Abigayle Lipscomb 

Staff Writer

atl5355@psu.edu

Every once in a while, we all feel the need to get something off our chests as all the stress from our daily lives start to build up. Most people do this in the form of venting, which normally consists of complaining about mundane things, like failing an important test, or somebody not doing their part of a group project. Though, some people take it a little too far and a little too personal, and instead of venting, they trauma dump. 

Trauma dumping is when someone inappropriately overshares their traumatic experiences to another who did not consent or ask for these details to be shared with them. 

A therapist on TikTok, Ilene Glance, came under fire after posting a video criticizing how clients would present their problems during their first session. The video in question is her lip syncing to an audio with the caption, “When a client wants to trauma dump first session,” followed by the video description, “Not happening on my watch ever again.”

This had commenters very upset and worried about her clients, as this was not a professional attitude for a therapist. Other therapists had their own opinions, as this was no way to address a client’s way of unfolding their trauma during any session, with many saying it’s impossible to trauma dump on a therapist. 

Given the definition, it is impossible to trauma dump on a therapist. Therapy is an environment that is designed for a person to be able to share their deepest secrets and their most traumatic events, as there is a trained professional there to help the patient sort and process through said events. 

Therapy is also supposed to be a safe space for victims to share whatever is on their minds, and once that safety is gone, it’s difficult to gain back. So if any person who was in therapy saw this video, it could end badly. Meaning, the video could not only affect Glance’s clients, but also the clients of other therapists. This could cause them to overthink each session and not share vital information that could help them get a proper diagnosis or get closer to the root of their problems. This could also deter people from going to therapy as a whole in fear of being judged by someone who is mainly supposed to listen and help guide them through whatever needs to be worked out. 

Though, even after watching the video and reading the comments, I do believe that TikTok’s retaliation has gotten out of hand. Because while I agree that this therapist should’ve never taken her thoughts to the social media platform, it’s rather ridiculous that a large number of people from the internet are interfering in her actual life.