A "shocked" person seeking mental health support asks online if they should continue seeing their therapist after witnessing her behavior with her coworkers, and the internet has thoughts.
A Reddit discussion on whether a clinician's public conduct should factor into the therapist-client relationship was triggered when original poster (OP) RecordingAncient3215 recounted their uncomfortable encounter.
'Massive scene'
The OP explained that they worked in a customer service position. Their therapist visited their business and "berated" all the employees working there for being, "Essentially incompetent."
The therapist's teenage son claimed to be at the establishment, but staff members, after checking, reported that he was not present.
The teenager later insisted to his mother that he had been there the entire time, leading her to confront the firm in what the employee described as a "massive scene."
What made the situation particularly unsettling for the OP was that the therapist did not appear to recognize them during the episode.
Given the emotional and psychological vulnerability required in therapy, the OP questioned whether they could continue working with someone who displayed such an outburst in public.
"I'm both shocked at her public behavior and questioning her ability to rationally problem-solve if she's willing to accept the word of a teenager over a group of professionals," the OP wrote.
Many Reddit users urged the OP to find a new therapist immediately.
"If she can't be professional, nope," one user wrote, while another added, "You can end that relationship at any time for any reason you want."
Others took a more humorous approach, suggesting OP attend one last session and describe the incident as though they were talking about someone else—forcing the therapist to unknowingly critique her own actions.
"Trust is key in therapy, and her unprofessional public behavior makes it impossible to maintain that relationship," a supporter wrote.
When Should a Patient Leave Their Therapist?
Trust is indeed central to any therapeutic relationship, and experts caution that a therapist's behavior—both inside and outside of sessions—can impact their ability to provide effective care.
According to Verywell Mind, red flags include frequent outbursts, lack of accountability and emotional instability in professional settings.
"Therapists are people too, and they experience emotions like anyone else," the article states.
"However, if their behavior crosses professional boundaries or makes clients feel unsafe, it's reasonable to reconsider continuing therapy with them."
Likewise, Choosing Therapy highlights that a therapist who lacks self-awareness about how they treat others may not be fit to guide patients through their own emotional struggles.
"A therapist's actions should align with the principles they teach," the guide states, adding, "If their conduct contradicts what they encourage in therapy, it can damage trust."
While some users argued that professionals should be allowed personal frustrations, others pointed out that outbursts in public—especially directed at service workers—are concerning for someone who is supposed to model emotional regulation.
"I would not be able to trust my mental health to someone who behaves so abysmally," a critic commented.
Another suggested leaving reviews to warn potential clients, stating, "She may not be well-balanced and might not be the best choice for somebody's healing path."
Confidentiality Rules
Critics debated whether the therapist had recognized OP and chose to ignore them due to confidentiality rules. Some mental health professionals explained that therapists are trained not to acknowledge patients in public unless the patient initiates the interaction.
However, this would not justify the aggressive behavior that led OP to question their trust in the therapist.
In response to comments, the OP stated they had no plans to continue seeing the therapist, adding, "I really don't see how I could ever hold a conversation with her in a patient/clinician setting again."
Newsweek has contacted RecordingAncient3215 comment via Reddit.
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