We are all so different. What is ok in my house may not be in yours. My children are allowed to say no and I remember this was the holy grail of what not to do when I was growing. My point is we are all different and our threshhold for offense and disrespect is different.
Times are changing and I think people are changing as quickly as they can but they will mess up. Therapist are people and while we have been trained on empathetic listening we were not given a linguistic course. Therapist have blindspots as well and they may come up in your session.
There may be a time when your therapist upsets you with their mannerisms word choice or even office decor. What should you do? I think there is external work and internal work to be done.
Externally I think talk to the therapist about it. This is a teachable moment for the both of you. You being able to speak up for yourself and explain why you are feeling this way is helpful and it also shows the therapist their blind spot. Growth for everybody.
Internally challenge yourself to consider what you are actually upset about. Why did their use of this word (racial slurs and misgendering pronouns NOT included) offend you and was it intentional. What about the earrings made you upset? What about their website language and pictures triggered this response in you. Is it you? Does it remind you of something or someone else? One of the four agreements is to never take anything personal is this an instance where you can practice this?
There will be times where there is no compromise or understanding and in that case absolutely get another therapist. So much of your success is dependent on the theraputic relationship and if you believe it is tarnished beyond repair seek help elsewhere. ?I believe speaking up presents an opportunity for growth for the both of you even if you get a new therapist. You will have the opportunity to use your voice in a safe environment and the therapist will also have an opportunity to grow because trust me we are learning in these sessions as well.
How do we learn to communicate if we are just running away? How does a person learn their language is offensive if in their home it is acceptable? Nope it is not your place to educate anyone but what if you took a minute to stand up for yourself? Would you feel better?
