It's funny, my T has like 4 clocks in his office. One of which is on the bookshelf behind his chair which I can peek at. That clock is a little small...I wish it was bigger because I have to stare at it longer than I would like to figure out the time.

I know he has the other three in his view. Two of them are analog and one is digital. I wish he had the digital one in the client's view. Maybe I should ask him to move it...

I should be doing HW but I cannot resist commenting on this topic...

My current T has a clock on his bookcase shelf which is behind me and I cannot see it. I always wear a watch but I only checked it once so far. I told my T I knew where his clock was and he said I was probably the only client who knows this (I tend to doubt that). He complimented me on not looking at the time and allowing him to end the session. The thing is.... I have never caught HIM looking at the clock... he must be really good at it LOL.

OldT... his very small clock was on the table next to me and facing him. At times I would be angry with him and I would turn the clock around so he could not see it!! That forced him to check his watch but I was being perverse and didn't care. Other times I would turn it so we both could see it. I knew the session was at an end when he picked up his book to write me a receipt so I didn't really care what the clock said.

TN

I do phone therapy with T1 and I have my eye on the clock the whole time.

I cannot see the clock in T2's office and I hate that. I have not discussed this with her, but it does bother me. I am tempted to start wearing a watch.

There's a big clock on the side wall where both T and I have an equal view of the time by turning our heads slightly. She has recently relocated her office, but in her old office it was an option to sit where the clock would be behind me. I would just periodically turn around to check the time. I didn't care if she saw me do it. I never disguise my efforts to watch the time.

My T wears a watch and there is a large clock on the wall to my right (I have to turn to see it but it's not much of a stretch) but, like TN's T, I have NEVER noticed my T checking a clock. And I must confess that I really do leave it up to him. I have asked him how much time was left in a session to see if I had enough time to bring subject up. But I basically go by his body posture. My T always sits in his recliner and takes off his shoes and tucks a leg under him. When he takes his leg down and starts to put on his shoes, I know the session is ending. I also think that due to going to therapy for so very, very long, I had a really good feel for how much time I had. It could sometimes feel very difficult to leave my Ts office but I've never really struggled all that much with the clock. Unless I am conveniently editing my memory.

AG

If I could not see the clock, I would just check my watch. I usually stand up to go either right on the time or a minute before. Neither has said anything to me about it.

Ditto STRMS,

I have no idea of the time if I am back in a memory, dissociated or if T is talking to my child ages......as this seems to be most of the time recently then it's up to her to finish the session and ground me well before that. I have never seen it as my responsibility unless I knowingly were to go over time, which I don't. Sometimes we do go over and I always feel guilty, but T tells me that it is her responsibility not mine, so I must try and accept that.

starfish

The clock is to the side of us so that neither of us can see it without turning slightly. T wears a watch which he checks occasionally, I also wear a watch and check when I want to make sure there is enough time left to cover what I want to.

My T has the clock on the wall behind/beside me, so that I can't see it. It's frustrating sometimes (and especially that he won't tell me the time if I ask). On the other hand, it's good to relax into the session and let him worry about the time. He usually starts glancing at the clock a little while before the end, so that gives me warning not to start into anything too deep. :-)

Saka

Interesting question. I actually don't think my t has a clock in *the* room - at least I've never been aware of a clock. A soft chime goes off when the session is over. Thinking about it, I guess I like it that way over watching a clock (from either of us).

T has a clock right in front of the couch where I sit. I hate being able to see it. I try not to look at it but always do.

There's a clock behind me. Most of the time I wear a watch too but like June mentioned I bet he would think it was rude if I looked at it. He used to end sessions asking me if I had any thoughts about it but it was too distressing for me to end that abruptly, so now a few minutes before the end he'll say that we need to start wrapping things up and then a couple minutes after that he'll ask me my thoughts. I hate saying goodbye, I dread that moment. ~D.

quote:

Sometimes we do go over and I always feel guilty, but T tells me that it is her responsibility not mine, so I must try and accept that.

wow, starfishy...that's some T! Does she charge you for the extra time?

BB

BB

It depends, over half an hour she tends to...sometimes it balances itself out if she has to leave a bit early

Nice to see you feathery friend

starfishy

Well, he has only one, a digital one on a shelf. I could choose to sit in a place where I could see it (right next to the door) or sit closer to the T, which I have been pushing myself to do, and not be able to see it. He doesn't mind if I check my phone. Also, he never forcibly winds down the session. Part of that is because I'm often a late night appointment (so my husband can watch our daughter after he gets home from work and we don't have the extra expense of a babysitter). Part of that is just how he is. It means accepting that we will often start a session 10-20 minutes late. That would bother some people, but he always makes sure I at least get my hour and the few things I've been going over the edge, he said he wouldn't care if he had to stay all night if it meant I was able to deal with what I was experience and leave in a "safe" place. I know he probably wouldn't actually have wanted (or felt it was appropriate) to stay all night, but it was reassuring. It also doesn't bother him if I check my phone for the time...I start to feel guilty when he lets me go too much beyond my allotted time. So other than the frustration of the session always ending right around the time I feel comfortable opening up, I have no problems with time, clocks, etc.

Wow, I would so NOT feel comfortable if my T were to just stand up and walk to the door...

Personally, I am OK with the situation as it is with my T. I can see a clock if I glance to my right, which I do on occasion, mostly to reassure myself that there is enough time to cover another topic.
My T wears a watch, which she checks sometimes. I must admit that at first this made me feel very uncomfortable because it made me feel unwanted, but I have sort of learned to live with the fact that she has other patients, so she has to finish on time. When it's nearly time for me to go, she always picks up her diary from the coffee table, which is my cue to wrap things up. I am always allowed to 'ask/say one more thing' after we've made a new appointment, which is great.

Mayflower

quote:

I am always allowed to 'ask/say one more thing' after we've made a new appointment, which is great.

That's a good idea, I like that. Welcome Mayflower,

starfish

it's very interesting to see how there are so many different variations - of how T's do things and of how we all react to it...

my old T would have the clock facing in such a way that we both could see it. this is after i said that i would prefer if i could see it too (i think it took me about 2 years to do that, i didn't really think i had a say in stuff like that at first)

my new T has the clock almost behind me so if i want to see the time, i have to turn my head. which is what i did last time. i don't care if its rude (but she is really pressing my buttons at the moment - so maybe rude is what i'm aiming for)

i'm a bit of a control freak so i like to know how much time i have left.

puppet