Umm... ahem. Say what? 'scuse me!

Don't forget potential restraining order for stalking if it continued.

The first two days of my masters we had "Orientation," which was basically lectures about self-preservation in the world into which we were about to be thrown. One of the presenters said, "Never let a client get between you and the way out of a room. If you do a home visit and a client, for example, draws a knife on you then try to talk them down; tell them "I can't help you until you put down the knife."

After two days of "Orientation," we were immediately thrown out into the world of our internships.

All the time I'm thinking... client pulls a knife, I'm pulling a gun. That's why I never did an internship or practice that required home visitation.

Mental health professionals are generally kind and caring people who by and large want nothing more than for clients / "consumers" to get better as quickly as they can and hopefully leave with a new skill set that means they never have to come back.

I didn't read the thread amadalouise is referring to, only her description of it and then her profile. She and I have many things in common. One of these things is her view on this particular situation.

Be glad all she did was terminate you. What is described here not only crossed client / therapist relationship boundaries, it also sounds like it pushed some criminal and civil liability ones - and I don't mean by the therapist.

"Never let the client get between you and the closest point of exit." If someone is unstable enough to talk seriously about killing themselves... when asked do they have a plan... when they say, "Yes, I've got 8 guns in my car," you politely excuse yourself and seek backup. If someone is talking in session about "erotic" attachment and then goes on Facebook to stalk / manipulate their own therapist...

Sorry folks. There are limits, even for the most empathetic of therapists. Don't think for a minute that we're going to let you put us in dangerous situations or do things like harass us because you feel an overwhelming _____ for us.

There are strict ethical, agency, state and Board of licensure rules about termination of clients.Just because you have a client relationship with us does not allow you to step outside the lines... nor does it preclude us from protecting ourselves from you.

At the end of the day, I've got malpractice insurance to back me up if I make an actionable error in judgement that causes harm. I can have all the unconditional positive regard and empathy in the world for you and your situation, but that's not going to prevent me from extricating myself from a BAD situation if I feel you are a potential threat to my own safety, well-being, professional reputation, or sanity.

Look folks. There are rules and there is decency. How would you like it if your therapist took to Facebook and "impersonated" you?