betrayal of psychotherapist.

[catbells]

funny how there isn't a section for that.

you dont expect your psychotherapist to betray you. And then there being no real means of finding a forum to express it all.

I reported mine to both his employer and his training body. at the end of the day there was no point making a formal complaint to the training body. Because how would that have helped me. and i din't have the resources - emotional or financial to carry it through.

He continues to practice and i pay the price for his inability to hold ALL the sodding boundaries. His answer to my questiion 'why did you do what you did?' was eventually answered by saying that i was too needy within the therapy room. Makes it all better then does it. Hardly.

The loss of my T is huge. We did good work together. His betrayal was akin to the abuse of my childhood.

Seems like the client has no comeback what so ever. You therapists can do what you like and who's ever going to support the client.

I miss him. For all that he did he was a damned good T. Shame he couldn't keep his boundaries secure and strong.

And the idea of wanting to work with him again - i know is daft. and he said it couldn';t happen. So someone else has made the decision for me.

Just like the abuse. out of my control.

Catbells

[ICLori]

Catbells, it sounds like you've been through some really bad trauma in the past, and you feel very betrayed by your therapist. It sounds like you felt quite close to your therapist, and being betrayed or hurt by someone we have an emotional connection with, hurts much worse than someone we don't have any connection with.

Plus, when someone is in a position of authority - when it's someone you ought to be able to trust - and they betray you, or let you down, it's tapping right into those old feelings and memories of the original trauma. It's sort of re-creating the whole situation! It's like ripping the scab right off of a barely healed wound, and the blood just pours out, more blood that you would expect from just picking at a scab.

I'm sorry you are hurting, and I hope that you will feel better soon and be given help by someone you can trust, who maintains appropriate boundaries.

Blessings & Hugs,
Lori

[starkserious]

I too experienced what felt like a severe betrayal by my psychotherapist. I was kicked out of my group therapy. A friend of mine killed himself in my T. office after a session. It was very tragic and horrible. My T. decided to keep practicing therapy even after this horrible episode. A few weeks after the incident she terminated my therapy without any notice. She said she was too concerned that I would get emotionally triggered and she wasn't sure she can handle it. It felt like I stabbed emotionally. I was shocked and very hurt. I got no closure with her and all I could do was write a letter to the group.
It has left a very bad taste of therapy for me. I am seeing a male therapist to process my feelings of grief out.

[Dr. Adams]

Termination of treatment is an ethical matter, and, thereby, it becomes a legal one. The American Psychological Association has Ethical Principles which you can read at apa.org. Should someone be guilty of an ethical violation, this may ultimately result in suspension or even revocation of a license.