Is your therapist religious?

seeker33 · Jan 29, 2021, 11:01 AM

My long term therapist is an atheist.
My new short term therapist is a Catholic which is hugely helpful because I have religious OCD and she helps me process it in a healthy way.

buddha1too · Feb 02, 2021, 11:05 PM

My therapist uses Buddhism as a practice, not as a religion. There's a lotus flower on her screen saver, symbolic of something beautiful blossoming from the "yucky muck" at the bottom of a swamp or shallow pond. She's always preaching mindfulness to me...and I certainly wish I was more meditative & mindful. My mind, however, has a hard time staying still. So, no, she's not religious, but she certainly has a spiritual basis for living. I envy her.

nottrustin · Feb 03, 2021, 07:46 AM

I often wonder how my Ts other clients would answer this question. From what she has said to me, she doesn't tell most clients her religious beliefs.

nottrustin · Feb 03, 2021, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainbowSadness

My therapist is a Catholic, has a crucifix hanging right in his office. He's never been shy about it. I'm an atheist and am not particularly comfortable about the fact as I too have religious trauma. I'm a transgender bisexual who came from a Protestant Christian family. My sister-in-law reacted especially bad and cyberbullied me over it, even making comments about my privates when I was a minor at the time and she was in her late twenties. I'm never realistically going to be pro-religion, I have too much trauma surrounding it, so it's just a discussion I leave off the table. My T and I don't talk about it. He's very convicted about his beliefs as a Catholic, as am I as an Atheist, and we both know it will just lead to ruptures. My religious trauma actually did slip into conversation once and he as unable to show appropriate sympathy due to the fact that he ended up feeling defensive as a Christian himself. It became an unwritten rule since then that we don't talk about religion, I've accepted it's something I'll have to work on in the future with another therapist.

That's horrible, I am sorry your T can't put his own beliefs aside to help you work through your trauma.

The main reason she doesn't tell clients about being a practicing Catholic is because she is afraid it would discourage clients who may be LGBQT clients from seeing her for fear of judgment or her trying to change them. When that is so not the truth. Also, she worries the will feel like she is preachy or will dismiss any religious trauma.

She firmly believes that as a Catholic her responsibility is to love and accept people for who they are and where they are. She disagrees with much of what many Catholics think about such things. This is extremely helpful for me as Non cradle Catholic. Who doesn't understand why people can be so unloving towards others who have different beliefs. This has been a frequent topic of our conversations especially lately. I don't know anybody else whom I could be so open with about this topic.

leomama · Feb 03, 2021, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostislost

Not judging anyone’s religions here. Just wondering if your therapist is religious? Did they tell you they were? What do you think of it?

I was drawn to mine because he advertised himself as Buddhist, nature lover, spiritual etc. I have always been interested in these things. Since covid he has seemed much more Christian, (this is bad for me personally due to previous trauma) but I thought I was imagining it. Now I have found out that I am not imagining it at all, and he really has gone down that path. It makes me feel sick and like I can’t trust him. It definitely affects the way he does therapy. He hasn’t updated his ad with his new beliefs, so is everything just a lie? I don’t know.

If Christianity is a problem for you then find a new therapist. It seems simple. There are a lot of secular humanists.

Lostislost · Feb 03, 2021, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leomama

If Christianity is a problem for you then find a new therapist. It seems simple. There are a lot of secular humanists.

Thanks for your input, but you seem to have missed the point of my post. Also, it is never ‘simple’ to just find a new therapist, not for me anyway.

leomama · Feb 03, 2021, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostislost

Thanks for your input, but you seem to have missed the point of my post. Also, it is never ‘simple’ to just find a new therapist, not for me anyway.

I didn’t miss your point. I was pointing out if you don’t like your therapist’s perceived religious beliefs, you can get a new one. I have the opposite problem yet I make it work. I’m not in therapy for an absolution. When you post on a public forum you’re going to get perspective from people who are different from you. If you were just venting then please clarify and I will just scroll down.

Rive. · Feb 07, 2021, 01:41 PM

Quote:

My religious trauma actually did slip into conversation once and he as unable to show appropriate sympathy due to the fact that he ended up feeling defensive as a Christian himself. It became an unwritten rule since then that we don't talk about religion, I've accepted it's something I'll have to work on in the future with another therapist.

This makes me sad, RainbowSadness.

I mean, I do think that people are free to believe in whatever they want but the fact that your T is unable to put his prejudices aside is not acceptable. A T can be anything they want but once in the therapy room, ought to leave their judgments and beliefs outside the door rather than stand in judgment of clients who are different. Why else be in the profession? Isn't his job - as a therapist no less, to help his clients?! Wow, that man is in the wrong profession..

So yes, it makes me sad that you are not getting the support you need in therapy (of all places where this is what a client ought to expect at the very least!) & have to walk on eggshells because your therapist can't be ethical or professional enough.

RoxanneToto · Feb 07, 2021, 01:56 PM

Mine mentions stuff about spirituality now and then, but other than that I don’t actually know. I’m not religious, never have been but as long as it doesn’t get pushed on me (by anyone), I’m fine with knowing someone else is a believer.
I too have some religion related childhood grievances, not enough to think I should bring it up in therapy but it did make me give certain people a wide berth when I could.

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