Therapists do not eye the clock only to avoid disrupting their schedules. They also monitor it for therapeutic reasons. Without the counselor’s awareness of a rising emotional temperature within the person he is trying to help, his client can fall into a trap.

It is best if the weightiest issues are brought into the discussion well before the conversation must cease. Psychologists should remember the individual’s history and the concerns that have been in play within his recent past. Absent that knowledge, inadvertent damage to the treatment process and the client’s trust in him are possible.

The clinician needs a sense of how much intensity and additional raw emotion might tip the patient over. Unexpected feelings evoked late in the 50-minute hour may leave him vulnerable. Moreover, the client might wonder why his time with the therapist upsets him. Rage, anguish, sleeplessness, or sadness may cause him to question why departure from the office leaves him with an open wound.

None of the above suggests that a therapist will never extend the appointment duration or plan to meet more often. Even so, sometimes it is useful for the psychologist and patient to discuss how to approach tender issues. There are major differences among clients in developing the strength to delve into them.

Therapy can be like a dance, and at its best, the partners move together as if choreographed, not out of sync. The same is true of pairs out in the world, whether they are friends or lovers. Unless they have plenty of time to handle a heavy conversation, the wise refrain from talking about such things late in the day.

Be mindful of the time and who you are with. We all forget the passing minutes on occasion.

None of us wants to begin or end things on the wrong foot. The solution is not to be found in a shoe store or a podiatrist’s office either.

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The image is called Red Staff by Rudolf Bauer, 1937. It comes from Wikiart.org/