People Break Down The Best Advice They've Ever Received From Their Therapist
There’s no question that therapy is one of the most helpful treatment methods with regard to emotional hardship, trauma, or mental health. A licensed therapist is full of good advice.
They can show you some smaller forms of therapy you can implement, defense mechanisms you can use, or even tell you what you need to hear.
A therapist once asked my friend, "Is there data to support that fear?" It is now the question of the day every day at work. Therapists can be brilliant!
Redditors have seen this firsthand, and they are ready to share what they learned.
Redditor SugarMumma asked:
"What was the best advice you got from your therapist?"
Setting Boundaries
"Setting boundaries will upset the person who crosses/needs them set the most."
– wrongreasons2242
"Bingo. Resistance to boundaries or annoyance them is a solid red flag."
– SiliconPenguin
You Are Only Responsible For Yourself
"You are not responsible for what other people do."
– Doodle-Cactus
"Similarly, you are not responsible for how someone is going to feel."
"Meaning, “if I tell my girlfriend that it bothers me that she leaves the dishes unwashed, she’ll be mad at me. And I don’t want her to be mad, so I’ll just not say anything”
"You’re not responsible for her reaction to your honest good faith communication. You need to communicate it anyway and let her feel how she’s going to feel. Don’t “decide” for her."
– sevencoves
"If I'm not the problem, there is no solution."
"That one saved my life."
– marvelousteat
Love Heals
"She got me to realize how many defense mechanisms I had constructed to defend the little kid inside of me who wanted love and acceptance. Whether that be judging myself and trying to get ahead of other peoples’ criticism, or lashing out defensively at perceived slights."
"She was a good therapist, so she got me to come to those conclusions myself."
– mjknlr
Writing Also Heals
"The greatest thing a therapist ever told me to do was to keep a journal. I thought he was crazy at first but it’s incredibly therapeutic to write your day and thoughts down."
"I also like to go back and read previous entities and see how far I’ve come from certain situations and such."
– Starlight_City45
"I've been journaling for a year, yeah it's not easy on some days but let me tell you... It helps! Really helps to unclutter the clutter in my head. I have a journal app with prompts. Makes me think about my feelings which really helps and takes me through steps to feel better if at all I'm feeling negative feelings."
– noir-Blossom
Examine Your Role
"Just because your feelings are hurt doesn’t mean you’re right. I didn’t listen in the moment, but I think about that almost a decade later."
– mbane_800
"Yep. Stop and consider how you have contributed in this"
– pineapplewin
Making It Work
"Anxiety will never go away, but you can learn to manage it."
– Present-Tension9924
"I think the takeaway from this is to try not to get into a mindset of 'waiting until you're better' to move forward in life. It's more like hey, this is who I am, let's figure out how to make it work."
– baywchrome
Does The Data Back It Up?
"If you catch yourself making assumptions about a person's actions or intentions, ask yourself, "Where is the evidence for this?""
– philwatanabe
15 Minutes of Infamous Tasks
"Take at least 15min of your day every day to do something you don't want to do, but that needs to be done. Like cleaning your room, paying bills ect. It won't be as hard to begin with it if you tell yourself you can stop after 15 minutes. Often times you will do more than that just because you tricked yourself into starting. And at the end of the day, you won't feel like you wasted your time because you achieved something."
– firedexo
Don't Get Dragged Into Drama
"Not your circus, not your monkeys."
– chrisbe2e9
"F*ck this is such a good one to keep in mind though"
– Few-Background2498
Therapy is not a magic solution, but therapists are here to help, and sometimes, their advice may even save a life.
I could never be a therapist. That is why I'm so in awe of them.
I don't know how one person takes on so much emotionally in order to help others.
They are only human. So I often wonder... what breaks them?
How do they compose themselves?
How do they take a breather without compromising the client?
Because you know they need a break... or six.
Redditor falnergaming wanted to hear from all the mental health professionals out there. They need time to vent as well.
