My former therapist [very recently former] left hers on and it would ring loudly in session and then it would then beep loudly in session, indicating the presence of a new message.

I find that inexcusable and a disgrace.

It needs be stated that this was a common practice and that this was hardly the first time.

In our most recent [and final] session this occurred, destroying a train of thought and expression.

What do you think?

That would be extremely distracting to me as well.  I always turn mine off before I get to therapist so it would not interrupt my time.  Even if she had a reason to keep it on(such as a sick parent), she could have left in on silent as most phones have a blinking light if a call has been missed.

Charlotte

Quote from: charlotteNH on June 20, 2007, 08:28:06 PM
That would be extremely distracting to me as well.  I always turn mine off before I get to therapist so it would not interrupt my time.  Even if she had a reason to keep it on(such as a sick parent), she could have left in on silent as most phones have a blinking light if a call has been missed.

Charlotte

It served as the 'Coup De Grace' for our 'therapeutic' relationship, in addition to several other inadequacies.

I was livid; this occurred at definitely, the wrong moment.

Often, it was not a patient.

I would be extremely conscientious about something like that and the potentially disastrous effect that it could have during a session with, for example, a woman who is under extreme emotional duress, somewhat unstable and under multiple high stresses concomitantly.

Hmmmm.......that sounds like someone whom I know quite intimately. 

once, an understandable mistake, everyone has done that.  FREQUENT, you're right it is inexcusable.  You would think she would have more common sense.

Quote from: ht on June 21, 2007, 12:40:04 AM
once, an understandable mistake, everyone has done that.  FREQUENT, you're right it is inexcusable.  You would think she would have more common sense.

Sometimes, it would be her husband, in the general tenor of,

"Oh, I'll stop by the store on the way home and pick that up for you..."

I find that utterly unconscionable.

You do not play stupid, careless games when you are dealing with people who are enduring great psycho-emotional pain, stress or duress.

How can you possibly be unaware of something like this, in an occupation such as that??

'Coup Ge Grace' indeed.

Cell phones or any other type of phone interruption during a therapy session is inexcusable.  You are paying for the therapists undivided attention and the therapist should know that.  If it were the case that the therapist was going though a family crisis and expecting calls or interruptions associated with this then they should simply inform you prior to the session starting as did my therapist on one occasion.  She simply informed me that she was leaving her cell phone on as she was expecting a call from a relative to do with such a crisis and she ASKED me if it would be OK if she answered a call during the session.

Steph

I agree, I feel that was very inappropriate.

Sarah L.

Quote from: Steph on June 21, 2007, 05:44:15 AM
Cell phones or any other type of phone interruption during a therapy session is inexcusable.  You are paying for the therapists undivided attention and the therapist should know that.  If it were the case that the therapist was going though a family crisis and expecting calls or interruptions associated with this then they should simply inform you prior to the session starting as did my therapist on one occasion.  She simply informed me that she was leaving her cell phone on as she was expecting a call from a relative to do with such a crisis and she ASKED me if it would be OK if she answered a call during the session.

Steph

i am in agony Steph; accordingly, i probably should not be writing......i don't know, girl.

this place is my sole and primary support and i am fighting for survival at the moment.

i am STILL livid about this; hers was a chronic practice, observed over quite a while.

i mean, is it really necessary Steph, in addition to having to educate nearly everybody in both the mental health and medical professions, relative to TS, that i need to educate them ALSO in professionalism??

does it really require the intellect of an Einstein, to understand that something like a cell phone ringing during session, for a prosaic and routine phone call, is inexcusable and egregious??

how can one possibly be unaware of something like this, in that profession??

Absolutely unprofessional! I'd fire the therapist and find another one, after all, they're actually working for us.

zythyra

I agree that this is completely unprofessional and unacceptable.  What I do wonder, though, and I don't think you mentioned it, is whether you ever talked to her about it, and if so, how she responded?  And if she was otherwise a good therapist, I myself would have wanted to give her an opportunity to address the problem and change it before firing her.

