Today I was telling T about how I felt when I moved to live in a new city. T said to me: ‘that was hard for you because you’re an anxious person’. I feel outraged that she has given me that label. I also don’t think that’s why it was hard.

[SlumberKitty]

I'm sorry that happened to you. Do you think you will be able to tell T that she missed the mark?

[MissUdy]

Hmm I don’t like that either. If my T says things like that and gets it wrong, I say ‘maybe I can be anxious, but I think it’s more that I was scared and alone’ etc. I don’t feel so bad correcting him if I do it like that (not that we should feel bad correcting them!). Sorry she mislabelled you, I know it’s a horrible feeling.

Perhaps it was just an observation. I wouldnt read too much into it.

[Rive.]

I don't know, if T said something to me that I felt didn't apply, I would be curious rather than outraged.

T touched on a sore, maybe valid, point. Otherwise, why would it affect you so much. It seems to be something worth exploring.

[stopdog]

I would be outraged if the therapist was wrong. Not because it was true but because you pay the therapist to sit there and therapists sell themselves as paying attention to you and when they are wrong it is a sense of betrayal and hope of being understood crushed etc.

Originally Posted by SlumberKitty

I'm sorry that happened to you. Do you think you will be able to tell T that she missed the mark?

I plan to talk to her about it, but I’m surprised that that is the way she talks to a client - giving them a label that they don’t necessarily own themselves.

Originally Posted by MissUdy

Hmm I don’t like that either. If my T says things like that and gets it wrong, I say ‘maybe I can be anxious, but I think it’s more that I was scared and alone’ etc. I don’t feel so bad correcting him if I do it like that (not that we should feel bad correcting them!). Sorry she mislabelled you, I know it’s a horrible feeling.

Thanks, yes it was a horrible feeling.

Originally Posted by Rive.

I don't know, if T said something to me that I felt didn't apply, I would be curious rather than outraged.

T touched on a sore, maybe valid, point. Otherwise, why would it affect you so much. It seems to be something worth exploring.

That’s interesting that you would be curious and not outraged. Maybe you have more trust in your T than I have?

Originally Posted by Starry_Night

Perhaps it was just an observation. I wouldnt read too much into it.

I find her words to be powerful, and they have an impact on me, I can’t just brush them off.

Originally Posted by stopdog

I would be outraged if the therapist was wrong. Not because it was true but because you pay the therapist to sit there and therapists sell themselves as paying attention to you and when they are wrong it is a sense of betrayal and hope of being understood crushed etc.

Yes, exactly - the hope of being understood crushed.