Real Life Bad Therapy Sessions That Were Very Memorable

It can be hard to find the right therapist for you. Like anyone else in your life, you want to know and respect them before you open up about your darkest secrets.

Sometimes people find out too late that their therapist just isn’t the right fit, and even the professionals have to drop a client or two just to keep their sanity.

Home Alone

I was halfway through a counseling session with a couple with a four-month-old baby. I asked about the baby, and the mom said, “She’s in bed at home.” I said, “Ah, grandparents babysitting?” The dad went, “No, she is at home alone. Nothing can happen to her.

We bought a special mattress. One where she can’t suffocate.” At this point, my jaw was on the floor, and I was just staring at them for a couple of seconds. Then I asked how long it took them to get here.

They told me about 15 minutes, so I said, “Alright, the session’s over. I want you guys to go home immediately and call me when you arrive. Please hurry.

And never ever leave your baby alone!” Story credit: Reddit / tasjekoffie

Just Ignore Her

When I was 8, I went to a children’s therapist. She liked using puppets, despite both me and my mother saying they creeped me out, so much so that I actually had a kind of phobia about them.

While I was in one session, said she was trying to help me not bottle things up, so she would push and push and push, asking more invasive questions that I felt uncomfortable answering.

On our fourth or fifth session, she got particularly frustrated with me not answering her nosey questions and, for the first time, I began to cry during the session. This made her even angrier. Then she did the worst thing ever. Instead of comforting me, she started talking to one of her puppets.

“Ignore her. Don’t talk to her. She’s just attention seeking,” she said to the puppet. Then she made the puppet say, “I won’t be your friend if all you do is cry.” To make things worse, I got sent to her in the first place because I had been severely depressed ever since my parents divorced.

My teachers were concerned because I didn’t have any friends, and I had recently started getting overstimulated or overwhelmed and crying in class. So to say she didn’t help the situation is probably an understatement.

Story credit: Reddit / mother_of_squid

The Longest Hour of My Life

I had a very troubled patient who was consensually sleeping with her own uncle. These were very wealthy, high-society type people.

During our one-hour intake appointment, she went very in-depth about the relationship.

It was the longest hour of my life. I’m taught not to judge my clients, but…that session weirded me out.

Story credit: Reddit / Karileigh34

They Still Weren’t Convinced

So, I’m a therapist and I work with kids. Worst misdiagnosis was a family with a two-week-old who was convinced the baby had 1) anxiety—because he cries, 2) autism—little eye contact, and 3) bipolar disorder—because the baby would seem content then suddenly angry.

I spent HOURS explaining child development, what these diagnoses mean, how they would present in kids.

I provided them with books, handouts, etc.

They insisted on going to see my co-worker and a psychiatrist as I was surely lying to them. Even after meeting with the other two professionals, they still weren’t convinced. They requested psych meds from the doc.

Story credit: Reddit