This is sort of a continuation from a thread I read the other day.

My T uses the term Psychopathic to describe my step dad based on what I've told her. She's never met my SD, but she's a trained professional and it led to an enlightenment of sorts that I never felt before.

If your T has done this, do you think it's ethical? (This was the debate before, however not the OPs question).

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful to have that * loose diagnosis *?

I want to stress that my T uses Psychopathic as an adjective, NOT a definitive diagnosis and this is what I'm asking, not if it's right to loosely diagnose someone they haven't met, but to use diagnostic terminology to describe behaviour of someone you're describing.

[stopdog]

I don't find it unethical. I may or may not agree or believe them, but I wouldn't get all bent out of shape over their casual labelling of another. I don't find it useful when they do it but the idea of ethics and the label does not come up for me.

[atisketatasket]

As the therapist has no power over this person they haven't met, and this diagnosis isn't going to affect that person, it's not unethical in that sense.

If they're doing it to play head games with you, e.g., to deliberately alienate you from this person, it's unethical, but then it's not the diagnosis itself that's unethical, it's the head games.

If it's just to make you see this person or relationship was bad for you, I don't see why it's unethical.

Originally Posted by stopdog

I don't find it unethical. I may or may not agree or believe them, but I wouldn't get all bent out of shape over their casual labelling of another. I don't find it useful when they do it but the idea of ethics and the label does not come up for me.

I find it helpful, and I don't see it as unethical either.

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

As the therapist has no power over this person they haven't met, and this diagnosis isn't goong to affect that person, it's not unethical in that sense.

If they're doing it to play head games with you, e.g., to deliberately alienate you from this person, it's unethical, but then it's not the diagnosis itself that's unethical, it's the head games.

If it's just to make you see this person or relationship was bad for you, I don't see why it's unethical.

I agree completely.

As you said, it is being used as an adjective, not a diagnosis. I don't particularly remember whether my therapists used similar adjectives to describe certain people in my life. It wouldn't surprise me, but if they did it blew right past me because I certainly don't have any specific memory of it. If it isn't bothering you, don't let a thread here cause you to doubt your gut about it. (One of the dangers of PC is that sometimes we can personalize other people's comments and experiences into our own when it really doesn't apply.) Trust your gut and don't worry about it.