Picture this: a mom who fought tooth and nail to embrace her true self, only to be blindsided in her son’s therapy session, where her identity becomes the scapegoat for his harmful actions. This Redditor’s AITA post is a heart-wrenching dive into family tension, where a mother’s coming out as gay at 38 collides with her teenage son’s troubling behavior.
After her son was expelled for bullying a peer with hateful notes, she hoped therapy would set him straight—only to feel attacked when the session turned into a blame game. Want the full scoop? Check out the raw story below!
This tale is a gut-punch of love, pain, and clashing perspectives. With Reddit buzzing and emotions running high, let’s unpack this drama with a sprinkle of wit and a whole lot of heart to see where the truth lies.
Brace yourself for a family saga that’s messier than a soap opera finale! Here’s the original post:
The original poster (OP) came out three years ago, divorcing her husband and changing the shape of her family forever. Since then, she’s been rebuilding her life, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. But her 15-year-old son, Brian, has been spiraling. His latest act? Leaving cruel notes in a gay student’s locker, words that weaponized identity in the ugliest way.
When OP confronted him, Brian lashed out, using a slur against her and blaming her for “hurting” his dad. Hoping to confront the issue through therapy, OP booked a session. What happened next, though, caught her off guard.
Brian told the therapist that her coming out caused him to associate being gay with pain. He said that his feelings of betrayal and anger stem from watching his family fall apart. Instead of being redirected, Brian was encouraged to talk more and OP felt the blame shift entirely to her. She left the session in frustration, unwilling to hear her identity used as a scapegoat.
From her perspective, this wasn’t therapy. It was a justification for homophobia, a subtle message that being gay can be traumatic for others. For someone who has already survived depression and ostracization, this felt like too much.
But therapists, and many Redditors saw it differently.
Therapy often starts with giving space for unfiltered emotion. Brian wasn’t being told he was right, he was being told he was heard. Clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour explains that for teens to change, especially after trauma or disruption, they need to express their raw feelings before they’re ready to challenge them. In this case, Brian’s feelings of loss and abandonment, no matter how misplaced, need to surface for any progress to be made.
That doesn’t excuse his bullying. But it contextualizes it.
What hurt OP is understandable. She came seeking accountability for her son’s homophobia and felt like the session shifted the burden back to her, as if coming out was the real offense. But therapy isn’t about blame; it’s about breaking down defenses. And that takes time, even if it’s messy.
Her walkout, while emotionally valid, may have signaled to Brian that his emotions, however flawed, are dangerous to share. And for a young person in pain, that silence can be far more damaging than a difficult conversation.
Expert Insight
Psychologically speaking, when kids experience divorce or identity shifts within a family, it’s not uncommon for them to develop misplaced resentment. According to a 2023 American Psychological Association study, over 30% of teens in post-divorce households show signs of behavioral disruption. Without intervention, that resentment can morph into harmful ideologies — especially when grief, identity confusion, and peer pressure collide.
The therapist’s role here wasn’t to let Brian off the hook. It was to get him talking to pull the thread of his pain until it unravels. Then, and only then, can new understanding form.
For OP, the challenge is to stay involved in the healing process without allowing herself to be re-traumatized. Boundaries can exist and healing can continue but both require effort and emotional bravery.
Commenters agree the original poster is the AH—not for being a bad parent, but for misunderstanding the purpose of therapy and centering their own hurt instead of allowing their son the space to process his emotions.
Many commenters emphasized that therapy is about understanding and healing—not quick fixes.
Reddit users overwhelmingly sided against the father, arguing that his actions in the therapy session reflected a deep misunderstanding of how therapy works and a lack of empathy for his son’s pain.
Are these opinions pure gold or just Reddit’s loud peanut gallery? You decide!
This story is a tangled knot of identity, grief, and the long road to mutual understanding. OP stood up for her dignity, but may have stepped away from an opportunity to guide her son through his own darkness. Therapy isn’t about silence or instant resolution, it’s about peeling back the pain, layer by layer.
So, was OP wrong to leave? Maybe not in her heart. But in terms of healing her family, walking out might have paused a process that desperately needs to move forward.
What do you think? Would you have stayed in the session, or protected your peace by walking out too? Can self-love and parental duty coexist when identity is on trial?
Let us know in the comments — this is one conversation worth having.
