Will my therapist be mad at me? And Other Anxiety-Induced Therapy Fears

Please note: our blog posts are solely informational and are not meant to replace individualized therapeutic advice or healthcare.

If you’re someone that has been coping with anxiety for a while then you’ll understand how it can show up in all sorts of ways in different parts of your life. Sometimes anxiety is helpful because it keeps you alert and safe in unknown and frightening situations, but if you’re seeking help with your anxiety symptoms or you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder then you likely know that anxiety isn’t always helpful.

The process of reaching out for support and seeking treatment for your anxiety issues can be an overwhelming process riddled with…you guessed it; ANXIETY!

In this blog post we hope to normalize some of the fears that people encounter when seeking an anxiety therapist, doing anxiety therapy or possibly returning to therapy after a break.

What if they think I’m “crazy”?

Ooof we hate that word! But, it’s a common self-judgement that people carry around or maybe you’ve heard it from a friend or loved one when you’ve expressed worrisome or dark thoughts. People’s intentions are rarely to hurt, shame or invalidate you but that ends up happening quite often when we express uncomfortable feelings and thoughts to people that don’t know how to process or hold space for them.

We can assure you that a therapist will know how to approach your anxiety and depression. They likely have heard a lot of your worries and fears in the past with others clients because anxiety is quite common. You won’t be labelled as “crazy” by your therapist, you might actually start to question that word and begin to understand that bouts of anxiety are quite a normal experience.

What if the therapist tells someone?

Your privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance in the therapeutic journey. Safety and trust are foundational to your relationship with your therapist and these can only be built upon a solid understanding of your rights within therapy. All registered therapists (whether that’s psychotherapists or social workers) are mandated to uphold strict confidentiality laws and can be severely punished if ever caught in breech of these rules.

There are limits to confidentiality that were developed as a way of keeping you safe though. If you are deemed an imminent risk to yourself or another person or you disclose child abuse/sexual assault then those are times that confidentiality must be broken to ensure public and client safety. In these instances, your therapist would have an open and honest conversation with you whenever possible and find ways to minimize the harm caused by upholding these laws.

But, these are very few and far between instances. 99.9% of the time what you say to your therapist stays with your therapist!

I cancelled my last session, what if my therapist is mad at me?

There are so many reasons that clients just stop going to therapy. Maybe it became overwhelming and you needed a break or life got in the way, no matter what the reason, the therapist makes no judgement on it. There is a chance that they will ask you about your gap upon your return but that’s so they can better support you through life’s ups-and-downs in the future. These questions are not meant to pressure you, shame you or to express any disappointment, they are all part of the process of finding the most effective ways to navigate your unique healing journey.

Your therapist is not mad at you. Your therapist does not judge you. Your therapist is there to support you in whatever ways you need.

I can’t sit face-to-face with someone, my social anxiety will go through-the-roof!

That’s totally fair. If you struggle with social anxiety then the thought of sitting in front of someone, opening up to them, making eye contact and talking only about yourself is hugely overwhelming! Traditional therapy can be full on exposure to social anxiety and that’s uncomfortable.

Ultimately, the goal in therapy would be to challenge some of the anxious thoughts and slowly expose yourself to those triggers in a safe and gradual way. If a sit down session doesn’t feel right for you, then you can always start with phone or video therapy. You might also choose to do a walk-and-talk session which is in-person but you’re not facing the therapist with prolonged eye contact, and then eventually the goal might be to sit together in a room when the discomfort and fear feel manageable.

Your therapist will work with you to come up with a plan that is equally supportive and challenging because avoiding every trigger forever isn’t actually sustainable but there are definitely correct and incorrect ways to manage the exposure process.

Whatever the fear might be, a therapist will be a good person to voice your concerns to. They can help validate your emotions and experiences while also making sure to challenge them towards meaningful changes and growth.

Read more about Anxiety Therapy.