Would my therapist be able to accept homemade Christmas biscuits?

[christmasluces]

I've been seeing a therapist privately for a couple of years and she's a BACP member. I love baking and made a friend some cakes yesterday. It got me thinking... if I made my therapist a small bag of Christmas biscuits or cookies, would she be able to accept them? As a child I gave my teachers at primary school presents each Christmas (thanks to my mum!) but the only Christmas gift I actually remember giving them is the time my mum helped me make peppermint creams for my teacher.
It's in a similar vein that I'm wondering about baking my counsellor something small, just to say that I appreciate all her support and to wish her a happy Christmas.

I don't see a problem with that

Sounds lovely. Make extra for me!

No OP, don’t.

A card instead, thanking her for her professional support and guidance

Yes, but I doubt she will eat them. No offence, but I would never eat something a client made me, no idea what their home cleanliness levels are like.

for this reason

She would be able to accept
But highly unlikely she will eat and certainly she won’t give to family

I can't see why she wouldn't be allowed to accept them, but whether she'd eat them is another thing.

I too love baking, make jams/chutneys/preserves etc but wouldn't give home made goods in this scenario.

A card is sufficient, but if you want to give a give, a small box of chocs or biscuits from a shop. Its sealed and if she is vegan/allergic to ingredients etc can regift them. I'm not sure I'd want home made items from clients/patients/customers either.

A card with a nice message would be safer.

I think it's fine, and actually a lovely gift. You can't be certain she'll eat them but there are plenty of people who are much less worried about homemade foods than seems to be represented here.

The way I work, OP, I would be touched by your gesture but extremely keen to explore all the context you've supplied in your post! The background details regarding giving teachers gifts, prompted and helped by your mother, and the impulse to give your therapist something you've produced and find out if it would be accepted (or rejected!), is gold dust in terms of the therapeutic relationship.

Share that with her, whether or not you give her the cookies. Depending on how she does therapy with you, it may prove very illuminating for you both.

I’d be delighted to receive such a gift, and would eat/share them - no anxiety about home made food here. As @baroqueandbluesays your thinking about the gift is therapeutic gold because it speaks to your internal motivation, locus of control and how you value the relationship with your therapist so whether you take a gift or not, do speak to her about your feelings around gift giving.

I think lots of therapists would happily receive and eat them. Others would feel it crossed a boundary and kindly say thank you but they can’t accept whilst recognising the nice gesture. If you don’t mind if she can’t accept them it’s at the very least a really nice thought.

You could have made them with your snotty toddler for all she knows. I wouldn’t eat them 🤮

Aside from the hygiene concerns, I wouldn't be surprised if they were recommended not to eat anything home made for safety reasons. After all, there are some therapists working with very troubled clients and there could be a real risk of tampering with home made/unsealed food. It would seem sensible for them to have a blanket rule not to accept anything home made rather than try to assess the risk of each individual.

You have no anxiety whatsoever about eating anything or indeed your family eating anything - made by virtually a stranger, someone you have absolutely no idea sounds that personal hygiene? @Jellycatspyjamas

No, I really don’t. I can’t think of a single case of food poisoning caused by eating a home made biscuit. Nor do I have concerns about a client trying to poison me in some way. Most people are reasonable, with reasonable behaviours and reasonable standards of hygiene. Of all the risks I’m concerned about in my work - and there are many - this isn’t even on the list.

This. I would not eat them. A nice card would suffice.

Send a card. And absolutely discuss your feelings/context with her in session.

She would be able to accept them but I’m doubtful she’d eat them. In my line of work, we receive different thank you gifts from the public. We only share/eat items that come in factory packaging.

I think a card with a thoughtful message about how much she has helped you, will be more appropriate.

I would be touched and grateful (and eat them unless I had concerns about your personal hygiene!) and I would explore the meaning of them in session with you. I always (so far) accept my client's homemade gifts and we always explore them and make them part of the session.

I wouldn't.

Many moons ago I worked somewhere where some brownies were spiked by cannabis by a service user who thought it would be funny.

It wasn't and they were reported to the Police.

food poisoning is the extreme end
I’m just thinking… someone sneezing in the mix, or having cats licking the spoon , or their kitchen being a shit hole. No thanks

I already posted up thread, but I remembered another thing.
My MIL presents as clean, well kept, dresses well etc. The house is neat/tidy too.
BUT- she uses 1 cloth a week. A raggy, old teatowel which I've seen her use to- dry dishes, clean mud off the floor, clean/dry the work tops, clean things off the dogs muzzle and more. I avoid any food from their house 🤢

As @Jellycatspyjamassays, it's valuable in a therapeutic way too. Make them but be aware therapist may politely accept but not eat. How would that feel to you ?

Having had therapy myself I think it's a bit weird to give a gift. I think maybe you should bring it up in the next session and explore why you want to give a gift.

These people who won't eat homemade food are absolutely nuts though! Do they never go to cafes or restaurants. And before they shout 'inspection' the food hygiene inspection/ rating is a once a year snapshot. It doesn't stop someone sneezing into the cake mix.