msmith09042012

Hi! I appreciate your response, and I think it brings up a very good topic. Therapists oftentimes are incredibly affirming but don't always provide concrete solutions. This isn't because we don't want to- it may be because we don't have enough information or the client isn't yet ready to do the things necessary so we have to guide them along. In terms of your direct questions, I stand by my statement that you did nothing wrong. If the therapist felt they weren't a good fit they should have expressed that to you inste6of dragging it out. Why did they do that? I, unfortunately, can't say. I am not that therapist. In terms of a refund, again I can't say. If insurance paid for it then it would be difficult. If you paid out of pocket you can request a refund but I'm going to be honest that you likely won't get it. You could try to sue but I don't know on what basis. Unfortunately bad service isn't typically a reason for legal action.

I do hope you find a therapist that can provide more structure. I actually giggled a little bit at your response - not out of disrespect -but because I typically am a very direct therapist and I am definitely one that tells my clients explicitly what I think they need to do. But please understand it's very hard to do something like that over the Internet because I don't know you and I don't know your situation so far be it for me to speak out of term. With that said I absolutely wish you luck!

Hi! So this is a problem in the US for sure. It's all about money. Insurance companies want a "quick fix" and they want to limit therapy to avoid having to pay for open-ended sessions. I think it's awful- most of my clients have been with me for years- but it's definitely something that needs to change. Many insurances are covering longer-term therapy, but some are still behind the times.

Hi! First and foremost, I am so sorry that happened to you. It's incredibly frustrating when people have negative experiences in therapy because truthfully it can be a really awesome and powerful process.

To answer your question, first, you did NOTHING wrong. Not all clients have the therapy experience or knowledge to know what to expect or that they have alternatives for making progress. That therapist should have talked to you about what progress you want to make, what they can do to help facilitate that change, and worked with you to make the situation better. And then if it still wasn't enough, offered a referral to someone better. Making you feel like you were the problem, and then ditching you, was completely unethical. I'm so sorry you had that experience.

Hi! This is a fantastic question! You are absolutely right that there is a stigma around the concept of going to therapy and it's not typically a cheap service. A lot of my clients come to me with what I would consider to be everyday stressers. Things like taking care of kids or communicating with your partner. Work stress or relationship stress that you don't have anybody else to talk to about. A lot of people have mild to moderate mental health issues including anxiety or depression and need coping skills in skills and solutions to help manage those things. A lot of my clients want tips on how to effectively communicate instead of constantly fighting with their spouses. A lot of them want parenting suggestions because they have kids that they just can't seem to "get control of" And they need some skills to help them better communicate with their kids. The pandemic really amped up a need for services. People have been isolated for 2 years away from their families, away from their friends, and let's be honest the political climate has not helped in any way shape or form. So a good chunk of my clients come to me with everyday family stressors related to the pandemic or politics or worries about their own future and we process through those things in real time.

I think that any therapist who applies any type of judgment or assumption about a client is problematic, not just Christian/religious therapists. Same can be said for those who are homophobic, ethnocentric, misogynistic, etc.