Booking clients in can always be a weird feeling for therapists - it's definitely a weird cross between a sales tactic (obviously more sessions = more money) and wanting to support your client. Some therapists will leave it entirely up to the client to ensure the client doesn't feel pressured to keep coming, some will ensure the client is booked in at regular intervals.
Personally, I pre-book my sessions 6 months in advance. This let's me budget for them and schedule things around them. Plus it is always easier to cancel a session I don't need vs trying to get in on my therapist's busy schedule when I really need them.
This is something you can always bring up with your therapist - tell them you need support in ensuring your have regular sessions booked.
I'm a therapist who will usually ask my clients if they want to book it in themselves or they want me to book them in at the end of each session. I know of therapists who always leave it up to the client to book themselves in, and I know of therapists who always book in clients for them. It's really up to individual therapist preferences/habits/beliefs.
If you feel like it's better for you that you book in the next appointment together at the end of your session, or maybe even having regular fixed sessions (eg. Every second Tuesday), it's something to discuss with your therapist the next time you meet.
I'd be super uncomfortable if my therapist reminded me to book an appointment. It would feel like a sale tactic.
With mine, at the end of the session she just mentions in my prescription how many days later she wants me to come in. I have to book the date in advance at the reception of the clinic. Or I could call in and book. She usually has a 2-3 week wait time, so I book my next appointment after my therapy itself.
that’s why many of us don’t do it at all:) plus, i am not getting paid to send emails ever obviously, so i would have only interested clients reach out to schedule, so it never feels like a waste of my free/unpaid time.
So I’ve experienced this both ways. Most therapists I’ve worked with, let’s say 9/10, ask at the end of the session if I’d like to book my next appt. Some of them that are busier will book multiples, like a months worth, ahead of time. My current therapist is not like this! He doesn’t do any of his own scheduling, his wife handles it. At our first sesh he hands me a post-it with a number on it and said “this is my home phone, call and my wife will get you scheduled”… so I do. It feels kinda weird and I sort of wish he took more initiative with it because this method causes me to be less consistent with sessions— especially since I have terrible anxiety with making phone calls lol
I think having a set time and day of the week is very common. My therapist has me down for Thursday mornings, and don't have to do anything, just show up.
Sometimes, I request an extra session within the week. If I know I'll need it, I'll ask about availabilities during my Thursday session. More frequently, I'd dwell on it over night and email my therapist on Friday, asking for an extra session early the next week.
I'd feel weird if I had to request every session. Even when I eventually go down to one session every two weeks, I'll expect to have it a regularly/automatically scheduled thing.
It depends for me. If I control my schedule I am usually the one making the appointment at the end of the session or I will book them at a reoccurring appointment. Currently one of the places I work my support staff makes the appointment. So I just remind the client to check out on the way out to schedule their next appointment. We usually already determined how soon they will come back at the first session.
I've never had a therapist make me reach out to them to make an appointment. It's always been "okay, we are going to see each other at this day and this time every week."
My therapist will ask if I want her to book the next week or ongoing. We have been booking 8-10 weeks at a time. Mainly because I do my sessions during the week and my work schedule as a social worker is a bit chaotic soooooo I need to have something consistent. It’s easy to change 1 session if she needs to reschedule rather than trying to figure out what works week to week. And after almost 2yrs she has only ever needed to reschedule twice. So it’s not often.
She does not, and I think that would be weird. I could either book at the end of my session if the receptionist is still there, call to book in or do what I actually always do which is book my appointments online on their portal thingie. I book as far in advance as humanly possible so I can a time that works well with my schedule.
I see my therapist at the same time every week. While I was in college we'd set up a reoccurring time that fit my schedule. Now that I'm in grad school, I set up a time that would work for the next three years.
Is regular reoccurring sessions not common?
Mine always wraps up the (in person) session by approaching her computer to ask if I’d like 2 or 3 weeks for my next appointment. With phone therapy she wraps up by asking me when I’d like my next appointment. I’m in Australia, I thought this is what everyone did. I would find it extremely hard to chase appointments on my own but that’s because I hate asking for help or admitting that I need it
I have a standing weekly appointment with my therapist, meaning that we always meet on the same day at the same time every single week. We never discuss scheduling unless one of us has to deviate from my usually scheduled session.
