I can offer some general insights into possible reasons why your therapist may have reacted in a withdrawn and closed-off manner after the incident you described.
Boundary Setting: Therapists maintain professional boundaries to ensure a safe and effective therapeutic environment. If you expressed anger towards your therapist during the session, it might have prompted her to reinforce these boundaries and create some emotional distance to protect both her well-being and the therapeutic process.
Processing the Session: The outburst of anger might have been unexpected for the therapist, and she may have needed time to process the incident and its impact on the therapeutic relationship. She might have become guarded as a way to manage her own emotional reactions to the situation.
Maintaining Objectivity: To be effective, therapists often need to maintain a degree of emotional detachment during sessions. Your anger may have triggered her need to maintain objectivity, so she could continue to support you in the therapeutic process without being affected by her emotions.
Concern for Your Well-being: Your therapist might have felt that the session needed to be cut short to protect your emotional well-being. If the intensity of the situation was overwhelming for you, she may have wanted to ensure you had time to process the emotions or discuss them in a more controlled setting.
Seeking Supervision or Support: Therapists sometimes seek guidance from supervisors or colleagues after challenging sessions. She might have wanted to discuss the incident with a supervisor to gain perspective and ensure she was handling the situation appropriately.
It's essential to recognize that therapists are human too and have their emotional responses to challenging situations. Their primary goal is to provide you with a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, and sometimes, that might involve temporary emotional distance or a decision to end a session for the well-being of both the client and the therapist.
If you feel comfortable doing so, it might be helpful to bring up your feelings about the incident during your next session. Open communication can foster a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives and can lead to a stronger therapeutic relationship. If you find it challenging to address the issue with your current therapist, you can also consider discussing your concerns with another mental health professional or seeking guidance from an appropriate support network.