Research Are You Getting Exposure Therapy? Just Testing The Grounds...

[PTSD sufferer]

A counsellor cannot, nor a social worker to my knowledge. A nurse actually has more qualifications than all 3, yet they also cannot diagnose to my knowledge unless you hold a psychology.

Nurses who do additional studies (Masters in Nurse Practitioner on top of the three year undergrad) can become a 'Nurse Practitioner' in Australia, the UK and US. This means that they have a certain amount of additional privileges, or an expanded role if you will, relating to assessment, ordering tests, diagnosis and treatment of 'certain conditions'. Not sure how far it stretches in the mental health community for diagnosis and prescriptions. I think this might still be an area where Nurse Practitioners refer to a practicing (licensed) psychologist. Nurse Practitioners have been around for a while in the UK and US, but I believe they are a more recent phenomenon in Australia.

I think the legal area that needs to be investigated further, as far as psychotherapists or councilors are concerned, is the 'National Registration and Accreditation Scheme' (NRAS) in Australia - which registers agencies/ associations to assess qualifications of health practitioners under their guidelines and practices. This works in conjunction with the 'Health Practitioner Regulation Act (2009)'.

The NRAS covers most health professions from chiropractors to psychologists, but not psychotherapists. To be a registered or licensed psychologist (under the Health Regulation Act and within the NRAS) you need to complete a Masters, as I understand it. Therefore, an undergraduate in psychology means you can call yourself a councilor or psychotherapist, and are not classified as a psychologist, which is the profession that is regulated under the Health Practitioner Regulation Act (2009).

Funny thought.... I think Chinese Medicine has has been included in the Act now, but areas such as psychotherapy and dietitians are still unregulated, and as such are considered 'complimentary' rather than a classified as a 'health practitioner' under legislation. I am sure that psychotherapists are lobbying government to be included under the Act though...probably a good move all round I say.

I agree with what Nicolas has said, and probably can't add much more to the debate. Nicely done Nicolas! :)

Here are some references I have gathered. Please let me know if you'd like to read the full article (send me a Private Message).

Thanks Nicolas, no need to send me the full articles, I can locate them from my end :)

 

[maddog]

I would, however, be most interested in receiving those articles Nicolas... is there a way you can post them here or to me privately?

 

[anthony]

What I found ironically funny, is watching the news yesterday it mentioned some people who ran a dodgy business and faked qualifications, providing a service for fee... and the way they got them under the law was through the consumer laws. Basically, there are always loopholes. If you rip people off, there are always ways to get a person under different laws here.

I don't know how some of these others mentioned in above articles didn't go a row under such existing laws.

 

[Nicolas Connault]

Charlatans have always existed and will always exist. They're like opportunistic parasites: they find a comfy niche in a warm, nutritional environment, and they thrive by sapping away the resources around them. They keep doing that until people start noticing "symptoms", but often it's too late to prevent lasting damage. When the parasites in question are messing with your brain, the damage can be incalculable.

 

[PTSD sufferer]

I completely agree with you both. But I think, even if you are not paying for psychotherapy, as in someone offers you free psychotherapy (as many internet sites and individuals do) this can also cause damage. People trust titles, titles can be misleading, and that can be just as dangerous regardless of whether there is a fee or not associated with a service. That's another area the Act and NRAS need to address.

I heard a story about a guy who did a 6 week, part time, course in relationship counselling through the church he attended. On completing the course he gave himself the title 'relationship counselor'. A battered woman went to see him for advice and support because she wanted to leave her husband. You know what this 'relationship counselor' said?... 'you are married under God, and you must preserve the sanctity of marriage at all times. God tells us in the Bible how you can be a better wife and the role that you play in the home and with your children....blah blah blah'. Calls himself a 'relationship counselor' (because of a 6 week part time course), is part of a church community, so some people trust....any psychologist would cringe at what he said, and this was a 'no fee' service he was offering. Things got much worse for lady, but eventually the story had a happy ending for her.

Also, I don't need to remind anyone about our recent visit from a self titled Nutritional Psychotherapist, although there is really no such thing, and his credentials were flimsy. He was offering a 'free service', and some people trust the title. It makes me sick, how much damage that guy could have caused online, and he was offering a 'free service'. People read somewhat intelligent sounding language, although it lacks substance, then read the title, and say well he must know more than me and he sounds like an expert (when he is the complete opposite)....even 'free' psychological advice could be potentially damaging,

So whether you pay for health care or not, there is an expected standard required, ethics are required, and the law needs to start to recognized that health relating to psychology, such as counseling and psychotherapy, needs some super tight regulations, codes of ethics, codes of conduct, and qualification assessments, as well as licencing guidelines around it. Government's need to look at the laws and do some more work around these areas.

 

[Nicolas Connault]

Well said, PS!

 

[Srain]

Nicolas, I would as well,please.

Thank you.

 

[Nicolas Connault]

Thanks Rain, much appreciated!

 

[anthony]

Yep... comes back to my theory that there is no shortage of nutjobs in this world PS.

 

[Girl3]

In cases where a trauma is singular, I think exposure therapy is likely extremely useful. My traumas are multiple, include family members, aquaintances, strangers, and persons of authority, include gang rape, beatings, robbery/rape, statutory rape (repeatedly), in my childhood home, in school, in town, at college, in my adult home. I get triggered by so many things on a daily basis, it is like I live exposure therapy.

My psychiatrist doesn't do exposure therapy with me. But we do disucss in detail events of my life, my feelings towards those things, strategies for getting wholeness into my life, seeing things in reality. I am extremely happy with my psychiatrist and my progress over the course of the year. He gives my full credit for exposure therapy when I watch movies or read books that cover traumatic experiences similar to mine and we discuss my feelings after.

 

[Tessa]

I have a Masters in Remote Health Practice (nursing) and am allowed to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions governed by a set of guidelines. I am not allowed to diagnose mental illness and must refer to a medical practitioner.
My first psychologist was a young man who did a degree with honours and then was on supervised practice which I was not informed of. He did not have a Masters. Seems like the rules differ between states ?

 

[cat]

I finished therapy in July. During 21/2yrs therapy with a trauma specialist psychologist i did a mixture of talking, exposure, EMDR & CBT. I'd be happy to complete your survey.