A Call for Accountability: When Mental Health Care Turns Traumatic

This is an account of an event that occurred during my first experience with an Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOT) program at [Facility Name] with a clinician named [Clinician's Name]. This experience culminated in a dangerous breach of trust that I feel compelled to share.

Session 1: The Struggle to Define My Own Healing

This was pretty much the vibe in the room. I was the only Black person.

Early in the IOT process, [Clinician's Name] pulled me aside for a quick chat about paperwork. I took the opportunity to clearly state my personal therapeutic goal for the session and my overall journey: "I do not want to fawn. I don't want to people-please."

Despite this clear and simple articulation, the clinician repeatedly attempted to redefine my goal, suggesting alternatives like, "So you want to communicate more openly?" or "You want to be more direct with how you feel?"

I had to use the very moment to illustrate my point. I responded, essentially: "Fawning, right now, would look like me accepting your definition of my goal. That is not my goal. My goal is to clearly articulate how I feel without acquiescing to others' opinions."

It was disheartening to be challenged on my own self-defined path toward healing from people-pleasing tendencies.

Session 2: A Dismissal of Nuance

Lowkey how I would have felt if I fawned.

Later, during the group session, [Clinician's Name] posed a question about dealing with individuals who might be projecting anger due to internal issues like hunger. Should we continue to subject ourselves to that behavior?

My answer was centered on accountability and grace: it is up to the person perceiving the behavior to check themselves if they lack the capacity to offer grace. Furthermore, I argued that labeling a stranger based on your own lived experience is judgmental.

The clinician and much of the group disagreed. While my point was eventually proven correct by a peer who noted that context and relationship length matter, the overall feeling was one of being unsupported in exploring nuance within a space meant for therapeutic discussion.

The Ultimate Breach of Trust: Sending the Police

Not exactly how the officer looked at my door, but you get the gist.

I ultimately decided that this specific program was not the right fit and chose to seek care at a different facility, [New Facility Name]. I explicitly informed [Clinician's Name] of my decision and stated that I was actively on the phone with a representative from the new facility for an intake appointment.

The response from the IOT team was horrifying: They called the police to my home.

I am a Black Woman with documented mental health issues. I was home alone, actively seeking help, and was met with a dangerous and disproportionate response. Had I not been on the phone with my other therapist during this event, I do not want to imagine the worst-case scenario. To send a male police officer to my home—especially given my history as a survivor of sexual assault in that very apartment—was a staggering act of re-traumatization and a profound abuse of power.

Calling law enforcement after a patient has clearly and calmly explained they are voluntarily transferring care to another facility is indefensible. It caused severe emotional distress, triggering a fight-or-flight response, and placed me in a situation of entirely unnecessary and racially disproportionate risk.

This action demands investigation and accountability. Mental health professionals should be allies, not those who escalate a patient’s emotional distress into a public safety threat.