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‘Therapist’ is a broad definition that refers to mental health professionals who specialize in helping patients process difficult emotions and experiences, equip them with coping mechanisms to breeze through life challenges, and reduce symptoms of mental disorders. Such help has improved the lives of many, but let’s not forget that therapists are also people, which means they make mistakes too. Speaking of...someone online asked netizens to share times when a therapist said something so completely unhinged and unprofessional it immediately made them want to switch to another one. Scroll down to find their answers below, and don’t forget to upvote the hardest-to-believe ones.
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#1
I had wounds (sv) and showed them to my therapist, she said that they were not deep and that I should go deeper next time. I have another therapist since then
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#2
When I was talking about how my mom abused me my whole childhood and she said “do you not have empathy?” Basically saying I should have empathy for my mom for abusing me?????
No therapist is perfect, and the therapy journey itself can be uncomfortable (for good reasons!), so knowing when to act on what could be 'red flags' in therapy can sometimes get confusing.
According to a Psychology Today article, some of the warning signs of a bad therapist include talking excessively about themselves, refusing to accept constructive criticism, and avoiding talking about what the process will look like.
"Other warning signs include: being judgmental or critical of the client’s choices or lifestyle, appearing bored or distracted during sessions, treating the client as emotionally or intellectually inferior, or seeming easily overwhelmed or upset by information the client discloses."
#4
I have ocd and i get really bad intrusive thoughts, which give me bad anxiety. She then asked me to tell her the thoughts that i get. So I told her, and she just straight up started to laugh.😀
#5
"you can't be lesbian because you have daddy issues" ok sorry let me switch sides real quick
#6
"You're so boring, that's why you don't have any friends. Just go outside, the depression will cure itself and you will make friends." (for context: I have social anxiety)
Royal Stray 6 months ago
Are we sure some of these aren't just other patients pretending to be the therapists?
Some specific phrases that give away that a therapist is acting unprofessionally are “There’s not much we can do about that” and “You just have to suck it up/do it/snap out of it.”
These phrases imply the minimization of the problem and hinder faith in mental health professionals, which is one of the most important things about treatment. When a therapist is unsure of what can be done for a specific patient's situation, they should see it as a learning curve and seek supervision and withhold commentary, like the phrases mentioned just above.
#7
"You're not autistic, who told you that wasn't right, you need to find God and go to church"
#8
She asked for a hug. She knows I don’t do hugs. She said “but what if I wanted one?”. I told somebody because that’s a BIG violation, when I told her I document everything she got … weird
#9
I told my therapist all how I felt since I didn't feel brave enough to tell my parents since they'd push me away. I was showing clear symptoms of stress and depression. Yet she proceed to tell my parents everything and giving me barely any access to the internet, where my most trusted friends are. She made me get more worse, I don't want to see her ever again. She never even really helped me either and didn't understand me either
Rachel Pelz 6 months ago
Terrible therapist. Even if OP was minor, illegal unless there is a serious risk a "unaliving".
#10
Came into session saying I was finally ready to speak about the details of traumatic events. Crying and shaking while I explain… look up to see her falling asleep in her chair.
#11
I’m adopted, and she drew like a life board for me and in the family section she drew me outside of the circle bc it “wasn’t my real family”
#12
She secretly had a session with my husband (not her client) exposing everything I had confided in her about 😍✌️
Lyone Fein 6 months ago
Isn’t this illegal where you live? She should lose her license for this.
#13
"if you really want to die then why are you still alive" looking back on it I can see what she was trying to do but to me it just sounded like a dare
Royal Stray 6 months ago
That is not the best phrasing to what the therapist was trying to say
#14
my second psychiatrist who did my diagnostics told me she couldnt help me anymore but thinks i have bpd AND THEN told me i could go switzerland for assisted death
#15
basically dismissed my attempts and was OBSESSED with my mom. he saw her once and i guess he fell for her LMAO?? she’s one of the reason i’m like this YET he’d always bring her up 😒
#16
I told her how i lay in bed all day and cant do any of the things that i desire and she said "well sometimes its nice to just lay and do nothing" LIKE WHAT?? I just told her how i want to do so much but can't
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Weird if it's the only thing she said. If it was being framed in a way to try to remove the guilt around it then I see no issue.
