do you give the therapist identifying information?

I used to say "My friend..." but when repeatedly talking about said friend, I eventually just used first names, because it is annoying to keep saying my friend, when she is capable of remembering names. Her memory astounds me, really.

I didn't want to disclose former T's name at first to current T because I was still in therapy with her and was feeling weirdly protective about her. But, that changed once I terminated.

With former T, I also didn't want to disclose where I lived / worked / who I hung out with / basically anything at all about my present-day life other than the bare minimum identifying-info scrubbed pieces. It became an issue to the point that she repeatedly commented on it.

With current T though, strangely I don't feel the same way -- it's really a non-issue. I feel no major urge either way and if stuff comes up, I just say it. Current T also has a form -- from the Stone Ages I think -- which asks for a lot of identifying info (including SSN!).

She really didn't seem to care though if any of the fields were left blank (the form looked like she'd made a bunch of carbon copies back in the 90s or something when she first started practicing and then never changed it).

But, apart from a bit of queasiness in terms of general data privacy stuff -- which at this point is kinda too late to worry about since both a government agency and a couple of private firms have given me free multi-year identity theft protection packages after my personal info got stolen when their systems were hacked -- I didn't really care about her knowing all this info about me. So yeah, it's weird that I had such different reactions to different Ts.

I speak to her as I would anyone, and usually say, my friend, my sister, my mom etc. since she doesn't really know these people. I use my daughter's name because she has met my daughter. However, on my intake and contact form, I did give a bogus contact name and number. There's no reason for her to ever contact anyone unless I'm in her office having a heart attack or something and then she can just call 911.

I'd use first names, just because using a full name would be kind of ponderous...awkward.

I doesn't seem she would have any reason to know but I wondered what reason you want her not to know? It is more hassle to create a fake email.

Fake is probably the wrong word. One created just for that purpose and that will be closed after i no longer pay her. At that point I will want her gone -not part of my real lofe
And I did not find it difficult to do at all.

I don't usually, but slipped once when referring to the name of a preceptor who made a pass at me. I'm not sure he noticed... Otherwise, I use first names of friends. Family is different, as he knows my last and maiden names.

I usually identify people by their relationship rather than their name--it's easier than explaining and reminding him if I haven't talked about someone in a long while.

Not, I don't. Sometimes I use first names, and sometimes I don't - it depends on who and what the disclosure is about. I met with a new T last week and she asked me the name of my previous T (who is in another city). I gave her the first name, but when she asked for the surname I declined. She has no need for that knowledge, and if that changes in the future I will address it then.

I never even thought not to give real names to my Ts. I identify my friends by first name usually, and T remembers who is who. She will bring up their names when we do exercises about my support outside of therapy.

I once gave her my adult children's first and last names, and phone numbers in case of emergency. She knows their first names because I refer to them often. I refer to past T's by first name only.

as far as people in my life that he knows and has met himself, yes. it doesnt matter to me. he doesnt contact them or anything. with people at work i just use first names. its not a choice im making to do that in order to keep their identities secret. also most the people i work with directly are high schoolers, so its not like they are a big part of my life

My T is invited to my wedding reception so if I have any secrets they will be gone soon. Well, unless her son has a hockey tournament that weekend. She doesn't have the travel team calendar yet.....

Sometimes I find it easier to give a name instead of, say, "my daughter's boyfriend's mother." My t sometimes remembers the names but he doesn't do anything with them outside of session. The only time we changed a name was my late husband and current husband have the same first name (it's fairly common) so we call my late husband by his last name.