Is my therapist being disrespectful?

18 Comments

She's a very nice lady, and I really like her as a therapist. But in our last session she asked if I was religious, and I told her no that I was atheist. She said I only didn't believe because of my depression, and that I was just mad at god right now. I told her no, that I had been an atheist since I was like 14 and that it had nothing to do with something like that. But she kept saying no, I was just in a bad place. ?? I purposely tiptoed around talking about religion because I knew she was religious, and I didn't want to be disrespectful, and now she does this to me?? I feel like she wasn't respecting my personal beliefs at all!

Yes 35
No 6
Other (comment) 2
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Comments ( 18 )
  • Ellenna
    8 years ago | pl

    Not only disrespectful but totally unprofessional. I recently discontinued seeing a therapist who kept bringing her newage beliefs about karma and similar bullshit into counselling and told me I could protect myself from someone who'd tried to kill me by writing his name on a piece of paper and putting it in my freezer.

    Your therapist should not be bringing her religious beliefs into therapy. Find another therapist, I have

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    • VirgilManly
      8 years ago

      Write his name on a piece of paper and put it in the freezer? Sure, that's Australia for ya. In America we can just buy a gun.
      :)

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      • Ellenna
        8 years ago

        That's very funny in a weird sort of way! Even if I could buy a gun I wouldn't shoot him, much as I know he deserves it, I'm not doing time for him

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  • mystery7
    8 years ago

    I think she has overstepped the mark by bringing religion into the therapy. As a therapist I don't think that's her role unless you asked her to discuss it.

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  • mystery7
    8 years ago

    I had the experience of my GP recommending a qualified pyschological therapist.

    During the first session with her, she started talking about astrology and other New Age bullshit - at $120 an hour. That's so unprofessional. I never went back.

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  • Short4Words
    8 years ago

    I agree with the rest. She might've felt inclined to minister to you but it should have been done at your behest outside of the office and not on the clock.

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  • thegypsysailor
    8 years ago

    She sounds like a total moron to me and about as unprofessional as anybody could be. Gawd has no place in psychotherapy.
    I don't care if you like her, she's a fucking moron, dump her.

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    • mystery7
      8 years ago

      Discussing a person's spiritual beliefs has a role IF the person going to therapy wants to discuss it. Not because the therapist decides to discuss it or to proselytise to them.

      It is not the therapists role to blur those lines.

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  • LuxM4G
    8 years ago

    Well, in my personal opinion she was unprofessional and dogmatic. You shouldn't waste time and/or money on therapists on mild pathologies that don't require the prescription of medication. I'd stop seeing her, because she's either tricking you into a wrong concept(can't prove it) in order to achieve a greater good, or she's a religious loony.

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  • neonclam
    8 years ago

    They're all scam artists. You might as well see an astrologer - you'll get just as much out of it. Or try thinking for yourself.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      8 years ago

      That kind of thinking is harmful for people with mental illness. The stigma that it's all made up hurts people.

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      • neonclam
        8 years ago

        I'm trying to protect vulnerable people from losing all their money on something that doesn't really help in the long run.

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      • RoyRogers
        8 years ago

        No she is not being disrespectful. She is just pushing her personal beliefs on you when you are in a vulnerable states. Which you could argue is immoral. BTW a belief that god and demons are telling you to do bad things is a sign of schizophrenia. This is horribly unprofessional. Neon-clam is right this sounds like a scam buddy. Also saying that therapists are scam artist is not saying that patients dont have real issues. So your argument is illogical. Its not harmful. You might believe being a doctor they are totally incapable of wrong doing. THEY ARE NOT GODS FOR FUCK SAKE. You are kind of ignorant for assuming so. One can have a religious belief without pushing it on patients. That is like saying you are mentally unstable for not liking red. Since red is the best color ever. That is the logic of a 2 year old not a paid professional doctor.

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  • nameless-girl
    8 years ago

    Atheists are stupid people that shouldn't be able to live, like yourself

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    • daydreamer394
      8 years ago

      You should've been in 9/11 you waste of space.

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  • sillygirl77
    8 years ago

    This is totally inappropriate and nontheraputic.

    Not only was brining up religion wrong, because you didn't bring it up AND she was imposing her beliefs of god on you, but she also assumed to know why you were depressed and she was totally wrong about the reason being not believing in God. She's assuming, but not listening to you to find out what's actually going on for you.

    Find a new therapist ASAP. I had to fire a therapist because he told me my life was good and I had nothing to be depressed about so that I should just stop being depressed.

    Sometimes a therapist isn't well trained and you gotta cut them loose and get a new one. I really hope you feel better soon and you find a therapist that's right for you.

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  • harryseldon
    8 years ago

    It is a shame that people study in a scientific field and yet they are so religious like that. As said before it was unprofessional.

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  • RoseIsabella
    8 years ago

    I think she was being presumptuous if anything. If I were you I'd tell her something like, I'm not comfortable discussing religion right now. See how she reacts to you setting a boundary.

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