#17
"idk how to help u so u don't have to come back" and treated me like a child because Im autistic and couldn't identify what emotion I was feeling
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Oof, been there... Wasn't diagnosed as autistic at the time, but yeah...
#18
I Said that i struggle with feeling like nobody around me actually likes me and she goes ”yes, i can understand that you would feel that way, u are very far back in life for your age”. She also shamed me for not wanting kids. She thought it was weird meeting women who don’t long to be a mother, and that was an indication for being ”odd” as a person
#19
“your scars aren’t pleasing what will you do in summer to hide them”, babes, nothing, im getting my tan thats what
#20
I was at my psychiatrist's nd they were taking my blood for tests and the nurse asked me if I was feelinv okay and my psychiatrist said 'she's alright, shes used to bleeding, right?'
#21
I told her that it’s hard for me to go outside because I feel like everybody is watching me. She said « don’t worry you’re not that pretty »
#22
Hé litterly said: ‘you already got r*ped, a second time doesn’t matter then’😭😭😭😭🫡🫡🙏🙏🙏🙏
#23
"you just want to be trendy" she said when she saw my sh scars
Susie Elle 6 months ago
Probably one of the worst things you can say to someone with mental health issues.
#24
“I understand lesbians and gays, but i cannot stand bisexual. In my opinion they don’t exist”.
#25
After I told her about my mom trauma she just said “Your mom probably doesn’t have it easy with you.”
#26
"Other people have it worse than you".
winterwidow87 6 months ago
Yep the "starving kids in Africa" argument is the cure for everything /S.
#27
it's not so deep, but she said I'm a hopeless case
#28
uh idk but when I was 14 & skipped school for over a year because of depression, extreme anxiety & ptsd she just straight up looked at me & said „So you didn’t went to school because you were lazy.“ she was also the one who diagnosed me.. Like I got my diagnoses & two-three sittings later she said that into my face, I was like ?????
Virgil Blue 6 months ago
Possibly to try trigger a reaction as a test. They did something similar to me but explained why and apologised right after. If they didn't? New therapist time.
#29
I have a lot of horrible stories but this one’s the easiest to share: “You’re too smart to commit s*icide”
#30
“it’s for egoistic people like you that I hate my job” idk Marta, I tried to kms yesterday, maybe spare me a bit
Royal Stray 6 months ago
Your job is to listen to people's issues and help. If you don't want to hear them rant switch careers
#31
“every time I see you I lowkey get pissed off” I was terrified of opening up and this made me crash out real bad💀
#32
she said "can't you just get over it?" after talking about the same situation for the millionth time😭
#33
"I know you don't want a session with your mother, but-" Yeah guess who's mother was all smiley and good at that session (I didn't even want) and then made me regret life at home
Royal Stray 6 months ago
Yeah mine forced everyone into family therapy and would get mad when the therapist didn't agree with her, or blame me for speaking my mind and claimed that I was manipulating the therapist. Like lady I'm not the one who had to be told several times to please let someone else finish speaking before trying to argue. Not to mention that she'd try to twist the therapist's words to her own gain. I wonder how many people got into trouble at home for what they said in therapy with their parents there... I feel like there's quite a lot
#34
Not too crazy but dropped the ”not all men” bomb when i told her i feel a bit uncomfortable with men for many reasons and past experiences
Royal Stray 6 months ago
I'd get this if it was an internet debate, but who tf is she to tell you who to be comfortable around?
#35
my therapist said i dont have a reason to be depressed cuz i go to school everyday(i really struggle with it tho) and have loving parents, then my psychiatrist diagnosed me with deep depression
#36
I started crying and I avoided to loot at the therapist face because I was crying and she said "why don't you look at me you know when you talk to people you have to look at them"
Virgil Blue 6 months ago
As an autist? No, I do not. Best I can give you is max ten minutes staring right past your left ear and you'll just have to be glad you get even that.
