Dawning,
I agree with others in the thread. I think you are so wise to back off now, and consider never returning. If you are (very rightly in my opinion) that uncomfortable with him, it just doesn’t seem like a fit. When I read your experiences with him and your intuitions about them, my own intuition just naturally fell in line with yours.
Apart from all of the unanimous feelings at the board here, remember that you also have your friend’s (who actually met him) intuition of his creepiness, without her having any bias at all, as she didn’t know this was who you’d be seeing.
Intuition aside, practically, it looks just as bad. I can’t speak in absolute terms to all of the modalities of therapy out there that might get utilized, strange as they may be, but I do know that calling at home is normally reserved for very extreme, emotionally unstable clients. Even at that, it is usually the client that is given the therapist’s number if they should feel they are in crises. There is just something not right about him calling you as he is. Though a bit bizarre, if it somehow were really part of the way a clinic does things, then in my mind, the proper thing to do would have been to have you both suggest times where you would talk, just like appointment times at the office, and not just call out of the blue whenever he fancies. It just doesn't add up. Beyond creepy, he seems like an unwell person. I agree with bunny that he is actually enaging in harrassing behavior.
That he should never push meds on you is a given, and truly, his suggesting that you don’t wish to get better because you are simply questioning the route of taking a medication first off, is just plain irresponsible, unethical, and potentially harmful behavior as a therapist- period. It is a blatant abuse of his "power", or position, and in my mind, he shouldn't be seeing people.
There are great therapists who literally help save people’s lives, but sadly, there are also too many that should not be in the profession. It is so sad and tragic because the bad ones are dealing with people who have had so much hardship in their lives already. They bring them down deeper into an abyss of inner turmoil.
You deserve nothing less than someone you feel comfortable and safe with, and importantly, someone you trust enough to feel you can make significant progress in their counsel. This guy sounds very far from that.
I'm really sorry you had to experience that weirdness. One good thing is that you now know some signs, and that you will be able to trust your own feelings when something doesn't feel right, and be able pick someone that does feel right.
I hope you are okay as well (such an experience can have an emotional impact), and I hope so much for you, that the next therapist that you try will be one of the gems.
Take good care...
BT
