I think your last line is more important than the first part of what you wrote, especially because a bad therapist can be very destructive. Which is why I think reviews are important. Yes, people might give unfair reviews because the therapist just didn't click with them, but that is true of many other industries that use reviews as well.
I saw a therapist who honestly made my social anxiety much, much worse, and I don't believe it was because we just didn't "click" -- he was just bad. He didn't listen to me; when I told him eventually the sessions weren't working he got annoyed and told me I was wrong and I didn't need cognitive-behavioral therapy because it doesn't work. He brought his baby son to a session once because he couldn't find a babysitter. I had awful social anxiety, and would bring up events that I was anxious (and already obsessing) about and he would tell me why what I said or did was socially inappropriate (for example, snapping at a friend -- I knew it was inappropriate and felt terrible about it, which is why I brought it up in the session. Lecturing me about being inappropriate did nothing but heighten the anxiety).
When you are vulnerable and opening up to someone and the basically confirm all of your fears about yourself and make you feel like you are a deeply disturbed person, it's very damaging.
Anyway I very much disagree with you that reviews aren't "fair." I think it is like anything else -- some people are turned off by any bad review, but many people know to read the substance of the reviews and make a fair judgment based on what is written. It frustrates me that I can't do anything to warn people away from this man because he really messed me up for awhile.
not_really_irish32 karma
I think your last line is more important than the first part of what you wrote, especially because a bad therapist can be very destructive. Which is why I think reviews are important. Yes, people might give unfair reviews because the therapist just didn't click with them, but that is true of many other industries that use reviews as well.
I saw a therapist who honestly made my social anxiety much, much worse, and I don't believe it was because we just didn't "click" -- he was just bad. He didn't listen to me; when I told him eventually the sessions weren't working he got annoyed and told me I was wrong and I didn't need cognitive-behavioral therapy because it doesn't work. He brought his baby son to a session once because he couldn't find a babysitter. I had awful social anxiety, and would bring up events that I was anxious (and already obsessing) about and he would tell me why what I said or did was socially inappropriate (for example, snapping at a friend -- I knew it was inappropriate and felt terrible about it, which is why I brought it up in the session. Lecturing me about being inappropriate did nothing but heighten the anxiety).
When you are vulnerable and opening up to someone and the basically confirm all of your fears about yourself and make you feel like you are a deeply disturbed person, it's very damaging.
Anyway I very much disagree with you that reviews aren't "fair." I think it is like anything else -- some people are turned off by any bad review, but many people know to read the substance of the reviews and make a fair judgment based on what is written. It frustrates me that I can't do anything to warn people away from this man because he really messed me up for awhile.
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