Are you allowed to give therapists Christmas gifts?

Post Reply New Topic

I was just wondering, since I really like my therapist & want to get her something special...she's the first therapist I've had who thinks I'm more than a label or diagnosis, or a paycheck or someone who needs "fixing" at all costs. And she's put up with so much from me for two years. The trouble is, I heard once that therapists can't except gifts...like if they're bribes or something. Would a Christmas gift be ok tho? TIA! And happy holidays!

Maybe just a card might be acceptable.

I'm not too sure where therapists stand with accepting gifts.

I think it depends on the therapist whether they have an "absolutely no gifts of any kind" policy or not.

Generally if therapists accept gifts they have to be things that are of very little monetary value, that's about all I know. There may be more to the rules that I don't understand.

I don't see why not.

I hand-made a card for our marital counselor for Military Social Work Awareness Day and he loved it-- put it on display on his desk and he said that he got a lot of compliments on it.

[img][800:678]http://i40.tinypic.com/2a98y9u.jpg[/img]

I used to buy gifts for my last therapist. She turned out to be hurtful in the end though. But I bought her plenty. $25 movie gift card, $25 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card, Christmas ornaments, an awesome math clock and maybe something else. I don't remember. I spent almost $100 over the course of a year on gifts for her. There are only a few people I'll actually buy gifts for.

Thanks for all the Advice, guys- I think I'll just go with the idea of getting her a Christmas card. It'll have to be a belated one, but I don't think she'll mind.

I have a good relationship with my therapist. I give her birthday gifts every year.

I live in the US. In my state it is illegal for a psychiatrist/therapist to keep gifts. If it gets reported to the ethics board, a whole lot of BS hits the fan. It supposedly doesn't matter the cost of said gift.

That being said....

My psychopharmacologist psychiatrist accepts NO GIFTS. The only time I've ever seen him keep something, was the small stuffed Garfield my Dear Kid gave him. She is not a patient of his. He keeps that on his window sill. All my cards and little notes I have sent him, are alll in my chart. My other shrink did that too. Birthday cards I've sent him, holiday cards all stapled in my chart.

Though my second shrink would accept any and all gifts, except homemade food. I know those hit the trash.

My current shrink, I've had for 10 years. He doesn't keep my cards or notes. I know those get tossed. I have given him more expensive gifts with no issues. Those are really very few and far between.

In the current climate, all people in the healing arts are strongly encouraged not to accept gifts from patients or people like drug reps. For patients its a boundary issue (especially in mental health). Drug reps it's because of influence to prescribe their product.

The party line is no gifts.

I think you could give a gift under $10 without a bunch of weirdness on your therapist's end.

Cards are great, though don't be surprised if they are in your chart afterwards.

If the gift gets refused, understand it isn't YOU. The person is doing what the state requires to keep his/her license.

Hope this helps.

The card in a previous post is really cute. I love those bees!

At 100 odd bucks or more a visit, I'm sure you've made his/her Christmas already, but a card should suffice as a nice gesture, and bonus points if you happen to like making your own cards like I do.

Personally, I'm of the opinion therapists and psychiatrists are in a dodgy industry, and my experience of them is that they are yes-men (or yes-women) who's primary goal is to help sell drugs and tell people what they want to hear or think they want to hear, for which they tend to be paid very well for. I'm sure they have been of help to at least some people, but in general I am suspicious of their profession and I think said profession needs an overhaul, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment areas.