A TikToker recounted the time he was let go by both his therapist and psychiatrist in a video that has garnered 24,800 views and 69 comments. While it’s uncommon for someone to experience both, Ethan, who posts on TikTok as @ethanpearll, has been through it. Although the experiences were frustrating, he understood why both professionals made those decisions. He said certain things he did made him a liability in one situation, while a lack of connection and disagreement over treatment contributed to the other.
Ethan brought up a woman who was trending after claiming she was fired by her therapist because she had fallen in love with him. He had a different take on the situation. According to him, it’s uncommon for a therapist or psychiatrist to stop seeing a patient unless there are specific circumstances. He didn’t believe she was let go for the reason she had given. Instead, he thought something deeper might have been going on.
He formed this opinion based on his own experiences. He had been let go by mental health professionals in the past, and the reasons were rather serious. First, his therapist stopped working with him because he was texting them outside working hours. In those messages, he was saying he was going to take his own life. Because the therapist wasn't a trained crisis professional or available around the clock, Ethan said he was released because he had become a liability. The mental health professional could have felt responsible if something had happened while they were off the clock.
His experience with his psychiatrist, however, was a different story. They didn't connect and weren't seeing eye to eye on his treatment plan. At a certain point, both recognized they weren't making progress and chose to end the professional relationship.
This Opened Up an Interesting Conversation About Therapist-Client Relationships
People opened up in the comments, sharing their own experiences and offering their perspectives on Ethan's story.
One commenter shared a thoughtful response, writing, “Number one , I’m so sorry you had to experience this . Number two , I think it’s really important to recognize that we do need healthcare professionals to sometimes be brave , get rid of their ego, and admit when they can’t handle something . I firmly believe that when/if they decide to do this they need to have resources and providers available to these patients prior to dropping that on them . This is for all providers, not just psych.”
“Btw I’m glad you’re still here because you have really nice and kind energy…also I like your take on this. I’m afraid of how this is going to end for all parties involved ng,” another commenter wrote.
One therapist also chimed in, “Shrink here. We don’t walk away from someone who’s here to heal their abandonment wounds… we help them work through it gradually, with patience and empathy.”
The comments opened up an interesting discussion about the complexities of therapist-client relationships, including the importance of knowing when a provider may not be the right fit. Many commenters also expressed relief that Ethan was still here to share his perspective.
