A Letter to Fellow Therapists:

When Confidentiality Becomes a Cage

— by SEVEE | Psych Social

Dear Fellow Therapist,

There are moments in our practice when we don’t just hold space — we get pulled into it. One such moment is when clients say: “Don’t tell this to my mother…”,"Don’t share this with my spouse…”, “This stays between us, right?”And then the other person walks in and says the same thing. You feel torn — between ethics and empathy, between confidentiality and clinical clarity. You begin to notice a strange pull. You’re not just holding the client’s story anymore — you’re being used to hold the narrative itself.

When Everyone Is the Victim — And No One Heals

Sometimes, both sides wear the mask of pain. Both appear wounded. Both plead for understanding. And yet, something in your gut whispers — this isn’t healing; it’s performance. You begin to suspect: Is this triangulation? Is this shared victimhood actually a narcissistic dynamic in disguise? Are you being drawn in to validate a story that isn't evolving, just repeating?

The Therapist's Dilemma: Heart vs. Boundaries

They show up regularly. They nod. They do their homework. They may even charm you. You find yourself giving extra time… perhaps even discounts. Because deep down, we want healing more than they do. We believe. We hope. We serve .But slowly, the truth surfaces — they are not here to heal. They’re here to win, or worse, to feel superior, in control, or “proven right.”And the therapist becomes a character in that play.

When Insights Don’t Become Actions

There comes a day when you sit across from a client and realize: They’ve received all the insight they needed. But they aren’t using it. They’re rehearsing, not recovering. That day is draining. And that’s the day boundaries become sacred again.

How to handle this?

Join Psych Social at SEVEE

You Are Not Alone

If you’ve been in this space, where your empathy was mined and your insight manipulated, this letter is for you. We created Psych Social at SEVEE as a space for peer learning, supervision, and solidarity. Because some clients will make you feel like you need therapy after their session. And yet, we rise. We reflect. We recalibrate. As my mentor once said:“Client vakhan kare etle bharaya.”(When the client praises too much — beware.)

With You in This Journey,

Warmly,

A Fellow Therapist

SEVEE | Psych Social

Are you a practicing therapist seeking supervision, peer support, or just a space to talk it out? Join us at SEVEE’s Psych Social – an initiative for therapists, by therapists.