Please Respect Your Therapist

If you have an appointment with a therapist, for therapy or for testing, please KEEP IT or call ahead to cancel.

Unless you want your therapist to wind up as crazy as you.

Thank you.


*Edit:
Ok, I feel I should qualify this post with an explanation and disclaimer. It's already tough enough to get and keep clients, what with the stigma that is still at least loosely attached to seeking help. No need to alienate all my (many) readers from ever setting foot in a psychologist's office.

First, let me say that I love my work. I do. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. I love the privilege of entering into new worlds and coming alongside my clients for a great journey of healing. I love the great honor of being the first to hear a painful memory and of witnessing the heartrending confession of one lover to another. Words fail to convey the significance of those moments behind closed doors when the heart breaks and then is lifted anew through the sharing of thoughts and feelings. My heart, that is.

Don't underestimate the healing that the healer herself gains from caring for the wounded.

But seriously, don't play games with my schedule.

For two Tuesdays in a row I have been up bright and early, at school by 8:30 to pick up testing supplies, and down at Covenant no later than 8:55 in eager anticipation of a 9:00 appointment. Who never showed up. Two different clients, people. What gives?

I mean, I realize I'm at the very bottom of the totem pole when it comes to mental health care providers. I'm not licensed, I have no doctoral (YET!) degree, and I work in whichever office is available. But from the bottom of my heart, please, if I care enough to be punctual and prepared for your appointment, the least you can do is roll in on time...at all...heck, give me ten, fifteen minutes late. But don't make me sit for half an hour before I decide you're not coming, and finally have our lovely office manager leave a message when you don't answer the phone and ask whether you'll be attending this morning's appointment (like we don't know the answer to that one) and if not, when would you like to reschedule?

Because I'd love the opportunity to not see you again tomorrow morning.

Love,
Me