He’s Never Connected With His Stepmom And Upset His Dad After Refusing To Sit Through A Therapy Session With Her

Prostock-studio - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Prostock-studio - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

If you’ve ever been in therapy, there may have been moments when you were asked to bring a family member or friend into your sessions to work out an issue.

However, some people turn that opportunity down, as bringing someone else into a meeting with your therapist may feel invasive.

One teenager has never connected with his stepmom and recently upset his dad after refusing to sit through a therapy session with her.

He’s 17-years-old and has had a difficult few years. When he was 12, he was formally diagnosed with mental illness, which took a toll on him. At the time, he needed stability to figure out a plan for his mental health, but instead, his life was uprooted.

“Two months after my formal diagnosis, [my dad and I left] to live with his then-girlfriend, now wife, Emily,” he said.

“I left behind everyone else I knew and loved, and during the move, some sentimental stuff was destroyed. The stuff was my mom’s, and [my] dad had put it in the wrong pile after I tagged it, so it wasn’t handled with care. I was pretty much destroyed at that point. I already hated that we were moving, and then [I lost] some of the stuff [my] mom loved the most.”

After he and his dad moved to Emily’s house, he was a wreck for a few years. He had a very hard time finding doctors for his mental health treatment and couldn’t choose a therapist or psychiatrist for three years. 

Because of all this, he grew to resent Emily. She always rubbed him the wrong way, and things worsened when the move happened. Unfortunately, Emily never understood his predicament and always encouraged him to move on a little too soon.

“She’s made comments about it being good that we moved, so I can learn how to ‘miss people,’ which is really insensitive,” he explained.

Prostock-studio – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

“She [speaks as if] I agreed to the move, and when I’d tell her I didn’t agree [to it], she’d say my dad made the decision, and I should trust him enough to want this and give it my all. She has complained that I didn’t let her family members ‘fill the void’ of my missing family, and she has seemed sour that I’m closest to my mom’s family above everyone.”

For a few years, he’s been trying to convince his dad to let him move back to his hometown to live with his maternal grandparents, but his dad has forced him to stay with him and Emily, telling him he wants them to heal their relationship.

Since he’s felt forced to live somewhere he doesn’t want to for a few years, he plans on moving in with his grandparents once he turns 18.

His birthday is approaching, and his dad has started panicking, wanting them to smooth things over and get along as soon as possible.

“My dad is anxious that I’m almost 18, and he wanted to have a meeting with my psychiatrist and therapist about me, but he wanted Emily included,” he recalled.

“I said no, and I [mentioned] this to my therapist and psychiatrist so they wouldn’t talk with her in the room. Emily was so offended. My dad was hurt that I still wanted to shut her out and that I didn’t trust his decision in a partner. I told him she is not my parent, and she does not get access to that stuff about me.”

Should he reconsider allowing his dad and Emily to sit in on a therapy session with him, or is he entitled to refuse to?

You can read the original post on Reddit here.

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