Posted by Meatwood_Flack on January 23, 2013, at 14:49:25
In reply to I fired my therapist yesterday, posted by ChicagoKat on January 23, 2013, at 9:34:58
Before receiving the gift of melancholic depression, I had earned 15 master's level credit hours in counseling psychology. Much of this sort of curriculum boils down to the following: 1. Learning the DSM and how to use it in a clinical setting 2. An introduction to the various psychological tests that are available for clinical use (example, the MMPI) 3. Learning to research and interpret peer reviewed research 4. Learning the various theoretical models through which counseling may be based (example: Freud, Jung, Erikson, Kohlberg, etc.) 5. Clinical practice (much like the clinical portion of training that nurses undergo and finally (but probably the main focus of graduate school) 6. Writing, writing, writing. The problem with different theoretical models is they don't all agree on what the focal point should be when looking at psychological issues, so most good therapists will borrow from a number of them in a spirit of keeping what's useful and discarding the rest. Studies on the physical structure of the brain is at a minimum and, from what I saw in my program, the role of endocrine-related issues pertaining to psychological disorders isn't even mentioned (but that's what the psychiatrists and psychopharmacologists are for), so therapists aren't trained on the biological side of things and, as such, may not have a clue about neurotransmitters or hpa axis function, etc. A currently popular theoretical model of depression can be attributed to Aaron Beck, who created Cognitive Therapy, and posited that there are three constructs which contribute to depression: thoughts, feelings and behaviors, with all three acting on each other. This can be a helpful perspective in therapy, as long as the client is able to concentrate well enough to congnitively grasp the concept, has the motivation to explore the concept as applied to their own experience and has the energy to work on homework assignments designed to get thoughts, feelings and behaviors into a healthy working order. The drawbacks are not in the theories, themselves, but in the fact that they are interpreted by humans. While training also stresses the importance of establishing a relationship with clients based on empathy and unconditional positive regard (nonjudgmental), empathy not based on personal experience usually has a brief shelf life and, regardless, is not as effective as empathy that is based on personal experience. Many counselors and therapists have experienced psychological issues, which is a major reason they chose to go into the profession (hoping to figure themselves out along the way.) But, from a purely academic standpoint, earning a masters degree in counseling is also a lot easier than earning a master's in business administration, a master's in one of the hard sciences or mathematics. So, just as we've all had experiences with bankers or insurance agents or even doctors who don't seem to know what they're doing, there are also therapists whose capabilities are limited (for a variety of possible reasons.) Unfortunately, what this means is, just as many of us must endure the trial and error nature of finding an effective medication, we're also stuck with trial and error in choosing a therapist who is helpful. Oh, I actually left out the area of counseling instruction that actually gets the most airtime: ethics. Does having a therapist who has experienced a profound depression give them a leg up in being able to help? It's possible, but if that's all they bring to the table, it's probably not enough.
poster:Meatwood_Flack
thread:1036199
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130112/msgs/1036239.html