Why does every other psychiatrist act like Freud?

You’ve probably noticed that every other psychiatrist seems to be a walking caricature of Freud. In my view, more than 80% of these practitioners don't actually have a clue about psychology—they just pose, acting like they're some kind of intellectual heirs to Freud. It’s almost a cliché: you see them with the little stubble and the glasses, splitting themselves into these pretentious cliques of "Freudians" versus "Jungians," completely ignoring everything that modern psychology has achieved since then. They act as if what they learned in grad school thirty years ago is some sort of immutable truth—as if psychology were a static field like mathematics. Honestly, I think people like that can do serious damage to patients seeking help for emotional struggles. Instead of actually addressing the root issue, they’ll likely just hammer them with a cocktail of pills that leaves them sleeping for two days straight without ever solving the actual problem.

I haven't run into a single psychiatrist who actually reminds me of Freud...

bzvz 🙄
My previous psychiatrist was actually quite excellent. I do have a general grievance with practitioners who reach for the prescription pad too quickly when it isn't strictly necessary... though, since I haven't personally experienced that, I can't say for certain. I also had two psychiatrists who left a bad taste in my mouth: one because our sessions felt entirely aimless, and another because she insisted adults can't have ADHD. That kind of antiquated view just proves how often professionals fail to keep up with modern clinical standards. However, I did appreciate the medical rigor of the one I saw previously. He was a true legend—a genuine intellectual, incredibly well-read, and highly educated. We could pivot seamlessly from discussing the state of the US economy to the most trivial matters. 🙂 As for psychologists, they are fine as well. Depending on their specific school of therapy, I've found some to be rather grating with their obsession with digging through one's past... but overall, they're acceptable. 😛

I’ve met plenty of psychiatrists in my time, but honestly, I haven't run into a single one who actually reminds me of Freud...

I didn't even realize they were trying to channel Freud... 😛
Though, honestly, what does one child psychiatrist know? She once had me draw my family along with some other random subject. Based on that single drawing—and mind you, I can actually draw quite well, I just struggled with hands so I drew them partially hidden behind my body—she concluded I was suffering from emotional castration because of how I'd sketched those hands. 😕
Utterly ridiculous. 😁

I didn't catch the resemblance to Freud either, but I definitely noticed a few other annoying habits. For instance, if you mention you've ever tried marijuana or something similar, you usually get that condescending "aha" followed by them tapping away at their keyboard or scribbling something down... Like, "Ahaaa, so you tried drugs, so that's where all your problems stem from, even though your family was perfectly fine." 😁
And then there's the fact that they aren't up to speed with anything happening in the global field of psychology; I completely agree with Alex Foster6 on that... It's like, who are they even letting into the profession? People with more psychological issues than their own patients... That kind of thing.
On the flip side, I did appreciate the sense of humor of one woman I saw back when I was dealing with some paranoia. She sent me into a room to take a test and, noticing my hesitant look, she just said, "Don't worry, we aren't going to lock you in here."

😁

Alex Foster6 said:I didn't even realize they were trying to flex with Freud in the first place... 😛
though honestly, I still can't get over this one child psychiatrist I had. She had me draw my family along with some other random subject. I’m actually pretty good at drawing, but I struggled with hands, so I just drew them tucked away behind my body. Based solely on how I hid those hands, she concluded I was suffering from emotional castration. 😕
Total nonsense. 😁

hahaha... if anything, that sounds more like a nod to Melanie Klein than Freud. 😁 Seriously though, damn, can these psychologists ever just develop an identity of their own? 🤣

HR123 said:You’ve probably noticed that every other psychiatrist seems to be acting like they're straight out of a Freud textbook. In my opinion, more than 80% of them don't actually have a grasp on psychology; they just pose as if they're experts by leaning on Freud's legacy. You see it all the time—the specific look, the little beards, the glasses—and then they split themselves into these little cliques of Freudian followers versus Jungian types, completely ignoring everything modern psychology has achieved. They seem to operate under the assumption that whatever they learned thirty years ago is some kind of absolute truth that never changes, as if psychology were as rigid as mathematics. I honestly worry that people like that can do significant harm to patients coming in with emotional struggles. Instead of actually addressing the root of the problem, they'll likely just bury you under a mountain of pills that leave you sleeping for two days straight without ever resolving the actual issue.

