Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Nope, there are job listings for unlicensed therapy positions in some very surprising venues. I know there are lots of qualifications you CAN get, but as long as you say you're unlicensed, there's nothing stopping you practicing "therapy" if you can find someone to give you money for it. It's how people end up with the idea that therapy is crap and of no help, and the reason I said to ask for a real professional rather than taking what you get, like some student or volunteer.
You can certainly "call" yourself a therapist, if you'd like a fraud charge.
Nope. 95% of therapists suck. Very clueless people in it for the wrong reason.
I had to laugh at this reply! I'm not this negative on the topic, but this comes closer to my thinking than a rosy endorsement of psychiatry in general.
I will say this, if you find a real change in your ability to deal with your life and your issues within the first three months of seeing a mental health professional, then it is working for you. If you don't, then long-term treatment with that professional is pointless for you.
The three months is only mildly arbitrary - if you are going to see results - they should be obvious within a short period of time. If you don't see short term results, you are just as well off finding a friend to go have coffee with instead. Or go to confession.
My opinion here is research based. In studies comparing people in therapy to people just living their lives and dealing with their issues, those in long-term treatment actually came out having issues LONGER than the people who had no professional "help".
I believe someone characterized psychiatrists as paid friends. I think there can be a lot of accuracy in that.
Also, in many instances, I think the mental health pro is hamstrung. All they have is what you tell them in their office. They don't see you in real life. I've witnessed people reach very wrong conclusions this way. A simple visit or two to spend time observing you interact at home or in your real life could mean a world of difference. I believe this is especially pertinent when family or partners are part of the issue. We all act differently at home then we do when out. For some people, this difference is quite large, and important.
If a therapist/psychologist can't fix you, why go? What should a therapist/psychologist do in your session with them?
I went to a psychologist and all he did was listen. He never offered any suggestions or anything at all. He had me fill out a questionnaire about my childhood. I couldn't remember much so I couldn't answer all the questions.
As I remember, you pay a large sum of money for the first session. Then after that it is less. So shopping around could be costly.
Have you ever successfully undergone therapy? How long does it take to finally see progress? How is the progress noticed?
I'm in therapy right now.
I came in and was diagnosed with severe depression, but over the months of weekly visits, she has taught me to not go inside of myself to hide when things go wrong, but to stand up and face it head-on, and has been a willing ear for issues I wasn't sure about.
She also practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which has been really helpful to me, to ease and avoid my panic attacks.
If a therapist/psychologist can't fix you, why go? What should a therapist/psychologist do in your session with them?
I went to a psychologist and all he did was listen. He never offered any suggestions or anything at all. He had me fill out a questionnaire about my childhood. I couldn't remember much so I couldn't answer all the questions.
As I remember, you pay a large sum of money for the first session. Then after that it is less. So shopping around could be costly.
Help you solve your own problems yourself. OP isn't a child and shouldn't expect to the therapist to be a surrogate parent. And if OP does, he/she has bigger problems on his/her plate than finding a good therapist
Nope. 95% of therapists suck. Very clueless people in it for the wrong reason.
Do not listen to advice such as this, likely from someone who didn't want to get better, and blames the therapist. You have to want the help, and you have to commit to helping yourself.
If a therapist/psychologist can't fix you, why go? What should a therapist/psychologist do in your session with them?
Quoting for truth!
A therapist who can't/won't/doesn't fix you is like an IT guy who sits there and compassionately listens to how you can't get e-mail on your computer, but can't/won't/doesn't at least try reinstalling Microsoft Outlook.
I know...too bad I was young & dumb. I called when I found out and the office said "she has left the practice."
This was likely not under her own steam. Breaking confidentiality is grounds for no longer working in the field, as it is counter to the governing ethical principle of avoiding maleficence.
Your mental health professional cannot "fix" you. All they can do is help you understand your problems, how you are causing them, and possible ways to change your way of thinking until your problems are lessened. Successful treatment is achieved when you are no worse off than normal, healthy people. (Nobody is perfect.)
They help you understand yourself, but the patient is the one who does the fixing by changing the way they think. Nobody but the patient can do that.
Think of the mental health professional as a trained psychological mirror.
And they can't just emit "healing rays" that automatically fix you. Only you can fix yourself by changing. The psychologist merely helps you discover what you need to change to become fixed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
