this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2024
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today was supposed to be my first day of therapy and the therapist didn't show up. I'm pissed off. I wasted 2 hours for nothing.

I've sent her a polite message, asking if she's sick and hoping she is well, but in reality I wanted to yell at her. However, if I yell at her, chances are she won't treat me.

Before you suggest to find another therapist, finding a shrink where I live is very difficult and the other ones I contacted have either ignored me or are overbooked. I need therapy and it bothers me to be so dependent on one person.

For those of you who have experienced something similar, how doesn't it bother you?

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[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 72 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Flip it around. If you missed an appointment, would you want them pissed off you wasted their time? Would you want them to yell at you? Most likely you would have had a good reason and would want them to understand. It’s most likely the same for them.

[–] ulkesh 8 points 10 months ago

Except the therapist works for the OP, not the other way around. If it were just OP’s friend who stood them up, then you’d have a point. But this is someone OP had an agreed-upon appointment with someone they are paying to treat them. And also keep in mind that many doctor’s offices will charge for a missed appointment if the patient didn’t show and made no attempt to communicate ahead of time.

Sure, there are probably understandable circumstances that have caused this, and the therapist will probably make it up to them. But that doesn’t invalidate OP’s feelings and expectations, especially in the moment.

[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 6 points 10 months ago

Not only does this phenomenon have a name (Fundamental Attribution Error), OP's situation is the example case given on the wikipedia page:

In other words, observers tend to overattribute the behaviors of others to their personality (e.g., he is late because he's selfish) and underattribute them to the situation or context (e.g., he is late because he got stuck in traffic).

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I’d feel safer with a person who raised their voice at me for being late, than with a person who just let it go.

[–] belated_frog_pants 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

God why? I wouldn't want to be around someone so angry.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Raising one’s voice isn’t a loss of control. I don’t feel safe around people who let others abuse them, because I know their lack of a visible response doesn’t mean a total lack of response.

Someone who isn’t visibly addressing disrespect against them, is instead building up resentment.

People with boundaries that are too permissive are less safe, in my book, than people who address disrespect immediately and openly.

[–] ech@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago

Do you mean "speaking up" when you say that? Because "raising one's voice" implies yelling to most people, I think. If yes, then I agree. Being comfortable addressing issues like this is very valuable. That said, I disagree that not addressing it means they're just "building up resentment". They could be, but it's not a certainty by any stretch.

[–] GammaGames 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Why is that? That opinion confuses me

[–] Scary_le_Poo 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Repressed rage tends to cause spectacular blowouts.

[–] Lemmy_2019@lemmy.one 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Emotionally mature adults shouldn't have to shout at anyone in daily life. It's not repressed rage if you have an even temperament.

I do know several volatile people who consider it normal to 'blow off steam' by having a raging argument every now and then. It may be helpful to them but it's childish and unfair to those around them.

[–] Scary_le_Poo 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

This is therapy. Ffs read the context.

Talk about being completely unaware...

[–] belated_frog_pants 3 points 10 months ago

You dont yell at your therapist either. Anger management seems like a good first target if you cant stop yourself from yelling at people.

No therapist should put up with being yelled at.

[–] GammaGames 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The context of the comment I asked the question to was a situation flip where they stated they’d be more comfortable if the therapist raised their voice in response to them being late…

So, yes. I wouldn’t expect a therapist to have anger issues like that.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I didn’t say “shout”. I said “raised their voice”.

Raising one’s voice means speaking with more force than casual.

[–] Lemmy_2019@lemmy.one 7 points 10 months ago

You can split hairs, but I certainly don't 'feel safer' around people who raise their voice to me. It's intemperate, threatening and often bullying. But I can see we won't agree.