Image ...especially Freudian schools of thought.People who have been in long-term psychotherapy or psychoanalysis from the very beginning all the way through to the present day—including every single significant and insignificant detail along the way—tend to be those specific individuals, particularly those in the later stages of their careers. Even when they reach an age where retirement becomes a real option, they have absolutely no intention of actually stepping away. Even if they are offered roles as consultants working just four hours a day, or positions as outside contractors once they officially retire, they aren't interested in stopping. They’ll take on any kind of freelance work just to stay in the game.🤣

Since they won't budge on anything—whether it’s getting access to psychotherapy, getting into the clinic, or even just dealing with the university paperwork—it feels like we're hitting a total brick wall. No. They publish scientific papers and articles. ( Honestly, they really ought to be mandating education on this by law; right now, there’s just zero guidance being provided. I suppose if we’re looking at what the law should actually mandate for an entire career, it would probably involve much more comprehensive coverage than what we currently see in the US labor system. It feels like there's a massive gap between what people actually need to sustain themselves through their working lives and the legal protections that are currently on the books.), I don't quite follow you there. Could you clarify what you mean? They’re keeping all of that under wraps.They also act like they look "smart and wise, which helps them build trust with their patients"—and that part in quotes is a direct quote from one of my colleagues, a psychiatrist-therapist. I’m coming at this from the perspective of a social psychologist and therapist.
I'm just testing things out.There are so many different kinds of experts out there who can help, not just psychiatrists!🤣

In the fields of psychology and psychiatry, wearing a white lab coat is pretty much mandatory. The concept of power.!!!😬

Psychiatry. They actually graduated from medical school, after all, so where on earth is the government? Hierarchy. So, basically, Not everywhere.It’s funny, really—it feels like the younger generation of psychiatrists and therapists almost doesn't have a seat at the table. You rarely get asked for their input, which is a shame.👎 👍

Psychologists They’ve all graduated from philosophy programs, which gives them an entirely different perspective—they bring much more modern therapeutic approaches to the table.😉

The true goal of therapy isn't just to spend fifteen years sitting on a couch while popping handfuls of psychiatric meds; it’s about actually digging into the problems, uncovering the root causes, understanding the fallout, and finding a real way forward through psychology.
The goal is to achieve this using the shortest possible timeframe and the smallest dosage/duration of psychotropic medication. I should probably mention that there are certain diagnoses—regardless of whether you're looking at it from a psychiatric or psychological perspective—where, unfortunately, lifelong medication becomes a necessity. However, we are specifically talking about the much smaller group of cases where that isn't the case.😱

Psychologists generally recommend therapy—which is pretty much non-negotiable—alongside specific medications that help a patient manage their day-to-day responsibilities and work life. Of course, I should mention that for more severe diagnoses, the medication protocols can be significantly more intensive.

Psychiatry really does hold its own when you view it strictly as a medical specialty. He seems to have a real preference for medication.The therapist tends to schedule sessions at longer intervals.

I don't want to sound like I'm playing favorites here, but we have to keep in mind that a single practitioner often carries an enormous caseload. This is especially true for psychiatrists. A lot of people don't quite realize that psychologists and therapists also conduct sessions and can manage medication, so I feel the need to offer some perspective on why psychiatrists operate the way they do. It’s often much more practical for them to prescribe medication and schedule follow-up appointments further out, rather than trying to maintain a heavy weekly or bi-weekly therapy schedule like many psychologists do.😲

Jung was such an advocate for alternative perspectives—he was completely open to the idea of synchronicity, believing that not everything follows a strict cause-and-effect pattern. He suggested that events often converge before they ever become direct causes of one another. He also explored archetypal ideas, those inherited, unconscious, collective experiences that manifest through the "collective unconscious." It was fascinating how he collaborated with physicists and researchers across various scientific disciplines and methodologies. He actually noted that physics and psychology are like twin sisters marching toward the unknown, where the laws of the psyche and the laws of the physical world touch and overlap. He was one of the rare thinkers who didn't dismiss or belittle things he couldn't immediately prove scientifically; instead, he threw himself into studying the unknown alongside other experts, diving deep into research and exploration. 👍
🙏

Alex Foster6 said:I didn't even realize they were leaning so heavily on Freud... 😛
all because some child psychiatrist once had me draw my family along with another subject of my choice. Based on that drawing—and mind you, I can draw pretty well, but I struggled with hands so I just drew them tucked away behind my body—she concluded there was emotional castration
which is just nonsense 😁

Childhood drawings "reveal almost everything." It’s a form of therapy, but you can't work with kids the same way you work with adults.

