[Teddy:)]

Does your T allow out of session contact whilst they are away or on vacation?

[LonesomeTonight]

The couple times my T has been out of town, he's let me know that he'll be checking e-mail at least once a day and that it's OK to contact him that way. One time he said he could respond if I was in crisis. He only allows text for scheduling in general and doesn't do phone calls since he'd rather just schedule an extra session and meet in person (though don't know if he'd make an exception if a client was struggling while he was out of town). I don't know if this is always his policy, like if he always checks e-mail when he's away or if it depends (I mean, I assume if he was in some remote area where he couldn't get cell service or Wifi he wouldn't).

Ex-T did not read or respond to e-mails/texts/calls while on vacation--though I guess I never really tested that--she just never offered when she said she'd be out of town. But for most of the time I was seeing her, I was also seeing my former marriage counselor, so she would just say I could contact him if I needed anything. And when he was out of town, he'd generally say I could contact her. But I think he was OK with texts/e-mails when out of town--can't recall if he responded to any then or not though.

[toomanycats]

Yes, he does

[healinginprogress]

Yes, but she doesn't usually reply. And she'll let me know if she specifically knows she won't be checking email.

[CharlieStarDust]

She does. We have an agreement that she responds (I don’t send many emails). If she’s away, she lets me know and then won’t reply until she’s back. The only outside contact is email - I don’t have her cell, and I would never call.

[ruh roh]

She usually says it's fine for me to email, but that she won't be able to respond. So I'm not sure that qualifies as contact.

[lilypeppermint]

CBT therapist: texts about scheduling. I don’t think other contact is ok.

Long-term T: I can text or email but he may not reply.

[Anne2.0]

Yes, quite a few times in the past. When he said he was going on retreat, he would not be available but I could contact his backup person, who I know and like. In the past, when I was going through something difficult, I called him many times on the weekends and even Christmas (which he doesn't really celebrate, and I'm Jewish). He was always willing to talk to me, and if I left a message he always called me back.

[elisewin]

Yes and she replies too.

[Merope]

Yeah, he does. He replied on a Sunday before and also whilst away on holiday even though it wasn’t an urgent matter.

Yes she does.

[Sarah1985]

yes and she replies.

[Thalassophile]

Think he may allow it in an emergency if he is away for work purposes e.g at a conference or something. Not sure he would allow it whilst on vacation

[Elio]

I can always email regardless of the when and she'll respond when she is able to. If she is going to be completely out of contact while on a vacation, she'll usually let me know the days as her usual respond time is <24 hours.

[SalingerEsme]

Originally Posted by Teddy:)

Does your T allow out of session contact whilst they are away or on vacation?

Mine doesn't. I wouldn't ever violate that boundary- I am afraid of being too difficult a client. However, I dread vacations and really struggle.

[SalingerEsme]

Originally Posted by lilypeppermint

Long-term T: I can text or email but he may not reply.

LP , this isn't directed to your T bc mine is the same.

I sometimes stop and wonder about all this. My T sometimes will let me email and not reply. What is the sum-total of writing to someone who picks and chooses if to respond?

I reply to all my clients- for myriad reasons like I value them choosing me, I care about their thoughts and questions, and it is just de rigour in today's climate of social media.

The T's setting rules on this kind of normal stuff further heightnes their power in our minds- I hope that is to the good, but I think it makes me question my T's sincerity at times and at other times I think it is quaint and stylized way to be slightly irresponsible lol or avoid work other professions are doing routinely.

This frame came to be in times before social media etc, and some T's jump in that and use Therachat and other communication tools

Making it all about in session DOES heighten the session time and the status of the clinician, but for those of us over focused anyway, I wonder f it works against the greater good?

[CharlieStarDust]

It bothered me when my T didn’t respond. She said that email isn’t useful for therapy and she’d rather we discuss in person. I agree, and said I needed an acknowledgement of email receipt - that’s it. That alleviates a lot of tension I have. She agreed, and since then almost always writes an extra sentence or two. For me not responding is just plain rude; which I expressed to her too, and she’s done her best to reply.

[junkDNA]

yes..... it's not a given that he'll respond though

[the forgotten]

Nope, not at all. My T has huge boundaries. A castle wall, with a moat, filled with alligators. There is no texting (not allowed the personal cell number, just the business line), and the only emails allowed are about scheduling.

[LittleAfrica]

Considering her otherwise frozen demeanor she surprisingly does allow it and even responds.

[Salmon77]

No, I don't have any outside contact with my T other than scheduling.

[zoiecat]

My therapist only gives out his work number and says that I can always call him if I really need to when he's on vacation. I always tell him I will not need to call him and I never would. That is a gonorrhea put on myself because I don't want to burden him the things that he can't really do anything about anyways I usually just Journal or talk to my friends from having a difficult time. Things get really bad I'm a write a letter to him and hand it to him at the next session he will always go through those line-by-line and discuss everything.

yes. we text and email wherever she is at.

[fille_folle]

I do not have my T's email.
If I text her, she will respond by calling me. I don't think she likes to communicate via text. As for when she's away or on vacation, I think she generally checks only once or twice a day during those times. I'm not really sure. She implies or says she isn't very available. I try not to bother my T.