#37
I was inpatient at the ed ward and my psychiatrist recommended I watched TO THE BONE to get motivation to recover - it backfired VIOLENTLY and made my situation even worse 😭
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 6 months ago
I know it’s probably eating disorder but I read it as erectile dysfunction at first
#38
That I would be great for medical experiments because my case is so complicated, unique and insane and she would love to see many experiments on me 🥰
Anne Young 6 months ago
'Experiments on me'. Nothing to do w/ English apparently. You don't have an experiment on you.
#39
My therapist tried to take away my depression diagnostic
Bored Retsuko 6 months ago
It's a thing in some places that they don't want to "mark" you with a diagnosis that will give you disadvantages, such as not being able to get life insurance, maybe that's what this was about?
#40
“u can’t have an ed if u eat”
winterwidow87 6 months ago
So this therapist never heard of bulimia and binge eating disorder?
#41
“You look a bit pale, you feeling okay?” I was honest and I have an ed so I said yeah haven’t eaten much today. Lol she just said “well then you know what to do!” Smiled and ended the session
#42
A therapist I had was convinced I had DID at the age of 13!! All because I was accused of something I didn’t do and no one believed me including her, so of course it had to be an alter…
Belynda Young 6 months ago
Some therapists seem to have some kind of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. I wonder if it is because, while studying they became infatuated by certain mental health issues and get really excited by the chance to treat someone with a rare or trendy problem.
#43
i self-harmed and she got visibly and audibly irritated. Started asking me why I was being so childish and acting like a 7 year old. The irony is that I also self-harmed when I was 7 lol. then she gave me a whole sermon and told my responsible guardians who also gave me a sermon. I just wanted help!
#45
“Do you not want too talk too me because im black” bro it was my second time there i was nervous 😭
#46
Mansplained teenager hormones and panic attacks to me. Spoilers : it was not panic attacks
#47
opened up about sa for the first time and he just said “that happens to most people” and then started asking me if i was a virgin, if i was a dom or sub and what i like in bed (i was 15)
#49
a therapist told me she gave someone tips on how to commit cause she thought that if they were actually gonna do it then they wouldn’t talk about it in therapy, that person committed the next day and mind you she told me this “story” laughing while I was also in a state of crisis, I dropped her immediately
#50
that I was ‘’overweight and just needed to change my lifestyle’’ when I was severely depressed and didn’t want to live 🥰
#51
Was talking about my future a lot so that I could be prepared and she said what makes you think that you'll live up to that age 💀was brutal but eye opening for me
#52
I was stuck in a group therapy, and the psychiatrist had a student with us for the session, and the psychiatrist said mid session to the student "see? they are stuck in the mud"
#53
therapist specialized in PTSD told me to get over it 🙏
Rachel Pelz 6 months ago
Very specialised. They did not advise unaliving like other on this thread.
#54
When my grandad passed away he said he could see him standing behind me when I went to the session. Yeah that’s nice but I’m still in shock
#55
“Are you sure it’s body dysmorphia? You can try dressing nice and taking care of yourself and your appearance, see how it feels.” AFTER I spent like $1000 on hair care, skin care, makeup and gym :)
#56
I was diagnosed with major depression then my old therapist told me I didn’t have it cuz I could smile.
winterwidow87 6 months ago (edited)
When i was severely depressed i managed to shower and go to work every day. I also self harmed and wanted to end my life. Things are not mutually exclusive.
#57
"Well she is your mother, so technically she can do that." after i said my mom told me she was gonna take away my individuality and make me live in a room w/nothing but a mattress
winterwidow87 6 months ago
Mmmh i am pretty sure she can't do that and that's technically child abûse but idk i am no therapist.
#58
I used to dress with baggy clothes and she told me that she thinks im trans. when i told her im not she said im wrong and i just dont realise it yet. i never came back after that
#59
i was talking abt my eating issues with a therapist and then she asked me my weight and goes “ur not even fat”
winterwidow87 6 months ago (edited)
You can have an eating disorder and not be over or underweight.
