Jaime Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 Photosynthesis I gotta tell you I really respect your candor and your sharing. I also have a tremendous amount of respect for taking ownership of your views. The schools of thought that I ascribe to teaches that (in most cases) our dysfunction served a purpose at one point. Invariably when it was a "function" it was a function of survival and necessity. As life goes by, events change but the function (that we relied upon for survival) stays. Now the functional behavior becomes dysfunctional. It doesn't work anymore but we unconsciously don't want to let it go because we relied upon it. The reason that the client/therapist relationship sometimes needs to become adversarial is because to heal, we sometimes need to face the circumstances that created the dysfunctional behavior. The therapist becomes the recipient of the anger and rage that could not be expressed at the time. A lot of people (and please understand in no way am I inferring this on you) choose to leave therapy at that point. "My therapist P###ed me off! I'm outta here". There are bad therapists out there. There are therapists that get into the business because of unresolved issues in their own life and they unconsciously take it out on their clients. I've gotten some horrible advice from well meaning therapists. But not every word from a therapist should be considered "Gospel". When I've been in the situation, I take a look at my reaction to the question. If I don't have a strong emotional reaction, and I think its not applicable, I say so. If I have a strong emotional reaction to it, I have to ask the question "Why does that suggestion bother me so? Is it hitting close to something?" Sometimes (but not every time) it uncovered an issue I didn't even know existed. Obviously the therapist has to take into consideration on how the suggestion is going to be taken. How vulnerable is the client? That sort of thing. The reality is that we provide our own healing. The therapist is there to be a sounding board. To point to the "red flags" in our behavior so that we can remove them and not repeat the same mistakes that are making us unhappy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmonk Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 (edited) [quote name='hot stuff' date='Jul 5 2005, 11:01 PM']I've seen that several folks around these parts are against therapy. Some are rather vehement in their opinions. So I'm wondering why some folks are so opposed to the world of psychology? Do folks find it oppositional to the Faith or are there other reasons why it is a distasteful subject to some? Just curious. [right][snapback]632715[/snapback][/right] [/quote] The problem is not with the field of psychology. The problem is with the APA's (American Psychiatric Association & American Psychological Association.) 1.) They think they are infallible. 2.) They think they can fix people when they neglect the most important part of the health of a person - the soul. 3.) They have abused the meaning of psyche - which is soul and taken God out of it. 4.) Almost anyone can become a psychologist, councilor, etc... There are a lot of quacks that do not have the common sense or a high enough IQ to even comprehend what data they gather. Many of them are illogical. 5.) They have a political agenda. People who wanted to change society for the worse reached places of power in these associations and have been working for the decline of western civilization. 6.) They see nothing wrong with fornication or homosexuality 7.) Many studies ask the wrong questions which will draw the wrong conclusions and ignore the many other factors that come into play. 8.) Many studies take people's answers at face value - many answers guided by hidden agendas lead to wrong conclusions. Many of these studies are worthless because people lie. 9.) Many studies are based on correlations which cannot be repeated. It is easy to skew a study to say what we want it to say. They think they can fix people without God. The foundation to a healthy psyche is the soul. Psychology sprung out of Philosophy, but left God behind. There are a few good psychologist in this world, but not many. Many psychologists are more screwed up than then people going to see them. They need to learn from Scripture that the blind cannot lead the blind... first they should remove the beam in their eye before trying to remove the splinter in their client's eye. ref: [url="http://www.apa.org/about/division.html"]http://www.apa.org/about/division.html[/url] [url="http://www.psych.org/"]http://www.psych.org/[/url] God Bless, ironmonk Edited July 10, 2005 by ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 [quote name='hot stuff' date='Jul 10 2005, 02:57 PM']not every word from a therapist should be considered "Gospel". [right][snapback]638438[/snapback][/right] [/quote] I wish I knew that back when I was in intense therapy. Therapists had a LOT of control in my life because I was young, and I think they abused that power. I have a lot of friends who are studying to be therapists...some want to do Christian psychotherapy, some want to do secular psychotherapy. I've gotten to a point where I can actually be friends with these people without hating their guts. For some reason, I'd say 40% of my college friends are psych majors. It's a popular major to begin with, since you're studying yourself and you get to judge people and accuse them of having mental illnesses, having no diagnostic credentials. But there was a point in time where a friend would say they're majoring in psychology and I'd have to debate whether or not I could still be friends with them. I thought it was all intrinsnically evil. I don't know too many people who haven't been in therapy. It really is the drug of choice. And I've heard that therapists are even more likely to struggle with mental illness and have problems. But I still have this idea in my head of therapists being perfect, always right, without sin, without pain, without feelings. I know such a notion is wrong, intellectually. But that's what I've been told all my life. What do you think of therapists in therapy? A lot of my friends who are studying to be therapists are in therapy themselves. I know that in order to be a Freudian psychoanalyst, you're required to undergo psychoanalysis. I really like that. Maybe it's because of my malicious desire to see therapists get a taste of their own medicine and feel the pain they caused me. But I really think it's the only way psychology can save itself from itself. I have this secret fantasy...where all the therapists I've seen get committed to a mental institution, and get fed mushy overcooked vegetables and fake meat. And they have to undergo all kinds of humiliations, like exercising to Richard Simmons videos (that actually happened to me on a psych unit). They'd have to tell all of their problems to complete strangers. And theyd be constantly told that they're nothing, they're worthless, they're sick and there's nothing they can do about it except hate themselves, take medication and go to therapy. Yeah, I thess that's not a very Godly desire. I probably should instead love them, and wish only the very best for them. I probably should pray for them, too. But there's this part of me that longs for justice and wishes the tables were turned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 (edited) Generalizations