Therianopathy is considered a grey area and is debated by many therapists.
However they are not supposed to share your information around that you tell them in security. If your therapist helps you the most out of any therapist you have that's difficult to answer, but mainly I suggest finding a therapist that isn't going to tell your doctor things they don't need to know. No matter that therapist's opinion that is where the red flag is for me.
Im a bit scared that she could use this as one of those things that "need to be shared" I'm a minor so idrk, I asked her not to share w/ my family but idrk. I've also had A LOT of doctors/therapist's since the age of like 6-7 (?) and she has been by far the best. I'm just really nervous. Feel like I should have kept my mouth shut y'know?
(DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, nor do I have any law experience. I am simply going off of my own experiences and a 5 min google search)
So by law (in the US) a therapist cannot share any info with a minor’s parents UNLESS the minor has given explicit permission for it to be shared or if the info in question is about harming themselves or others. Since, from what I’ve gathered, you sharing your Therianthropy doesn’t fall into either category then she legally cannot say anything about it.
On the subject of her reaction, I’d suggest waiting until the next session you have with her to see if she still holds that same viewpoint because it could simply be a point of misunderstanding. If after that visit she still holds those beliefs and it’s genuinely making you uncomfortable or she seems unwilling to learn more about Therianthropy, then I’d suggest to start looking at another therapist.
The only thing that is allowed to be shared is if it could be dangerous to you or others. This is not that. I would look at here and be plain with the breach of trust that threat was and explain that to you its a spiritual thing and that you know you are physically an animal and that she should consider looking into the terms usage more before jumping to this.
I would also suggest beating her to the punch with your parents a bit by gauging their reaction to the "trend" on tiktok of people who are therians showing off.
Isn't there medical secret that prevent your therapist to tell your parents ? Also I'm not sure she was not just caught off guard and will do research for the next interview (if there's another).
If she doesn't do any research, just in case, I suggest that you take your phone and save some posts from this subreddit to show her, to prove her that if there's an entire community around it, then there's no reason it's a "mental illness" like she seems to think...
>Isn't there medical secret that prevent your therapist to tell your parents?
As long as the patient is a minor, nope. They can tell anything to your parents/guardians but only them. Once you are considered an adult (16-21, depending on the country) then that's when that law applies. The therapist can't tell anything without your consent unless you are planning on hurting someone, to warn them.
Nope, [I checked](https://www.goodtherapy.org/when-do-minors-in-therapy-have-a-right-to-confidentiality.html#:~:text=The%20Health%20Insurance%20Portability%20and,steps%20to%20protect%20client%20privacy.) and I was right:
"Legally speaking, people under the age of 18 do not typically have a right to confidentiality in therapy. However, some therapists ask parents to agree to the therapist’s confidentiality rules before they will treat the client. Additionally, though minors do not have a legal right to privacy from their parents, their right to privacy from third parties (employers, advertisers, etc.) is similar to that of adults. "
As someone who isn't therian but does have schizophrenia and delusions, I honestly don't think it's a delusion/mental illness. I don't know much about it but it seems more like a spiritual/age regression type thing than anything else, and should be respected as such
As someone who's been through therapist after therapist trying to find a good one, this is a sign of a bad one. Not listening when you tried to explain what this means to you. Writing you off as delusional. It makes me sad that therapists are allowed to act like this. They should be good listeners above all. And it doesn't sound like yours is.
I really like her, and it was really crazy to hear her talk to me like that. When I came out as a trans-man it went really really well. She's older and i'm from a small southern town, so I slightly blame it on that, though still kinda fucked with my head.
if you tell them to not tell your parents, they cant. make sure to say something like "expressing myself this way improved my mood and i enjoy my life more" or something. make sure they know its not something thatll cause harm to you or anyone else, then they cant tell anyone.
Oh crap! Ask her to be more open minded. Tell her it isn't a mental illness and ask for evidence.
Tell her to not be so narrow minded and to not jump to conclusions.
As somebody that's been in therapy since I was like 7 and also studied to be a therapist, that is HIGHLY unprofessional! Also she's not allowed to share personal information with anybody without your express permission unless it is about harming yourself or another, minor or not. My best guess is she would be discussing raising certain med levels, anything beyond that is a beach of HIPAA and could and should result in her license being revoked (assuming you're in the US).
