Do you think a therapist should ever touch a client?

United States
April 4, 2007 12:14pm CST
I once had a therapist grab my arm and it seemed kind of weird. I know it wasn't like an inappropriate thing but more like a reaching out thing. Has a therapist ever reached out to you? Does it make you feel uncomfortable?
3 responses
wachit14
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
4 Apr 07
A therapist should never touch a patient for any reason whatsoever. A therapist should always act professionally and there are other ways of comforting a patient without actually touching them. It would personally make me very uncomfortable if this happened to me.
1 person likes this
howhigh
@howhigh (757)
• Canada
5 May 07
A therapist must remain detached from the patient emotionally touching crosses this barrier. I agree.
katyzzz
@katyzzz (2897)
• Australia
11 Apr 07
touching in these situations is not a good idea.
Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I don't think that they should. People in other professions aren't allowed to touch others either. For example, I used to work as a tutor. Once a grabbed a kid's arm so that they'd stop trying to stab me with their pencil. My employer told me that that could be seen as abuse and I should not touch any child for any reason. I think it should be the same for therapists. They never know what their clients might say about it. I would have found it weird.