When Therapy Hurts More Than It Heals

Introduction

Therapy is often seen as the ultimate mental health support system. You walk into the office, pour your heart out, and leave feeling a little lighter, a little more understood, and hopefully on a path toward healing. At least, that is how it is supposed to work. But what happens when your therapist is the one who leaves you feeling worse? Instead of a sanctuary, therapy can sometimes become a battlefield—a place where you feel judged, insulted, or downright antagonized.

Imagine showing up to your therapy sessions, ready to work through your issues, only to be met with dismissive comments, personal insults, and a therapist who acts as though you are wasting their time. This was the experience of one man, Mr. Batshit, who was unfortunate enough to cross paths with a therapist we will call Dr. X.

In this blog, we will take a deep dive into the toxic dynamic between Mr. Batshit and Dr. X, exploring how therapy can go from being a safe haven to a psychological minefield. We will examine the very real damage that can result from a bad therapist, how it affects the patient, and what steps you can take if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. Buckle up—this one is going to be a ride.

The Therapist: Dr. X, The Antagonist in a Therapeutic Disaster

Let us start with Dr. X. Therapy, by its very nature, should be a place where the client feels supported, validated, and heard. It is not an easy task, of course. Mental health professionals are trained to handle the emotional baggage of others, guiding their patients through complex and often painful journeys. But that’s where Dr. X seemed to miss the memo.

Dr. X was not just indifferent—he was actively antagonistic. He seemed to relish in pushing buttons and stirring up negative emotions in Mr. Batshit, rather than helping him process them. Dr. X’s behaviour did not just skirt the edge of professionalism—it fell right off the cliff.

From the very beginning, Dr. X exhibited a level of arrogance that left Mr. Batshit questioning his own sanity. Now, let us face it, no one goes to therapy to be coddled. You want your therapist to challenge you in ways that help you grow. But there is a massive difference between constructive guidance and blatant disrespect. Dr. X consistently undermined Mr. Batshit, making him feel like he was wasting time, both his own and Dr. X's.

The Sessions: "Why Do You Even Need Me?"

Imagine sitting down for a session with a therapist whose first instinct is to question why you are even there. That is exactly what happened to Mr. Batshit. In each session, Dr. X would ask, “Why do you even need me?” Now, maybe in some twisted, Freudian world, this is a way of encouraging clients to reflect on their reasons for seeking therapy. But in reality, it’s just a horrible question.

Therapy is not a luxury or some random indulgence for most people. It is a necessity, especially for those dealing with mental health diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or complex PTSD. People seek therapy because they are struggling, and having a therapist suggest you do not really need help undermines the very foundation of the process.

For Mr. Batshit, who had been working with a psychiatrist for over a year and had a formal diagnosis of BPD, this question from Dr. X was infuriating. Imagine having spent years grappling with a serious mental health condition, finally receiving a diagnosis that helps you make sense of your struggles, and then being told by a therapist you have just met that your issues might not be real. It is the mental health equivalent of going to a doctor with a broken arm, only to be told, “Are you sure it is actually broken? Maybe it’s just sore.”

Dr. X did not just ask this question once; he asked it repeatedly. Every single session. Rather than helping Mr. Batshit dive deeper into his issues, Dr. X seemed more interested in belittling him, making him feel as though his mental health struggles were not worth his time or expertise.

The Dismissal of a Diagnosis: Who Needs a Year of Psychiatric Work When You’ve Got Dr. X?

Now, let us talk about the diagnosis. Mr. Batshit had been working with a psychiatrist for over a year and had been diagnosed with BPD. Borderline Personality Disorder is no joke. It is a serious condition that affects mood regulation, relationships, and overall emotional stability. It is the sort of thing that can take years of work to understand and manage.

But Dr. X? Well, he did not seem to think it was that serious. In fact, he questioned the validity of the diagnosis in each session. Let that sink in for a moment. A psychiatrist, who had spent over a year working with Mr. Batshit, came to the conclusion that he had BPD after careful assessment and observation. But Dr. X, after just a couple of sessions, decided that he knew better. Talk about arrogance.

For someone who has spent time and energy grappling with their mental health, having a professional dismiss your diagnosis can be incredibly damaging. It is invalidating, disempowering, and utterly unprofessional. Mental health is fragile enough without the person you are paying to help you throwing doubts at your diagnosis like it is up for debate. It left Mr. Batshit questioning not only his diagnosis but also the entire therapeutic process.

