Persistent with

[Topstudent]

A young man with a lot of problems is seeing a psychologist. One time he doesn't show up to their appointment. The psychologist seeks out the young man at his home address to talk to him. The young man is not happy to see him and says:

Young man: Are you always so persistent with your clients?

Psychologist: No.

Young man: So why me?

Psychologist: Because I believe I can help you.


Question: Is 'persistent' perfect here, does it have the negative meaning I want, to imply that the psychologist is too stubborn and trying too hard? Also, is it 'persistent with'?

 

[Tarheel]

Are you saying he went to the man's house or apartment?

You are not looking for the perfect word but for the most appropriate one. Also, I don't think "persistent" is exactly what you're looking for. In fact, there might not be one word that exactly fits there. Perhaps:

Rodney (the young man): Are you in the habit of tracking down clients who don't show up for their appointments?
Dr. Danger (the psychologist): No, I'm not..
Rodney: Then why did you do it this time?
Dr. Danger: Because I think I can help you.

Added: Yes, "persistent with" is fine, but I wouldn't use it here because Doctor Danger's behavior doesn't indicate persistence but something else.

 

[tedmc]

Being persistent is not necessarily a negative thing. It could mean being unrelenting/unwavering to pursue something beneficial. One has to be determined to do that.

 

[emsr2d2]

You could use:

Are you this dedicated to ...
Are you this determined with ...

In this context, I would use "persistent" only if the psychologist had tracked the patient down a few times (after missing appointments).