So they were asked:
"Therapists of reddit what was your "I need a minute" moment?"
My therapists have held together successfully.
I wonder if I'm dull.
Hmmm...
Too Much
"I am not a therapist, but I was in a therapy program years ago, and we got a new patient. Within the span of a week, her mother died of cancer, and her house caught on fire and her dad and sister died in the accident. The sister died slipping from the girl’s hands and falling into flames. I felt so bad for her and I couldn’t comprehend it at first." ~ EmiEvans
Giphydidn't see that one coming...
"More of a funny story but I arrived at a client's house for a session (I was doing in home therapy for adolescents at the time) with a 13 year old kid. He was a little late getting home from school so he wasn't there yet. His mother has me sit down to wait for him and says that while he's not home she wanted to ask me something. I'm assuming it's about her son since that's why I'm there. She proceeds to ask me why I think her boyfriend won't perform oral sex on her and if I have any suggestions to change that. Really didn't see that one coming." ~ freechurro824
"go to the back room"
"First internship on my path to counselor and I was working in funeral home under the grief counselor there (grief and trauma is my focus).We were taught to be strong and supportive to those grieving of course and if we needed to cry, go in the back or to the bathroom."
"I escorted an elderly lady to view her husband before the service. I helped sit her in the chair in front of the casket and was standing behind her when she stood up and laid on the casket, bawling her eyes out declaring how much she loved him, missed him, and begging him not to leave her, come back.That totally destroyed me. I immediately started crying behind her."
"She stood up and i sucked it up to help her walk back into the hall to start greeting guest. I thought I had did a good job collecting myself, but my mentor took one look at me and softly said, 'go to the back room,' which I did. I completely lost it for a few minutes, cleaned up and went back to help with the service. I definitely needed that minute." ~ Tacomapenguin81
Stepping Out
"When I was a kid I went to therapy, I asked my therapist if she felt like I deserved what happened to me. She stepped out of the room, came back in a few minutes later clearly having had cried. She then said, no, you did not deserve it. I’ll never forget it. I felt terribly sorry for upsetting her. But now I better understand. I hope she is well." ~ Throwaway18077
This is a WHOLE lot of heavy. How do they do it?
20 Minutes Later...
"Once had a client with a child who did nothing but scream at the parent for about 20-30 minutes straight. As soon as they left, I cried for 20 minutes due to how emotionally charged the words/accusations. I tried to defuse it at times, but it continued to rebound quickly." ~ Ryyah61577
Poor Girl
"The time I had to clean a bloody bathroom scene where an incredibly disturbed girl had self harmed herself throughout our rec complex. A local grade 4 class from a neighbouring school used our pool so it had to get cleaned that night. I needed a freakin' month actually." ~ remberly
so. much. trauma.
"Therapist here. I specialize in working with first responders and medical professionals (nurses, physicians, etc). The child death cases are always hard for me. I am an expert at keeping a good poker face during those sessions but daaaamn if there aren’t days I’ve gone home and just held my kids and cried with gratitude that it wasn’t them. First responders experience so. much. trauma." ~ the-mulchiest-mulch
'the new people are coming'
"It's my work with kids that has always affected me most. Had one kid that was in foster care and had been pushed from house to house. He had apparently had a very rough upbringing before that. He was very quiet and didn't talk much. We always gave every child a box that they could decorate and fill with things they made in sessions. At the end of their sessions they could then take it home if they wanted to."
What did this kid do when I first gave him his box? He started making it into a house. Gave it a door, windows, a roof etc. and then wrote a message to his mum (who he couldn't see anymore) on the side to say that he loved her. In the sessions he spent the majority of the time playing with the doll house where it always went the same way.
"He arranged all the furniture and people perfectly. He was very specific about what went where and what people had which rooms. And then he would destroy it all. Saying that 'the new people are coming.' I have a lot of stories but remembering his pain and his simple desire for a home always breaks my heart." ~ Vaytato
Evil
"Not a therapist, but I’m a first year school counselor. I’ve listened to a lot of heavy stuff, but probably one of the worst was a 4th grade boy telling me about how his shithead dad beat the crap out of him and his younger siblings and poured hot sauce in their mouths. I kept it together in front of the child but wept in the car on my way home. Sometimes it’s impossible to fathom how monstrous and evil some people can be." ~ emshlaf
How was your day?