The Insult Heard Round the Room: "Knuckle-Dragger"

And then came the insult that pushed things over the edge. Dr. X, in one of their sessions, decided to have a little fun with Mr. Batshit’s name. You see, Mr. Batshit’s first name is Simeon—yes, like the biblical character. But instead of discussing any meaningful context about the name or perhaps just moving on, Dr. X decided to call him a “knuckle-dragger.”

Now, let us break this down. A “knuckle-dragger” is not just a playful jab; it is a dehumanising insult, essentially comparing someone to an ape. In any context, that is wildly inappropriate. In a therapy session? It is beyond unacceptable. And for Dr. X to think this was somehow okay shows just how little he understood the power dynamics at play in a therapeutic relationship.

Therapy is a place where you should feel safe, where you can open up without fear of judgment or insult. It is not a comedy club where the therapist gets to throw out insults like some low-rent stand-up comic. Dr. X, with his "knuckle-dragger" comment, shattered whatever fragile trust Mr. Batshit had left in the therapeutic process.

The Apology That Wasn't: Admin Staff and the Dodgy Response

After the insult and the continuous dismissal of his diagnosis, Mr. Batshit decided to file a formal complaint. He sent an email to the clinic, detailing his experiences and outlining exactly what had gone wrong in his sessions with Dr. X. You would think, given the gravity of the situation, the clinic would take this seriously, right? Wrong.

The response Mr. Batshit received was, at best, half-hearted. The admin staff apologised on behalf of Dr. X, but not in any meaningful way. They mentioned that Dr. X had apparently made some comments about the “anthropology” of the name Simeon (which sounds like a weak excuse if ever there was one) and offered a vague apology if any offence was taken. Notice the “if” in that sentence? Classic non-apology tactic. It is the therapist's equivalent of “Sorry if you were offended, but it’s not really my fault.”

Even worse, Dr. X apparently didn’t even realise that Mr. Batshit was upset by the sessions. According to the clinic, Dr. X thought the sessions were going well! It is hard to imagine how someone could miss the obvious signs of discomfort, distress, and frustration, but Dr. X seemed to live in his own bubble, oblivious to the damage he was causing.

The clinic also suggested that Mr. Batshit might have brought up his concerns directly with Dr. X during the sessions. Now, I do not know about you, but if someone had insulted me and made me feel like my mental health issues were invalid, the last thing I would want to do is confront them directly in a therapy session. Therapy should be a safe space, not a place where the client has to manage the therapist’s behaviour.

The Fallout: When Therapy Becomes a Battlefield

After receiving the clinic’s response, Mr. Batshit was left feeling even more defeated. Dr. X was not going to call, and frankly, Mr. Batshit did not want him to. What was said had been said, and no amount of awkward phone calls or forced apologies could undo the damage. The trust was broken, and Mr. Batshit had lost all professional respect for Dr. X.

But the effects of these three disastrous therapy sessions went far beyond the immediate frustration and disappointment. Therapy is supposed to help you heal, but when it goes wrong, it can leave deep emotional scars. Here is how it affected Mr. Batshit:

Undermined Confidence in Therapy

First and foremost, Mr. Batshit’s confidence in the therapeutic process was shaken to its core. Therapy is supposed to be a lifeline for those struggling with mental health issues. It is meant to be a place where you can work through your pain, gain insights into your behaviour, and learn coping strategies for the future. But after three sessions with Dr. X, Mr. Batshit was left questioning whether therapy was even worth pursuing.

For anyone dealing with mental health issues, this kind of experience can be devastating. Therapy requires vulnerability, and once that trust is broken, it can be incredibly difficult to open up to someone new. The fear of encountering another Dr. X can leave people hesitant to seek the help they desperately need, delaying progress and exacerbating their struggles.

Emotional Setback

Therapy is meant to be a safe space to confront difficult emotions, but in Mr. Batshit’s case, it became a source of emotional distress. Every session left him feeling worse than when he arrived. Instead of gaining clarity or relief, he was left feeling belittled and invalidated. Rather than addressing his issues, Dr. X had compounded them.

This kind of emotional setback is not just a temporary frustration—it can have long-term consequences. Mental health is a delicate balance, and a bad experience in therapy can push someone further into anxiety, depression, or other issues they were initially seeking help for. In Mr. Batshit’s case, what should have been a step forward turned into several steps back.

Questioning His Diagnosis

One of the most damaging aspects of Mr. Batshit’s sessions with Dr. X was the repeated questioning of his BPD diagnosis. Mental health diagnoses are often hard-won, the result of careful evaluation and ongoing observation. For someone like Mr. Batshit, who had spent years grappling with his mental health, finally receiving a diagnosis offered a sense of clarity and direction. It was a validation of his experiences, a framework that helped him understand himself better.

