Comments on: What are the warning signs of “unhealthy” therapy?

By: Violet

Violet — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:32:19 +0000

My therapist is a lovely woman except she has on numerous occasions started to cry during my sessions (not sobbing! but tears). She is very professional in every other sense although this to me is inappropriate and very unprofessional obviously leaving me feeling very uncomfortable! Would be interested to know if this has happened to anyone else? I have stopped my therapy with her, it got too much.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:28:55 +0000

I’m just wondering why a therapist would only focus on the negative? I just left a therapist who never even talked about my strengths and only pointed out all my dysfunctions. I wound up feeling worse about myself than ever.

By: Therapist Kharkiv

Therapist Kharkiv — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:40:07 +0000

Therapists who talk too much.
Talking should be at least 90% patient talking if not more, 8% therapist asking questions, 2% therapists making observations.
Therapists who talk too much damage client/therapist trust. It seems that they are talking because they are uncomfortable and need so desperately to help the patient that the therapy focuses on their “solutions” rather than the patient’s issues. This is great to validate themselves as knowledgeable therapists but doesn’t really help as much as listening and asking questions like Why, why did you do that, why do you think they did that, what do you want to do now, etc.

Therapists who ask questions with the insinuation that there is a “correct” answer they are looking for is also is bad.

By: Deah Curry PhD

Deah Curry PhD — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:49:28 +0000

For myself if I were a person seeking help with an emotionally difficult issue, I would consider the following signs of an unhealthy therapist:

1. s/he is inflexible
2. s/he doesn’t listen to my feelings
3. s/he is disrespectful of my perspectives
4. s/he slams other therapists
5. s/he ridicules other healing practices
6. s/he can be talked into doing what I want
7. s/he diagnoses rather than helps or coaches
8. s/he shows her irritation with my progress
9. s/he tries to coerce me into outside activities
10. s/he tries to sell me her products
11. s/he hassels me when I cancel or quit
12. s/he isn’t available for emergencies or questions
13. s/he doesn’t remember my name or issues from one session to the next

I would also consider the following to be traits of unhealthy processes during therapy:

1. focus on thoughts to the exclusion of feelings
2. denial of the importance of spirituality
3. sessions that are unsatisfyingly short
4. lack of therapeutic homework
5. being asked to do something beyond my boundaries
6. being allowed to run up a bill
7. lack of input to a treatment plan
8. no discussion of therapy goals
9. no discussion of how to know when therapy can be completed
10. constant focus on what’s wrong instead of also working on what’s strong and could be stronger

Dr Deah Curry PhD
Holistic Counselor
Therapeutic Coach
8.

By: Dennis Buttimer

Dennis Buttimer — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 19:33:02 +0000

RE: Warning signs of unhealthy therapy, I believe that in its essence, the problem is the therapist meeting their own needs over that of the client. This can exhibit itself in the form of unnecessary therapy (type and/or length), focusing on the financial gain vs. appropriate compensation, boundary concerns around the physical (initiating hugging, etc. too often or with fragile clients not seeking a hug, etc.), as other therapists above have mentioned: too much personal sharing, also accepting inappropriate gifts (e.g. vacation homes, etc.) and more. Thankfully, I see where most of the colleagues I know are quite vigilant about these possible problems and do well in steering clear of these while practicing “good therapy.”

By: claire hershman

claire hershman — Sun, 27 May 2007 17:31:00 +0000

re how do you know if a therapist can help you. accreditation and registration is a very hot issue here in the u.k. at the moment, since the government seems obsessed with standardization.they have even diluted the doctor patient relationship to such a level that doctors are not free to make thier own drug choice to give people, we have standarardized guidelines, which are often a scandel. Anyway, since i work in the national health service some of the time, where counselling is very limited i make a lot of secondary referrals to therapists i know. referral is a real art. what criteria do to use.?apart from the obvious baseline of accreditation and training. its the intangeable…since i know the people i refer to, its something like the aa model, does this person have qualities i value and respect.i could not put my finger on it, but its probably trust. do i feel this preson knows themselves, has some inner peace and has the psychic space to help. i welcome other referres comments.

By: Dennis Thoennes, Ph.D.