"My wife friends are a couple of therapists - he works at the prison ward, she works in emergency (handling cases such as somebody trying to kill their family during an episode and she helps to negotiate with the person and defuse the situation). I once made a mistake to ask how their day at work was and it was all like this thread but in one week. Suddenly my job doesn’t sound as bad anymore." ~ gregtheomniscient
turning 30...
"I worked as a therapist at a substance use agency before going into private practice. One of my biggest 'I need a moment' times happened there. I was working with a young individual (and I myself was around their age) who was addicted to meth. They were bright, intelligent, and deeply empathetic to the world but so so sick."
"Had to have not just one open heart surgeries due to cardiomyopathy, but two. Prior to ever turning 30. Just kept relapsing despite trying so hard. This client never missed treatment. Didn’t show for an appointment so I called. Didn’t answer. They called back and asked to speak to me. I will never forget the voice when I answered. They were so broken."
"They had just relapsed before calling and injected meth into their PICC line that was treating another heart infection. They were so afraid and disappointed. I remember thinking that their addiction was going to kill them and it weighed so heavily on me. I will never forget this client. After that call I sat there awash in the realization that my client would likely die from this and they were my age."
"Addiction can turn people all out of character but they were so sweet and kind. Would give you the shirt off their back. I truly believe they were just too kind for this harsh world. BUT: This was awhile ago. Client went to a higher level of care and I found out over a year later they were sober and doing well and had moved states. I remember crying when I found out they made it all that time later."
deane_ec4
But to no avail...
"Not a therapist but volunteered on a suicide hotline for a number of years. Took a call from a young woman who was hysterical on the phone, was difficult to make out what she was saying amongst her sobs but I could make out she was outside."
"I asked her where she was and she replied that she was on the top floor of a multi-storey car park and was contemplating jumping off. I talked with her, tried to calm her (meanwhile I was shaking like a leaf). But to no avail. She jumped and the line went dead. It was in the local paper not soon after and it’s stayed with me for years."
daisydream-
Hurt
"Had a (adult) client whose evil dad would buy them a pet (they were a kid when this happened), and then proceed to torture the animal in front of them or would set it free in the middle of a field just to hurt them."
AccidentalClock
"bathroom break"
"I'm no longer in mental health but I was a mental health professional in a big city jail for years. I had a few moments where I needed to take an extended 'bathroom break' to compose myself (breaks were not allowed outside of lunch). I had one person admit to attacking his very small children."
"He had another confess to a brutal murder (every greystone detail) with a straight face, another who would routinely dig up his mother's grave to put her in different clothes, and one who murdered his abuser. That job was nuts and made me realize how you never really know anyone or why they do anything. I was so burnt out I left the field altogether. It sucks because i know that's my calling but I'm too old to go back to school for a master's now."
Scrappie1188
Blades
"I had a client bring in a blade, pulled it out, and talked about thoughts to harm self. Asked for the weapon, called receptionist, and made arrangements for client to be hospitalized. Spazzed out after the client was en route to nearby ED."
BelleViking
"Thank you for your courageous work and sacrifice. That must have been so difficult to experience."
Yusi-D-Jordan
hard to forget...
"I’m a psychiatrist. The hardest one for me was a young woman who was sex trafficked when she was 16. She was essentially forced to take heroin until she was addicted and then forced into prostitution. I didn’t actually leave the room when she told me the story, but it was hard to forget."
"The only times I actually had to leave the room was when I was doing inpatient work and I was seeing floridly manic patients who were saying things that were, quite frankly, hilarious and I started laughing."
