Does your therapist charge for emails and phone calls?

I had a similar experience with ex-T and ex-MC, who didn’t charge. With Ex-T, she never let me know I was emailing too much (more a length than frequency issue) until I asked her about not replying to one where I was really upset. And then she said how they kept getting longer, she only has so much time, etc. it led to rupture. Ex-MC kept reassuring me that it was fine, he’d let me know if ever too much, then he just abruptly told me I had to cut back.

So I feel a bit more secure with current T, who charges for longer ones. Most of the time though he doesn’t charge, and it’s not always clear to me what will cross that threshold. And what will be too many free ones. But he’s reassured me he’d let me know early on if they were bothering him at all, not wait till it got to breaking point like ex-T and ex-MC. I recently checked in, and he said I’m nowhere close to that line. So I feel safer with this arrangement. And texts are only for scheduling (though I’ve bent that rule once or twice—first time he was annoyed, second understanding because I was in a bad place).

I don't think it can ever be easy and simple to draw very clear and steady lines if they decide to allow some emaling for free. What would be the rules? Character/work count per week? I doubt that would work out well. And what would constitute as a true need, crisis or whatever? As long as it has any freedom in it, I just can't see how to put super clear-cut boundaries on it other than work with it intuitively, but intuition will always be subjective and influenced by their own judgment.

What I did not find helpful in the past was when the T engaged in emaling with me in a very messy and defensive manner that clearly reflected their own mood and fluctuations more than anything else I could recognize either in myself or reasonable boundary fluidity. But if one wanted to make very clear rules, I doubt there is anything that cannot be questioned than not doing any between-sessions communication at all and making that clear from start. Otherwise it's always a two-way game. I think how a client perceives what goes on between sessions is influenced a lot by the Ts overall behavior, including how they are in session, and the client's own state as well.

With my T, he says if it takes him less than 15 minutes to read and reply, he doesn’t charge. But that’s fairly subjective. There have been multiple exchanges back and forth that he hasn’t charged for, saying it didn’t take him that long (when I fully expected him to charge). And I asked at the end of last session, could he only give me long/paid response if I OK it in my email to him? Because I might send an email, thinking he’d provide brief reassurance, then “let’s discuss next session.” While he might think “oh she wants a long response to this.”

And something else I brought up is, a couple times he’s offered me email reply vs extra session, letting me choose (a difference is, insurance gives me no reimbursement for email). So it’s complicated...

Edited to add: Whrn ex-MC said I had to limit emails, I asked him for specific boundaries, like words per week. But he refused to give them to me. Which again left me without a clear definition of what was OK.

My T doesn't have email. If I text him, he doesn't charge for replies to those things. Calls for scheduling purposes don't have a charge. For short phone sessions, he charges his normal rate, plus I have to pay the costs of the call.

I really think those of us whose T’s allow email or text contact out of session are quite fortunate. I have to admit I take advantage of my T in this way - some days he will get over a dozen emails from me. I have been trying to cut back, out of respect for his time. I ask myself “can this wait until next session or does he need to know NOW?” before I hit send. It worked last week,...barely any contact. This week I’m really struggling tho.

[deleting something that probably doesn't come off as very supportive]

My therapist doesn’t charge for email or phone contact. I have found it immensely helpful. I can always call, and my therapist will coach me over the phone, usually for about 10 minutes. I write emails fairly frequently, and I have always been explicit about not needing a reply, which eliminates any anxiety about him writing back. We use texts mostly for scheduling, but once in awhile I will use it for a quick report on something.

A few years ago during my first year with T, I was traveling and I mailed her letters by snail mail. Maybe 4. I got charged a session and a half for those. I was bummed by how much she charged for just reading those letters.

But now after so many years, I think she knows me better and knows I won't abuse the privilege. I had one incident in which I must have sent her 30 texts within 3 or 4 hours. She finally called me to check that I was o.k. No charge for that.

Now I email more than text...at her suggestion. Probably because it's easier to read and it's easier to write more.

I don't email often but just last week we had an ongoing exchange by email. It was very helpful. I know she isn't doing therapy by email. Our exchange was more about sharing information.

I think any phone calls we've had have been initiated by her because of her concern for me. Just 2 or 3 in 8 years.

I try very hard not to abuse my access to her. The understanding is that she won't reply unless I specifically ask her to reply. But, I'm so thankful she usually replies anyway.

My former T didn't charge for emails. She would charge for phone sessions but not if it was a quick 10-15 minute call because I was having a hard time or something. She also didn't charge for voicemails. I used to request one when she was traveling so I would have something to hold on to. I don't know about current T. I haven't asked. Nor have I felt the need to email her or call her. Kit.

I don't have the therapist's email address. She doesn't charge for texts or phone calls.

No, she doesnt.
I pay her a flat fee every month which includes however much we talk, email, text, etc. We talk a lot. So really what I pay her does not even match how much extra we talk.

No, emails and phone calls is part of a therapist's job.

I've worked with many professionals, and no one gets paid extra to send emails or make calls. Only lawyers get paid for short phone calls, etc for the most part.

I've heard some therapists that do, but it seems a bit over the top (or grandiose?).

I don't have my T's email address (nor has she offered it when I've round-about asked for it). We text or talk on the phone.

Texts are primarily scheduling, but she'll also do brief check-ins that way. Typically she moves really quickly to talking on the phone because there's so much lost in a text message. She's never charged me extra for out-of-session contact, but I have paid her when we had a session-length phone call in place of a regular session (I just included it in the check the following week, with a note to myself in the memo line... she never commented so I assume it was okay).

I don't seek out very much out of session contact, but I appreciate that she is available and encourages it. A previous T had no direct phone number, no voicemail, no texting... I could only call during office hours and talk to the receptionist, the T wouldn't call me back either. It felt too distant for me. That T's opinion was if I "needed" to talk to her mid-week, I should go to the ER because I needed a higher level of care. Maybe I'm too broken for such segregated therapy.

My T doesn't charge for emails and I don't use them very often but to me they are important because she's only on the office 2 days a week and crises don't just happen on those 2 days.