Share Your Horror Stories
About Bad Counseling & Therapy


There are horror stories in every profession, and counseling has some too. Therapists hear these from time to time, but they are rarely talked about.

Here’s your chance to describe your bad experience with the Therapist From Hell

All you have to do is tell us your story in the forum below, and we’ll publish it on the web.

Ever had a really strange
or bad experience
in therapy?

Share it with others. Stories like yours rarely get told, yet they need to be heard. You don’t have to name names, but our readers would like to know what to avoid when looking for therapy.

Read What Others Have Said About Their Experiences

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Is this a therapy session or a discussion table? 
How do some people still keep their jobs when they do it so badly? I told my therapist about my traumatic experience that I had due to my uncle yelling …

Guilt-tripping, Annoying, and Rude, Oh My! 
I had just been transferred over to a therapist at a facility because my initial therapist, let’s call her Molly, thought I needed more help than she could …

Therapist's Assistance Was Very Unhelpful! It was hurtful. 
I signed up with a psychologist who had been practicing for over 40 years. He had a PhD in Philosophy which I noticed was hanging on his wall during my …

Judgmental, biased and my way or highway 
This therapist is the Columbus area was referred to me through an employee assistance program. Boy, did she get judgmental about me, my dressing sense, …

Counselor abandonment  
I have PTSD and needed experienced help outside of what my current counselor could give. I tried to change and she got very offended and clung to me. I …

Counselor Insisted I wasn't suicidal 
She held up her fingers and made a pinching motion, "you have this tiny bit of hope left here. That's your hope." I told her that I don't have any and …

Counselor who reduced all counseling to "feelings." 
I found a counselor for me an my wife. He was a great guy I thought. My wife, to be frank, makes up some pretty outlandish accusations. Huge exaggerations …

Brooklyn- Aggressive Therapist 
Had A terrible experience with therapist from Brooklyn NY. Her general energy was aggressive rather than helpful. A lot of insecurity that manifested …

Totally flirted with my boyfriend the entire time  
Literally the worst counselor I have ever seen. I had never felt more humiliated and ignored than when I started going to see her. We did couples counseling …

My Counselor Owes Me An Apology 
I have been a client of the S**** Center since November 2012. The staff are all wonderful except for my counselor. She embarrassed me in front of another …

Talk Therapy where the counselor tells you to SHUT UP 
My psychologist liked to use the “gaslighting” technique on me, it would go like this: Psy: “I can’t talk to you if you’re aggressive or angry. ” Me: …

Lost a friendship 
I had a very good friend that i became friends with. And she and I have been friends for 2 years as we gotten to know each other. She's been a good friend, …

Couples therapy? I dunno... you tell me. 
My boyfriend and I had gone to couples therapy for a year and a half. Our counselor was a young intern who had to work for a cheap facility for experience …

Therapist from the Twilight Zone 
My wife and I picked a marriage counselor from our insurance list. When we got there, the office was behind a dilapidated house, with weeds all over the …

Ghosted by the therapist 
I was seeing this therapist for about 3-4 months before class every Thursday morning. When the semester ended, I was going to ask her if we can see each …

As A Bonus, She Didn’t Even Credit Me Not rated yet
I saw a therapist when I was a teenager after my parents had a rough divorce and I was being bullied in school. I saw this person maybe 6 months. Fast …

Don't know what his job was Not rated yet
My wife & I went through "couples counseling" when we lived in Louisville, KY back in the mid 1980's. Guy called himself a "pastoral counselor" even had …

Wouldn't disclose what she charges. Not rated yet
I emailed her and asked what she charges and she would only tell me she took my insurance. When I got the bill she nearly charged almost $200 per hour …

Therapist left the door open to the room Not rated yet
As I was talking about my personal details I realized the therapist left the door open to her waiting room, so her next client heard everything I was saying. …

It doesn't really get better Not rated yet
When I was little, I had a few panic attacks (we're talking third grade here) and I was taken to a counselor. My mom couldn't see through this horrible-nightmare-counselo …

The worst... Not rated yet
A few years ago I saw a therapist because I was going through some pretty standard mid-life issues. In the first session, after intake, she pulled out …

Interrogation  Not rated yet
When I was in third grade, I had some panic attacks- a combination of bad parenting, severe ADD, and divorce drama, so I went to a counselor that my mom …

Counselor blamed me for being domestically abused. Not rated yet
My counselor started getting angry and agitated. Blamed me for being battered by my ex. Can you believe that? Said you caused it because you asked to stop. …

Counselor had more problems than I could handle. Not rated yet
I had to see a counselor for PTSD. The guy said "I don't believe your story, and frankly nobody would." I had to report the scum to Board of Counselors. …

Click here to write your own.

Uncomfortable Psychologist: HIS WAY OR NO WAY. Not rated yet
Living in Amsterdam and originally coming from London, I found it rather difficult to find a fluent English speaking psychologist. I deal with severe anxiety …

Not once but twice..... Not rated yet
I went to a recommended and well known counselling centre with my husband as we were going through very bad times. My husband has never been a talker and …

The damage of the ego and sloppy boundaries  Not rated yet
I have just come out of the most bizarre and damaging psychotherapy experience. So in love with running their own solo show accountable to no one, …

BAD EXPERIANCE WITH TEXT BOOK COUNSELING Not rated yet
I went to counseling with with my wife because it was becoming so bad, and we had a son that I was worried would be affected by us. I was told by her family …

"Change your bank account, Your wife doesnt love you" Not rated yet
I went to a Christian therapist with my husband after losing a baby. He liked talking about what his ex-wife did to him. I didn't go back but my husband …

Go Ask Another Counselor!! Not rated yet
One time my best friend Katerina wanted to invite me and our other friends, Danielle, and Iram to eat frozen yogurt, and go shopping. When an annoying …

Inexperienced Violations-Therapist From Hell Not rated yet
RE Clinical Psychologist, Teacher at Faculty of Medicine University of New South Wales, name deleted, Bondi Junction, Sydney ,Australia & her …

Left behind Not rated yet
Okay, it's a little long winded but the scoop is that my child, who is 16, attempted suicide and was in counseling. My child told the therapist (a …

Click here to write your own.

Eugene Kayser, lic. Marriage & Family Therapist

418 Stump Rd., Montgomeryville, PA 18936

215-813-8633

If you would like to receive the Couples Guide Newsletter containing articles on relationships, please sign up below.


Visit  The Relationship Forum  to get and give advice on your relationship issues.

If you're struggling with your relationship, this is the place to talk about it!
Our counselors will answer your questions.
And you, our readers, can offer advice from your experience.


"You gave us counseling without making either one of us feel that you were taking sides.
You always maintained your impartiality with us. You encouraged Rita to be more assertive in stating what she wanted to get from your counseling sessions, as well as what she wanted to get from the relationship.
You taught both of us better communication between ourselves, which lead to an emotional comfort level between us that didn't exist before.
You took control of the direction of the session if things were not moving along.
Thanks so much
for helping us."

Rita and Mark

Eugene Kayser, MA, MFT's profile on the Gottman Referral Network