Geri-psychiatrist-RI
"examinations"
"I had a patient who was psychotic and believed their ex-spouse had been molesting their child. This person went into graphic detail of examining the child's rectum for signs of abuse despite my attempts to get them to stop. I had to go to the door to my office and tell them they had to leave or I was going to call security."
Crisis...
"For the record, I never asked them about this, either, despite being aware of it from their crisis evaluation. I'm an activity therapist and my assessment with patients is all about their lifestyle and activity. I was asking them about chores, housework, etc and their basic routine and this was apparently something they did multiple times a day."
Even_Tell_7011
"DCF removed the child from their care. The patient eventually cleared from their psychosis (which was substance induced by mixing Adderall and alcohol) and recanted on their belief their spouse was molesting their child, but denied the 'examinations' ever happened."
maybe_little_pinch
On Air
"Not a therapist but my first night on air as a talk show host I got a call from a frantic woman. She told me she had just found her brother hanging in the garage and didn't know what to do. I organised police and ambulance to her address and kept her on the phone until they got there, it was so sad. Had people ask me later if I had arranged her to call to get ratings!! Would never pull crap like that. It left me a bit shaky for a while after as have lost several people to suicide."
GrooveGran
The Ex
"Listened to a woman explaining how her ex is abusing her son who had custody and she cannot do anything about it. My heart was breaking for her, she was working hard to get him back, but because she left without her son, he had automatic rights to the child (the way the kid end up with the dad was by fluke not planned in her escape). The guilt she was facing was excruciating to watch unfold."
"She now finally has custody and her son and they are both is thriving. I like to think mom and son made sacrifices to live a better life. Happy ending, but at the time, it was just killing me personally not to get involved. I could only advice and guide her how to cope and remain firm."
DisastrousGarage9052
PTSD
"I once made my therapist cry. She always knew that I was diagnosed with PTSD from years of physical abuse but when I finally opened up about this particular nightmare, she cried all while listening to me. I felt guilty and changed therapists after that."
Even_Tell_7011
Well that was a lot to process, and I didn't live it. I need more than a minute.
Mental health is important. So be kind to yourself and others.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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Mental health symptoms and disorders are incredibly common. Thanks to a global pandemic, mental health issues are at an all-time high.
But somehow, mental health is still a taboo subject for many.
Historically, mental health disorders have been thought of as demonic possession or witchcraft. On a global scale, this caused talking about mental illness strictly off-limits.
This silence around something so common is fluctuating between that taboo and normalization.
Redditor beholdtheblackcat asked:
"Therapists, what is something people tell you that they are ashamed of but is actually normal?"
You may find that something you are worried about is on this list.
It's normal to feel relieved.
"Mixed or even positive feelings when a loved one dies after a protracted illness. Especially someone who hung on for a long time, very sick and suffering, or an older relative with dementia. There's often a feeling of relief, of 'at least that's over'. It's perfectly normal and it doesn't mean you didn't love the person."
- nezumipi
"My cousin recently passed from a lifetime of illness starting with a premature birth, then cancer, then an endless string of issues."
"I miss my cousin, but I'm glad she doesn't have to put up with it anymore.'
- unforgiven91
"No longer suffering is a big one, but I also think care giver burnout is a big part of that relief feeling."
"I think people often feel guilty because they're relieved that their caregiving role is over as well. Society likes to act like you should be the energizer bunny and happy to either finance a loved one's care or physically take on the task of caring for them. It's perfectly natural to feel burnt out, stressed, angry, trapped, etc... when you're in that situation. Feeling relief that it's over and your life can return to normal doesn't make you a bad person or in any way tarnish the very real sacrifices you made to care for your person."
- UpstairsDeer
"Yup. I've learned this personally and try to use it whenever dealing with someone else going through a loss. You experience a whole range of emotions when a loved one dies, and you should never let others tell you or even imply how you should be feeling. My mother died of cancer and of course I was very upset, angry, devastated, sad. But I also felt very relieved and almost happy it was over, because watching her decline towards the end, especially in the last few days when she was barely lucid, was absolutely terrible. And in the actual moment that she died, the strongest feelings I remember having were just how surreal and bizarre it was. I was ashamed of those feelings at first, but I came to realize I shouldn't be and they're completely normal."
