Does the therapist walk you out of their office?

Does the therapist walk you out of their office?
Why?
Is it because they think a client cannot find the door? Is it to make sure the client actually does leave the office? Do people really get lost between the couch or chair and the door?

It varies between therapists and even with the same therapist.

Info, most of the time but not always.
CW, No. 1, sometimes but more often not.
DBC, No. 3, always.
No. 2, never.

I was assuming it was politeness, but also an attempt to provide physical closure to the session? When they don’t do it, it often seems they’re anxious for me to leave—they turn to their desk or something like that.

For me it feels like a connection.

We have talked about things that maybe were pretty revealing.

To me it feels reassuring.

That’s just me.

yes he does, and i think its just manners.

however we also hug when we get to the door, so its like routine as well.

nope. he just sits there until i leave.

That made me laugh. Mine I think it’s a way to escort you out a little quicker. Once I start moving she gets busy doing other things.

Not sure how far this is true but current T told me she walks people out (after getting up from her chair, starting up some goodbye rituals etc) when she finds that people aren't leaving when time's up.

She's never walked me out (or even got up from her chair when I've left) although I've routinely seen her walking out lots of people even they've been right on time.

So...

Current t does this as he wants to be a gentleman. He also walked down with me to the elevator as I am his last patient of the day. I think some of it is politeness and some of it is ritual that helps create a bond of sorts. Mr Rodgers always put on his sweater and sneakers and had a ritual for comings and goings too I guess

She doesn't so much "walk me out", but we do both get up and go to the door, I'm pretty sure because it's a home office, so she can lock it after I leave and go back into the house proper since I'm the last appt of the day. For the last couple months now we hug at the door right before I step outside. There have been a couple of occasions where she walked out to my car with me, I'm assuming making sure I was okay to drive, like that one session awhile back where I was clearly not myself and she called me possessed (but we will just forget that I mentioned that again shall we?) Actually last night she came outside a little ways to listen for the owls that live in one of her trees - we had both heard them when I got there.

Oh i have to be shown the door or else id be lollygagging. Dont invite me over unless youve got strong boundaries or uncomfortable furniture and no cookies!

I make the woman stay seated - the door is like 3 feet from where I sit - I can find and I don't want to stay more.

Stopdog does she say why she wants to walk you to the door?

Separation anxiety? (On the woman's part)

He does. I have no idea why. Isn't it just one of those pointless solicitous things people do? Maybe he's going somewhere, too. I've never looked back to check.

What if they walk us to the door, let us out, and then make faces and rude gestures behind our backs? I’d look back next time if I were you.

Oh, and sometimes it’s obviously because they’re heading for the bathroom.

He gets up and opens the door for me. I think it's just manners, like if I have visitors in the house, I wouldn't just stay sitting on the sofa when they're leaving, I would probably walk them to the door.

I have been thinking the same thing. My T always gets up, opens the door and stands there while I walk out saying pleasantries. For me it is really annoying and one of these days I have to say something.

He is a trauma T and always asks if it is ok to come closer if he is handing me something or moving in to do EMDR even though I have told him many times it is not necessary. He also always comes to the waiting room to get me each time. Part of this is due to his need to turn the little waiting room alert light off. He then follows be into his room. I have told him this freaks me out and I feel trapped with him following so closely behind me into his room. I usually run in as quickly as possible so I can get to the chair and turn around before he closes the door. He has made an effort to hold back a bit before following me in.

But having to walk past him on the way out really creaps me out. It is a very small space and neither of us are small people. Many times my arm or shoulder will brush up against him on the way out. I want to say just sit back down in your chair and I can let myself out thank you. I know this is habit for him because he either walks out with each client to get the next one or he goes into the bathroom before getting the next client. I however am the last of the day so he needs to stay put and let me let myself out. I'm a big girl and I can find tje door on my own.

My therapist doesn't walk me to the door, she walks with me out the door to the front desk where we schedule our next appointment. When I already have an appointment with her on the books, she doesn't walk me out.

It’s his office. He can do as he pleases. He walks clients to the front mainly because that’s where he goes to pick up messages and get his next client. Seems completely normal and without ulterior motive to me. Sometimes it is possible to over-analyze the most normal behaviors.

It doesn’t seem normal to me. The one I see does not have to go anywhere for messages and has no clients waiting.
The woman said it was polite -but it just creeped me out. And she lies -so I did not believe her. I did not find it polite.

I doubt much normal behavior goes without suspicion to you. You are convinced their every move is trickery of some sort anyway so this isn’t particularly different. True?

None of the other ones I interviewed have done it. In the context in which I see them, it would not appear to be normal. I never interview ones that have receptionists or, due to 50 min hour and i walk out exactly on time, who have clients waiting.

We walk to the door of the room and say goodbye there. But she is usually on her way out to the waiting area anyway. The outer door is right there by the waiting room desk, so I think it would be weird to be walked to that door.

Walking a client or visitor to the door is something some people do generally (not just therapists) as a professional/social courtesy.

Yes, I like it. He sees me off. I think it's warm and kind. If be just sat there waiting for me to leave it would feel a bit like "I'm done with you, get t f out" to me. Which wouldn't fit with how emotionally held I feel for the rest of the session.

My t does and purely because I attend sessions at her house. She lets me in and let's me out, I think this is because she doesn't trust me. I have been coming weekly for a long time now and she still doesn't trust me.
I was giving her a lift downtown after my sessions few weeks ago and she told me to wait in the car for her, like I was gonna go and snoop around her house or something