Mental Health Can I curse in front of the therapist? It's her occupation to listen right?

[deadendgame]

Can I curse in front of the therapist? I don't curse because I want to. I curse when there is no other way to describe my emotion or situation. Anyways, it's her job. She collects $30 from me every time.

 

[SKL]

Sure. We hear worse and it is just an expression of your feeling and your state of mind. Not a problem.

 

[manboychef]

I swear like a sailor. I've worked in kitchens for years... I chalked it up to just having a colorful vocabulary, and my therapist understands that. I did wait tables, and it was hard not to swear but, hey....if you want that money.

Back to the original question. Sometimes you need to swear to get the gravity of what you are saying across.

 

[llama112]

I think that's fine. I wouldn't swear AT them. But describing things? Yeah go for it.

Also, $30?!? Mine is $130, cheapest therapist I've ever been to has been $80. Gah.

 

[paranoid android]

Can't see why you couldn't i mean i swear like a cunt altogether and have in front of shrinks. Only a few with sensitive sensibilities seemed to mind.

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

Of course. Whatever makes you feel comfortable.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

As others have said, cursing itself shouldn't be a problem. If it turns into cursing the therapist things are a little different. Telling the therapist all of this will help them treat you better.

 

[paranoid android]

As others have said, cursing itself shouldn't be a problem. If it turns into cursing the therapist things are a little different. Telling the therapist all of this will help them treat you better.

Exactly. Don't curse at the therapist or doctor because well that's different altogether. On a few occasions when my GP asked me how i was doing i let out a slew of fucks, shits, twats, cunts and maybe a few he hadn't heard before. Thankfully as he's from Ireland and has lived here since the 70's curse words aren't exactly something he's sensitive too.

 

[Dresden]

Maybe so, but she can always fire you as a patient if you offend her sensibilities beyond a certain point.

 

[SKL]

When I was doing outpatient psychotherapy (mind you this was in a different type of setting, i.e. a public sector clinic serving the indigent/Medicaid/whatever) I would kick someone out of my office if they became threatening or verbally abusive towards me. If they were just cursing, I would have zero problem, I would probably curse as much as they do.

 

[Smiley91]

I was told off for swearing in a sentence twice by my alcohol councillor the other week. I chose to share something quite fucking personal that I needed support with at the time in probably an angry frustrated manner and said "fucking/wanker" a few times followed by "do you know what I mean?" and she butted in basically giving me a row. I had to leave the room, I was already having a bad day, I'm sure she was too but I wasn't swearing at her, in fact I always try to be polite towards those with a job to do and who are ultimately there to help me... Lost a lot of respect for her tbh and sure the feelings mutual. She's the "boss" at the place and it's crap cause the last guy I had was amazing at inspiring hope i.e. I didn't leave the sessions with him feeling looked down upon/wanting a drink and my intake actually came down. But unfortunately he had to leave because he sadly "got ill" as I was told but he came in to see me later to speak to me and it was pretty clear he was dealing with his own shit again as he had been through his own battles with drugs before - which made him excellent at his job. I'm only going back to deal with her to get on antabuse and then possibly ask to see someone else. Although I would be then paranoid the new person being influenced by boss mentality. I'm sure she's going through menopause (no offence anybody) I remember my mum going through the same lol..

Long story short I personally don't think that it's professional to let your own beliefs (i.e. no swearing) come in the way of allowing the client to be able to express themselves freely, it's hard to describe hard emotions sometimes and because logically folk either just have to blow of some steam or you want to be able to understand their issue if they've trusted you enough to open up about therefore why would you be all up on your high-horse and treat them like a piece of shit, to me that's worse than swearing. That's what happened to me and the way in which she addressed it was the most sickening - as if I had just spoke really badly about her family or swore at HER or something. It was really like a big slap in the face. As I said before...it was her attitude, the tutting, and the sour look on her face that stunk more than anything - especially for being the boss. She knows everything about everything and better than everyone. One of they ones. Will drop in a few fucks or maybe even odd dick or cunt next time I'm there Thurs just for the laugh, wind her up and see what happens. If she hates swearing...

 

[Mmp85]

Was that like a court ordered alcohol class? Those can be quite a bit different than a private session.

 

[herbavore]

If a therapist cannot handle swearing I would find a new one. Not that swearing is all that important to me but if the true meat of a an expression is being overlooked because of a few words, I would consider that a sign that I had not found the right person to help me explore my feelings.

 

[Smiley91]

Aye Herbs I'd agree it ain't even that important but what is important is getting my emotions around why im drinking out, which she fails to understand I really need that support... I'm in a better state of mind since my post, kinda cringing at how I wrote that out lol.. and drink was involved ironically 8(

Was that like a court ordered alcohol class? Those can be quite a bit different than a private session.

Nah but it's an "addiction councillor" in an "integrated addiction/psychology" service in my local social work house. I'm in the UK and it's the NHS. Sorry should have said that in my post...doesn't exactly help the op. My bad. I do see a psychologist who doesn't have an issue at all with swearing it seems...I'd be especially pissed off if I was PAYING someone to listen to me who got annoyed about swearing - unless it was made clear before the session.