Dr. X’s constant dismissal of this diagnosis not only invalidated the work Mr. Batshit had done with his psychiatrist, but it also left him questioning his own reality. Was his diagnosis real? Was he making a bigger deal out of his struggles than he should? These are questions no one should have to face, especially not from a professional who is supposed to be helping.

Lingering Resentment

Finally, the experience left Mr. Batshit with a lingering resentment—not just towards Dr. X, but towards the entire system that allowed this to happen. How had Dr. X gotten away with this behaviour for so long? Why hadn’t the clinic taken his complaint more seriously? And how many other clients had suffered in silence, afraid to speak up or unsure if they even had the right to do so?

These are questions that many people face when therapy goes wrong. The power dynamic in a therapeutic relationship often leaves clients feeling disempowered, afraid to challenge their therapist for fear of being labelled difficult or uncooperative. And when the system itself seems more interested in protecting the professional than the client, it is easy to feel like there is no point in speaking up at all.

Should You Report a Bad Therapist?

This brings us to a crucial point: should you report a bad therapist? In Mr. Batshit’s case, he was left in two minds about whether to escalate his complaint to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Filing a formal complaint with AHPRA is no small thing. It requires time, energy, and a willingness to relive the experience in detail. For someone already struggling with their mental health, this can feel like an insurmountable task.

But on the other side, letting it slide means that the therapist in question—Dr. X in this case—could continue to harm other clients. Mental health professionals are in a position of incredible trust and power, and when that power is abused, it is essential that steps are taken to hold them accountable.

For those considering whether to file a formal complaint, it is important to weigh the emotional cost against the potential benefits. Reporting a therapist to AHPRA can result in disciplinary action, but it also puts a spotlight on the therapist’s behaviour, potentially preventing future harm to others. It is not an easy decision, but it is one that should be made with careful consideration.

How to Recover from a Bad Therapy Experience

If you have had a negative experience in therapy, like Mr. Batshit, it can be difficult to know how to move forward. The trust you placed in the process has been shattered, and the idea of starting over with a new therapist may feel daunting. But recovery is possible, and here are a few steps to help you get there:

Acknowledge the Harm

The first step in moving forward is acknowledging the harm that was done. It is easy to downplay the impact of a bad therapy experience, especially when you are used to coping with difficult situations. But therapy is supposed to be a place of healing, and when it becomes a source of pain, that is something worth addressing.

Acknowledge your feelings—anger, frustration, sadness, or even betrayal—and allow yourself the space to process them. You have every right to feel upset about what happened, and you do not need to minimise your experience to protect the therapist or the system that allowed it to occur.

Seek Support Elsewhere

Just because one therapist let you down does not mean that therapy as a whole is useless. It is important to remember that there are good therapists out there—professionals who will validate your experiences, work with you on your terms, and create a safe space for your healing. Take your time, but do not give up on therapy altogether.

If possible, seek support from friends, family, or online communities while you navigate this difficult time. Hearing from others who have had similar experiences can be incredibly validating, and it can remind you that you are not alone in this.

File a Complaint if You Can

If you have the emotional bandwidth, consider filing a formal complaint with the appropriate regulatory body (AHPRA in Australia, for example). This not only holds the therapist accountable but also helps protect future clients from experiencing the same harm. Even if the process feels daunting, it is a way to reclaim some control over the situation.

Find a New Therapist

When you are ready, find a new therapist who is better suited to your needs. This might involve some trial and error, but it is worth it to find someone who truly listens and respects you. Be clear about your boundaries and expectations from the start, and do not hesitate to speak up if something does not feel right. A good therapist will appreciate your honesty and work with you to create a positive therapeutic environment.

Conclusion: Therapy Should not Hurt, But Sometimes It Does

Therapy is supposed to be a place of healing, a refuge for those struggling with mental health issues. But when you end up with a bad therapist like Dr. X, it can become a source of pain, frustration, and emotional harm. Mr. Batshit’s experience serves as a reminder that therapy, like any profession, has its bad apples—and that the damage caused by a toxic therapist can be long-lasting.

If you have had a negative experience with a therapist, know that you are not alone. It is okay to speak up, to seek support elsewhere, and to protect your mental health. Therapy should not hurt, but sometimes it does. And when it does, it is important to take action—whether that means filing a complaint, finding a new therapist, or simply acknowledging the harm done.

Remember, your mental health is worth fighting for, and there are professionals out there who will help you on your journey to healing. Do not let one bad therapist take that away from you.