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The Angry Therapist Podcast

Do You Ever Carry Someone You Couldn't Save?

The Angry Therapist Podcast

John Kim

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 September 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today’s deeply moving episode, John shares a story most therapists would never dare reveal - the client who still haunts him years later. This isn’t about clinical textbooks or success stories. It’s about the raw, unfiltered truth of what happens when therapy collides with real life, addiction, and the weight of responsibility no one prepares you for. What you’ll learn: Why peace matters more than ever in today’s noisy world The hidden trauma therapists experience alongside their clients What it feels like when a client disappears under your care Why not every therapist is “the one” who changes a client’s life How to protect your peace and boundaries, even in chaos Where do you find peace - and how do you protect it? Drop your answer in the comments. Read more chapters from John’s upcoming book HERE Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jump into John’s new Single. On Purpose app⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

phone off friends clue liz she was officially missing and suddenly it was on me you know i was the

0:07.6

person responsible for this person's life her mom didn't panic she stayed calm almost too calm

0:14.0

but she did turn to me for the next move and it was like she thought i knew what the hell i was

0:20.0

doing and to be honest, I didn't.

0:21.9

I mean, I've never been responsible for someone's life like this.

0:25.8

My chest was on fire.

0:26.9

My head was spinning.

0:28.4

And I'd never been in this situation before.

0:31.0

And suddenly it was on me to fix it.

0:33.4

And I replayed every session like a reel I couldn't stop.

0:36.9

Every time I told myself, she was strong enough, sober enough, ready to transition.

0:42.7

Every time I believed her, she said she could handle it.

0:46.3

You know, and now she was gone, missing.

0:49.4

A human under my care vanished into the city.

0:52.9

And my stomach dropped. My skin went cold my i thought my career

0:57.4

was over and also like with this family if they sue me oh my god my life can be over right

1:03.3

i'm john kim a licensed therapist who used to be a miserable fuck before going on a hero's journey and turning expired relationships into revelations.

1:15.1

I use my story to help others come with you instead of at you, unrehearsed on purpose, because self-help doesn't have to be polished or complicated.

1:25.0

Just honest.

1:38.2

On today's episode, I'm going to share with you a story about a client that I still carry because what happened with me and this client was traumatic.

1:42.3

And it's a chapter of my new book titled,

1:44.3

shit, your therapist would never tell you. I'm writing this book because I want to not only

...

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