[Alishia88]

it is really strange and annoying. I had a rough time sleeping last night but felt pretty good, surprisingly, still today... and was in a good mood.
Generally I have been feeling a lot better lately and have been very active with a bunch of nice things, even though I haven´t seen her in a while.

I don´t know what exactly she said or did but somehow she made me feel pretty bad about myself, my whole situation, my outlook on my life and my boyfriend´s life and it all put me in a very bad, almost depressed mood.
She kept on talking and talking and I just sat there going "hmm, hmmm"

because I didn´t know what to say anyway.

I feel pretty bad and a little mad at her for making me feel "worse".

I don´t know it´s weird. Did this ever happen to you before?

That you went out of therapy feeling worse than before?

(you know, except for obvious reasons, like trauma therapy sessions etc.)

[stopdog]

I always leave feeling worse if I let the therapist talk. I have never found the therapist talking to be a useful thing.

[HazelGirl]

Yes, it can happen to me. I think it can happen to anyone. No T is perfect and they're always going to mess up at times. The best thing to do is go back and tell your T what happened and you can talk it out together.

[PeeJay]

Yeah. When I perceived that my T was critical of my parenting, I left feeling like total $hit.

And I had gone in with this expanded heart and feeling cheery about the world, and I was so excited to share that feeling with her. And she kinda popped my balloon.

It wasn't intentional. Maybe she had something on her mind? She apologized later and said she wasn't attuning properly to me.

[Lauliza]

I know it happens that we feel worse after therapy because of the emotions that come out, but in your case it sounds different. I don't think a therapist should make you feel worse about situations than you currently do. That sounds like she might have been giving too much of her own opinion and being a little judgemental. The T shouldn't talk too much either, it's supposed to be for you.

[justdesserts]

This has happened to me, too, and I've called my therapist on it--for being too much in his head or for not being a good listener and things have always improved when I've been honest with him about how I'm feeling. I'm sorry this week's session wasn't really about you.

[Soccer mom]

Many times I feel worse but it's because I think I take things the wrong way. My T. kept questioning me about my anger towards my mom. She made me feel bad/guilty for the anger but I know that was not her intention. I think it was maybe something deep down telling me I really shouldn't be mad and maybe not liking that she had a point.

[Alishia88]

Thank you guys, for all the support...

I think you´re right, it has to do with her doing a lot of talking and not stopping even when I was already frustrated or felt bad about what she said.

I tried talking to her about this many times, that I felt I needed to talk more and she needed to listen more, but she always forgets, I think.

Once she remembered and the next session started saying something and then was like "I don´t want to talk too much now" and I don´t know if she meant that sincerely or like she was a little offended by me having said it the last time...

I think I might need to come in with a topic, not aimless, so she won´t end up talking so much

[missbella]

I don't think a therapist has immunity from human courtesy. It's not alright for a friend, or make that a frenemy, to belittle us and our life situation. I think a therapist should be held to the same standard. Every life has its own triumphs and failings, and therapists should not exploit client disclosure to demean or persuade how badly ones life needs (their) repair.

They're suppose to be teaching boundaries after all.