T's first and last names

Whenever T calls me he says, "Hi Sister, it's T Smith (saying both his first and last names). blah blah blah. He does this whether I answer the phone myself or if he's leaving a message. It always makes me smile and I wonder if this is a "T thing" or not. It's not like I know anyone else in the world with his first name.

We call each other by our first names in session, and when I'm trying to make a point I do say his name aloud, like "It's not like I bought a ticket on the train of confusion, T!" (or something like that...lol)

[b] How does your T refer to him or herself? Do you call each other by first names in session? [\b]

My T calls herself by her first name. There was a time she said her first and last name because I have a cousin with the same name...
In session we refer to eachother by first names...

Yep, my T does the same. On the phone she identifies herself as Linda (last name). Her voice is distinctive and she needed use her last name but her first name is common so I can see why she does.

In session we use one another's first names. I feel closer to her and comforted in some way when I say her name and when she says mine.

Even better, when my leaves me a message he says his full name plus the name of the place where I go to therapy, hahahahahaha.... He said, "Hi this is T Smith from the blah blah blah...." I find it hilarious. Actually the very last message he left (the other day) he only said his full name and not where was calling from, lol.... I should have told him I didn't call him back because I didn't know who it was, hahahahaha

Oh, and I forgot the 2nd part of the question... T has occasionally said my name in session.... like, during those "lean forward" moments when he comes forward in his chair, makes strong eye contact, and says something with great impact.

I never say his name in session.

When I leave a message I say his first name.

My T just says her first name..."Hi A, this is M"

My T is definitely a "Dr. S----" type of person. It's funny, because I first met him on the psych ward when he was in training, and then I used his first name, but not anymore......lol. It's very formal.

Mary Alice

Great topic, my T is like yours Sister. He always says it is R Smith in the same way.

Do we have the same T's?

I call him Dr. with his last name, he's never told me I can call him by his first name. Isn't that odd, I wait for permission. I wonder since he says his first and last name, is that permission to call him by his first name?

I'm so weird. I have all these formal views. That will take some pondering and perhaps a discussion next week with T.

My T always says his first and last names together on a voicemail. He always leaves the number too. Like I'd forget. His first name is only one syllable so maybe that's why he sticks it with the last name always, it's short. I always refer to him as Dr. [Lastname] when I'm leaving him a voicemail. It never even occurred to me to call him by his first name. I don't call him anything in session though he occasionally says my first name when he's being intense. I noticed now that I attend group therapy that all his other clients call him by his first name. Given that I've never done that I'd feel like a weirdo if I suddenly did (and I'm sure it wouldn't go unnoticed). So again, I never call him anything. It's been a good 7 months now and I've managed not to say his name once. I am such a goober. Feel too dorky to bring up the fact that "oh hey, I realized I'm the only one who doesn't call you by your first name." Ugh I'd feel like the biggest dumbass. So I'll just see how long I can keep up this avoidance game....

Sidony

The name game. My T leaves messages with first and last name, but I call her by her first name and she signs emails with just her first name. She uses my name occasionally.

Pdoc never uses my name (or as far as I can tell any client's name) and if he calls me he says Dr. X. Even when I answer the phone he says that like I don't know who it is, like he's asking me if I know him. I can see on my cell phone that it's him. lol I call him Dr. X. Hardly ever use his full last name - just the initial like he does. I've used his full given name once or twice in email however when I was in a mood. It's a rarity. I'm kinda embarrassed that I did that. Now I feel like I was disrespectful, but it was awhile ago and he never censored me so I guess he forgave me.

Oh, goodie, a name thread!

The sad thing is, lol, T has never left me a phone message beyond the very first time we had a session, and I called him to try to get a second session scheduled and he called back. I am quite sure he would have used both first and last name, as I hardly knew him then, and he has a common first name. I feel that now, if he were to leave me a message, it would just be his first name. I had to leave him a message a couple of days ago, and I just said, "Jon, this is sunny." (not his real name) My name is not common, if it was Mary or something, I would probably use both my first and last.

We are on a first name basis, in session. He always calls me "sunny," especially when he wants me to attend to what he is saying--something important--or he is leaning in close to me and doing that look in your eyes thing. In our last session, I called him by his first name, like he does me, to get his attention. Worked great.

I don't think I would ever call a therapist "Dr." I have a Ph.D. too, so if they got all formal and wanted me to call them "Dr.", I would expect to be called "Dr." in return.

My T comes from the humanistic psychology tradition--client centered therapy, etc. I don't think therapists with that approach would put a formal title between themselves and their clients. It might be seen as not encouraging a mutualistic exchange or relationship. I think it is more of a clinical style for psychologists to want to be called Dr. Similarly, they would refer to the people they help as "patients" rather than "clients."

I love this topic....

My therapist usually says "Hi (first name) this is (first name). Once in awhile he'll say "(first name) - blah blah blah" and just launch into whatever he wants to say without identifying himself. I kind of like that he knows I'll know its his voice.

<font color="green">Hmmm, I had to go and replay her message that I have saved for over a year to find out lol. She just said hi dalila and went right to her message. So she expected me to know her voice.

I use Dr. K when I use a name, she calls me by my first name. I have felt such a connection with her I needed to maintain a distance or I would stop treating her as a therapist and more like a friend. We have talked about it, she calls herself by first name.....maybe some day I will be ready to call her by her first name....</font>

My T uses his first name only when he calls, and he calls me by my first name. Emails he signs them with first and last intials. When he leaves a voice mail he always says Hi (blah) this is (blah), but when he calls and I pick up he just starts talking and usually asks how I am and then we get into what is going on.....

In session he calls me by my first name, and I don't usually say his name in session unless he is pushing and I need to slow him down.

T's only ever phoned me once in 3yrs to change a date and did say both her last name and first name, well in fact she said "Hi Tracy its "***", "*** ****", so she repeated her first name twice LOL, see I remember after all that time the exact wording used LOL!

For me its neat because my T's name starts with a T. So in letters that I write her out of session I always say Dear (her name), then throughout the letter I say T..blah blah when I'm stateing a point. In session I haven't called her by her first name, but she has me a few times.