quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

some (not all) go into the profession because they have serious mental issues themselves and they use their profession to mask their own mental issues

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In quality programs these individuals are weeded out and encouraged to go into research. It is the same way with all professions.

I really hope you're right.

Some are much better at masking their mental issues than others. On the surface they can be likable, confident and outgoing. They mingle well, can be good public speakers and seem to have it all together but inside they are a raging tempest. They make sure that anyone who knows who they really are, are far removed. They care about one thing, and that is how other people who don't know who they really are perceive them. I only know this because I have first hand experience with this kind of person.

Choose your therapist wisely. Make sure they have good credentials.

Also note: Despite my personal experience, I have used a therapist for a short time in the past. It was just enough for him to say "You have a firm grip on reality and your life situation." He didn't think I needed further treatment.

Tony.

There are those like Smithmsigs wife who benefits the lives they touch. My experience with mental health professionals in the VA system, school systems, and in the private sector has been less than stellar to say the least. In dealing with veterans, it appears to be all guess work and throwing darts. What, the lithium doesn’t work, let’s try some Thorazine for a while. Medieval skill levels and no accountability. When the patient is discharged they are kept medicated to keep them out of trouble and as a CYA for the VA. Look how many students are given retalin because they are over active and cause a distraction in the classroom. A huge increase in retalin prescription in the 70-80s and beyond. No confidence in what I have seen.

We adopted a girl that came to our home when she was four and she was as close to a feral child as I had ever seen. She had no concept of rules and for years she literally had to fight to eat and for anything else she needed. She could be sweet as could be until the survival instinct kicked in.

We were doing our best with the counselors and psychiatrist that were provided by the State when she was a foster child (not much choice). I would say that those folks tended to be more along the lines of snake oil, mostly because the psychiatrists were overrun with patients and the therapists were a revolving door. For over two years no one got beyond the "building a relationship" stage with her which basically consisted of them showing up once a week to get us to sign a form that they had seen her while they watched her color.

After the adoption went through and we had the option of paying for and choosing our own counselors and psychiatrist we now have a team of VERY effective dedicated folks. These counselors and psychiatrist are not only are helping her, but are helping us by training us how to deal with her effectively without escalating issues and causing setbacks.

She is still struggling with her demons... and they say that as she unpacks all the shit that she went through things could get worse before they get better. It is likely that she'll be dealing with this well into adulthood. Even so, I've seen major changes in her with the biggest being that she now will say on her own that she feels safe with us. She shows compassion and maturity that were not at all present only a couple of years ago. That alone is worth the cost and frustration.

It is VERY hard. Not only in dealing with her but in dealing with those who interact with her without the understanding that she isn't the same as other kids. She says that she understands that there is NOTHING that she can do that will make us not love her (although she often does things that make us not like her at that moment)... but man some days it seems as though she is testing that theory.

Licensed Counselors (requirements for licensing varies by state, more so than other psychological fields) have their place. If they stay in their lane. I've experienced a lot who don't seem to know where they should stop, or aren't trained enough to recognized when they are in over their heads. I've seen a lot of them do a lot of damage.

That topic is well covered here already.

I know of one that is well trained at his limited expertise and good at staying in his lane. He's inspired me to consider doing the same, simply for a limited group of specific people. There seems to be a need.

The more training and education I get, the more I realized I have to learn. Some people haven't reached that point yet, and they are dangerous in these fields.

Worked as an enlisted therapist in the Army. During the 17 years I worked with some outstanding professionals. I also had to deal with some that should have never been in the profession.
Put it this way, when you go to a therapist you must feel comfortable with them. There must be mutual trust. At the same time you need to be challenged and yes, face some uncomfortable facts. It pays to shop around.
“Hocus Pocus?” Each therapist has a number of tools he uses. Some seem magical. At the same time they are dealing with humans. It’s amazing what the human mind can do.
Generally, people need someone to talk to. Someone that’s outside the family, work or friend’s. A safe place to dump what’s bugging them. What does the therapist do? They ask questions, or paraphrase what the person said. The tactic of “You need to do this.” is a guarantee that they won’t.

Some good, some bad. It’s true that some go into such fields in hopes of self diagnosing. Dated one of those and she turned out to be great at masking crazy until it could cause maximum carnage.

I think it depends potentially on the individual. I started seeing one when I was having some marital problems, and I find it useful to have a sounding board as well as a discussion that sometimes helps me put my finger on why I feel or act a certain way. Likewise one of my best friends is an LPC, and my own therapist has helped me to understand better the utter closeness that friend and I feel.

At one point, I would have thought it snake oil; now, I think it's definitely a good thing assuming the provider is good. For things like dealing with grief, major life changes, etc, having that third party to talk to can definitely be useful. Especially when he or she will call you on your bullshit. It has damn sure helped me understand why things didn't work in my marriage, and has helped me on the road to ensuring such things don't happen the next time around.

quote:

Originally posted by smithnsig:
My wife is an LCSW who is also a clinical diagnostician determining how early Autism can be detected during infancy. She is also a certified counselor.

It’s good for kids with certain issues, autism, and end of life counseling. She also works at a cancer center and has to see kids who are losing a parent to cancer. So it’s good for people who need a nudge in the right direction in how to deal with stuff.

Holy coincidence, Batman! My wife, too, is LCSW, and worked with autistic kids. She was the director of a day care program for the kids. It was in a farm-like setting, sort of a petting zoo with farm animals. She took the kids on outings to do everyday things, like shopping at the grocery store, going to a theater for a kids' show, even the occasional overnight camp with some parents along. She loved the work, loved the kids, and they loved her back.

Later, she worked in the mental health wing of a local hospital for almost ten years, left that when the bureaucracy, which got worse every year, finally got totally out of touch with the reality of patients' needs.