Dennis Thoennes, Ph.D. — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:07:26 +0000

Warning Signs & Finding a Good Enough therapist:
Relevant to both of these topics I suggest a prospective client contact the credentialling body for the therapist’s profession in that state. For example in WA the credentialling body is the State Health Dept. Ask that office if the person you’re considering is licensed or certified in the state, is their license/certification in good standing and current? Do they have a record of complaints against the therapist? If so what are the complaints and have they been satisfactorily resolved?
I encourage the prospective client call the therapist and do a phone interview. Does the therapist sound like he/she is genuinely interested in the caller? Has the therapist done his/her own therapy? Does the therapist have experience working with clients with similiar issues to those of the caller? Another interesting question, “How will I know when it’s time for me to leave, that I’ve finsihed this therapy?”
Warning signs: Does the therapist scehdule apointments and/or contact outside of normal business hours? Does the therpist mix social or other business activities with the client in therapy? Does the therapist talk about others that are not relevant to the therapy eg, mutual social contacts, politics, friends or colleagues of yours that you haven’t introduced as a significant part of the therapy matter? Does the therapist make special financial arrangements for you, different than are made for other clients? Does the therapist suggest or imply that you shouldn’t talk about your therapy with others, i.e. keep it “secret” or “private”. Does the therapist seem personally offended if you question them, don’t comply with their suggestions or don’t marvel at their wisdom, humor or intellect? Does the therapist “feel” authentic to you?
Of course each of these could be dabated and in different cases different things are reasonable or within bounds and in others not. A good dose of common sense is likely to be a valued asset in the process of both selecting a therapist and noting warning signs.
A hair dresser, bartender or grandma can be warm, interested in you and compassionate, and nice to you. In a therapist you want these features sometimes. Also you will benefit if the person is competent, helps you learn, helps you heal and has the capacity and skill to notice and facillitate dealing with your defenses.

By: Noah

Noah — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:19:03 +0000

Great suggestions about the warning signs of unhealthy therapy and how to choose a counselor or therapist. Please keep the ideas flowing. We will synthesize most of these into the formulation we’ve been working on. Thanks, Noah :)

By: Darlene Lancer

Darlene Lancer — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:39:25 +0000

I have heard many stories from clients who were unaware that their therapy was being compromised because of the therapist’s poor boundaries. Many clients come to therapy to learn how to set appropriate boundaries, so it is important that the therapist can model this.

A therapist can be warm, friendly and work out of their home, but still respect boundaries.

Warning signs might be if the therapist is initiating hugs or inappropriate touching, frequently giving advice, calling the client, being “friends” with the client, habitually allowing sessions or phone contacts to extend beyond the agreed time, talking about themselves, getting help from the client. Some of the above behaviors feel good. Everyone wants to feel liked and be helpful, but this cam inhibit progress and undermine the therapy. It also may be a warning sign that the therapist has work to do.

Clients should trust their instincts, and if the therapist is doing or saying something that feels “off.” it should be addressed.

By: Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP

Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:45:21 +0000

You should have the sense that the therapist “gets” who you are and what difficulties you are experiencing.

The good therapist should be able to offer you hope that your difficulty is able to be addressed and solved — perhaps not immediately but with time and attention.

A good therapist should be attentive and able to listen well, offer support and validation while also able to be honest with you about your challenges and blind spots.

He or she should be informed about community resources and able to offer you additional information (books, web sites, other sources within the community) that may be helpful.

If your problem is outside of the scope of the therapist’s practice, he or she should be able to refer you to a competant therapist who should be able to help you.

By: Donna Hunter

Donna Hunter — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:08:35 +0000

The best sign of a good therapist is when the client and therapist both agree there is a good fit/ connection. After an initial session, a client feeling as though they were heard and have some sense of a plan of action,is in a good situation to begin therapy .
Unhealthy therapy involves the therapist talking more about themselves/ giving personal examples than the client speaks. Unhealthy therapy has therapists who fall asleep ( I have heard of this more than once), who take personal phone calls during a session, who ask for the clients expertise on a subject. The list can go on.
I strongly believe in staying away from bartering any services or gifts (tickets to an event etc). I believe that once a client always a client. The therapeutic relationship can be intense and intimate. The therapist must always maintain the boundary of the helping professional not the friend. Therapists are people too. We meet clients with whom we have a great deal in common. But once the therapist client relationship has begun, it cannot transition into a friendship.

