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Originally Posted by Myrto
So I have been saying a new therapist (since my ex T terminated me 4 months ago) for two months. We've had 7 sessions so far. She's alright. I actually clicked with her on the first session and decided to keep seeing her based on a gut feeling. There is one thing though that bothers me and it's her clothes. I know I shouldn't care about this but I do. She's 42 but she dresses like a teenager: hoodie, ripped jeans (who wears those past 16?) and Addidas sneakers or Converse (I don't know if that's how you call these shoes in the US so I've added a picture for clarification). I thought it was odd at first but now I find it annoying because I think it's unprofessional. Like would you wear ripped jeans at work? I wouldn't unless I was working at a surfer shop or something. She's a therapist, she really should be wearing more professional clothes. All the therapists I previously saw were wearing business clothes. So maybe I'm just not used to this. What do you guys think? Do you care about your T's clothes? Does it affect you?
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As long as my therapist is competent and maintains personal hygiene, I would not care about the appearance. Perhaps they feel more comfortable in what they are wearing. Perhaps they are trying to appear less stuffy and more relatable, possibly to younger clients as someone else has suggested. Maybe their clothes reflect internal eccentricity (but does that matter if they're doing a good job? I don't care about my therapist's personal life as long as he or she is helpful).
Very prim mental health providers, e.g. in business wear, bother some people because the clothes convey stiffness and an inability to relate. It's all about perception.
My current psychiatrist/psychologist is in her 70s and dresses like a hippie/bohemian. She also wears crocs with thick socks because she has foot problems. Some would consider her a fashion disaster. Her appearance doesn't bother me because she's excellent at her job and very empathetic. Also, her clothes make her come across as more "human", relaxed, and relatable. I'm sure some people would think that she dresses oddly. To them, I'd suggest focusing on the content of the session instead of the clothing.