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I for one find them helpful. I know many other people who, although they've never gone, do not like them (like my wife). Some people feel they do more harm than good.
Going to counseling works for me (the few periods of my life that I've reached out to them) because of my perceived role of a psychologist going in -
They are my guide. They are there to help me find my path, a path they've never really seen or understood, but need to figure out based on our interactions. They should provide no solutions or answers or hard courses of actions. They should implant thoughts in my head that coerce me to provide my next move based on all of the past experiences in my head.
I consider myself lucky. My first psychologist, a male, who was also my daughters psychologist when she battled depression, I respected. So when I went to him he fulfilled my perceived role of him - all he did was guide me. Now I have a woman psychologist who I like very much, and to date she approaches her craft in the same way.
It really depends on the psychologist. Many are worthless, and strangely unprepared to help patients do deep work. Others haven't resolved their own emotional issues, so their own psychological hang-ups get in the way of therapy. Some just plain aren't very bright. Some practice in the old Freudian style, where they just sit silently through the session without offering any guidance, feedback, or analysis or information to help the patient. I don't know how that could possibly be helpful, except to people who need nothing more than a sounding board.
Finding a psychologist that's helpful is usually a matter of trying out different ones and finding a good match, or of researching the field, learning about the different treatment styles and specialisations that are out there, and making a selection based on that. There's usually a huge learning curve involved, and some degree or trial and error.
I think theyre generally useless. Its a novel idea to have to think someone will be able to objectively assess your issues and will actually possess some deep, mysterious clinical knowledge that would ideally and heuristically enable you to arrive at more "enlightened" and sober conclusions about your problems. Or the idea that someone will care enough to help you revisit and possibly revise your preconceptions and previously held beliefs, so that you may look at the obstacles you face in a different manner. But usually, they just wind up being pretty simple minded individuals, who try to wedge you into a predefined personality type/psychological state based on some formulaic concoction of vague characteristics they derived from academia, and then, when theyre faced with more granular questions about their analysis of issues, they try to filibuster and repeat their rote psychology concepts until they can get you to agree to change the subject. And then they invariably cap all their psychobabble off with the ol' "but remember: we are just now beginning to unlock all the deep, far reaching secrets of the human mind"....its like, no, the cat is already outta the bag and you dont know what youre talking about, period. More power to them for the people who fall for it though.
Last edited by soletaire; 12-17-2014 at 01:12 PM..
Each is different...I know many (I have MANY friends in the field) that will see
an LCSW...they also know it is the 'person' not the degree they have.
(Oh, Licensed Clinical Social Worker....then a CACIII, many are Certified Addiction Counselors...highest is 3.)
Psychiatrists really listen to the highlights then prescribe.
Gosh, then you have the EMDR and EFT therapists.....you might have meant
psychotherapists in general, not specifically psychologists (PhDs)...I dunno.
I personally have done a couple times at 5 sessions each, diff people/ diff issues,
to work on issues in my 30s -40s....tormenting me and wrecking relationships...
bad patterns/ childhood crap, acting out...blaming...
Brief, get to the point, done... is what I like.
God, they were SMART! Helped me tremendously figure out what was going on.
Now, I wouldn't need that, ha!
There's an old saying, "you never see a motorcycle parked out side of a psychologist's office."
An idle mind is the devil's playground, be active and your problems will all melt away.
If psychologists were so wise none of them would ever get divorced since they would have all of the tools to fix whatever is the problem in their marriage....We have one who lives next door to us who leaves for work at 5:30 AM and doesn't come home til 7....He is either making a ton of money or something is off....I can't imagine patients coming to his office at 6AM....Many times in the summer when it is light out later we see him sitting in his car in front of his house after work for HOURS listening to the radio....His wife doesn't work and it makes you wonder what he is hiding from or if he doesn't have a radio in his house!
If psychologists were so wise none of them would ever get divorced since they would have all of the tools to fix whatever is the problem in their marriage....We have one who lives next door to us who leaves for work at 5:30 AM and doesn't come home til 7....He is either making a ton of money or something is off....I can't imagine patients coming to his office at 6AM....Many times in the summer when it is light out later we see him sitting in his car in front of his house after work for HOURS listening to the radio....His wife doesn't work and it makes you wonder what he is hiding from or if he doesn't have a radio in his house!
Wow. So many misconceptions about psychologists on this thread. I'll start by stating the obvious: Psychologists are human beings, thus, they have flaws and make mistakes, just like everyone else. Being a psychologist doesn't make them a god. Psychology is a helping profession. Their goal is to help their client. But the client has to be willing to put forth the effort to help him/herself as well. A lot of clients go into therapy expecting the psychologist to solve their problems for them. That's not going to happen. A good psychologist offers a roadmap and guides the client toward solving whatever problem or problems that beings him/her to the office.
I have both had psychological training and been to a licensed master's social worker (LMSW) myself. My social worker helped me a great deal. We clicked right away, and she was wickedly funny, and made me relax. Having a good rapport is essential to success with one's psychologist. She didn't offer me solutions as much as give me insight into a complex issue I was having with my family. She saw me on a short term basis, then after six sessions or so, she told me she thought I was doing well and I should just come in when I was having issues. That's another hallmark of a good psychologist. They don't want to keep their clients around forever, but help them solve their problem so they can be successful in their life without them.
I don't know if all counselors are generally like this or if it's just the ones I've seen on television but most of them seem to have basic advice you can give yourself. They don't seem to really have any answers. Their primary purpose seems to be a head and mouthpiece to communicate with that will guide you to the answers you already have within yourself.
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