Is it an acceptable practice for a psychologist to sacrifice the needs of one patient to help another?
Here is the situation. I sought therapy for myself and my son because my husband had become very verbally abusive. The effect of this abuse on our children had finally forced me to respond, put aside my own fears, and seek outside help. Our marriage has been deteriorating for some time and I am really angry with him and have become depressed to the point of almost indifference towards him. I met with the therapist individually for a few sessions, and then she met with my son, and finally my husband. My husband responded with remorse, extreme emotions, and immediately started taking steps to change his behavior. I think his response to her during his session surprised her. I met with the therapist again afterwards and reported on his progress. Although he had made significant changes over the two weeks, the effects of the last year were still lingering within me. She stated that he desperately needed my affirmation that he was making progress. She stated that he was a “physical guy” who needed me to show him affection. This was extremely difficult for me at this point because I am still angry and upset about the affects of his behavior has had on me and our children. Submitting to his needs created great conflict within me personally. After supporting him physically, I felt empty and like a fraud. I was just acting at this point--saying things to ease his fears about our marriage, when inside not believing it myself. I realize that he was trying really hard to change and that she was using me to reinforce this change in order to protect my son. But I feel like my needs were sacrificed in the process. I was the one who sought help and my husband is the one who gets the support. I have not been very successful in admitting and expressing my feelings. I had completely closed down emotionally over the past year and was just starting to try to get myself to be able to feel again. To her credit I may not have articulated the extent of my despair and anger very well during our sessions. Her asking me support my husband was ultimately like asking me to suppress my anger and ignore my feelings for the good of the family. This seems now like a step in the wrong direction for me personally.

Should I be looking for a new therapist? Can one therapist treat more than one member of a family without a conflict of interest? Am I wrong to be feeling this way?