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Old 03-31-2011, 03:09 PM
 
Location: El Paso, TX
3,494 posts, read 4,537,452 times
Reputation: 3026

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Quote:
Originally Posted by artsyguy View Post
Is psychotherapy useless?

After all the cases and books I've read of disappointed clients and unethical therapists and counselors I've come to my conclusion that psychotherapy and psychology is virtually useless.

Your thoughts....let's be for real.
I have also read of satisfied clients and ethical therapists and counselors. My conclusion is that there are good and bad apples like in any group and that to me is real and has a more complete picture, take care.
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Old 04-01-2011, 03:19 PM
 
3 posts, read 3,875 times
Reputation: 17
There are many problems with psychotherapy that most therapists don't have the courage to face.

Few practitioners have the slightest understanding of their own projections and constructs. Many use their profession to recreate their own rescue and power fantasies. All is fine as long as the a client maintains a compliant role. But burst into the therapist's fantasized play house, and the therapist drops all professional demeanor, usefully adopting some far-fetched "therapeutic" rationalization for doing so.

One of therapy's follies is that therapists lead most patients into ungrounded idolizing about who they are and what they do. They encourage the magical thinking that the client somehow can redo childhood or be reparented by the therapist. This is play-acting, of course, with a magical, childish world that PRETENDS to guide a client toward autonomy. What a paradox. In general therapy reinforces the authoritarian construct of the therapist as expert and the client as the enfeebled supplicant. In truth it's taking the client backwards.

Reinforcing negativity and self-pity, emphasizing introspection over action, replacing real life with the consulting room, these are more reasons why therapy is more self-perpetuating than healing.

Now, if any professionals read this post, chances are they will be defensive and self-protective. The therapists don't take criticism well. Watch them pull out the authoritarian, shaming, labeling artillery-- another thing the insecure therapist often does to his client.

Last edited by missbelladog; 04-01-2011 at 03:38 PM..
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Old 04-02-2011, 04:38 PM
 
507 posts, read 1,534,632 times
Reputation: 831
Quote:
Originally Posted by missbelladog View Post
There are many problems with psychotherapy that most therapists don't have the courage to face.

Few practitioners have the slightest understanding of their own projections and constructs. Many use their profession to recreate their own rescue and power fantasies. All is fine as long as the a client maintains a compliant role. But burst into the therapist's fantasized play house, and the therapist drops all professional demeanor, usefully adopting some far-fetched "therapeutic" rationalization for doing so.

One of therapy's follies is that therapists lead most patients into ungrounded idolizing about who they are and what they do. They encourage the magical thinking that the client somehow can redo childhood or be reparented by the therapist. This is play-acting, of course, with a magical, childish world that PRETENDS to guide a client toward autonomy. What a paradox. In general therapy reinforces the authoritarian construct of the therapist as expert and the client as the enfeebled supplicant. In truth it's taking the client backwards.

Reinforcing negativity and self-pity, emphasizing introspection over action, replacing real life with the consulting room, these are more reasons why therapy is more self-perpetuating than healing.

Now, if any professionals read this post, chances are they will be defensive and self-protective. The therapists don't take criticism well. Watch them pull out the authoritarian, shaming, labeling artillery-- another thing the insecure therapist often does to his client.
Best post I've ever read on the subject

I know some messed up people who are therapists and one of the most messed up is now in school to become a mental health nurse practitioner. It's scary to me that this person will be giving others advice on how to deal with their mental health.
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Old 04-02-2011, 05:04 PM
 
48,505 posts, read 96,603,039 times
Reputation: 18304
I thnik for such things as chemical imbalanced caused problem or defect it does not work. For life experienced caused it can work.
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Old 04-02-2011, 05:14 PM
 
Location: Dayton
5 posts, read 5,505 times
Reputation: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by artsyguy View Post
Is psychotherapy useless?

After all the cases and books I've read of disappointed clients and unethical therapists and counselors I've come to my conclusion that psychotherapy and psychology is virtually useless.

Your thoughts....let's be for real.
I went to a psychology therapist for an anxiety disorder. She did wonders. Not a complete cure, but a significant improvement. I would be curious as to where your opinion comes from.
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