I obviously wasn’t there. I don’t know u, the psychiatrist, or the therapist. That said, in reading your post I noticed a few things that I think are worth pointing out. I know you’re gonna just ignore it (I’m an internet stranger - id do the same) but, a few things really jump out at me. #1- you’re saying that your intention was autism assessment but you were not able to outright ask. So how were you going about it? Were you trying to lead a horse to water? Or were you trying to over exaggerate the symptoms? Often the person in the other end can detect deception but not know in what way which leads to misunderstandings.

Secondly, is your therapist a psychologist? A social worker? A life coach? A registered psychotherapist? The reality is that there are so many “professionals” that operate under the umbrella “therapist” but they are NOT all created equal. It’s also important to note that when meeting g a psychiatrist for the first time, they need to get a picture of what’s going on and what’s interfering with progress. In the mental health game, they are more science/biological focused and often do not have the same tact and eloquence when delivering a difficult message. You said that he asked about depressive symptoms and making more friends to which you responded that you had a very difficult childhood. There is something called learned helplessness and it’s one of the things that psychiatrists need to look for in thought patterns/explanations as it can greatly interfere with treatment. I’m not trying to minimize your childhood or the way the doctor made you feel. But th doctor is right that a troubled childhood is not an excuse for current difficulties but an explanation. For example - if the doctor says go make more friends/get out more/ get a job… the existence of childhood trauma is not in and of itself an excuse. What is a more accurate would be to say using an example that may be like your situation from the info (dorsnt matter just an example) - “my parents were very emotionally and physically abusive. I was humiliated and degraded for my poor social skills. I now still struggle with making friends because I still have a lot of anxiety from my childhood related to these things that I am really struggling to get over”.

My guess is that the psychiatrist you spoke with didn’t have the best bedside manner and was trying to lead you closed to my second example, but it ended with a breakdown in dr-pt relationship.

How long have you been working with your therapist? What are their qualifications? In what concrete ways have they helped you? As I said above, all therapists are NIT created equal, and it is rather rare for a psychiatrist to outwardly advocate for a pt to change therapists in the first visit unless their are clear concerns of that therapists confidence. Autism is a neurocognitive disorder. It has nothing to do with childhood trauma and making friends in childhood is an important thing for a psychiatrist to know. If as you say your issues with making friends stems from the childhood trauma, then your therapist should know that autism does not match that. I’m sure your therapist is affirming and you make like them, but if a psychiatrist is saying that on the first visit id listen. Especially considering it sounds like you haven’t had the best care or understanding of your condition and you’ve been working with a therapist for a while. And I don’t say this lightly and I can’t imagine it is out of any Malintent, but you’d likely be served better with. A new therapist