In therapy, drawing isn't about artistic talent; it's about what is being expressed, consciously or unconsciously. (Things like who is drawn largest in the family, who is standing on the sidelines, where people are placed on the paper, specific physical details, whether someone is missing an organ, if hands are open or hidden, colors used, and countless other tiny details that help a therapist grasp the family dynamic, the atmosphere, and various emotions... but none of this is enough to make a diagnosis!!!
You wouldn't believe how much data a good therapist can pull from just one single image containing two or three people.
However, two drawings alone—the family and one other—are definitely not enough to set a diagnosis; you need much more than that, including actual work and time spent with the child!

Usually, it's child psychologists who use art in therapy, but since the diagnosis was a classic Freudian one, we are talking about a psychiatrist here.👍 👎

"Emotional castration" would, very simplified, mean that during childhood you were jealous of the boys, or if you had a brother, you were envious of him because he could do things you couldn't—essentially the Oedipal complex.😍

Those diagnoses are completely outdated and haven't been used for years. If a diagnosis is handed out based on just two drawings and maybe two or three sessions of "what does this card remind you of"—where they show you a black-and-white sketch—then I have to say that therapist acted extremely unprofessionally.
Diagnoses aren't labels, and it takes much more extensive work with a child to actually establish one.

All she did was cause you harm by weighing you down with useless nonsense.

You don't just hand out a diagnosis after a month; diagnoses under ?, they crystallize over time—usually through at least three or four months of intensive therapy, active observation, and other therapeutic techniques that the patient might not even notice, which provide the therapist with necessary guidance.😉

A diagnosis never has to be 100% accurate (some scientists even argue it's impossible), as symptoms, circumstances, problems, and family or financial situations can all change... and consequently, the diagnosis, the therapy, and the medication might change too.

If you feel like it, please send me a private message letting me know how long the therapy lasted, how old you were, why you went to see the therapist, and who they were—their name and the year this happened.

I find it hard to believe that in this day and age, children are still given such obsolete diagnoses. This isn't about curiosity; it's just a totally misguided approach.🙂
Of course, all, if you decide to write to me, it stays strictly between us.👍
You could even draw something of your choosing along with your family, and I'll do my best to explain what might be going on—just keep in mind, this is definitely not a diagnosis!!!🙂 🙂

Olivia Carter25 said:I didn't catch the resemblance to Freud either, but I’ve definitely noticed a few other annoying habits. For instance, if you mention you've tried marijuana or something similar, there's usually this heavy, significant "aha" followed by them tapping away at their keyboard or scribbling something down... Like, "ahaaa," so you tried drugs, and that's clearly the root of all your problems while your family was just perfectly normal. 😁
And I totally agree with Alex Foster6 regarding how out of touch they are with current global trends in the field. It's wild who they actually let into the profession—sometimes it feels like the people treating patients are dealing with more severe psychological issues than the patients themselves.
On a lighter note, I really appreciated the sense of humor from one woman I saw back when I was dealing with some paranoia. She sent me to a room to take a test, and seeing my hesitant look, she just quipped, "Don't worry, we aren't going to lock you in here."

