Is your therapist ever mean to you?

Mine has been mean maybe once, where I told him that I don't do well if he's just sitting there in silence and then he continued to do exactly that. He later admitted that he wanted to push me a bit with that. But other than that there's never been anything that I'd describe as mean.

My first T came close to being mean. In one appointment she was distracted and not listening closely. I asked her opinion and her response was 'you will figure it out'. Towards the end of the appointment she made a comment that she had to 'get somewhere so we were going to have to end early' and rushed me out of her office. Maybe that isn't mean, but it was thoughtless and unprofessional. I never went back to her.

She sometimes comes across as irritable and impatient, or anxious about me or my life in a way where her worry translates to being domineering and a debbie downer. At times her emotions lead to her saying things in a somewhat unkind or dismissive way. When she is dismissive and I have addressed her lack of comprehension of how difficult a situation is, she has usually been receptive and shown more understanding in the future. I'm not sure I would call her mean at these times, because to me that insinuates a desire on her part to wound me and I think there are more accurate words to describe how she is acting (irritated, impatient, domineering) and why she is doing it. That doesn't necessarily mean her behavior is better than if I considered it mean, however. There's only one time I can think of where I felt she was sort of cruel, whether intentionally or not.

As a few other people have mentioned, your therapist's comment doesn't strike me as mean. It does sound like she was preoccupied with her own concerns and allowed that to seep into your session. I do agree with your conclusion that she shouldn't have been working if she felt so bad it negatively affected her interactions with you.

I had a therapist who was insensitive and mean to me one time. I don't think there is any therapeutic value in meanness.
My current T is unfailingly kind, even when "pushing" for more.

I saw one therapist for four sessions when I was looking for a new T. She was pretty thoughtless, cruel, pushy, and rude. I don't know if she was mean but I could definitely see meanness in her. The nicest she ever was to me was when I told her I wasn't coming back. Maybe it was just a personality thing. All of my other T's have been kind. Sometimes they are harsh but not mean.