"Death is very surreal, and we as humans are terrible with dealing with it. As societies, we often hide and suppress the realities of death. And at the same time, we romanticize it in a way. We're very prescriptive about how it should be and how people should feel about it, but death rarely looks like it does in the movies and it never really feels like it either."
- dakatabri
Even therapists feel this.
"I've had patients describe their impostor syndrome in great detail, and are genuinely surprised when I say everyone feels like that, myself included sometimes."
- like_literally119
"As another therapist with imposter syndrome, 100%."
- spacecirrina
"I'm sometimes afraid if I don't think I have imposter syndrome I'm just fooling myself and others."
- Mateorabi
"I never felt imposter syndrome until I started my new career last year."
"They actually sat us down to explain that at some point you will feel this way and to lean on your colleagues, managers and the employee mental health program for support."
"Sometimes it still doesn't feel like enough."
- Hey_HaveAGreatDay
"I work for a software development company as a support guy. I've been trying to skill up my coding to cross over and a few of the devs specifically mentioned imposter syndrome to me. They are both awesome devs and they both at one point felt like they shouldn't be doing what they are doing."
- domestic_omnom
It's okay not to know.
"That they do not know what they enjoy doing. Often they have people in their life, including therapists, say 'Try to do something fun today,' or ask, 'What do you like to do when you have free time?' Many people I work with do not know what those are. Once I explain that I dislike these statements/questions because they assume people should know the answer, and that many people don't, I can watch as they relax, take a deep breath, and say something to the effect of, 'Oh my, that's so good to hear. I have no idea what I like to do. That's part of the problem.'"
"More often than not they feel like they should know and that everyone else their age has it figured out. They are embarrassed to say that they don't know when in fact not knowing is very common. I couldn't even try to count how many clients I've had this conversation with."
- ljrand
"I'm not a therapist, but I mentor at risk youth and marginalized professionals (I'm a black woman myself, who also used to be an at risk youth), and I've encountered this quite a bit. I usually suggest to them what I did when I realized I had the same problem years ago: What did you enjoy doing as a child? What were your dreams as a child? Is there any reason you can't pursue one or both of them now as a hobby or even have that as a professional goal to work towards (if applicable)?"
"It usually helps, and suddenly they're like, 'Man, I always wanted to learn to play tennis...' and we find a free MeetUp for them to go to. Or they say that they used to like model cars, so they go grab a cheap set so they can try it out. It's always low-commitment so they can quit if they find they don't enjoy it anymore. The only way to find if you like it is to do it - often our busy schedules (or if you have it like I do, our depression/mental health issues) are gonna tell you it isn't worth it or that it's going to suck. To try that, give it a try on two or three occasions. If that doesn't work, try another thing you used to like! But the only way of finding that out is doing it"
"For me personally, it was that I used to love playing video games. So I went back and got some of the games I always wanted growing up, but couldn't because my family was poor. I had so much fun (and they're also cheaper now 😂)!!! Got me back into gaming again, and now I find "retro" consoles at thrift stores and buy them (I'm upset that the GameCube is considered retro now, but I digress haha), as well as new games. I'm also doing art again and starting a number of hobbies I wanted to do as a kid."
"We may grow up, but a lot of our sadness and u fulfillment comes from our inner child calling out to us. If you haven't had a great adult life, or childhood, or anything like that, you can be the parent your inner-child needs. Pick up some yarn for like $2 at the store - you can weave a blanket with a cardboard loom! Go get them that soap-making set they always wanted and just try it. You can even start with a cheap one! Or go get them a piece of candy they used to like. Go to the beach (by yourself if you want to!) and build a sandcastle. Take care of yourself. This life is supposed to be fun; Humans NEED some kind of happiness to live and keep going, and we don't have to wait until we retire, or even spend money to do that."
