do you ever give christmas cards or gifts to your therapist- and does your therapist ever give anything to you?

my therapists (for the most part) don't give gifts or cards. they do, however allow extra time- or some other treat in session that they know I like (which I've mentioned to them in the year)

[stopdog]

No. I would not accept anything from a therapist and saw no reason to give them anything. I paid them rent for the time they sat there and I left. The time of year would not have made a difference to me on that policy.

[feileacan]

No and no. I've never wanted to give a christmas card or gift to my T and it would feel very weird if he would attempt to give something to me. I feel that our relationship is outside of the realm of sort of "normal" relationships and exchanging cards and/or gifts for christmas just does not belong to that realm. He tried to wish me merry christmas and I had to tell him to stop it.

Gifts carry a lot of old baggage for me from childhood.
So I don't give gives to T. Nor a card. I just give her a nod and say hope you have a nice Xmas as I leave.

[piggy momma]

I gave my T a gift - two bottles of wine and a heartfelt card.

He didn't give me anything but I wouldn't expect him to. He gives so much of himself all year.

BTW - there are already a couple threads about this.

[Echos Myron redux]

I gave him a handmade gift this year but not a card. He gave me a card. It's the first time he's ever given me a card.

I haven’t been to therapy in years, but the last time I was in therapy during the holiday season-I gave that therapist and small plate of cookies from the bakery. I would never give anything personal or of high value. The cookie tray was no different than something I would offer a mailman, dog walker, and so on.

[junkDNA]

I have given and received many gifts from t

We give gifts to each other for ChristmAs and birthdays.

[LonesomeTonight]

I've never given or received anything other than greetings (and a "holiday hug" from ex-T). I did send a nice sort of thank-you email to ex-T and ex-MC like 2 Christmas Eves ago comparing them to my guardian angels (so much for that!). Ex-MC is Jewish and I *think* current T is. So after reciprocating T's "Merry Christmas" when leaving session, I sent him an email saying I didn't actually know what he celebrated so hoped it didn't bother him, but of course it didn't.

[Merope]

I gave my t a card this year. It’s the first time I have and he accepted it. He didn’t give me one in return but I didn’t expect him to. I just wanted to say thanks for stuff. It felt nice.

[Salmon77]

No, never. I don't think we have that kind of relationship.

[elisewin]

I have given my T little gifts and cards sometimes, this holiday season I did give her something. I have also received some little things from my T.

[Spangle]

I made my t a Christmas cake & decorated it with fondant icing & made a fondant reindeer with a red nose. He always gets embarrassed, but knows how much it means to my inner child to give him a gift, & play a part in making it. He doesn’t give me one, but I’m pleased about that because that to me, wouldn’t feel right.

[weaverbeaver]

T never gives me presents but I always give her one at Christmas.
This year I gave her a few small things rather than one big one!
She kinda gave out to me, it was quite funny

[AnnaBegins]

I used to exchange gifts with my ex-T for both the holidays and birthdays. Not small gifts either - not after the first year. I think most of the gifts I gave him were over $100.

Now I look at the gifts he gave me - most of them have to do with something that is very prevalent around the holidays - and I get sick to my stomach. Can't bring myself to throw them away but it hurts like a fresh wound every time I see one of them.

[Ididitmyway]

I've never given a gift to any of my therapists and have never received a gift from them. It'd have felt very awkward to me to do that. I always wanted to keep the relationship strictly professional. I, probably, would've given some of them a card or something small and symbolic if I ever felt that they were operating from the place of transparency and integrity, but I never felt that. Besides, when someone charges me an arm and a leg, that's way too sobering for me to look at the relationship in a personal way. Paying the fees I was paying, I felt I was giving them way too much already for the quality of service I was getting.