[Miswimmy1]

My ex-t used to call me "kiddo" all the time during session. Once she called me "sweetie". It made me feel like I mattered when she would use such terms of endearment. The T I have now uses my real name when he greets me with a handshake at the beginning of the session and that's all. It makes everything seem so much more formal and business-like. I don't like it.

[feileacan]

No and I'm glad they don't. It would sound very strange were I live.

I think this kinds of endearments sound natural perhaps in certain parts of US where it is common to "sweety" everyone. I live in a cold nordic European country and most people probably don't "sweety" here even their own children.

No and I wouldn't find it appropriate. My feelings of safety in therapy are fragile because I'm so vulnerable. It would be problematic for me.
I had a music teacher who I had paternal feelings towards. He used to call me 'kid' and I really liked that. So I get it as a term of endearment though i wouldn't want it from my therapist.

[Amyjay]

I would find it very condescending and would tell them to stop if it ever happened to me. Wouldn't tolerate that at all.

not often, but occasionally she has said "My dear..." like one time I had a realization that it was my ownself that caused my reaction to something and she said "My dear, it's always us." that has stuck with me for some reason.

[UnderRugSwept]

T2 does not, but T1 has. He has called me "kiddo" which I loathe.

I am 41, so it seems even more ridiculous.

[toomanycats]

I'm saying other because while my T always uses my name, he does also say things like "If I were your daddy" or "I see you right now as a scared little girl needing comfort" ...somehow this feels as intimate as endearing terms...

[LostOnTheTrail]

I voted Yes, and I like it: 'Take care, [my] lovely.'

Emphasises the feeling of safety, especially when she is about to leave. Also via email, which makes me feel cared for and respected.

yes mine does, and I like it. Where I live, people use a lot of terms of endearment, so it is normal.

[stopdog]

No. I would find it completely patronizing. Plus with the first one it would just be a damn lie. There was no endearment between us

[JaneTennison1]

Originally Posted by UnderRugSwept

T2 does not, but T1 has. He has called me "kiddo" which I loathe.

I am 41, so it seems even more ridiculous.

One manager I have calls me kiddo. It's the worst.

[Mike_J]

I would love it if my therapist used some term of endearment with me. But she is overly cautious in such areas.

She doesn't, and I feel perhaps that is good for me. I would be really hurt if I discovered she uses endearments with some clients and not others.

[MessyD]

No and I don't think I would like it. I had others use those terms with me just to find out later that they didn't even know my name. So no, I prefer he calls me by name. Altough it sounds sweet, I find it less personal.

[NP_Complete]

No and I wouldn't like it.

My husband never used my name. He had a rotating list of nicknames he would call me. I've only recently come to realize that it bugged me that he wouldn't call me by my name. I wonder now if it was actually him being affectionate or just part of his controlling and manipulative behavior to strip me of my name. I'm sorry if that sounds crazily over-sensitive, but I had to live with this guy.

At work, there's someone else with my same name and I got stuck with a nickname at work too so they could tell us apart. Sometimes I hate it. I just want to be me. My name.

I'm glad that my therapist uses my actual name.

Eww. No. The most she has done is call me Ms. (first name) or Ms. (last name). I think there was a "young lady" in there once and I hated it. She's only 4 years older than me. #nope

[fille_folle]

My longtime T did - not at first, but after several years. She called me sweetie or hun.

[ScarletPimpernel]

No, and I wouldn't like it. We're about the same age, so it would be weird. It would probably make the attachment worse too.

[junkDNA]

He's called me punk and kiddo before. He has a nickname he made up for me that is an inside joke

[junkDNA]

I used to call him poop face. He'd always say "poop face tomato nose" back to me

[RaineD]

Mine calls me "woman" sometimes. It's not really a term of endearment, and I know some of you would be offended by it. But I think it's funny.

[MRT6211]

My current T uses them constantly, they made me feel a little special at first, but now I realize she just does that as her normal. She has also said to me that she views all of her clients as kinda like her children, which made me feel special and cared about.

My ex-T called me kiddo once and it increased the transference I had for her so much. At the time I liked it a lot.

[ruh roh]

No. There is no sense that my therapist finds anything about me endearing.

[precaryous]

No, I don’t know how I would feel about it if she did.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by ruh roh

No. There is no sense that my therapist finds anything about me endearing.

I don't believe that's true -- I think your therapist is 1. Very sensible and 2. Has figured out that it's going to sound glommy and not terribly useful to you.