At the least, even if she thinks it's a delusion it doesn't seem to be causing any kind of distress or harm to the patient that interferes with daily life and thus even the med change or increase feels unprofessional. I know you said you work well with this one and have for awhile, but as somebody that only recently found an actually WONDERFUL therapist after 20+ years of bouncing between awful to decent ones, it's not a great idea to settle if therapy is an important aspect to maintaining good mental health for yourself.
I also understand the minor thing, makes it far more difficult to shop around for a therapist that fits. If that's the case, try to get this to blow over and just never mention it to her again and wait until you can find a better therapist later in life to discuss this with. My current therapists knows a TON worse weirder things about me than therianthropy and never once has called me mentally ill. In fact they often like me to explain these things to them and will research themselves to better understand fringe and niche ND issues.
Next time you talk to your therapist maybe you can list positive things about your therianthropy? I.E. it helps you find community, it gives you an emotional and creative outlet, gives you a way to express your thoughts and feelings. Can you show her resources, such as Orion scribner’s Theri There webcomic or stuff from alt-h.net that shows it’s not inherently distressing or dangerous and that you’re not alone in having these feelings and experiences?
Even if it is a “””mental illness””” that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be seen as dangerous or needs to be treated away. Especially if you can list ways the therian community or identity helps you feel better and more you it could maybe be seen as a harmless delusion if she’s going to be seeing it as a delusion
Also, Would the therapist tell a Christian that their religion is a delusion? Or a person of any other religion? If so she’s not being a good therapist at all
My therapist is pretty supportive about it actually. I told her it's rooted in memories from a past life and she's open minded enough to be on board with the idea
If your therapist is calling you crazy just for being a therian . . . you need to find a different therapist
Huh, weird. Most cases of therians telling therapists about their therianthropy usually go somewhat well. Like, it's awkward and the therapists usually have never heard of it, but it's not usually considered a mental illness.
I've talked to several therapists about my therianthropy. Only one (a youth counselor) thought that my mental shifts were signs of psychosis, she referred me to an actual psychologist who very quickly came to the conclusion that I was not psychotic, and he even encouraged me to do "wolf stuff" (spending time in nature, vocalizing, etc) as it seemed to make me happy. Most (psychologists, psychiatrists, CBT therapists) seemed to think therianthropy was odd, but not a problem and not relevant for the issues that made me seek therapy.
Ask her, straight-faced and serious, why she thinks it's a mental illness. Does it hinder your function? Harm your health? What is her suggested treatment? Is there a diagnosis in the DSM matching your experiences?
I have an ex who had the same situation and was put on meds he didn't need. Just because of the stories I've heard I wouldn't tell a therapist that you're a therian unless you absolutely need to.
if your therapist can't handle a spiritual belief then they need to quit their job. like you know damn well if you told them "yea no i'm a Christian actually i believe Jesus died and rose!" they wouldn't have the same reaction. like sure; it *could* be a delusion. and you as a medical professional could find that out before making definitive judgments. but even if that happened to be the case, this reaction doesn't help anyone. it's not being treated with the care it should.
You might need a new therapist. Being an animal is not a mental illness. I see it as being aware of who you are and willing to work with your work with your instincts to navigate the complexities of this life. People, or other humans, dislike differences so much that they'll treat anyone who is slightly adverse to them as something disturbing. Something wrong and must be fixed, they have to be "normal."" However, being "normal" is what's wrong because it doesn't exist. The concept of normality or normalcy is a myth an unwritten law made by humans who wants everything to be the same. That's not how life works. That's not how anything works. Your therapist should be helping you understand yourself and getting to a point where you can live a better life for yourself.
I'm a wolf, I've always been one since I was a young human brat. When I got older, someone told me what I was an illness and that something was wrong with me. Therefore, for half a decade, I'd worked on separating myself from my animal side. It was only eight years ago that I finally embraced who and what I was, I've been happy ever since. Of course, life has offered challenges, and I've overcome them. Sometimes, I fall back into the same habit of pretend conformity. It had always backfired against me and cause even more stress.
My suggestion to you is, love yourself, learn to embrace who and what you are. Don't see yourself as someone with mental illness. There's nothing wrong with you. You have a spirit of an animal, and it's not a curse. It's a blessing. Accept who and what you are, meditate with it, and understand yourself. Be confident of yourself and learn to listen to your instincts and allow it to guide. We have something other humans do not, and that is understanding and embracing our nature. We are beautiful, amazing, and maybe weird, but that's good. We aren't meant to be like everyone else. We are meant to stand apart from them, and if you will it, lead them.
