Shitty Shrink

[sugnim]

I went to the county health dept. to get some medication for migraines I've been having, and the dr. told me they offer therapy sessions for $10. I thought that sounded great and I signed up.

When I went to the session, the therapist was ditzy and typed on her computer the whole time. In the first 5 minutes, she told me all about her divorce and how therapy helped her through that. She was probably about 50, and she told me she is a student. I tried really hard, and despite my deep reluctance, I answered all of her questions honestly. At the end of the session, after she had asked about suicidal thoughts, she told me that the best way to stop intrusive thoughts about suicide is to "just think of something that makes you happy!" I felt like it was a huge waste of time, and I really regretted telling her my personal details. She told me "it would be really great if you could come back!" and spoke in this hyper, sort-of salesperson way. Although its affordable, I think I'd be better off not going at all.

 

[watundah]

Ack!!! That is down right scary. Run far, run fast! And please keep looking if you truly want to start therapy.

Reminds me of the time I did a phone interview with a PhD when I was looking for a T...her responses: "hmmm," "huh!" "Oh my" "sounds like you have a lot going on there." I remind myself at times like this that even C and D students can find a job.

Most therapists now offer a free initial phone or F2F consult which is helpful.

 

[JackRJN]

Finding the right therapist might take some time and false starts, so don't waste time amd move on.

 

[Kefira]

I basically interrogate therapists I screen. One of them actually laughed about it with me later, because I have a list and I will call and run down the list. "This is the basic nature of my trauma. What sort of experience do you have treating trauma survivors?" "Here are the highlights of my gender identity and other alternative identifiers- will those be a problem?" "These are my religious views, can you work with that?" And on and on. Disclosure should be able to be on your own time. And personally until I hire them, I ask the questions- they don't need to know that much about me for me to try to determine whether they're qualified to treat me based on their experience and their answers.

I'm sorry you found a dud. At least you know not to waste more time on this one.

 

[Friday]

In my state, until just recently, all one had to do to be a licensed counselor was pay a $30 licensing fee. Yup. That's it. Over 30,000 licensed counselors in my state!

The laws have changed (you now need a 3 week course... Not. Joking. That's all that's required to work in mental health for all govt. agencies, including the majority at Family Court & State Dept. Mental Health clinics).

Compare that to a

• [ 7 ] Psychologist... BA/BS (4 years) + MS (3 years) + Intern (12-18mo + over 1,000 hours of supervised counseling)
• [ 8-10 ] LCSW / MSW lic... (Licensed clinical social worker)...BA or BS (4 years) + MS (3 years) + Internship (12-18mo + over 1,000 hours of supervised counseling).
• [ 8-10 ] ARNP / DNP / PNP... BA/BS (4 years) + Specializing (1 year) + Masters or Doctorate of Nursing in specialty (3-5 years).
  
• [ 10-15 ] Psychiatrist... BA/BS (4 years) + MD (3 years) + Residency/Internship (3-5 years).

Now... Can an idiot make it through 7-15 years of schooling? Yep. But I don't care how effing gifted a person is, 3 weeks of study, versus a minimum of 7 years of study? It acts as a baseline. That very gifted person is going to be wildly different counselor after 3 weeks, or after 7+ years of study. Period.

***
Some of my very best "finds" have been friends. <chuckling> Even a few enemies. The occasional person just met. They either have no educational background in psych whatsoever, or are in school, or have just walked hard roads and come out the other side. I don't need someone to have a fancy degree to take good f*cking advice. I'll take what I can get wherever I can find it. But if I'm not vetting them? (By knowing them.) Baseline, I want a board of peers to have vetted them for me, following a rigorous course of study, before I even think of hiring them. Learned that the hard way ;)

 

[Ronin]

I basically interrogate therapists I screen.

This. I have no spoons & time, not even speaking about the money, to spend on people basically abusing me.

I can do the slower path of finding resources circumstancially & through more looking instead of spending my time with people who aren't qualified, aren't helpful, and aren't willing to work on either.

 

[Deleted member 29920]

Sounds like one of those therapists who need therapy themselves, get rid!

 

[sugnim]

Thanks for all of the replies. Kefira, I really like the idea of having a list of questions. I haven't had the ability to get any sort of treatment for quite a long time, and so the thought of getting it for $10 seemed too good to pass up. Apparently, it was too good to be true. I don't think I'll go back.

 

[Lucycat]

I am unclear why you are calling a Therapist a 'shrink'. I thought that name was reserved for a fully qualified psychiatrist and nothing less. Clearly this T is nowhere near that level.

 

[stillstanding2]

I am unclear why you are calling a Therapist a 'shrink'. I thought that name was reserved for a fully qua...

And a psychiatrist is not necessarily an adequate therapist. My T of 25 years is excellent and has save my life a few times. The "psychiatrist" I first used occasionally would fall asleep as I talked.

 

[blackemerald1]

If you need a psych., & I do mean a fully qualified Dr who has then gone on for 6 yrs of specialist area in Psch medicine, you will need to check out his/her specialities in that field. I have quit heaps of Counselors, because they were crap. I have a great shrink & have had for a long time, why so long... Misdiagnosed, Insurance issues, Counselors who were supposed to know how to treat but didn't. The list goes on & on. Check out the Qualifications & speciality area FIRST. It does take a while to trust & build a working rapport. Ask for your file back from that crappy councilor, it is yours.

 

[Ed Norton]

Psychiatry is exactly four years of residency:)