Posted by Dinah on December 20, 2003, at 20:19:56
In reply to Re: Shaking hands..physical contact etc, posted by Bell_75 on December 19, 2003, at 16:56:59
Mine says he used to hug clients all the time, but doesn't so much anymore. Since I don't like to be touched, I find that a relief.
We usually go to almost ridiculous lengths to avoid touching when handing over payment or receipts or forgotten items or passing my writing back and forth. And I'm fine with that, I do it myself with other people.
But he has shaken my hand a couple of times. Once during an especially gruelling and emotional session, I had the desire to reach out to him for comfort (or perhaps to comfort him). At the end as I was leaving, I asked if I could shake his hand and he agreed. The next session I asked him if he had wondered why the unprecedented request. He told me he figured I wanted to share a hug but was only comfortable with a handshake. You know, he really is a better therapist than I give him credit for sometimes.
Then recently, I was quite upset as I was leaving. He wasn't going to be available for a week or so, and I was upset that he was angry with me (which he had been) before a therapy break. So he was trying to reassure me that he was no longer angry and suggested that we shake hands. Again, he's a pretty good therapist, or knows me really well or something. It was just what I needed to feel like he wasn't going to be harboring angry feelings. (As if he gave me another thought once I left the office. lol.)
Ok, maybe I am wrong. Maybe he really *is* magic. :)
poster:Dinah
thread:291010
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031213/msgs/292001.html