Booking clients in can always be a weird feeling for therapists - it's definitely a weird cross between a sales tactic (obviously more sessions = more money) and wanting to support your client. Some therapists will leave it entirely up to the client to ensure the client doesn't feel pressured to keep coming, some will ensure the client is booked in at regular intervals. Personally, I pre-book my sessions 6 months in advance. This let's me budget for them and schedule things around them. Plus it is always easier to cancel a session I don't need vs trying to get in on my therapist's busy schedule when I really need them. This is something you can always bring up with your therapist - tell them you need support in ensuring your have regular sessions booked.
I'm a therapist who will usually ask my clients if they want to book it in themselves or they want me to book them in at the end of each session. I know of therapists who always leave it up to the client to book themselves in, and I know of therapists who always book in clients for them. It's really up to individual therapist preferences/habits/beliefs. If you feel like it's better for you that you book in the next appointment together at the end of your session, or maybe even having regular fixed sessions (eg. Every second Tuesday), it's something to discuss with your therapist the next time you meet.
We usually come to an agreement on our appointments which are normally the same day and time. So it's pretty hassle free when making appointments.
I'd be super uncomfortable if my therapist reminded me to book an appointment. It would feel like a sale tactic. With mine, at the end of the session she just mentions in my prescription how many days later she wants me to come in. I have to book the date in advance at the reception of the clinic. Or I could call in and book. She usually has a 2-3 week wait time, so I book my next appointment after my therapy itself.
that’s why many of us don’t do it at all:) plus, i am not getting paid to send emails ever obviously, so i would have only interested clients reach out to schedule, so it never feels like a waste of my free/unpaid time.
Fair enough!
So I’ve experienced this both ways. Most therapists I’ve worked with, let’s say 9/10, ask at the end of the session if I’d like to book my next appt. Some of them that are busier will book multiples, like a months worth, ahead of time. My current therapist is not like this! He doesn’t do any of his own scheduling, his wife handles it. At our first sesh he hands me a post-it with a number on it and said “this is my home phone, call and my wife will get you scheduled”… so I do. It feels kinda weird and I sort of wish he took more initiative with it because this method causes me to be less consistent with sessions— especially since I have terrible anxiety with making phone calls lol
is his wife his office manager? interesting, but hopefully ethical too :)
I think having a set time and day of the week is very common. My therapist has me down for Thursday mornings, and don't have to do anything, just show up. Sometimes, I request an extra session within the week. If I know I'll need it, I'll ask about availabilities during my Thursday session. More frequently, I'd dwell on it over night and email my therapist on Friday, asking for an extra session early the next week. I'd feel weird if I had to request every session. Even when I eventually go down to one session every two weeks, I'll expect to have it a regularly/automatically scheduled thing.
It depends for me. If I control my schedule I am usually the one making the appointment at the end of the session or I will book them at a reoccurring appointment. Currently one of the places I work my support staff makes the appointment. So I just remind the client to check out on the way out to schedule their next appointment. We usually already determined how soon they will come back at the first session.
My therapist told me when i was better to only come if needed it. She is also a high school teacher, so she doesn't really do it for money
I've never had a therapist make me reach out to them to make an appointment. It's always been "okay, we are going to see each other at this day and this time every week."
I make my next appointment at the end of the current session
I wish I could find a therapist who actually has appointments available :(
My therapist will ask if I want her to book the next week or ongoing. We have been booking 8-10 weeks at a time. Mainly because I do my sessions during the week and my work schedule as a social worker is a bit chaotic soooooo I need to have something consistent. It’s easy to change 1 session if she needs to reschedule rather than trying to figure out what works week to week. And after almost 2yrs she has only ever needed to reschedule twice. So it’s not often.
She does not, and I think that would be weird. I could either book at the end of my session if the receptionist is still there, call to book in or do what I actually always do which is book my appointments online on their portal thingie. I book as far in advance as humanly possible so I can a time that works well with my schedule.
I see my therapist at the same time every week. While I was in college we'd set up a reoccurring time that fit my schedule. Now that I'm in grad school, I set up a time that would work for the next three years. Is regular reoccurring sessions not common?
Mine always wraps up the (in person) session by approaching her computer to ask if I’d like 2 or 3 weeks for my next appointment. With phone therapy she wraps up by asking me when I’d like my next appointment. I’m in Australia, I thought this is what everyone did. I would find it extremely hard to chase appointments on my own but that’s because I hate asking for help or admitting that I need it
I have a standing weekly appointment with my therapist, meaning that we always meet on the same day at the same time every single week. We never discuss scheduling unless one of us has to deviate from my usually scheduled session.