do nothing, you can make them about every field of endeavor. There are good psychologists and bad psychologists, just like any other profession. There are many profesional organizations that do not represent the majority of its members, such as the teachers unions and the PTAs Becoming a psych is not quite as easy as you make out to be. Edited July 10, 2005 by cmotherofpirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 10 2005, 04:23 PM']Generalizations do nothing, you can make them about every field of endeavor. There are good psychologists and bad psychologists, just like any other profession. There are many profesional organizations that do not represent the majority of its members, such as the teachers unions and the PTAs Becoming a psych is not quite as easy as you make out to be. [right][snapback]638507[/snapback][/right] [/quote] I never said becoming a psych was easy. Granted, getting a master's is easier than getting a doctorate, and there are different types of therapists with different types of training, but grad school is never easy. I've never seen a good psychologist yet so it's hard to believe they exist. Although I guess I've never seen God either. But I've experienced His healing so I know He's real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Well, I just have noticed in my own experience that therapy is often recommended too quickly either in response to legitimate feelings and expectations or because some cliquish snot who grew up in a John Hughes "Sixteen Candles" world doesn't want to deal with the proverbial person "from the other side of the tracks". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='Norseman82' date='Jul 10 2005, 09:43 PM']or because some cliquish snot who grew up in a John Hughes "Sixteen Candles" world doesn't want to deal with the proverbial person "from the other side of the tracks". [right][snapback]638759[/snapback][/right] [/quote] hahahahahahahahaha that's so true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='Norseman82' date='Jul 10 2005, 07:43 PM']Well, I just have noticed in my own experience that therapy is often recommended too quickly either in response to legitimate feelings and expectations or because some cliquish snot who grew up in a John Hughes "Sixteen Candles" world doesn't want to deal with the proverbial person "from the other side of the tracks". [right][snapback]638759[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Perhaps you might benefit from talking with someone about that! Just kidding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='hot stuff' date='Jul 10 2005, 09:31 PM']Perhaps you might benefit from talking with someone about that! [right][snapback]638901[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Yeah, I made an appointment with the 12-step program "Katie Couric Wannabes Anonymous"!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='Norseman82' date='Jul 10 2005, 11:51 PM']Yeah, I made an appointment with the 12-step program "Katie Couric Wannabes Anonymous"!! [right][snapback]638941[/snapback][/right] [/quote] eww.....i don't wanna know what they make you do at the "appointment" but it might involve a camera at the end of a really long... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Ironmonk You've stated a lot of sweeping opinions of therapists. That's fine if they are your opinions. But do you have any facts to back up the statements? Or are they just opinions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReinnieR Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 6 2005, 08:33 AM']my comment [url="http://www.catholictherapists.com/"]http://www.catholictherapists.com/[/url] [right][snapback]633036[/snapback][/right] [/quote] lol when i read taht i was like catholic the rapists dot com??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmonk Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 (edited) [quote name='hot stuff' date='Jul 11 2005, 02:10 AM']Ironmonk You've stated a lot of sweeping opinions of therapists. That's fine if they are your opinions. But do you have any facts to back up the statements? Or are they just opinions? [right][snapback]639106[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Is it fine if they are my opinions? I didn't know I needed your approval. Obviously you haven't read the post very well. Obviously you don't pay attention or have not researched the world of the APA's. If you had researched or paid attention you would know what was opinion and what was fact. I was studying to be a psychiatrist with a pre-med track, chemistry/psych majors.... then the more I learned, I dropped the chem part and was working toward becoming a psychologist. The majority of people's mental health problems are behavioral. The APA's are a scam. Too many professors treat the APA's as infallible. With a little study, it doesn't take too much common sense to see it. Much of what I wrote is fact. Some is what it appears to be. It is a fact that a person cannot be mentally healthy without God. Anyone who thinks that a person can be mentally healthy without God doesn't know what healthy is. Edited July 11, 2005 by ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='ironmonk' date='Jul 11 2005, 09:13 AM']Is it fine if they are my opinions? I didn't know I needed your approval. Obviously you haven't read the post very well. Obviously you don't pay attention or have not researched the world of the APA's. If you had researched or paid attention you would know what was opinion and what was fact. I was studying to be a psychiatrist with a pre-med track, chemistry/psych majors.... then the more I learned, I dropped the chem part and was working toward becoming a psychologist. The majority of people's mental health problems are behavioral. The APA's are a scam. Too many professors treat the APA's as infallible. With a little study, it doesn't take too much common sense to see it. Much of what I wrote is fact. Some is what it appears to be. It is a fact that a person cannot be mentally healthy without God. Anyone who thinks that a person can be mentally healthy without God doesn't know what healthy is. [right][snapback]639223[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Ironmok, Again your statements are sweeping. You make it sound as if every member of the APA believes them to be infallible. That's not true. Every organization has bad seeds, but does that mean they are all scams? What exactly do you find to be a scam in either of the APAs? And just as a side note, I agree with you about many problems being behavioral. I tend to use a cognitive behavioral approach because I think it's most effective. [quote]Well, I just have noticed in my own experience that therapy is often recommended too quickly either in response to legitimate feelings and expectations or because some cliquish snot who grew up in a John Hughes "Sixteen Candles" world doesn't want to deal with the proverbial person "from the other side of the tracks". [/quote] The 80's weren't kind to you, were they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 10 2005, 04:23 PM'] There are many profesional organizations that do not represent the majority of its members, such as the teachers unions and the PTAs [right][snapback]638507[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Yeah, what she said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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