By: Andreea Ionescu

Andreea Ionescu — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:20:28 +0000

I think that it’s important for someone willing to start taking therapy to check:
- the references about that therapist from other clients, if possible (if he/she was guided there by a friend who was also a client);
- if the therapist has some training and is certified in psychotherapy, in a well known therapeutical school (I guess a list of these orientations in provided also by this site), and he/she is not working only in his/her way;
- if the therapist is working under supervision or has a constant intervision group;
- if the therapist had/has his/her own personal development work with another psychotherpist and has this opening towards going again into own therapy if something shows up in time;
- if the therapist shows from the beggining empathy, good listening skills (not giving advices, but answering the client’s needs), good acceptance and respect for the client, and is able to present to the client the way he/she works.
Above all these, I think every client feels what kind of therapist meets his/her needs. Keeping the inner permission to discuss the process first and then to leave therapy if this shows not to be the needed one, it’s the greatest protection a client can provide to himself/herself.

By: Derek

Derek — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:08:14 +0000

I would say the warning signs of an unhealthy therapy is a therapy in which a client has become therapy-dependent or therapist-dependent instead of learning techniques and remedies that would support self-support in his/her day-to-day life.

I would agree with all the previous responses to this post also especially where a therapist is “absent”. I lean very much towards Zen which involves mindfulness and in a therapy session, everything a client says needs to be focused on and taken seriously.

By: Marjorie Rand

Marjorie Rand — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 00:27:55 +0000

Some signs of unhealthy therapy are when the therapist talks more than the client, when the therapist shares too much personal material (self disclosure) and other inappropriate boundaries such as going to lunch with the client. Therapy should not include trading sessions, bartering or being in business with the client.
Sometimes the therapist may appear not to be listening or may seem to be thinking about something else (not present). I think it is unhealthy if a therapist is too confrontive or gives too much advice or tells the client what to do.
Of course these are just a few warning signs.

By: Murray Kaufman, LMFT

Murray Kaufman, LMFT — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:05:57 +0000

I feel that a person interested in Good Therapy can choose a Therapist in the following ways:

1) The best possible recommendation comes through friends,
relatives, or your own doctor who may already know of a good therapist from their own personal experience. You will still need to see if that therapist is a good match with you.

2) Anyone else you may choose due to an Ad, The Good Therapy Site, or anywhere else, the best way in my opinion is to arrange a consultation session. Look at the person’s credentials. Is the person licensed, and have good training? Once you can meet the Therapist, see how you feel.

a)Do you feel safe and comfortable?
b)Is it easy to talk with the therapist?
c)Does the therapist ask pertinent questions?
d) Do you feel that the therapist is genuine?

Once you feel initially comfortable with the therapist, it needs to continue. And remember, Therapy isn’t always comfortable, but the trust in your therapist is important. If at any time. you feel uncomfortable with anything the therapist says or does, talk about it with him/her. Finally, don’t forget that You are the one who hired the therapist. Therapy results don’t always occur as fast as we would like. Give the therapist a chance to assist you. Remember, You have the choice to either continue or choose another therapist at any time.
Hopefully, these strategies will help you choose a good therapist by credentials and experience, but also, the right match for you.

By: Therapist Amsterdam

Therapist Amsterdam — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:57:02 +0000

For me is easier to define what is good therapist: By contrast you can think what does a bad therapist mean? right?
So let’s see:
Being a good therapist means:
- Be able to listen carefully
- Be able to be empathetic
- Be loving and simple when approching to the people who is coming to ask for help
- Be able to use a simple lenguage
- Show ABSOLUT RESPECT when approching to the people who is coming to ask for help
- You will know inmediately when someone is a good therapist because SOMEONE ELSE will tell you his or her good experience with that therapist!!
- A good therapist is always willing to understand others point of view and be open to all the possibilities, practicing the humility before others sciences, related with this field.
I hope with this simple comment I can help other to choose a GOOD THERAPIST!!
GOOD LUCK
Alicia

By: John Rhead

John Rhead — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:54:04 +0000

Noah,
I tell people who are trying to choose a therapist to begin by asking their friends for recommendations based on personal experience, and then to interview more than one prospective therapist to see how it feels to be with him or her. I expect a healthy and effective therapist to truly believe in psychotherapy as a vehicle of transformation and to be willing to talk about his or her own therapy, which should be extensive if not ongoing. He or she should also be in some kind of supervision or consultation group that meets regularly and challenges him or her to confront his or her own blind spots (a.k.a. countertransference issues).