Narcissistic parents sent 12-year-old to therapy to ‘fix her’ — the therapist’s response gave them an unexpected reality check
Children are often sent to therapy when they're acting up or throwing tantrums, before the real cause can even be verified. When Threads user Jade Nia Uzo (@jadeniauzo) was 12, she faced a similar situation. Her parents criticized her for "upsetting" the family, and before they could even discuss the reason or cause, they decided to take her for therapy. While she was immediately declared the problem that needed to be "fixed," the therapist thought otherwise. Recounting the event in a post on Thursday, April 23, 2026, the therapist rendered one brutally honest response that completely changed the flow of events.
Uzo revealed that she was dealing with her parents' narcissistic abuse. Her reaction would often cause a ruckus at home, and her parents quickly assumed she was "upsetting the family." The family wanted to "fix her," and decided to take her to the therapist. However, what followed left them shocked. The therapist engaged in several sessions with Uzo and told her parents that the problem lied in them and not their daughter. "BOTH of you need to be in therapy. Your daughter is the healthiest in the family," the therapist boldly noted. Unfortunately, her parents could not stomach the reality that was slapped onto their faces, and they never let their daughter visit the doctor ever again.
According to a study published in PMC, parental narcissistic disorder is often known to cause significant damage to the parent-child relationship. "Across studies, parental narcissism was associated with poorer relational and psychological outcomes in children, with effects varying by narcissism subtype, trait facet, and developmental context," the study notes. It was also outlined that narcissistic parents tend to showcase authoritarian parenting, which can cause severe anxiety and depression in children. In Uzo's case, her parents did not like the way she was raising objections to their negative behavior towards her. To gaslight her into believing that she was at fault, the parents found that seeking her therapy would make her "rectify" her mistakes.
It's interesting to note that Uzo's parents were prime examples of narcissism, as they even refused to acknowledge their mistakes despite being pointed out by a professional. This classic case of victim-blaming is what was underscored in the study. The woman's post gained lots of support from online users who shared their thoughts on her ordeal. @soul_archeologist shared, "My mom picked me up from school unannounced when I was 16 and took me to see a therapist. After two sessions, he told me she was the problem, and I needed to keep quiet, do as well in school as I could, and then use college as an exit strategy. I did." @emilymweinstein commented, "I've 'upset' all of my family by not bending to the abusive narcissist." @zillyant1 wrote, "I had the same experience. At 14, my therapist met my parents. Looked at me and said, 'it's not you.'"
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