Musica91, I'm survivor of a therapist team who dropped all professional demeanor and unleashed their fury at me, all in front of 10 other people in a therapy group. The female therapist even told me that I "MADE her want to KICK ME, " though she probably meant it in the best transactional analysis kind of way. (Anyone remember the pop psychology "I'm OK; You're OK?)

A respondent on my blog reported she received the same behavior from a therapist.

Some therapists think this behavior is bona fide technique. They let the blustering, berating Dr. Phil take over their brains. And I understand that old school Gestalt therapists believe the road to aliveness is telling us how rotten we are. It's the outgrowth of California-bell bottoms-In Your Face encounter group stuff.

I saw another Dr. Syrup drop her soothing shtick when my self-reporting interfered with her self-image as the great healer. A formerly patient, now-ex-music teacher, going through a therapist-coached divorce, unleashed on me recently. She ran through a litany of my every failing as a human being. Once they're out of supervision, little stops some therapists from their own weird inventions or going rogue. They are, after all, merely people who went to school and got a degree, like many of us.

"Pounding away at how I need to change this." "
He wanted to point out all my defects and everything I needed to change."

So, yeah, I've seen therapists do what you describe. I've seen MANY teachers do this. It's utterly lazy and stupid, equivalent of someone teaching algebra by screaming "DO THE PROBLEM." I find generally the more abusive a teacher or leader, the less knowledge and technique they possess, so they cover up through anger and volume.

I don't think anything happens in the therapy room that excuses insults and rudeness. Though clients and providers play roles, they never stop being human beings. I think courtesy a minimum requirement, and anyone behaving as you describe has completely abandoned their professionalism. My concept of trust is trusting myself. I wouldn't unconditionally surrender all judgment to a doctor or anyone else. Late psych professor Robert Baker in his book "Mind Games" also advises that. My definition of trust includes evaluating services I receive, and directing the situation if a professional falls down on the job.

This is a resource for those whose therapists were unprofessional. They will correspond with you if you email them. www.therapyabuse.org/

I'm sorry this happened to you and wish you well. I timidly expressed my objections when my therapists lost it with me. I wish I'd been less timid.