- iftheronahadntcome
Your abuse should face consequences and it's okay to have mixed feelings.
"Feeling conflicted when a caregiver who abused them is exposed/faces consequences. Many express feeling bad for them because this person abused them but they also took care of them, provided for them, etc. I always try to tell them that what they're feeling is normal and understandable but that the abuser needs to face consequences for what they have done."
- SeaworthinessWide183
Intrusive thoughts are common.
"Having intrusive thoughts (thinking about steering into oncoming traffic is a popular one). Also, when they're talking about inner dialogue people fear I'd consider them psychotic."
"For those interested or struggling with intrusive thoughts I highly recommend The Imp of the Mind by L. Baer. It's well written and has some great exercises. Regarding inner negative dialogue Breaking Negative Thinking Patterns by Gitta Jacobs is generally considered to be a very practical self help book. They're no substitute for therapy obviously but I think both can benefit any reader."
- Conquestadore
Another therapist shared the same thing, so it must be incredibly common!
"Having really f*cked up thoughts. Intrusive violent or uncomfortable thoughts are very common, i.e. call of the void. For most they are a passing thing like 'oh that's weird,' but for some they get stuck and people judge themselves for them thinking there is something wrong with them."
"I want to encourage you all to reach out for help. There are treatments, both with and without psychopharmacology, but you need to find what works best for you with the help of professionals."
"I will share a mantra that has helped me throughout my life, both as a therapist and as someone with OCD."
"I am the observer of my thoughts, not the manifestation of them."
"I love you all and wish you all the very best!"
- WhatWouldMrRogersSay
Regretting having kids should be talked about more.
"They regret having kids or weren't instantly attached to their child when they were born. It's a lot more common than people think, but the subject is extremely taboo and is not often is discussed due to the shame and guilt that comes with it."
- Kevin-W
"I mentioned having these feelings in a supposedly 'safe space' once. I had no idea people could be so over-the-top mean and cruel in their replies. It was deeply traumatizing and I never mentioned it to anyone since."
- rubberman83
"A work colleague opened up to me about this last week, kind of out the blue. He told me he was jealous of me for not having kids nor wanting to have them."
"I truly didn't know what to say."
"The way he was talking about it, something tells me he might be going through some hard times these days and might not have someone to talk about it."
- Mr_Laheys_Drinkypoo
There are so many things that we don't talk about because it's taboo or we are afraid that we are alone in this. In reality, not talking about these things have actually made us more alone.
If there's something you're going through, talk to a therapist. It might be more common than you think.
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To provide a productive therapeutic environment, therapists are trained to "meet people where they're at."
That means accepting a client and their struggle regardless of how alienating the specifics may be. That acceptance allows a safe space to form where the client can verbalize their feelings and responses, and understand their internal states more closely.
But therapists are humans.
Sure, they're ideally well-trained humans especially skilled at noticing certain thought patterns and human tendencies. That said, they do have knee-jerk initial responses to the people around them.
They then mindfully work around those responses to continue to provide good care. But nonetheless, the occasional moment of shock does come about every now and then.
homowithoutsapiens asked, "Therapists of reddit, what was your biggest 'I know I'm not supposed to judge you but holy sh*t' moment?
Judging the Context
"Therapist here. To piggy back on what others have said, it is highly unlikely for me to have moments where I judge my clients."
"It happens sometimes, but I'm able to shut down those thoughts quickly in my head and return to being present for the people I see."
"People are so incredibly complex that my judgment wouldn't have any meaning anyway and it doesn't have a place in our work together."
"I will admit though, something that does get me feeling a little salty is when I have a client's parent that attempts to sabotage the therapeutic relationship I have with their child..."
"...or pulling them out of therapy entirely when some of the things we talk about challenges some potentially unhealthy family dynamics."
"I don't feel anger toward the parents, mostly I feel bad for the kid."
-- dirtyberti
Out of His Wheelhouse
"When I was under age, I got caught with a drink on bourbon street and got a minor in possession."