😁

For certain individuals, choosing their career or major is actually a form of self-therapy. Some people pick specific paths—like psychiatrists, psychologists, or even clergy—because of their own internal struggles. This is often how we spot the "bad therapists" or "bad priests"—those 🤣 "people who have more severe psychological issues than their patients."
They frequently come across as disinterested, untrained, or just bored. Their version of therapy usually boils down to a prescription and an occasional check-in where they mostly just say "aha!" or "yeah," counting down the minutes until the session ends so they can reschedule you much later. They're always at their most polite right as you're walking out the door, and quite often, they are on medication themselves, typically psychostabilizers. 😬

I don't have the exact statistics, but at the psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles, they see about 15 to 20 people a year—priests with long careers, theology students, and so on—who are dealing with actual mental illnesses rather than just general psychological difficulties. 🤣

Carol Lee4 said:Choosing a specific profession or field of study can actually function as a form of therapy for certain individuals—some people gravitate toward specific careers, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or clergy, due to their own psychological struggles. We often recognize them as "poor therapists," "bad priests," or, to borrow your phrasing, "people who possess more severe psychological issues than their patients."🤣

I would argue that this approach could actually be beneficial. Those who have navigated significant personal hardships often possess a heightened capacity for empathy regarding their clients' struggles. For instance, someone who survived a turbulent adolescence might find themselves better equipped to support teenagers later in life.🙂

HR123 said:You’ve probably noticed that every other psychiatrist seems stuck in the Freud era. In my opinion, more than 80% of them don't actually grasp psychology; they just pose as if they do, trying to act all Freudian. Every second one has that specific look—the little beard, the glasses—and they split themselves into these ridiculous cliques, either being Freudians or Jungians, completely ignoring modern psychological advancements. They likely think whatever they learned thirty years ago is set in stone, as if psychology were some kind of immutable math equation. I honestly believe people like that can do massive damage to patients seeking help for emotional issues. My fear is they'll just immediately pump someone full of various pills that leave them sleeping for two days straight without ever actually addressing the core problem.

My psychiatrist definitely doesn't remind me of Freud😁 😁 😁
Unless Freud used to wear wrinkled t-shirts and had a "five o'clock shadow"😬
No, jokes aside, mine is fantastic (God forbid I say that out loud)!

HR123 said:You’ve probably noticed that every other psychiatrist looks just like Freud. Honestly, I think more than 80% of them don't actually know anything about psychology; they just pretend they do and try to act like Freud. Every other guy has that signature little beard and those glasses...

🙄

I haven't really noticed anyone looking like Freud, but hey, I should probably give a proper answer to such a "famous" theory...

Yeah, sure, psychiatrists have absolutely no clue what's going on. And during their training (since most come from neurology anyway), and then later during their psychiatric specialization, they surely spend years and years studying just so they can physically mimic Freud.

I bet they even have his portrait hanging in every lecture hall, which explains why they start looking like him! Of course, I'm only talking about the male psychiatrists here.
As for the women? They're out there channeling Anna Freud or Nancy Chodorow or Karen Horney. It's not exactly easy for the ladies to grow a Freud-style beard, and they swapped out those old-school glasses for soft contact lenses a long time ago...

Alex Foster6 said:I actually think there's a silver lining to that... people who have navigated their own significant life hurdles often find it easier to truly empathize with a patient's struggles. For instance, someone who survived a particularly turbulent adolescence might be much better equipped to help teenagers later on. 🙂

A solid psychotherapist shouldn't "immerse" themselves in a patient's problems (and I don't mean empathy). If you do, you lose that necessary objectivity and become too subjective, which compromises the professional approach that serves as the very foundation of therapy.
Let's be real: being 100% objective is impossible. During certain stages of therapy, a specific therapist-patient bond is formed, which a skilled clinician then guides toward a different, healthier type of connection.
In practice, you’ll always have patients you naturally click with more than others—you might feel more empathy for one person over another—but that level of subjectivity doesn't ruin the professional process. However, if you start living through the patient's trauma, the therapy goes off the rails. It turns into a form of self-therapy where you're constantly thinking, "What would I do?" or making subjective comparisons to your own issues. Those thoughts are sometimes unavoidable, but you can't let them turn into "immersion."

-I've mentioned before that choosing this career as a way to heal oneself usually leads to becoming a poor therapist—mostly because they actually need the therapy themselves.
-The best therapists are often those who managed to resolve their own "diagnoses" long before they ever sat across from a patient.

