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Feel really disappointed with therapist

10 replies

smileyemoji · 26/09/2021 18:35

Before covid began, I had been seeing my therapist in person weekly and we always got on well, I found him easy to talk to and understanding, however the past year and a half, sessions have primarily been over the phone and I have found it really difficult due to lack of privacy as I live somewhere with very thin walls and am at risk of neighbours hearing the conversation.

I was ok with phone therapy for a while, but now that both me and my therapist have been vaccinated, he still refuses to go back to an office and the brunt of our sessions have become primarily about him talking about covid all the time. Just last week I went on holiday for a few days somewhere quite local and he tried to fearmonger me about travelling on a bus.
I said I cannot live my life paranoid about covid, I'm careful and have also been vaccinated and I need to get back to some kind of normalcy.

Even when confiding in him about a family member who has been newly diagnosed with cancer, he has tried to argue that "cancer is not a threat in the same way covid is", which totally floored me.

I think this week I will need to tell him that I cannot carry on the sessions and listen to his fearmongering any longer but I absolutely dread confrontation, but my sessions with him just seem to be worsening my mental health each week

OP posts:
FFSFFSFFS · 26/09/2021 18:36

Oh that is disappointing but yes time to move on!

Unsure1983 · 26/09/2021 18:39

Therapists shouldnt be saying things like that at all. I think he is struggling with major covid anxiety and the thing about cancer is worrying. I think I would report to BACP or relevant body not to grass him up but to make sure he gets support? I would also move on to a new therapist.

smileyemoji · 26/09/2021 18:48

@Unsure1983 yes I had been thinking of doing something like that. It seems like his anxiety around covid has taken over

OP posts:
BobbyMcGeeAndMe · 27/09/2021 13:31

He's nuts! He should be receiving therapy, not giving it.
Find another therapist who's doing face to face appointments, most now are.

smileyemoji · 27/09/2021 18:07

@BobbyMcGeeAndMe yeah I was so surprised by what he said and he appears to just be getting worse so will be looking for a new therapist this week

OP posts:
Logmein · 27/09/2021 18:42

@Unsure1983

Therapists shouldnt be saying things like that at all. I think he is struggling with major covid anxiety and the thing about cancer is worrying. I think I would report to BACP or relevant body not to grass him up but to make sure he gets support? I would also move on to a new therapist.
There is no governing body so pointless really. This is not ok behaviour on his part and you need to stop seeing him before he does damage. Sorry you’re having to go through this OP it is rare that therapist are like this but sadly not unheard of.
nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 27/09/2021 21:38

BACP is the governing body. You can absolutely report a therapist to them.

Pipplekins · 27/09/2021 21:59

BACP is not, it is a choice and there is absolutely no recourse if you don’t follow there ethical framework.

Gingerkittykat · 27/09/2021 23:29

BACP membership is a choice but they can remove a therapist from their register if they breach the ethical code.

It doesn't stop the therapist from working without accreditation though.

He should be centering your needs, not using the sessions to talk about his own covid fears. I know bringing up difficulties is hard, is there any way you can email him instead?

fedup078 · 28/09/2021 09:46

Wow, he needs to see a therapist .
Yes certainly time to cut your contact with this person , very worrying what he could be doing with this attitude in his line of work

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