I had my second session with my new therapist on Saturday. About halfway through the session I can’t remember what brought it up but he was like “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m schizophrenic and so am I” I felt like this was really an unexpected thing I didn’t know whether or not to laugh or be upset. I mean first of all that’s portraying schizophrenia like a “split personality” and that’s not accurate at all but like also I AM schizophrenic and he acted like this was an okay thing to say. I don’t know if he didn’t remember my diagnosis or if he just thought it was fine. I feel like this really overstepped the boundaries and now I trust him less. Should I ask to be switched therapists? I feel like that’s an overreaction. What would you do? It’s hard to find a therapist who works on Saturdays so I sort of feel stuck.
I would definitely switch. Fhats not funny for a professional to say or anyone for that matter.
i dont know of any scenario during therapy where making a joke about mental illness is accepted. but idk as i dont do therapy as regardless of titles im under the impression that anybody doctors, therapists etc. are equally as likely to laugh behind back or judge as they are still people after all, and most people just want to get paid and are not as invested in others feelings as they seem
Either it was a faux pas or he’s just clueless and insensitive. Or else he really has a negative, disrespectful view on schizophrenia and schizophrenics.
You can take things slow and deliberate and educate him on schizophrenia and tell him his “joke” could be seen as offensive or disrespectful to someone who has schizophrenia.
Or you can take it as it was not a big deal and it was just a not-so-funny joke and figure he meant no harm.
You can choose how to take it.
Sounds like you have a mental health professional that doesn’t know sz very well, that’s the oldest misconception their is about it. It’s not Dissociative Identity Disorder.
However you said this is a therapist, not a doctor? So it might not be out of the question to just correct them and keep them. Therapy is very useful and doesn’t require the same level of clinical accuracy as someone prescribing you medicine. Just my opinion.
I didn’t find the joke to be funny. It was stupid imo.
Sz is a serious condition and if a professional would make that joke I would get angry.
I don’t think he meant to be judgmental. It was just a silly joke. But would he make jokes about someone being raped?
Or any other illness for that matter?
Clearly this therapist is not acting like a professional. What kind of therapist is he?
My therapist and I make light of schizophrenia sometimes, because if we were serious all the time, this illness would be all encompassing and melancholic.
However, if it’s like the first visit, then I don’t know how I would feel about it. You need to build trust first, and luckily I knew my therapist from church, so I already trusted him since my childhood.
He also seemed very distracted in our session as if he was texting on his phone out of the camera sight (these are virtual therapy sessions) and he picked up his computer and walked around his house doing something two times during our hour session. I just don’t like how he had to ask me to repeat myself a few times too. Made me feel like he wasn’t taking things seriously. Should I call the office and tell them then ask for another therapist to be assigned?
It depends. If you are not comfortable with this one and feel like he’s not serious then yeah, change therapist.
I think it’s very poor taste and insensitive. It should call for a dialogue at minimum. I’d say talk about it with the therapist and see what they have to say. If their reaction and response is negative or unacceptable, then ask for a new therapist.
Yes, absolutely ask for a different therapist. Normally I’d say give him a chance, but after everything you’ve mentioned F that guy. The joke aside not giving you his full attention is disgusting.
I had a therapist answer work emails while I was talking about feeling suicidal and I had to keep repeating myself. He would also do sessions while he was driving.
I wish I would have saved myself some time and dumped his ass earlier.
You definitely need to report him. He needs to be educated both in what schizophrenia is, and how to conduct a professional session. And you should definitely get a new therapist
If it were me I would switch therapists immediately
Totally uncalled for
My doctors always joke around. It doesn’t bother me. My pdoc talked to me about my religious beliefs. Then he told me a religious story about a prophet talking to dead people. I told him prior that I see dead relatives. I was like this fellas more lost than me.
I believe since we don’t stick to normal thinking anything could relate to anything.
My doctor doesn’t even take his eyes out of my eyes. In the initial few years of adjusting to meds.
But when he finally got it sorted with me he started to fall a sleep in my sessions and later he said he retired.
He was a pretty decent doctor with lots of experience.
I think he crossed 60 when I was meeting him.
Seems like he tried to lighten the mood, or is just bold and brash.