Therapists Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Stories From The Job
Dealing with mental health is a bumpy experience for everyone. Even professionals who think they’ve seen it all can be surprised. Their days can include anything from jaw-dropping revelations to a patient biting them.
Luckily for us, these therapists shared their most shocking experiences and strangest patients, and trust us, their stories are wild.
1. Family First
I was counseling a 13-year-old girl who had severe anxiety. At one of our sessions, she revealed that her stepfather was abusing her. Immediately after our session ended, I called her mom and told her that I needed to call child protective services.
The mom's next words shocked me. She told me that CPS was already aware of the situation, it had first been reported when the patient was about seven years old.
Mom was aware of what was happening and still stayed with the guy who was harming her daughter.
It was a complicated situation, and it wasn’t. How could she not do more to protect her daughter?! Sorry, lady... I’m judging.
2. Better Things To Do
I work in mental health and crisis management. A few years ago, I worked with a young person who had significant ongoing suicidal ideation and was dealing with a lot of emotional pain.
I spent a lot of time with them, looking at de-escalation strategies and working out what their mental health management plan should be as they move forward. It was a high-pressure situation, but not too out of the ordinary for my line of work.
Well, until I met this poor young person's parents.
One of their parents came in so we could discuss what had been going on with their child. I had the child's consent to discuss aspects of our sessions with the parent, of course. Midway through me trying to explain some of the child's psychological issues and go through ways the parent could help, they said something that made my jaw drop.
They actually asked me, "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but is this going to take much longer? I have a show to go and watch?” All I can say is, I never judge my patients. I’ve never walked their path or viewed the world through their eyes.
But the people around them who perpetuate their suffering through ignorance, malice, and selfishness, I judge them.
3. Never An Option
As the situation worsened here in the US, one of my most extroverted clients and I brainstormed ways to meet her social needs while remaining safe.
Then she tested positive for Corona after sleeping with a group of people, which definitely wasn't one of our ideas. I let out the deepest, most defeated sigh after I hung up the phone and ended that session.
4. Their Merry Way
My ex and I had broken up, but before we ended things, we booked a couple’s therapy appointment. Even though we were over, my ex still wanted to go to the appointment "for closure."
This was around the holidays, and she had been pressuring me to decide if I would be celebrating Christmas with her family. I was putting it off because I wasn’t sure.
It would be weird since we weren't together, but since she wanted to tell her family after the holidays, we'd have to pretend that we were still a couple. It was such a mess.
Anyway, when we were at our counseling session, my ex brought up the whole Christmas thing, saying she needed me to be there. I told her that was dumb, that I didn’t want to pretend to be together, and that the whole thing was messed up.
Then my ex looked at the therapist and was like, "Obviously, I'm right. Don't you agree?" The therapist laughed out loud, then went bright red and apologized for being unprofessional.
My ex still hates the therapist. I kept the therapist. I like her attitude, honestly.
