Dr. Sara Elizabeth Oppenheim, PhD

Therapy is transformative for many people. It can be a great thing. But what happens to the patient when their therapist is unprofessional, emotionally abusive and smashes through boundaries like a bull in a China shop? I'm thinking about this after stopping a very long therapeutic relationship with Dr. Sara Oppenheim. It was one where she told me more about herself than I know about my sister. For Sara, it was "My mother," this and "my kids" that. The father of her children "doesn't know how to dress." Her once vibrant father, who suffered from Alzheimer's, was living in diapers. And so, so much more about friends, family and patients. Or, trashing the customs of other people. These things weren't said in a helpful way, like, "This is what is happening to me, let's frame it in a therapeutic way to address your needs. " No, this was Sara Oppenheim telling me Marlon Brando was the love of her mother's life (she knew him). And how beautiful her mother was. She was. I see it in the… picture she sent me of her mother. Twice. Her father was the love of Leonard Bernstein's life, Sara said, while steering me to the Library of Congress to view their letters. So much more. Now that I no longer see her and am with another DBT psychotherapist, I realize there may have been too much self-disclosure and self interest on her part for me to receive effective and truly lasting help. There may have been too much left that I was not understanding. It makes me think about all of the years I, speaking for myself, might have spent with a different, more effective therapist for my needs.

Incapable of having a philosophical conversation that can probe one’s psychology. Doesn’t realize the ways in which she acts intolerant towards people with clinical conditions- she will make the case that you are too messed up for her to even try to help you, and after only 2 sessions in which she will talk largely about herself. Innocently unselfaware at best, but too incompetent for anyone trying to do the real work.

I had an intake appointment at which I brought up my frustrations with the political divisiveness currently. Dr. Oppenheim went into a political rant and became defensive about her views. This was an unacceptable way to treat me and I left her offices feeling very hurt. Therapists should make you feel better not worse.