Posted by Dinah on May 12, 2009, at 11:54:55
Or think he's an *ss. One of the two.
Fortunately it passes. I'm on my way to a nap and when I wake up, I'm sure I won't be angry.
Fire drill at his highrise office today. Naturally during my time. Down many many flights of steps, out the emergency door, past an alcove that stunk like vomit, then a while spent making small talk with my therapist, which is surprisingly uncomfortable. At least they had the fans blowing in the stairwell so that wasn't that bad.
I'm parked in the parking garage, so I can't just leave. But when they motion us back in at quarter to, and the great mass of a skyscraper full of office workers start streaming back, I say I think I'll just head on home.
He asked me if I wanted to give him his check there.
Really.
Fifteen or so minutes into the session, the fire alarm sounds. We spend the rest of the time in a highly anxiety producing environment. And with quarter hour left he expects me to overcome my anxiety of being closely packed with others to squeeze into an elevator of hot sweaty exasperated workers to go back to his office so I can pay him.
Really.
As it turned out, the elevators weren't too bad because someone was counting the people allowed in each. But I was red faced with pressure building in my head by the time we arrived. He asked if it was better with him being there. And honestly if anything it was worse, because I wasn't able to zone out as completely.
But when he asked for his fee, out there on the street, I hated him for a quick moment. Or thought he was the worst businessman ever. Would he have asked for his full fee from a new client? Would he be so foolish as to jeopardize a relationship for the almighty $$$'s from one interrupted session? Shouldn't he be apologizing and assuring his client that he would not, of course, charge the full fee. Does he consider the fact that he didn't desert me to go eat lunch or something during the drill adequate service?
It's not the frickin' money. It's the attitude. I am well aware he only sees me for the money. I always laugh about the fact that of course he loves me. What's not to love. I see him twice a week, pay him for the privilege (and quite a bit more than his usual insurance clients), and adore him the entire time. But to be so crass...
In the end, he did offer to take only half a session fee for this session. I had been hinting that I was upset that therapy ended this way and I was going to be upset until I saw him next. He asked if I wanted to see him the next day and I answered that I felt a bit reluctant to spend an extra $110 to process the disturbed session I already paid $110 for the privilege of having. And he said that he thought it was fair for me to only pay for the half session we did have.
I'm taking a nap now. When I wake up, I'm sure this will all seem quite amusing to me.
Right now it doesn't.
Really.
poster:Dinah
thread:895355
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090421/msgs/895355.html