I also agree that people with past life struggles can make excellent therapists, but only under one condition: they must have fully processed and mastered their own issues. There needs to be a period of complete "recovery," followed by several years of stability before they should work with patients. This applies to all demographics, including working with adolescents...😉

redbison65 said:🙄

I honestly haven't noticed anyone looking like Freud, but I suppose I should give a proper response to such a legendary assumption...

Sure, psychiatrists are totally clueless, and they probably spend endless years during their medical school training—especially those coming from neurology—and then more during their psychiatric residency, just trying to mimic Freud's vibe.

I bet they have his portrait hanging in every lecture hall, so they eventually start looking like him physically too. Of course, I’m strictly talking about the psychiatrists here.
As for female psychiatrists, they tend to channel Anna Freud, Nancy Chodorow, or Karen Horney instead; after all, it's a bit difficult for women to pull off that signature Freud beard, and most people swapped out those old-school glasses for soft contact lenses a long time ago...

Listen, don't make me send you a picture of myself!!!!! 😍 👍
(Mr. Social Psychology) if you were actually thinking about psychologists or others too

Carol Lee4 said:I’ve mentioned this before, but I really think choosing a career in therapy as a way to heal yourself usually backfires, because most of the people who dive into this field for that reason end up being pretty mediocre therapists—mostly because they actually need to be sitting on the other side of the couch themselves.

So, are you one of those types? 🙂

I totally agree that people who have actually wrestled with their own demons tend to make much better therapists, but there’s a massive catch—you can't just jump straight from your own crisis into someone else's head. You have to truly face everything, get a handle on your baggage, and reach a point of complete healing before you even think about sitting across from a patient. Honestly, I feel like you need at least a few years of solid stability under your belt after finding that peace. This goes for pretty much everyone, including those working with teenagers...😉

So, yeah, I guess I'm one of those people.🙂 Whatever issue I manage to tackle... if I can nail that one thing, it feels like I might actually have some leverage over everything else going on in people's lives too.

I honestly feel like the real issue is that most psychiatrists out there are just way too healthy, or they've never actually hit rock bottom themselves, so they can't truly wrap their heads around what a patient is going through.
I’ve noticed this pattern with quite a few psychiatrists lately, and even with one really highly regarded psychoanalyst. I get that her whole approach is built on the idea that she shouldn't be overly empathetic with her patients, but still... I honestly wasn't sure if she actually understood what it feels like to live with BPD.

Honestly, I gotta tell you... you don't even get what Borderline actually is. It’s honestly kind of shocking how little you seem to understand about it, or any other personality disorder for that matter.

Look, at the end of the day, having a degree doesn't mean much—not even if you've got a Master’s or finished some fancy internship—if you just don't have that raw talent or the natural instinct for what you do.

I gotta say, I was pretty bummed out by how little people actually seem to get when it comes to personality disorders.😲 👎

HR123 said:You’ve probably noticed that every other psychiatrist looks like they stepped straight out of a Freud biopic. Honestly? I think more than 80% of them don't actually understand psychology; they just pose as if they do to ride Freud's coattails. You see them all with the same stubble and glasses, splitting themselves into little "Freudian" or Jungian cliques, completely ignoring modern psychological advancements. They act like what they learned thirty years ago is some kind of immutable law, as if psychology were math or something. In my opinion, these types can be incredibly damaging to patients seeking help for emotional issues. Instead of actually solving anything, they’ll likely just sedate you with enough pills to make you sleep for two days straight.

I know two guys with stubble😍
one is way too skinny, so he wears the beard to make his face look wider (he's pretty narcissistic, too)
the other one is just lazy, sloppy, and generally disorganized... plus he works way too much,
he doesn't have time to organize himself,🤣
and neither of them ever looked up to Freud.

Robert Diaz7 said:Are you one of those people? 🙂

Yeah, I’m definitely one of those🙂 who feels like solving one issue gives me some kind of leverage over similar problems in others..

I honestly think the issue is that most psychiatrists are just way too "healthy," or they've never actually faced true mental "rock bottom," so they can't genuinely connect with a patient.
I've noticed this with several psychiatrists, even with a highly regarded psychoanalyst. Sure, her approach dictates she shouldn't be overly empathetic with patients, but still... I wasn't convinced she actually understood what it's like—to live with borderline

And let's be real... you don't get what borderline even is. It's honestly shocking how little understanding you have about it... or any other personality disorders

Look, a degree, a Master's, even an internship—none of that matters if you don't have the actual talent or the intuition for it..