Quote from: Rhonda on June 21, 2007, 05:26:46 PM

Quote from: Steph on June 21, 2007, 05:44:15 AM
Cell phones or any other type of phone interruption during a therapy session is inexcusable.  You are paying for the therapists undivided attention and the therapist should know that.  If it were the case that the therapist was going though a family crisis and expecting calls or interruptions associated with this then they should simply inform you prior to the session starting as did my therapist on one occasion.  She simply informed me that she was leaving her cell phone on as she was expecting a call from a relative to do with such a crisis and she ASKED me if it would be OK if she answered a call during the session.

Steph

i am in agony Steph; accordingly, i probably should not be writing......i don't know, girl.

this place is my sole and primary support and i am fighting for survival at the moment.

i am STILL livid about this; hers was a chronic practice, observed over quite a while.

i mean, is it really necessary Steph, in addition to having to educate nearly everybody in both the mental health and medical professions, relative to TS, that i need to educate them ALSO in professionalism??

does it really require the intellect of an Einstein, to understand that something like a cell phone ringing during session, for a prosaic and routine phone call, is inexcusable and egregious??

how can one possibly be unaware of something like this, in that profession??

How indeed - may be elitism

Steph

You're paying for that time. It's yours, and yours alone, IMHO.

Like Steph said, there may be exceptions for emergencies, but she should explain and ask your permission.

~Kate~

Thats not exceptable! Sorry for popping in gurls!

Quote from: Jaston on June 22, 2007, 12:04:19 PM
Thats not exceptable! Sorry for popping in gurls!

No need to be sorry Hon, you've done nothing wrong.  Pop in all you want

Steph

Totally unprofessional! Especially considering how much a single therapy session costs these days.
I want to get my money's worth, not overhear my therapist's personal conversations.

Quote from: Jaston on June 22, 2007, 12:04:19 PM
Thats not exceptable! Sorry for popping in gurls!

It is a subject of universal application; a therapy session is a therapy session, regardless of who is being treated.

You're all correct and this was not the sole reason by any means, behind my changing therapists.

That would have been unreasonable and if she was actually helping me, it would have been kind of senseless.

But she wasn't. In fact, I am hard-pressed to determine whether........I don't know....I suffered notable damage with her.

It was funny, though: I wanted to try one more time....to see if...[boy, I'm tired] I really should switch over completely to Kathryn. In a sense, I was doing a comparative analysis between the two. I did not feel like I was making any progress with the previous and with Kathryn, existed hope and promise.

For Kathryn was much more assertive and confident about launching on a specific therapeutic 'attack vector'; she is sure of herself and I like that.

You know, I've been doing some studying today, relative to gender therapy and co-morbid and 'spin-off' psycho-emotional issues and I'll tell you what: it would seem that a therapist has her or his 'hands full, when dealing with one of us who happens also to be afflicted with secondary psycho-emotional issues.

The multiple dynamics in such a therapeutic environment are staggering to contemplate - staggering and humbling.

This is not territory for amateurs or the ignorant.

I'm too tired to elucidate further on the deficiencies of the previous, but suffice it to say that she had more than ample time in which to compensate for them, but did not do so.

I do not need that sort of half-hearted 'treatment'.

As for the cell phone? That was inexcusable.

She knows what I am going through and...what it has nearly driven me to do.

Given the gravity of the situation [I started crying in agony, in that same session],...........

____________________________________________

Oh, by the way: I failed to mention what occurred after her phone rang.

When it finally ceased from making loud noises, I said to her,

"May I express anger?"

She nodded and then I silently pointed to her phone.

She nodded in effect and then just 'blew the matter off'.

Actually, the 'Coup De Grace' was bifurcated:

1) The phone ringing

2) Her cavalier dismissal of my reaction

I am just shaking my head.......

Well that shouldn't be done.  I have to admit, though, that sometimes I forget to turn mine off.  I apologize and turn it off when that happens.  On very rare occasions, though, I leave it on when I have a client.  This happens when I know of a pending emergency.  Or, when I know I have a particularly difficult person in my office, I instruct my secretary to call me after while.  We have a coded system.  Sorry, that's about safety.

In your case, Rhonda, there is simply no excuse.

Kristi