"I was telling my therapist about it, and said that the police caught me with a 'hand grenade' in New Orleans."
"He didn't realize that a hand grenade was a type of drink, and it was funny to watch him try to process that his patient might have just casually told him that he had been caught with a fragmentation grenade."
"He took a big long pause, and said, 'where did you even find a grenade?'"
"I realized the misunderstanding quickly and corrected him. But for a moment he definitely was thinking 'holy sh** how do I deal with this?'"
Sometimes, it's Just Too Much
"I'll never judge someone, especially someone who has come to me hurting. The world is full of a**holes already."
"That said, I found out while I was still doing internships that I'm very uncomfortable working with abusers, so I don't do it."
"It took one recount of a man describing in detail how he was strangling his wife up against a wall and making her look at the beam he was gonna hung her from."
"I got out of the office and told my supervisor I just couldn't do it. (It's worth mentioning, I was just an observer back then, I didn't act as the therapist, my supervisor was."
"She wanted me to be prepared to work not only with victims, but with victimisers as well)"
Don't Get Pulled In
"Actual therapist here. I get moments like that sometimes, but by the next session, I've usually reached a place where I'm more ashamed of myself for judging than I am surprised by my client."
"For example, people with symptoms of borderline personality disorder can really elicit reactions like that for me."
"One day they might be saying that they really value someone's friendship, and the next they might be ready to cut that person out of their lives completely over a disagreement."
"Or they'll be working on expressing more emotions one day, and the next day "I'm never talking about my feelings again."
"My first (internal) reaction is usually 'Dude, what??'"
"But then I take a step back and remember that this type of behavior is the exact problem they're trying to solve. And that there's probably really important experiences that shaped them to respond in this way."
-- Phaesporic
Different Realities
"Okay, real therapist here. I got one. Some of my clients are SHOCKINGLY BAD at giving themselves credit, holy sh**!!"
"Like they might get a nearly straight A GPA in a brutal major while battling depression, or overcome years of phobia and get behind the wheel again, or write a literal novel..."
"...or raise a kid as a single parent with low income, or build new relationships after being burned, or cope with OCD well enough to hold down a job."
"And they'll talk about themselves as if everyone on earth is better than them, as if their accomplishments are worthless."
"And I know it's because of depression or anxiety or another condition, but I'm often stunned by how differently I see them compared to how they see themselves."
-- Phaesporic
More of an Ongoing Concern
"Not a judgment - you kind of train your brain not to judge, because you are seeking to understand and help. When you do those things, you can't simultaneously judge."
"We could all use a little more of that in real life, I suppose."
"I'll share this though. I do feel concerned about this recent phenomenon of young people I worked with self-diagnosing, sharing, and identifying very closely with mental illness..."
"...as if the pendulum quickly swung from 'never, ever share your feelings' to 'OMG, you're depressed? All of us are too!'"
"Life's challenges can be tough and they don't need a scientific-sounding label to be valid and real. You are not your diagnosis. We can find validation and support in healthier ways."
-- Hops985
Not Judging, but Stunned
"I'm a licensed psychologist and I'll tell you I've never judged my patients. The world is so full of judgement and it's my job to objectively look at someone who's suffering and offer them empathy and a path towards healing."
"The one thing I've judged is the situations that people survive and continue to live their lives."
"I've worked with torture survivors, survivors of genocide and famine. I've worked with people whose entire villages were wiped out because a war lord wanted the water well that was sitting in the town."
"It always gives me pause in terms of the anguish some people face and their resilience. So if I have one message, it would be in the words of RJ Palacio, 'Be kind for everyone is fighting a hard battle.'"
-- Persianator
Wounded Too
"Well, I quit my last therapist because I made him cry uncontrollably. He tried not to, but he just couldn't hold it back. I felt guilty and won't see him anymore."
"I think he may have lost a child before. I described watching my aunt grieve over her son's body. I felt so much pain losing him, but was explaining how watching my aunt was dramatically worse."
