Was I wrong to get mad at my therapist?

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She did tell me at the beginning that she might have to take a call from a doctor about her kids. But then her phone rang and it was someone else and she talked to them instead of just getting off. And then she took the call from the real doctor a few minutes later, then asked me to leave the room and talked to him for 10 minutes.

She gave me an extra 10 minutes at the end, but obviously it's not the same when you have a short session and it gets interrupted twice while you're trying to spill your guts on something or other, plus it had happened a couple of other times that she had interrupted me to listen to an incoming message or take a call (though not asked me to leave the room).

I understand family stuff is family stuff, but interrupting a session seems like the kind of thing that's probably on some therapist no-no list. Sure, maybe it was an emergency, in which case I'd understand, but I doubt it since it's happened before. Also couldn't she just talk to the doctor in between sessions?

Anyway, I just told her calmly that I was displeased about it, but I think it probably showed that I was a bit pissed off about it.

ps I know you can see my login name so I'm not trying to be anonymous or nothin.

― Therapy ? (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:32 (seventeen years ago) link

Tell us only the good things that come to mind when you think about your therapist.

― whoop de doodle (kenan), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:44 (seventeen years ago) link

The right thing for her do was to cancel.

― jw (ex machina), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I wasn't entirely kidding. That was a touch dicking on her part. But you must like her for some reason, right?

― whoop de doodle (kenan), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:48 (seventeen years ago) link

um... dickish

― whoop de doodle (kenan), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, she's pretty good overall, but the interruptions really get to me. So I just wanted to make sure I'm not being a jerk here. Cause I don't want to be all self-centered and everything and expect her to not take care of her kids' problems, but isn't that what I'm paying for - 45 minutes of total self-centeredness?

― Hurting (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Absolutely. It's the Aaron Show, and she's the skeptical critic. That's the relationship. What she did was forgivable, but very unprofessional.

― whoop de doodle (kenan), Thursday, 21 December 2006 01:58 (seventeen years ago) link

It woud piss me off and I would ditch her at the first chance. So no, you're not being a jerk.

― jergins (jergins), Thursday, 21 December 2006 02:07 (seventeen years ago) link

maybe she thinks you're boring?

― Tyrone Slothrop (Tyrone Slothrop), Thursday, 21 December 2006 02:11 (seventeen years ago) link

If you can't get pissed of at/around your therapist, I'd say you're seeing the wrong one. If you're giving her the $$$, try and get it back. If not, quit. That is my completely off the cuff advice. I find it is difficult to get a really high-qality therapist.

― Abbott (Abbott), Thursday, 21 December 2006 02:13 (seventeen years ago) link

$$$ back for that session I meant. If she charged you.

― Abbott (Abbott), Thursday, 21 December 2006 02:15 (seventeen years ago) link

NO, BUT U R WRONG TO USE ILX AS A MAKE-UP SESSION

― aidsy (aidsy), Thursday, 21 December 2006 02:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Your therapist should really give you no reason to get pissed off at them. They're supposed to be a neutral sounding board (well, in my experience anyway). If some weird "I'm pissed off with you because you're unprofessional" things is going on then that's obviously going to be detrimental to the process overall.

Obvious course of action: discuss your concerns with complete, candid honesty. If things do not improve to your satisfaction, find another therapist. If it happens again, then maybe the problem is you.

(I saw a psychologist for years and only had one session (that I can remember) momentarily interrupted for no more than 15 seconds.)

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 21 December 2006 06:20 (seventeen years ago) link

ask me to tell the story about how my one experience with a therapist ended with mine screaming "if you go you'll be sorry" at me

― forksclovetofu (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 21 December 2006 06:28 (seventeen years ago) link

I'd consider it rude if I were in a work meeting, and one of my colleagues sat there taking personal phone calls.

I'd consider it rude if I were having dinner in a restaurant, and my date sat there at the table taking personal phone calls.

Considering you are paying for your therapist's undivided attention, what she did was very rude indeed. And unprofessional. And I think you are perfectly right to be cross about it.

― C J (C J), Thursday, 21 December 2006 06:53 (seventeen years ago) link

"Really, and why do you think it makes you so mad? That's interesting, go on......."

― bliss (blass), Thursday, 21 December 2006 07:19 (seventeen years ago) link

xxpost-pls do tell story

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Thursday, 21 December 2006 07:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Like Andrew, I would address this. Be honest and tell her how you feel. I have never had one of my sessions be interrupted for more than 15 seconds either.

― nathalie (stevienixed), Thursday, 21 December 2006 07:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Your therapist is being rude as well as incredibly unprofessional. You are paying (I presume) for her uninterupted time. If she has things going on in her life which are unavoidable, she should reschedule your appointment.

Talk to her and tell her you find this unacceptable. If she does it again, change your therapist.

― masonic boom (kate), Thursday, 21 December 2006 10:29 (seventeen years ago) link

what CJ said. still, if you're worried about whether or not to get mad, the therapy's obviously done far too good a job, or something ;)

― grimly fiendish (simon), Thursday, 21 December 2006 10:32 (seventeen years ago) link

Kill her. Kill them all.

― Fat Lady Wrestler (Modal Fugue), Thursday, 21 December 2006 11:46 (seventeen years ago) link

M..m..MY MOM USED TO TAKE PHONE CALLS WHILE SHE WAS GIVING ME MY BOTTLE! WAAAHHHHH!!!

― Hurting (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 21 December 2006 15:01 (seventeen years ago) link

wow, I love my therapist.

― Ms Misery (MsMisery), Thursday, 21 December 2006 15:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Noodle OTM. Trust the voices, they're your only friends.

― Nu-Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 21 December 2006 17:15 (seventeen years ago) link

I totally love my therapist too.

― Abbott (Abbott), Thursday, 21 December 2006 18:03 (seventeen years ago) link

That's unprofessional. Find another therapist. I mean, it sounds like this has happened numerous times. That sort of behavior sends a message that she really doesn't think the session with you is all that important, and if that's what she thinks, well.. find another therapist.

― dar1a g (dar1a g), Thursday, 21 December 2006 19:08 (seventeen years ago) link

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