Asking here because search engines push a lot of AI slop sites that can give misleading information.

I want to know what the signs of a bad therapist are. Some red flags. I’ve heard horror stories about therapy so I just want to know what to look out for.

  • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
    7·
    3 months ago

    Just wanted to note that this can go both ways and can have to do with good communication on the patient’s end as well, imo.

    I have definitely received this sort of generic “I’m not actually listening” sort of reply before. Sometimes, though, I think it was because I didn’t adequately communicate what I intended to. I confused the therapist because of me being unprepared/unclear.

    So, they’re trying to make sense of what I told them, maybe misunderstanding some of it, and they give me some bad advice or say something off the mark.

    Sometimes, that’s on them. Sometimes that’s on me. Not that OP or anyone else in particular is doing this, but it is something I’ve been guilty of.

      • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
        7·
        3 months ago

        Idk if they know they’re confused or that they’ve misunderstood.

        Now it’s possible they’re just not great therapists and are in problem-solving mode. But maybe not

    • Dort_Owl [they/them, any]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      It’s a good point though and something to keep in mind. I do wonder if I’m bad at communication because sometimes I can’t even think straight. I get bad brain fog. What do you do to prepare? It might help me too.

      • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
        5·
        3 months ago

        Tbh I’m really bad at it. I am typically pretty out of touch with my emotions and have a bad autobiographical memory.

        I think what would be best for me would be to 1) recognize key themes that I need to work through and 2) note down examples of behaviors as they occur so that I can talk about them.

        Like, one thing I do is get little anxiety attacks triggered by ruminating on random stuff I did in the past (little embarassing/shameful memories). It is hard for me to remember what caused the anxiety or what my memory was of. Those are pretty important details for a therapist, so when I was in therapy I didn’t make much progress on that.

        Easier said than done, imo, as it requires a lot of self awareness - which is what many people are trying to improve through therapy.

        Frankly, a good therapy session might be asking the therapist what you can do to prepare better or what questions they have about what you’re going through that you can help them answer.