But that level of ignorance regarding personality disorders was genuinely disappointing😲 👎

😕
What a conclusion! And what a delusion... "too healthy psychiatrists"?!
Listen, I work in this field, and I can tell you for a fact they aren't any "healthier" than the general public... and the psychology departments (at universities)
😍
speak for themselves..
So many people study psychology just to try and figure out their own disorders..
..The end of your post actually aligns with my point, so we're in agreement there 👍

Harold Adams5 said:😕
what a wild conclusion to jump to, and honestly, such a misconception... saying they're all "too mentally healthy"?!
look, I actually work in that field, and I can tell you for a fact they aren't any more "well-adjusted" than anyone else out there... plus, if you look at the psychology departments (like over at Stanford or Yale)
😍
it really speaks for itself..
so many people end up studying psychology just to try and make sense of their own internal messes..
..the end of your post actually lines up with what I'm saying, so I guess we're on the same page there👍

okay, I phrased that wrong. It's not that they're "too healthy," it's more like they've just never actually had to face their own stuff—their issues never got intense enough to force them into a psychiatrist's office to work through those conflicts.. so they never even realized they had deep-seated problems, which makes them seem "perfectly fine" from the outside because they haven't done the work to become self-aware...

I truly believe that if you've dealt with mental health struggles in the past and actually resolved them, it makes you a much better psychotherapist later on... so enrolling in school isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's actually worse to have that syndrome where nothing was ever diagnosed and you never even confront your own pathologies

if you've never personally felt what it's like to struggle, how are you supposed to know what it feels like for someone else?!
everyone has a little bit of baggage, so I feel like every single psychiatrist should go through that phase of facing the "unhealthy" parts of themselves

labellina said:😕
What a conclusion! And what an illusion... "psychiatrists are too mentally sound"?!
Look, I work in that field, and I can say with absolute certainty that they aren't any "healthier" than the rest of the population... and the psychology departments (at the universities)
😍
speak for themselves...
So many people study psychology just to try and figure out their own issues...
..the end of your post actually ties right back into my point, so we’re on the same page there👍

-"psychiatrists are too mentally sound"—I was simply quoting Robert Diaz7, that's what he wrote
- I was lucky enough to live in Germany, where I studied both psychology and sociology, earned my degrees, and completed a master's in social psychology. After that, I finished a four-year clinical training program to become a therapist and practiced professionally abroad (I currently run a very successful private practice). However, I've been based in Washington, D.C. for a while now, working on various projects and seeing patients as part of a geriatric care team at a state institution—so I'm not fully up to speed on the current state of affairs at the Harvard Psychology Department. What I do know is that before the 90s, the programs in Washington, D.C. weren't widely recognized in Western Europe, though I'm not sure how that stands today

- Choosing a specific major for personal reasons is a well-known phenomenon; I've actually written about this before, even in this PDF. It doesn't have to be a negative thing at all. In fact, the most important thing is that the student becomes self-aware and works through their own struggles. Besides, after graduating, there's always four years of specialized clinical training. During that time, even a licensed psychologist undergoes psychotherapy themselves. They aren't permitted to treat patients until that entire educational process is complete
- Robert Diaz7's insults toward me reflect more on him than they do on me (it’s not about what is being said, but rather who is saying it)
- If we are colleagues, then we should be able to have a competent discussion regarding borderline personality structures or various disorders. It’s common knowledge that every therapist gravitates toward a specific school of thought, and not all therapists agree on everything (just like in any other science)—on any single topic, you'll find hundreds of scientists publishing completely different theories, analyses, and papers...
- Patients with the exact same diagnosis don't behave identically, nor does every diagnosis present with the same symptoms... as I mentioned before,
"every single person is unique"
- Anyway, if you work in this industry, most of the things discussed here should be familiar to you, and Robert Diaz7's reactions should serve as a pretty clear indicator of what's really going on here

Best,