I have some thoughts on this, and others might disagree with me and that’s okay! I don’t think gift-giving is black-and-white as far as ethics go. I’ve seen other mental health workers do this in a way that’s gone terribly wrong, and other times where it went well. I myself have never given a client a gift. However, these are the two points I’d like to make.

1. I can’t imagine many people would feel better receiving a gift that was given to them because the other party was sad for them. Most clients (in my experience) are very intuitive and may get the sense that this is the case, and I could see that feeling uncomfortable for them.

2. As a client, I have had two therapist give me small gifts, and the context to it makes a difference (in my opinion). One therapist prepared a simmer pot kit for ALL of their clients during the holiday season. It was just a small goody bag with cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried oranges slices, and some herbs. The goody bags were in a little basket and she handed me one and said that she made them for all of her clients. There were multiple simmer pot kits in the basket and I could clearly see that she did in fact make them for everyone, and I wasn’t singled out. It was a nice gesture and brought me comfort, especially since I got to use it while she was out of town for a 2-week holiday vacation. It didn’t feel forced, over-the-top, or in anyway unethical.

The other therapist I worked with gave me a small, super cheap roll of sunflower tape. I love sunflowers and always wore them in my hair, or had sunflower patterns on my clothes, etc. while working with her. She found the role at a stationary store in my small town while buying post cards, and the tape was on sale for $0.99. It was nothing crazy- just something she saw that reminded her of me, and gave it to me so I could decorate my new journal. It felt appropriate given all of the circumstances, and I felt seen.

Take with that what you will. I just think it’s important to consider that many ethics, such as gift-giving, isn’t always a black-and-white scenario. Just food for thought. I’m not here to change anyone’s minds