#60
When I trauma dumped and she had no words and the next appointment she asked nothing and said I don’t need to come it’s a waste…
#62
Refused to consider any diagnosis for me because I’m “a teenager and that’s how teenagers act”
#63
"they were only superficial, you cant have been that bad" ☹️
#64
calling my (now diagnosed) depression "low mood" because it was "disrespectful" to people who actually had depression like what also she shamed me for sh
Chaos Pandas Unite 6 months ago
I’m sorry that happened..In some mental health circles around the world ‘low mood’ is used interchangeably with depressive mood symptoms, not as a lesser category. That doesn’t sound like what was going on here and it did make me think about how that distinction could mean different things.
#65
she threatened me to call the police if I don't tell my mom about the problem
#66
She said my lips looked dry and I explained to her I had been struggling with sh just on my lips and she said “you should buy some lip balm, they’re so cracked”
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 6 months ago
I always find it interesting because you usually think of sh as cutting but there’s a lot of other stuff, chewing, picking, hair pulling that I feel like can border on sh
#67
not a therapist but I asked my psychiatrist what the disorder she diagnosed me with is and she said "if you'd like to know go study psychiatry"
#68
"you want to lose weight because you want men to like you"
Belynda Young 6 months ago
Even if that is why, so?? Everyone wants the people that they want to like them. If it develops into a ED then it is a problem. It is something that will fade as the person grows up a little more. Sounds like this therapist was/is a mean girl that didn't get the attention she wanted.
#69
i told her i did molly and it made me feel love for my parents for the first time in my life and she was like “okay yeah maybe that could be a routine thing!”
#70
Im also dutch and one time this therapist recommended that i should look into assisted death examination/testing, but i just turned 18 and i was in a very irrational state when this happened too
#71
she gave me tips on how to end it easily myself.
#72
Said I should be “grateful” that “ at least your r*pist was good looking, it could’ve been an old ugly man” 🤪🙄🙃
#73
Mine told me if I feel insecure about how I look then I should think about how many men I’ve slept with as evidence that I’m not ugly
#74
compared anorexia to being trans in a sense that she thought “both should be satisfied with the body they have” and then when i confronted her about it she pretended it didn’t happen💔
#75
I was severely bullied for 4y, my therapist asked me would it matter if the things the bullies said to me would be true💀plus i was very s*icidal bc of it
#76
Mine doubted every prior diagnosis that I had (except autism for some reason) until I literally proved it to her. I’ve been seeing her for years and this was at the beginning. She’s gotten better tho
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Yeah signs of autism are usually a lot more noticeable than we'd like them to be,
#77
"You know too much about this stuff. You are developing Munchauser's." All I did was tell her I wanted to be tested for autism and that I was going to the doctors to be diagnosed with POTS + hEDS.
#78
My psychiatrist kicked me bc I told her to not call me « sir, boy, etc » but juste by my first name
Brian Droste 6 months ago (edited)
If this was a literal kick, that would be a*s ualt and battery to me. Should have called the authorities and pressed charges.
#79
I was crying bc my dog was almost ☠️and she said (in a mean way) that my dog was gonna die soon and she liked to see me cry
#80
that i should count my calories to recover.. like what
#81
they said they didn’t know how to help me because it normally happens to kids and proceeded to sit there and talk about how they experienced it instead🫡
#83
"i dont like the fact your talking so bad about your mother she's an human being too. you got those scars just for attention how could you do that?" i was like..what?
