[hopealwayz]

Last session, T looked at his phone and said he had to call someone to let them know that he would call them back.

maybe it was a crisis situation especially if that was rare for him to do it

[LonesomeTonight]

Agreed that it may have been a crisis, but I definitely understand why that would be upsetting to you. Was he on the phone long?

[hopealwayz]

He doesn’t allow patients to call his cell phone before so it wasn’t a patient. He wasn’t on there long but he also answered a call in the last session too.

[LonesomeTonight]

Originally Posted by hopealwayz

He doesn’t allow patients to call his cell phone before so it wasn’t a patient. He wasn’t on there long but he also answered a call in the last session too.

Maybe something going on in his personal life? Like a family emergency sort of thing? I'd ask him about it.

And my T did have to respond to a text in session, but it was a guy coming to fix a leak in the ceiling, and he texted to say he was there, so T had to respond to say, "No, you can't come in now, I'm in session." So also could have been something like that...

[maybeblue]

Maybe he has a kid who was home alone? There are lots of reasons that he legitimately would have to talk to someone during one session. Two sessions in a row though? I would find it most irritating. If it happens again, after he hangs up I would say something like "Wow that's the third time you have had to answer the phone during our session. Is this a bad time for us to meet?" That would call attention to his behavior and let him know that you have a problem with it.

[musinglizzy]

My therapist does this, and it makes me VERY angry! Her phone is always right next to her...and if a text goes off, she can't stand not looking at it. She has also answered the phone, or a text, or made a call during my session. She knows I hate it. It's hard for me to see her get a text, also, because she used to allow me to text her, and now she has a rule, no texting with clients. So I guess it makes me a little jealous when I see other people text her. She can't seem to sit down without having her phone next to her and I hate it!

[maybeblue]

Originally Posted by musinglizzy

My therapist does this, and it makes me VERY angry! Her phone is always right next to her...and if a text goes off, she can't stand not looking at it. She has also answered the phone, or a text, or made a call during my session. She knows I hate it. It's hard for me to see her get a text, also, because she used to allow me to text her, and now she has a rule, no texting with clients. So I guess it makes me a little jealous when I see other people text her. She can't seem to sit down without having her phone next to her and I hate it!

That would make me really angry too. And it might even be enough to change therapists if she kept doing it. How old is she? Is this a generational thing? I turn my cell phone off during a session. I figure people can live without me for an hour. I would expect a therapist to be able to focus for an entire hour without playing with the phone. My husband can't, but I'm not paying him to pay attention to me.

[musinglizzy]

Originally Posted by maybeblue

That would make me really angry too. And it might even be enough to change therapists if she kept doing it. How old is she? Is this a generational thing? I turn my cell phone off during a session. I figure people can live without me for an hour. I would expect a therapist to be able to focus for an entire hour without playing with the phone. My husband can't, but I'm not paying him to pay attention to me.

Thank you, that's exactly how I feel. My therapist thinks I should be more flexible. She is in her mid 50's, 56 I believe. But she has her beloved teenage daughter who just started college last fall, so I don't think she wants to miss any communication from her. It really upsets me, and she knows it!

My pdoc's phone goes off more sessions than not. Sometimes he declines the call, often he answers saying 'I'm in session right now, I'll call you back/stop by after x' (stop by if it's the ward calling), and very rarely he's on the phone for more than a few seconds. Today he actually walked out for a few minutes to answer the call.
I don't really mind. I get the feeling he always declines calls if I'm very upset, and today I was borderline upset and he was very apologetic that he had to take this call. And there have been times he turns off his phone after it went off.
You know, the fact that he's sometimes late and he sometimes takes calls in sessions means two things: that he's willing to go over time and fit you in for an emergency appointment if necessary, and also that I can reach him if necessary (through the office - I do have his cell 'by accident ' but I'd never call him on it).

For my T, it bothers me more. Also because last session she 'had to take this call because it was about tomorrow' and then she spent a few minutes talking about a presentation that she had to give tomorrow whereof the PowerPoint was lost or something. But that was settled in the first 30 seconds and then she spent a few minutes talking about non urgent things concerning that presentation ('I was so worried' 'I am so relieved' 'I looked everywhere'.). Fine if you want to talk about that, but do it outside my session time, please.

[winterblues17]

If it was an important call or text etc, I'm fine with that, absolutely fine, things happen in life, but If my T did it all the time I think I'd get pretty annoyed with it in the end!
I suppose I just see it as a respect thing, like if I'm talking to someone and they keep picking up the phone I'd just think obviously what I'm saying isn't that important, and I wouldn't do it while someone is talking to me either generally!
Normally I put the phone on silent or flight mode when I'm in session! I think once or twice I've needed to keep an eye on it and said beforehand!!

T doesn't take a phone into session. It's not professional.

[hopealwayz]

That’s how my T is also. He always has his phone by him.

[healinginprogress]

T's phone is across the room. She doesn't touch it during my session. I would expect her to schedule "important" phone calls outside of my scheduled session time. If she knows she might have an emergent call, I would want her to tell me at the beginning of the session. I have no idea what her plan is if she has an unknown emergency. I have heard her phone Buzz during sessions before and she doesn't get up and look or answer or anything like that. I would be really angry and upset if she checked her phone.