Why do people not like therapists? Sometimes, therapists are just an expense to have a third party listen to your problems. Their advice or help is often generic and not worth the expensive price tag. Here are ten reasons why people do not like therapists.

Why People Do Not Like Therapists

They Tell You The Obvious

During sessions with a therapist, they tell you things you already know. You know you have problems (everyone does). Rather than providing practical advice to help you improve, they want you to come back to talk. It helps their bank account. You think it helps you, too.

Therapists Always Talk About The Same Things

The therapist you are seeing will likely return to the same surface issues that you brought up in past sessions. You only see them for thirty minutes to an hour. They cannot truly get to know you and the cause of your problems. It is in their self-interest to provide a solution to make it seem worthwhile. They want you to come back to talk more.

Give You Generic Sheets To Fill Out

Therapists give generic sheets to help clients with their problems. The issue with this is that you can find most of the information online by quickly searching. You can even find therapy sheets online. Why pay for a therapist when you can find similar information online yourself?

Work on yourself. Learn to do basic research. Stop overpaying for a therapist.

Limited Time Per Session

Your time is limited per session. This means that there is only so much time that a therapist can try to understand you. After they go through the recommended number of sessions, a therapist will start to offer solutions that may or may not help. They want you to think they are helping you, even if their help is not reaching your problem’s root.

Fake Connection

The connection feels fake. You are paying to be there. You spend your money for each session, hoping the therapists can help you. It is a professional relationship, not a familial relationship or a friendship. Rather than spend lots of money on a therapist, you could discuss some of these issues with a close friend or family member.

Vague Advice

There is only so much time in a session. A therapist only has so much experience in being able to give practical advice. Most of a therapist’s time is spent in sessions with other clients instead of researching self-development strategies or figuring out ways to work on oneself. Most of the worksheets they receive come pre-prepared. Because a therapist does not actively seek knowledge about personal development, their knowledge is vague and often unhelpful.

Schedule Another Session

It is in their interest to increase the amount of money that goes into their checking account. While they may provide a service that some people may find helpful, similar information can be found with some research online. There is no reason to spend much money on a counselor or a therapist. Learn to do a bit of research to solve your problems.

Dictate How You Should Feel About Something

A therapist is taught to think that there is only one right type of childhood or way to grow up. The reality is that everyone has a different experience. Everyone has issues with their friends, family, and co-workers. A therapist sells things in black and white when the world is grey.

Pragmatism and finding your solutions are preferable to spending lots of money on a therapist.

Dismiss Your Concerns

A therapist studies psychology. They are the therapist. They spent lots of money and likely went into debt to receive a degree in psychology. They are the expert in the room, not you. You know more about your circumstances than any therapist could ever know. Any concerns you may bring up in your sessions will be dismissed as unrelated or not backed by research.

The problem is that therapists are just glorified academics. They read lots of books while in school. They may deal with clients daily, but those interactions are very different from interacting with the reality that comes with the real world.

Everyone has problems. Everyone has issues. Everyone has concerns. To dismiss those concerns is to ignore the difficulties of being human.

Snitch On You If You Have Thoughts About Suicide

If you tell a therapist that you have the slightest idea of suicide ideation, a therapist will not have a problem writing you another prescription. They may even send a letter to the psych ward. Therapy is overly concerned with safety. Therapists do not want to get down to the nitty and gritty about why a person may be having those thoughts. They would instead take the easy way out than discuss the darkness and monster that each person hides.

It is simple. It makes them look good. The last thing any therapist wants is for a client to die on them. It would hurt their bottom line.

My Experience With Therapists

I have only seen two therapists. My experience with them has been that I was overpaying to talk to someone. They mostly told me things that I already knew. I was working to better myself anyway. I had become stuck due to following what the system tells people results in success. That system did not work for me. I wasted my twenties going to college and graduate school. My therapist did not want to hear about that. She thought college helped to lead to her personal success.

The therapists would give me generic worksheets. They would practice having conversations with me. I did not see the point of either of those. I could find that information online. I could go to a restaurant or a bar to talk to people. The problem is that there are better uses of my time and money than always spending money. My therapists encouraged me to live beyond my means at the time by telling me to go out. That is horrible self-development and personal finance advice.  Yet, that is what my therapists recommended I do.

The only reason why I went to see therapists was because my family wanted me to. I hated every second of every session. The only good thing I got from one therapist was a diagnosis from a licensed therapist that I was autistic. However, the therapist made me take the same autism test that I had already done online for free. This time, I had to pay $90 for a thirty-minute session to get a proper diagnosis.

Solutions

The best thing to do is to invest in yourself. Therapists want you to work on your weaknesses. You likely already know what those are. There is no reason to pay someone else to tell you what those are.

Core problems that many people deal with are related to self-confidence, happiness, and personal finance. All three of those are connected.

Invest in yourself by starting a hustle or an online business. Go to the gym. Hone a skill that you know you lack. Seek to make yourself happy by setting and reaching goals.

There is no reason to pay a therapist to figure out things that you can solve yourself.

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Summary

Mental health has become a popular topic for the younger generation. The problem is, are they overpaying to see a therapist? How much does therapy help? From my personal experience, it is very little. That time and money would be better spent resolving issues for oneself. You likely already know your core problems. Why do you need to pay to talk to someone? Work on yourself and invest that money in yourself rather than in an overpriced therapist.

Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!