I’m a conversion therapy survivor. The therapy itself was its own layer of psychological trauma that I still work through twenty years later. My therapist recently commented “I want to be careful not to ever hurt you because of your past experience with traumatic therapy.” I confidently (and kindly) looked him directly in his eyes and said “You don’t ever have to worry about that. There is no therapist whose opinion I trust more than my own.” It took years to understand that we are equals in therapy. If ever you feel like the professional lacks understanding or compassion for you, please don’t go back. The biggest red flag is when a therapist wants power over you, rather than you being empowered.
I’m a conversion therapy survivor. The therapy itself was its own layer of psychological trauma that I still work through twenty years later. My therapist recently commented “I want to be careful not to ever hurt you because of your past experience with traumatic therapy.” I confidently (and kindly) looked him directly in his eyes and said “You don’t ever have to worry about that. There is no therapist whose opinion I trust more than my own.” It took years to understand that we are equals in therapy. If ever you feel like the professional lacks understanding or compassion for you, please don’t go back. The biggest red flag is when a therapist wants power over you, rather than you being empowered.
It’s very important to show that therapy is a highly relational, nuanced, and contextual conversation. That is very different from what you get on TikTok or IG or your friends in armchairs.
Delia Cai • Esther Perel Thinks All This Amateur Therapy-Speak Is Just Making Us Lonelier
As an analyst, I know that therapy can help solve problems, but it can also have the unintended consequence of perpetuating a person’s idea that there is something basically wrong with him
Barry Magid • Ending the Pursuit of Happiness: A Zen Guide
I’ve heard that precise inner struggle many times from insecure individuals who just can’t believe they hold any worth at all. Overly-aggressive attempts by therapists to convince them otherwise often damage the relationship and cause the insecure individual to either believe the therapist is too stupid to recognize the client’s worthlessness, or t
... See moreAdam Smith • Slaying Your Fear: A guide for people who grapple with insecurity
Experience has taught me that the most effective form of therapy is one that combines both schools of thought.
Harville Hendrix • Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples: Second Edition
Therapy is hard work—and not just for the therapist. That’s because the responsibility for change lies squarely with the patient. If you expect an hour of sympathetic head-nodding, you’ve come to the wrong place. Therapists will be supportive, but our support is for your growth, not for your low opinion of your partner. (Our role is to understand y
... See moreLori Gottlieb • Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, A New, Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy
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