As a long-time LCSW, she has supervised new graduates.

She has had a private practice, contracting in a psychiatric office as a counselor / therapist, for many years and is overdue for retirement, but she just can't seem to let it go. She is fully booked, weeks in advance, with wait lists for cancellations. She has been a positive influence in many peoples' lives, helped them identify the causes of their problems and watched them take corrective action.

Sounds like a saint? I think that might be a valid description.

I'm not sure who wrote this song. It might have been Tom Lehrer, but I don't know for sure.

quote:

Oh, it happened in Vienna, not so very long ago,
When not too many folks were getting sick
That a starving young physician tried to better his position
By discovering what made his patients tick

Oh, Dr. Freud, oh, Dr. Freud
How I wish that you'd been otherwise employed
For the set of circumstances sure enhances the finances
Of the followers of Dr. Sigmund Freud

He forgot about sclerosis, but invented the psychosis
And a hundred ways that sex could be enjoyed
He adopted as his credo, "Down repression, up libido"
And that was the start of Dr. Sigmund Freud

Now he analyzed the dreams of the teens and libertines
And he substituted monologues for pills
He drew crowds just like Wells Sadler, when along came Jung and Adler
Who said, "By God, there's gold in them thar ills"

They encountered no resistance when they served as Freud's Assistants
As with Ego and with Id, they deftly toyed
And instead of toting bedpans, they bore analytic deadpans
Those ambitious doctors, Adler, Jung, and Freud

Now the big three have departed, not so the cult they started
It's been carried on by many a goodly band
And to trauma, shock, and more shock, someone went and added Rorshach
Now the thing has got completely out of hand

Now old men with double chinseys and a million would be Kinseys
Will discuss it at the drop of a repression
I wouldn't be complaining, but for all the dough I'm paying
To lie on someone's couch and say confession.

I once worked in a building that had a number of medical offices. One office was a group of psychologists. What a group of nut cases. I could not imagine that they could help anyone. Are they all like that? I surely hope not! I think that saying that would be beyond my knowledge of the profession.
Rod

Some are helpful, and some aren't.

Some conditions are responsive to such therapy and some are not.

I've had my own struggles and realized there are good therapists and bad ones just like any other professions. Sometimes its just a matter of finding one that's a good fit for you.

I'd like to point out blanket statements are ignorant and rarely suit any topic.

V-Tail: Pretty sure that’s a Tom Lehrer song.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
I'm not sure who wrote this song. It might have been Tom Lehrer, but I don't know for sure.

quote:

Oh, it happened in Vienna, not so very long ago,
When not too many folks were getting sick
That a starving young physician tried to better his position
By discovering what made his patients tick

Oh, Dr. Freud, oh, Dr. Freud
How I wish that you'd been otherwise employed
For the set of circumstances sure enhances the finances
Of the followers of Dr. Sigmund Freud

He forgot about sclerosis, but invented the psychosis
And a hundred ways that sex could be enjoyed
He adopted as his credo, "Down repression, up libido"
And that was the start of Dr. Sigmund Freud

Now he analyzed the dreams of the teens and libertines
And he substituted monologues for pills
He drew crowds just like Wells Sadler, when along came Jung and Adler
Who said, "By God, there's gold in them thar ills"

They encountered no resistance when they served as Freud's Assistants
As with Ego and with Id, they deftly toyed
And instead of toting bedpans, they bore analytic deadpans
Those ambitious doctors, Adler, Jung, and Freud

Now the big three have departed, not so the cult they started
It's been carried on by many a goodly band
And to trauma, shock, and more shock, someone went and added Rorshach
Now the thing has got completely out of hand

Now old men with double chinseys and a million would be Kinseys
Will discuss it at the drop of a repression
I wouldn't be complaining, but for all the dough I'm paying
To lie on someone's couch and say confession.

Dave Lazar is credited with the song, and it was performed originally by the Chad Mitchell trio.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
Is this discipline fairly legitimate, or are they like the Chiropractors of mental health?

First step would be to define what you or whomever may need. As in, is it just go talk to someone? Or is the situation more dire?

Then go talk to a counselor at least, they will have enough sense to point you in the right direction. Generally.

Psychiatry and psychology are not snake oil, as others have said, the practitioner applying such is key. Finding the right fit, as well as any way to check credentials is very important.

I'm skeptical of anyone in a rush to prescribe drugs, but there are indeed people out there who need medication. Psychotherapy itself can be very beneficial, but not on the unwilling.

The mental health care people I have been acquainted with have needed more help than their patients.

I remember seeing some graffiti years ago: "Support mental health, or I'll kill you."

quote:

there is NOTHING that she can do that will make us not love her (although she often does things that make us not like her at that moment)... but man some days it seems as though she is testing that theory.

This is every kid... not just yours or adopted kids! Lol.. Glad she has you, she has a happy path ahead of her which she would have never had if not for you.



Back to the OP... as has been said some are good and some aren't. We went to a couple for some marriage counseling a few years ago, one was lame as hell, the other was actually very good. The first one was a bunch of lame pop psychology BS, the second one was more "cut the BS and say what you are thinking"

My daughter has had issues with anxiety for years as well as being diagnosed as bi-polar.

In addition to having a doc who put her on and balanced her meds after some trial and error she was also seeing the "talk - doc" and her experience was mixed, one really bad one who did nothing for her and a couple of good ones. What she found was that after a while it was kind of the same thing and same conversation over and over again and she didn't feel it was helping her.

As an alternative, she found a peer support group where she can sit with people having similar challenges and share/learn from them.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Psychotherapy itself can be very beneficial, but not on the unwilling.

This last sentence is the key. If you are unwilling to acknowledge that there is an issue or that there needs to be some change, nothing is going to help