--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I consulted a therapist at Mass. General…" description: "\"I consulted a therapist at Mass. General. After about 20 minutes, he stopped me and said, 'You're just a big existential garbage pail. Go home and rela..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/956/spalding-gray-16991_bigs_i-consulted-a-therapist-at-mass-general_2176324.png" --- # I consulted a therapist at Mass. General. After about 20… ![“I consulted a therapist at Mass. General. After about 20 minutes, he stopped me and said, 'You're just a big existential garbage pail. Go home and relax.'” quote by Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/956/spalding-gray-16991_bigs_i-consulted-a-therapist-at-mass-general_2176324.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/956/spalding-gray-16991_bigs_i-consulted-a-therapist-at-mass-general_2176324.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/956/spalding-gray-16991_bigs_i-consulted-a-therapist-at-mass-general_2176324.png) > “I consulted a therapist at Mass. General. After about 20 minutes, he stopped me and said, 'You're just a big existential garbage pail. Go home and relax.'” [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Therapist bluntly labels the speaker’s mental clutter, urging a pause and relaxation. **In simple terms:** Therapist calls out mental clutter, suggests taking a break. Key Takeaway Recognize mental overload, allow rest. Themes mental health self-awareness humor Mood reflective lighthearted Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy session - personal crisis - stress relief Key Concepts psychology existentialism self-care Questions to Reflect On - What mental clutter do you notice? - How can humor help or hinder self-care? A Different Perspective Humor may downplay seriousness of mental health issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Therapists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapists/) ## Related quotes > [“I recently consulted to a therapist who felt he had accomplished something by getting his dissociative client to remain in her ANP throughout her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-miller/i-recently-consulted-to-a-therapist-who-felt-he-had-accomplished/) [Alison Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-miller/) > [In the next century, we will be inventing radical new technologies - machine intelligence, perhaps nanotech, great advances in synthetic biology and other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bostrom/in-the-next-century-we-will-be-inventing-radical-new-technologies/) [Nick Bostrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bostrom/) > [My films require that the spectator ask the big existential questions. If you're not interested of turning inwards for answers, my films won't fulfill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-langseth/my-films-require-that-the-spectator-ask-the-big-existential-questions/) Lisa Langseth > [Let me tell you, if your marriage is in trouble, skip the therapist and find a psycho. Nothing brings people together faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-edelstein/let-me-tell-you-if-your-marriage-is-in-trouble-skip-the-therapist-and/) [David Edelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-edelstein/) > [Therapists need to have a long experience in personal therapy to see what it's like to be on the other side of the couch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/therapists-need-to-have-a-long-experience-in-personal-therapy-to-see/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [One reason I can be more tolerant than most is that as a therapist I have the advantage of information about my patients that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-loy-mcginnis/one-reason-i-can-be-more-tolerant-than-most-is-that-as-a-therapist-i/) [Alan Loy McGinnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-loy-mcginnis/) > [My concept of an advice giver had been a therapist or a know-it-all, and then I realized nobody listens to the know-it-alls. You turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-concept-of-an-advice-giver-had-been-a-therapist-or-a-know-it-all/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Surely a good therapist should produce a Dorian Gray-style portrait from under the couch so the patient can see the person they really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamund-lupton/surely-a-good-therapist-should-produce-a-dorian-gray-style-portrait/) [Rosamund Lupton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamund-lupton/) > [I teach people to be flexible, scientific and logical in their thinking and therefore to be less prone to brainwashing by the therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/i-teach-people-to-be-flexible-scientific-and-logical-in-their/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [There are more than enough people with serious mental issues who really do need professional help without all the other Toms, Dicks and Harriets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/there-are-more-than-enough-people-with-serious-mental-issues-who/) [Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/) > [It's always hard for me to find a therapist who is a black woman or even a woman of color. It's something that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/it-s-always-hard-for-me-to-find-a-therapist-who-is-a-black-woman-or/) [Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/) > [“Some expect persons to care for themselves. Sometimes therapists go too far in expecting an individual to perform self-care; some individuals prefer to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-gillen/some-expect-persons-to-care-for-themselves-sometimes-therapists-go/) [Glen Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-gillen/) > [Life as a therapist is ruthless; circumstances that are helpful to one neurotic may crush another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/life-as-a-therapist-is-ruthless-circumstances-that-are-helpful-to-one/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [I know there must be something I should explore about that with my therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-know-there-must-be-something-i-should-explore-about-that-with-my/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) ## More by Spalding Gray > [When Mom had her first nervous breakdown, she said she had a vision of Christ coming to her in the living room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/when-mom-had-her-first-nervous-breakdown-she-said-she-had-a-vision-of/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [“It could drive you mad to wake up to the fact that your whole life has been about chasing some false goal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/it-could-drive-you-mad-to-wake-up-to-the-fact-that-your-whole-life/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [“And in this role (the Stage Manager) I could speak from my heart, you know!…provided I can memorize the lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/and-in-this-role-the-stage-manager-i-could-speak-from-my-heart-you/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [How theraputic it is to surrond yourself with people stranger than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/how-theraputic-it-is-to-surrond-yourself-with-people-stranger-than/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [I was darkly convinced that at age 52 I would kill myself because my mother committed suicide at that age. I was fantasizing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/i-was-darkly-convinced-that-at-age-52-i-would-kill-myself-because-my/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [If I can make people laugh it's like being a good lover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/if-i-can-make-people-laugh-it-s-like-being-a-good-lover/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [What's so fascinating about New Yorkers is that each person has a whole lexicon of personal logic in the way that they decipher and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/what-s-so-fascinating-about-new-yorkers-is-that-each-person-has-a/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [All the beautiful waitresses existed like eternal responsibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/all-the-beautiful-waitresses-existed-like-eternal-responsibilities/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [Skiing is better than sex actually, because for me a good round of sex might be seven minutes. Skiing you can do for seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/skiing-is-better-than-sex-actually-because-for-me-a-good-round-of-sex/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [I say that I can't make anything up. I think of myself as a collage artist. I'm cutting and pasting memories of my life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/i-say-that-i-can-t-make-anything-up-i-think-of-myself-as-a-collage/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [I'm the man who sits behind a table and tells true stories from his life. I'm also an actor. I was trained as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/i-m-the-man-who-sits-behind-a-table-and-tells-true-stories-from-his/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [The only thing I don't doubt is my doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/the-only-thing-i-don-t-doubt-is-my-doubt/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [He won't fly on the Balinese airline, Garuda, because he won't fly on any airline where the pilots believe in reincarnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/he-won-t-fly-on-the-balinese-airline-garuda-because-he-won-t-fly-on/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [When people used to ask me why I got involved with Hollywood films, I would say jokingly that it was for the health insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/when-people-used-to-ask-me-why-i-got-involved-with-hollywood-films-i/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [When I was in therapy about two years ago, one day I noticed that I hadn't had any children. And I like children at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/when-i-was-in-therapy-about-two-years-ago-one-day-i-noticed-that-i/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) [Explore all 38 Spalding Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I consulted a therapist at Mass. General. After about 20 minutes, he stopped me and said, 'You're just a big existential garbage pail. 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