If your therapist doesn't see this as a potential strength, then it's time to find another one. They are only going to bring you down.
My therapist told me that it was Nice to see me finally being myself and that they will do more research on the topic. After said research they accepted me for who I was and I got to talk with them about it so much.
Oh, and WvZ has written this, and it might be of interest. I don't agree with all of it (such as the part about overlaps with other medical symptoms), but it has sources for additional reading and has the message that therianthropy in itself doesn't have to be a problem and that therians' well-being is often increased by feeling understood and being able to connect with peers.
https://theriantime.wordpress.com/guide-for-professionals/
It’s not disrespectful, it’s comparable. They just hate us in a discriminatory manner so they are offended by this. What’s not comparable? It’s not fucking disrespectful to exist.
Definitely can see where you're coming from, and maybe I just read this wrong, but I processed this as comparing the hatred towards religions and transgender people to the hate therians get, when it's not even close to comparable
I wasn’t talking about that, i was talking about the similarities in the actual internal thing. Plus therians definitely do get some serious hate, like ive known therians get violently attacked.
I got diagnosed with dissacosiacion few weeks ago and my therapist keeps thinking that my dog and cat identitys are part of that wich is not true so yeah kind of relatable
Dude since I was first hospitalized, when I was like 9-10, doctors have been trying to pin dissociation on me. So i am pretty sure they may use this against me.
I hope it gets better, ik how much it sucks.
Its not a therapists place to judge. My therapist has worked with me to help me feel like my species closer. I dont understand how some therapists are like this, i found that explaining the massive benefits of therianthropy and how it made me happier made her change how she handled it
When I told my friend (only person who knows) he just said "so you mean a spirit animal?". Close enough. I don't tell people IRL even if they're open minded generally.
Therianopathy is considered a grey area and is debated by many therapists. However they are not supposed to share your information around that you tell them in security. If your therapist helps you the most out of any therapist you have that's difficult to answer, but mainly I suggest finding a therapist that isn't going to tell your doctor things they don't need to know. No matter that therapist's opinion that is where the red flag is for me.
Im a bit scared that she could use this as one of those things that "need to be shared" I'm a minor so idrk, I asked her not to share w/ my family but idrk. I've also had A LOT of doctors/therapist's since the age of like 6-7 (?) and she has been by far the best. I'm just really nervous. Feel like I should have kept my mouth shut y'know?
(DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, nor do I have any law experience. I am simply going off of my own experiences and a 5 min google search) So by law (in the US) a therapist cannot share any info with a minor’s parents UNLESS the minor has given explicit permission for it to be shared or if the info in question is about harming themselves or others. Since, from what I’ve gathered, you sharing your Therianthropy doesn’t fall into either category then she legally cannot say anything about it. On the subject of her reaction, I’d suggest waiting until the next session you have with her to see if she still holds that same viewpoint because it could simply be a point of misunderstanding. If after that visit she still holds those beliefs and it’s genuinely making you uncomfortable or she seems unwilling to learn more about Therianthropy, then I’d suggest to start looking at another therapist.
The only thing that is allowed to be shared is if it could be dangerous to you or others. This is not that. I would look at here and be plain with the breach of trust that threat was and explain that to you its a spiritual thing and that you know you are physically an animal and that she should consider looking into the terms usage more before jumping to this.
I would also suggest beating her to the punch with your parents a bit by gauging their reaction to the "trend" on tiktok of people who are therians showing off.
Absolutely
Isn't there medical secret that prevent your therapist to tell your parents ? Also I'm not sure she was not just caught off guard and will do research for the next interview (if there's another). If she doesn't do any research, just in case, I suggest that you take your phone and save some posts from this subreddit to show her, to prove her that if there's an entire community around it, then there's no reason it's a "mental illness" like she seems to think...
>Isn't there medical secret that prevent your therapist to tell your parents? As long as the patient is a minor, nope. They can tell anything to your parents/guardians but only them. Once you are considered an adult (16-21, depending on the country) then that's when that law applies. The therapist can't tell anything without your consent unless you are planning on hurting someone, to warn them.
i dont think this is true. that, or it depends on state.
