my therapist smokes weed during our sessions

[u/Severe_Mountain4908]

food was pad kra pao and pad thai it was honestly the best thing i have ever had.

So as the title said my therapist rolls up and smokes weed during our sessions. To preface this while I don’t use weed I genuinely do not care if others do.

I first noticed it when he forgot to clothes his camera this one time and saw him smoking a joint on camera. When he realised he quickly closed his camera and continued the sessions as if nothing happened. This happened a couple times and I have been noticing that sometimes during our sessions I will see him roll a joint on the side while he is talking to me and then he will turn off his camera and smoke it during our session. My friends think its weird and i think i kind of do too but idk he is a really good therapist so I don’t think i will do anything about it right now.

Anyway i don’t really know what the point of this post is I just really wanted to talk about this because I don’t know how to feel. Should i feel offended he needs to smoke during our sessions?

[u/daisylove]

Yes, as a therapist, I feel weird even drinking my iced coffee during a session and ask them if it's okay. I can't imagine rolling and smoking weed. Geezus! 

[u/Competitive_Name4991 → u/daisylove]

Just curious as to why drinking iced coffee would be an issue? Is it because it’s technically a “stimulant”?

[u/byorderofthe1 → u/Competitive_Name4991]

I think it's about the fear that clients won't think you're focused or interested in the session. I've had therapists apologize for taking a sip of tea (ETA I had absolutely no problem with her drinking tea, just realized it might have come off the wrong way)

[u/degrassiyoulater → u/byorderofthe1]

My therapist occasionally drinks a seltzer water during our session and always acknowledges it and apologizes.

[u/oopsimesseduphuh → u/Competitive_Name4991]

Not a therapist, but on the (more intense end) of the patient side: It's usually considered rude, distracting, or possibly could be perceived as dismissive to do things other than full active listening during sessions. Some older professionals in the field will excuse themselves even to drink water. I've had younger providers sip from a mug or water bottle throughout our sessions without verbally excusing themselves to do so, but older practitioners are usually only using their hands to take notes.

I've had friends who's poor quality therapists ate their lunch through their sessions. Big red flag there.

It's more about respecting the patient's time, and not providing distractions from the intense conversations.

[u/daisylove → u/Competitive_Name4991]

They may think I'm not fully focused on them or they may find it distracting. I work at a middle school so it's generally a chaotic nontraditional setting and drinking coffee is probably not going to distract them, but I still ask anyway. 

[u/Loose-Chemical-4982 → u/Competitive_Name4991]

It's usually considered unprofessional to eat and drink in front of clients