this particular therapist isn't willing and / or able to respond. I would suggest to see more therapists before you pick one, if it's at all possible for you.

[objectclient]

Hi guys. Thanks for so many replies. It is very much appreciated

Just to address a few points made, when I said that a client is no longer considered a client after 6 months has elapsed, what I meant was this is after therapy has finished so sorry if I created any confusion. This time period has nothing to do with the time frame of therapy. I know that my therapist sees people for both long and short term therapy. She told me this and that she has had some clients for several years. The fact that I could be seeing this therapist for potentially a year or more (as I expect will be the case) makes me feel uneasy when I read that once therapy has ended, there is a 6 month break and then I am no longer considered a client. Perhaps I am reading too much into this as I do suffer with mild paranoia but this sets alarm bells ringing for me.

As for the part about being referred to another therapist if sexual attraction develops during the course of therapy, I don't think this is related to the time frame my therapist works in because like I said, she doesn't just see clients for short term therapy, she does long term work as well. Somebody mentioned that it sounds like a behavioral therapist rather than a psycho-dynamic therapist. I know this isn't the case as on my paperwork, my therapists states she is a psycho-dynamic therapist. Having looked into this approach I would expect any psycho-dynamic therapist who knows their s*** to be able to deal with transference of any kind or at least be willing to try before sending you packing to another therapist or clinic.

I have taken on board what everyone has said including the view of seeing this as a good policy to let you know all this stuff at the outset etc. but I have a really bad feeling in my gut about this. I will think it over some more but I think I'm going to look for someone else.

[brillskep]

If this is a psychodynamic therapist doing long-term therapy as well, saying erotic transference is not acceptable is really odd and, as far as I understand it and based on my knowledge and experience, this could actually really do harm to a client. Transference has an important message about the client's needs, conflicts, relational patterns - sounds like this therapist either doesn't know how to deal with it (unlikely for a psychodynamic therapist), or has personal issues around it. Or maybe something else entirely, which is why it could help to ask why this policy, if you haven't already done so. Personally I wouldn't go to such a therapist, nor would I refer anyone to someone who refuses to deal with such a common type of transference. Her prerogative, surely, but it just doesn't sound like a type of therapy that would welcome the client in his or her entirety as a person, in my opinion.

Anyway, the most important factor here should be how you feel and what you need, and I hope you will find that no matter what therapist you eventually choose.