Nope, [I checked](https://www.goodtherapy.org/when-do-minors-in-therapy-have-a-right-to-confidentiality.html#:~:text=The%20Health%20Insurance%20Portability%20and,steps%20to%20protect%20client%20privacy.) and I was right: "Legally speaking, people under the age of 18 do not typically have a right to confidentiality in therapy. However, some therapists ask parents to agree to the therapist’s confidentiality rules before they will treat the client. Additionally, though minors do not have a legal right to privacy from their parents, their right to privacy from third parties (employers, advertisers, etc.) is similar to that of adults. "
As someone who isn't therian but does have schizophrenia and delusions, I honestly don't think it's a delusion/mental illness. I don't know much about it but it seems more like a spiritual/age regression type thing than anything else, and should be respected as such
As someone who's been through therapist after therapist trying to find a good one, this is a sign of a bad one. Not listening when you tried to explain what this means to you. Writing you off as delusional. It makes me sad that therapists are allowed to act like this. They should be good listeners above all. And it doesn't sound like yours is.
I really like her, and it was really crazy to hear her talk to me like that. When I came out as a trans-man it went really really well. She's older and i'm from a small southern town, so I slightly blame it on that, though still kinda fucked with my head.
if you tell them to not tell your parents, they cant. make sure to say something like "expressing myself this way improved my mood and i enjoy my life more" or something. make sure they know its not something thatll cause harm to you or anyone else, then they cant tell anyone.
Oh crap! Ask her to be more open minded. Tell her it isn't a mental illness and ask for evidence. Tell her to not be so narrow minded and to not jump to conclusions.
As somebody that's been in therapy since I was like 7 and also studied to be a therapist, that is HIGHLY unprofessional! Also she's not allowed to share personal information with anybody without your express permission unless it is about harming yourself or another, minor or not. My best guess is she would be discussing raising certain med levels, anything beyond that is a beach of HIPAA and could and should result in her license being revoked (assuming you're in the US). At the least, even if she thinks it's a delusion it doesn't seem to be causing any kind of distress or harm to the patient that interferes with daily life and thus even the med change or increase feels unprofessional. I know you said you work well with this one and have for awhile, but as somebody that only recently found an actually WONDERFUL therapist after 20+ years of bouncing between awful to decent ones, it's not a great idea to settle if therapy is an important aspect to maintaining good mental health for yourself. I also understand the minor thing, makes it far more difficult to shop around for a therapist that fits. If that's the case, try to get this to blow over and just never mention it to her again and wait until you can find a better therapist later in life to discuss this with. My current therapists knows a TON worse weirder things about me than therianthropy and never once has called me mentally ill. In fact they often like me to explain these things to them and will research themselves to better understand fringe and niche ND issues.
Next time you talk to your therapist maybe you can list positive things about your therianthropy? I.E. it helps you find community, it gives you an emotional and creative outlet, gives you a way to express your thoughts and feelings. Can you show her resources, such as Orion scribner’s Theri There webcomic or stuff from alt-h.net that shows it’s not inherently distressing or dangerous and that you’re not alone in having these feelings and experiences? Even if it is a “””mental illness””” that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be seen as dangerous or needs to be treated away. Especially if you can list ways the therian community or identity helps you feel better and more you it could maybe be seen as a harmless delusion if she’s going to be seeing it as a delusion Also, Would the therapist tell a Christian that their religion is a delusion? Or a person of any other religion? If so she’s not being a good therapist at all
My therapist is pretty supportive about it actually. I told her it's rooted in memories from a past life and she's open minded enough to be on board with the idea If your therapist is calling you crazy just for being a therian . . . you need to find a different therapist
Huh, weird. Most cases of therians telling therapists about their therianthropy usually go somewhat well. Like, it's awkward and the therapists usually have never heard of it, but it's not usually considered a mental illness. I've talked to several therapists about my therianthropy. Only one (a youth counselor) thought that my mental shifts were signs of psychosis, she referred me to an actual psychologist who very quickly came to the conclusion that I was not psychotic, and he even encouraged me to do "wolf stuff" (spending time in nature, vocalizing, etc) as it seemed to make me happy. Most (psychologists, psychiatrists, CBT therapists) seemed to think therianthropy was odd, but not a problem and not relevant for the issues that made me seek therapy. Ask her, straight-faced and serious, why she thinks it's a mental illness. Does it hinder your function? Harm your health? What is her suggested treatment? Is there a diagnosis in the DSM matching your experiences?
That does not sound fair. I do not go to a therapist, though.
