Starting therapy can feel scary. If you’re comfortable, share your first experience. What helped you feel at ease (or what didn’t)?

My first therapist, at age 17, took me I to a narrow tiny room, and just..stared at me...I was very uncomfortable.

Once when I missed my bus and was late for my session ( of uncomfortable silence ), he told me I was " trying to control" him.

It was after that that I stopped showing up at all, and then he called me up and started yelling at me,"I've been doing thisfor twenty years!"

After that, at age 25 I met my pyschiatrist/ therapist in the city I used to live in,who was an existenalist, and very empathetic and devoted to me.

I saw him.weekly for 5 years befure Imoved.

Then, after moving to this city, had some flakey lady try to get me to.join her really creepy cult. .so, left her, couple years past before I was able to become a patient of my current also devoted and empathetic pyschiatrist/ therapist of over the past 11 years...he is person centered, and he hs brilliant t and I trust him implicitly...

So...know how lucky I am...

1 hour ago, Autumn75 said:

My first therapist, at age 17, took me I to a narrow tiny room, and just..stared at me...I was very uncomfortable.

I hate when therapists do that. I have had therapists like that. I tend not to go back too.

1 hour ago, Autumn75 said:

Once when I missed my bus and was late for my session ( of uncomfortable silence ), he told me I was " trying to control" him.

How unprofessional of him. but glad you have a nice one now.

Oh, @Lavender sorry you have had bad experiences with past therapists as well.

Certainly many of them don't belong in the profession.