The Worried Therapist

Dear Dr. Darcy:

My therapist tells me that he worries about me and he’s always afraid that I will kill myself, he thinks that he will come in for our session and I won’t be there because [I’ll have] killed myself. He says it causes him stress. Do you think he cares too much? What should I do?

ANSWER

Your therapist has problems for sure, but caring too much isn’t one of them. I’m presuming you see him in his private practice, which, in my opinion, is completely inappropriate. You should be in a higher level of care. If you have suicidal thoughts, you should be seen immediately by a psychiatrist and evaluated for inpatient hospitalization / medication.

His biggest problem is his willingness to work with a patient who isn’t stable. That, and his choice of guilt as a clinical intervention. I’ve heard of people seeking therapy to rid themselves of guilt – I’ve never heard of a therapist attempting to provoke it in a client. He sounds like he needs his head examined.

Find yourself a psychiatrist ASAP. If you’re having suicidal thoughts right now, go directly to your local emergency room.

Writer’s Stats: Female, Straight.