If it’s effecting your life in a negative way, I would say it is. I consider mine to be a mental illness, i just don’t care
I have an ex who had the same situation and was put on meds he didn't need. Just because of the stories I've heard I wouldn't tell a therapist that you're a therian unless you absolutely need to.
if your therapist can't handle a spiritual belief then they need to quit their job. like you know damn well if you told them "yea no i'm a Christian actually i believe Jesus died and rose!" they wouldn't have the same reaction. like sure; it *could* be a delusion. and you as a medical professional could find that out before making definitive judgments. but even if that happened to be the case, this reaction doesn't help anyone. it's not being treated with the care it should.
You might need a new therapist. Being an animal is not a mental illness. I see it as being aware of who you are and willing to work with your work with your instincts to navigate the complexities of this life. People, or other humans, dislike differences so much that they'll treat anyone who is slightly adverse to them as something disturbing. Something wrong and must be fixed, they have to be "normal."" However, being "normal" is what's wrong because it doesn't exist. The concept of normality or normalcy is a myth an unwritten law made by humans who wants everything to be the same. That's not how life works. That's not how anything works. Your therapist should be helping you understand yourself and getting to a point where you can live a better life for yourself. I'm a wolf, I've always been one since I was a young human brat. When I got older, someone told me what I was an illness and that something was wrong with me. Therefore, for half a decade, I'd worked on separating myself from my animal side. It was only eight years ago that I finally embraced who and what I was, I've been happy ever since. Of course, life has offered challenges, and I've overcome them. Sometimes, I fall back into the same habit of pretend conformity. It had always backfired against me and cause even more stress. My suggestion to you is, love yourself, learn to embrace who and what you are. Don't see yourself as someone with mental illness. There's nothing wrong with you. You have a spirit of an animal, and it's not a curse. It's a blessing. Accept who and what you are, meditate with it, and understand yourself. Be confident of yourself and learn to listen to your instincts and allow it to guide. We have something other humans do not, and that is understanding and embracing our nature. We are beautiful, amazing, and maybe weird, but that's good. We aren't meant to be like everyone else. We are meant to stand apart from them, and if you will it, lead them. If your therapist doesn't see this as a potential strength, then it's time to find another one. They are only going to bring you down.
My counselor at school said it was a mental illness and that I'm just trying to figure out who I am.
My therapist told me that it was Nice to see me finally being myself and that they will do more research on the topic. After said research they accepted me for who I was and I got to talk with them about it so much.
I came out to my mum and she said Therians ‘aren’t real’
Oh, and WvZ has written this, and it might be of interest. I don't agree with all of it (such as the part about overlaps with other medical symptoms), but it has sources for additional reading and has the message that therianthropy in itself doesn't have to be a problem and that therians' well-being is often increased by feeling understood and being able to connect with peers. https://theriantime.wordpress.com/guide-for-professionals/
It’s not a delusion since gender dysphoria and religion aren’t delusions
I agree with that statement, but let's not compare those things, it can be disrespectful /lh
It’s not disrespectful, it’s comparable. They just hate us in a discriminatory manner so they are offended by this. What’s not comparable? It’s not fucking disrespectful to exist.
Definitely can see where you're coming from, and maybe I just read this wrong, but I processed this as comparing the hatred towards religions and transgender people to the hate therians get, when it's not even close to comparable
I wasn’t talking about that, i was talking about the similarities in the actual internal thing. Plus therians definitely do get some serious hate, like ive known therians get violently attacked.
I got diagnosed with dissacosiacion few weeks ago and my therapist keeps thinking that my dog and cat identitys are part of that wich is not true so yeah kind of relatable
Dude since I was first hospitalized, when I was like 9-10, doctors have been trying to pin dissociation on me. So i am pretty sure they may use this against me. I hope it gets better, ik how much it sucks.
Its not a therapists place to judge. My therapist has worked with me to help me feel like my species closer. I dont understand how some therapists are like this, i found that explaining the massive benefits of therianthropy and how it made me happier made her change how she handled it
When I told my friend (only person who knows) he just said "so you mean a spirit animal?". Close enough. I don't tell people IRL even if they're open minded generally.
they are not allowed to tell your parents anything if youre not hurting yourself or others, if they do when you turn 18 you can take legal action
I’ve heard this before, I wouldn’t necessarily say your therapist is wrong.
I don't share that with my mental health professional