"The details about her is what made him lose it. I could tell he was reliving something inside his own head."
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Ah, massages. This very legitimate therapeutic technique has been around for nearly as long as human beings.
But now it's been co-opted by so much erotica and so many movies that it seems to constantly provided weirdo creeps with a place to actualize their fantasies.
Real life massage therapists have plenty of run-ins with said weirdo creeps. PSA: happy ending massages are NOT to be expected. Sex work does not equal therapeutic medical techniques.
u/Tracewell asked, "Massage Therapists of Reddit what is the creepiest thing to ever happen to you while giving a client a massage?"
GLAM IS NOT DEAD
We usually leave the room to let the clients strip down into underwear before we commence, but with this guy I had no chance to get away. Before I had time to give him a towel he dropped his pants to reveal a sparkling blue G-string that barely kept everything in place. The guy was about 58, huge beer gut, grey hair, gold earring, and hairy like Robin Williams.
GiphyPay Me My Money
At the end of the third session as I was massaging his neck while hes on his back he just started pleasuring ghimself. I was kind of shocked in the moment and didn't know what to do. I stood up and said I have to go. Was fairly awkward waiting for him to get dressed so i could pack my table and get my money and leave.
GiphyGonna Need a Bigger Wad Than That
One day this male client books a massage for himself with our male therapist, Ed.
This fu**er flips over, hands Ed a wad a cash from who knows where saying "That's for you," and starts to pleasure himself off. Ed promptly said "Alright your appointment is done they'll take care of you at the front desk" and books it out of there. Dude pays leaves with no problem.
GiphyA Happy Ending Rejection Play-By-Play
The conversation goes like this:
Creepy dude: "You do happy ending?"
Me: "No."
CD: "Why not?"
Me: "Because that's disgusting and unprofessional."
CD: "I pay extra"
Me: "We're done here."
Taking Liberties, Are We?
My wife and I were at a small resort in Costa Rica. This time we decided to get a couple's massage.
The time came to do my butt, she moved the towel down and started working my cheeks. Then the inside of my cheeks, which I thought was odd, but I'm new to this massage world and maybe that's what a deep tissue was. At this time I'm starting to feel, not relaxed but insecure. I suddenly become aware of my wife next to me who sounds more then relaxed.
Meanwhile back at my butt, she was really doing the inside of the cheeks well. I had hoped this was the last spot she would do, the last thing I want is butt cheek sweat rubbed all over my body. Then started to press down on my actual anus. I felt pressure building up behind her thumb. I clench, and I clench like I never have before. I spin around and say very politely thank you for the massage.
Whatever Gets You Goin'
Someone I know (they are female) said that while doing a Brazilian wax on a male he climaxed. She just wiped it up and remained professional. Idk how
Those eyes. Those EYES.
This one dude though kept folding the sheet down to just under his nipples. I would keep moving him and adjusting the sheet but he would eventually fold it back down. The edge of the sheet perfectly underlined his nipples and I just kept getting distracted by them... they were like 2 eyes staring at me.
(Grossest Thing I've Heard In Days)
One day she had a guy in his late 30's early 40's come in for a back massage. When he took off his shirt, his back was literally blackhead central. Like there wasn't one spot in which he DIDN'T have a blackhead, and her hand was slathered in gross juice and pus when she tried to massage him. She just gave up after that.
Welp, Everything Seems To Be In Order Here
Well one day I receive a call from a man asking if im available. He said he would like a massage at his office in the middle of downtown.
After 30mins, I started to get a sense that something is off. I would glide my hands to more intimate areas but he keep talking casually. Most guys would pop a tent, or ask to be massaged near their groin. But he was talking about his wife and daughters.
Then starting going on about his relationship with this guy and how they have a very strong friendship and that they would constantly prank each other.
This guy thinks this a legit massage! This was suppose to be a prank that somehow got way to advance without any party knowing. Hence, why I'm in the middle of a tech office and he is so non chalant about everything.