#84
Well one day she started talking about sh and I opened up and then she made me show her and she laughed and said “do it deeper next time so you get stitches and people will actually feel bad” um ya
#85
told her i was c4nnibalising myself and all she said was “dont get an infection”. not an ounce of sympathy in her tone or face
#86
My psychiatrist said that I wasn’t asexual and it was just bc I was depressed and then started to talk about how great sex was!!! On the day we met. I never saw her ever again
#87
Told her I was thinking of unaliving myself in august (this was in july) and she said see you back here in October and sent me home 🧑🦲
#89
he said why are you depressed you have nothing to be depressed for
#90
I talked to her about my gender dysphoria and she said “why do you have a problem with your womanhood?” 🫠
#91
i stopped because she was telling me every time that she doesn't know how to help and that we can meet each month just for updates in my life
#92
Okay so she said “instead of making yourself throw up try the food for the flavor and spit it out”
#94
He kept getting EVERYTHING wrong about my OSDD despite me explaining to him MULTIPLE times what it was and how it worked. (He was forty two with a PHD. Like cmon.)
#95
my first one told me to just look directly INTO the sun and ill be happy. yea, didnt work that well 💀
#96
That my dad looked really nice and i was wrong to say otherwise when i told her he emotionally abused me all my childhood
#97
Mine said i was gonna burn in hell 🫠
Rachel Pelz 6 months ago
They gotta know because they are in close contact with those running hell.
#99
only jesus can have wounds on his hands
#100
What she told me after I explained my family history "It's weird that only MEN in your family have committed $uicide that sounds almost sexist" but in swedish lol 💀
#102
‘There must have been something in it for you’ about an abusive relationship where I was strangled
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Maybe she was trying to help them figure out why they stayed or to see that they got nothing from the relationship. A therapist can't just say oh, just leave. People don't listen to that.
#103
mine did not want to diagnoze me until i would take the pills she gave me in front of her😭
Royal Stray 6 months ago
That's not as uncommon as one could have hoped. Some places will only agree to try to treat you if you also take meds
#105
She told me I fit the criteria and I have it but she told me I will not medically diagnose you as I don’t want to label you 💀
Rachel Pelz 6 months ago
Depending on situation. It can affect job opportunities so using a " milder" label is legit to be discussed imo.
#106
one time I went because I had to right and she said “I don’t like you” and I say good for you and then she got up and threw a vase at me then only to find out she wasn’t a therapist she was a patient
#107
I told her I was having homicidal thoughts, she accused me of making it up just to keep seeing her
Rachel Pelz 6 months ago (edited)
Hope OP managed to control these thoughts despite therapist offering herself.
#108
Asking me to repeat not only things i had JUST SAID, but pretty much everything I had said in previous sessions
#110
"if they think you are weird, accept it", sorry but i can not accept what random people say about me
#111
„I see why you don‘t have that many friends, because your hobbies are not common in your age so they make you an outcast“
#112
I opened up about trauma and she said: yeah that happens sadly much to people. Girl. no if you would have listened I really hope it doesn't 😂
#113
Mine started arguing with me about how her being misgendered (as a cis woman) equals me being misgendered as a trans guy and wouldn't back down 😭 Still with her sadly
#114
“while a woman who lost her son to cancer had a better development than u, u’re stayin same i dont understand” like bfr u should be more professional than my friends
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Chaos Pandas Unite 6 months ago
A lot of these are obviously unprofessional and dangerous, and then some of them (when part of a larger, balanced intervention) aren’t necessarily terrible. But taken out of context it’s hard to know… like some that may be assessing for perspective taking/ability to have a realistic and wider perspective for example.
L Sarris 6 months ago
They are also self reported memories of what someone said while in emotional distress. Its highly likely the comments were not as presented here, but are a reflection of their fears/ assumptions. Source: Psych RN
Load More Replies...
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
None of these people should be therapists. There are good ones out there, it may take time to find them but it is worth the effort.
Chaos Pandas Unite 6 months ago
A lot of these are obviously unprofessional and dangerous, and then some of them (when part of a larger, balanced intervention) aren’t necessarily terrible. But taken out of context it’s hard to know… like some that may be assessing for perspective taking/ability to have a realistic and wider perspective for example.
L Sarris 6 months ago
They are also self reported memories of what someone said while in emotional distress. Its highly likely the comments were not as presented here, but are a reflection of their fears/ assumptions. Source: Psych RN
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
None of these people should be therapists. There are good ones out there, it may take time to find them but it is worth the effort.
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