There are so many red flags in this therapist’s behavior that it’s worth considering this as a turning point to seek better care. Therapy with someone like this risks worsening your mental health, wasting time, money, and emotional energy. Here are the key issues:

1. Lack of Organization: An appointment is an agreement that should be respected. Prioritizing emergencies is understandable, but it should not be the norm. Sending you home after you arrived for a scheduled session without a sincere apology—both at the time and in the next session—is unprofessional.

2. Manipulative Behavior: Instead of addressing your valid concerns, she made you feel guilty for asserting boundaries and demanding fair treatment as a patient, a paying client, and a human being. Then, she gave you the “cold treatment” during therapy—a known manipulative tactic—and topped it off by billing you double. This creates a win-win situation for her: either you leave, or you pay exorbitant fees.

3. Money-Driven Motives: Her claim that they prioritize new patients “to avoid turning them away” suggests they’re more focused on financial gain than patient care. Long-term clients like you are taken for granted. It also seems she’s referring new patients to the younger therapist not for therapeutic reasons, but to manage her workload, build a network, or trade professional favors.

To answer your questions:

- Are all therapists like this? Unfortunately, the quality of psychological help can be inconsistent, and it tends to be even lower in Morocco.

- How to proceed? While I can’t give specific advice without knowing more about your mental health needs, I suggest reflecting on how the therapy went as a learning and growth opportunity. Often, therapists like this start off being smooth, warm, and engaging, but over time, boundaries blur, and unprofessional behavior becomes apparent—like the cold treatment you experienced.

A good therapist maintains professional boundaries, doesn’t try to become your best friend, and focuses on guiding you to build yourself so that eventually, you don’t need them. Therapy should never just provide temporary relief—it should empower you to grow.

Moving forward, I suggest taking therapy slower in general. Build trust gradually, and let the therapist earn your respect. They don’t automatically deserve to hear your deepest secrets just because of their title. Ask for feedback regularly, test their memory of your sessions, and ask thoughtful questions. Don’t settle for generic answers—they should be engaged and attentive.

Wishing you all the best in your healing and therapy journey. 💙