Who is a "real" Psychologist?

As always Howard, you are the voice of reason and common sense.

Actually, anything I have said here is still much less revealing and descriptive than anything Dr. Kristiansson Roth, licensed clinical psychologist and certified behavior analyst, reports. He tells of a client named Annie (pseudonym), 45, with developmental disabilities who is also moderately retarded. He says she responded to auditory hallucinations and was "probably paranoid schizophrenic."

He goes on and one and one. Again, this is not uncommon in the pennings of mental health professionals. Jay Haley details real cases in all his books from his years as a therapist as did Milton Erickson, Haley's mentor.

 

JIMMY: This will be my last reply to you because you are simply too confused and cannot present consistent thoughts from one post to another and are now trying to establish some lost credibility.

SIMON: Oh please do not make this your last response! Pretty please! I need more of your sophomoric lectures about your "practical experience" including bragging about the numerous books you read; your sophomoric spouting numerous authors' names just as my 15 year old knephew does; the myriad patients you cured; and the braggadacio manner in which you note the praise you received from your peers for your miraculous therapeutic skills in curing these patients. Yes, your theoretical elucidation of CBT as it relates to the positive outcomes you achieved with your patients was brilliant. Oh, I forgot, your total misconstruing of my initial post as well as subsequent ones as well as your lack of openness and inundating level of defensiveness was really impressive. You are a model for all us to follow. Boy am I sorry that this will be your last reply.

JIMMY:The presentation of "significant although anonymous clinical material" can be found an any book by just about any psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or mental health counselor.

SIMON: However, there is a major difference. These authors use clinical material to elucidate a theory or technique with the objective to be educative or to demonstrate their application with patients.

What you presented was not educative or elucidating about the therapeutic process that resulted in your success with your patients. In fact it was antithetical to what these authors do and was merely bragging about how successful you were in healing several patients with different diagnoses. No more, no less.

JIMMY: Braggadocio? First you question a particular modality and then you condemn someone for showing that modality has worked.

SIMON: If the shoe fits wear it. In your case the shoe fits perfectly. You were not "showing that modality has worked" by presenting specific examples of the application of a CBT technique or theory resulting in significant improvement in your clients. All you did was mention one patient after another and noted the praise that you received from your colleagues. Yes, braggadoccio.

JIMMY: I find you to be a very confused, inconsistent person who needs to do more studying than lecturing!

SIMON: Yep! the description you note above describes you perfectly. See, you know yourself better than you thought.

 

And these are the counselors.

 

JIMMY: More harm is done in the therapy room than can ever be harmed on the Internet!

How many people believed they were sexually abused or abducted by space aliens because a therapist implanted memories by suggestion?

How many female clients have been sexually abused by a therapist while in session?

How many clients have committed suicide because of shoddy therapy?

How many clients have been murdered (rebirthing process) by therapists?

How many children have been abused by therapists?

How many clients have been injured by medications due to misdiagnosis?

How many clients have suffered organic brain damage because of unnecessary medications?

I could go on and on and on...but you get the picture! [/B][/QUOTE]


SIMON: Oh I got the picture alright. You are grossly defensive and continue your pattern of misconstruing and misinterpreting others' posts. Your absurd comparative defensive listing of numerous therapeutic transgressions above has no relevance to my statement "Cyberspace chatrooms and forums have potential for abuse, violations of codes of ethics and professional conduct by mental health professionals". All I did was make a statement initmating that due to the anonymity of cyberspace within the context of chatrooms and forums there is "potential" for ethical /violations by mental health professionals. No more, no less. There was no reference or indication in my statement that these violations were more prevalent or egregious than other forms of ethical violations or breeches of professional conduct. However, suddenly from left field you once again respond inappropriately with your usual litany of defensive protestations that have no relevance to the point being made.

Jimmy boy, I appreciate your "practical experience" lectures but PLEASE its enough already!

 

Nope. WARRIORS ;-))))))).

 

Decimon, you should sit in on a few psychotherapy symposiums and watch the giants in the field discuss and debate. What you see on here is child's play compared to them!

 

That is very true. At last we agree on something. There is hope for us yet ! ;-).

 

I avoid them for the same reason I avoid communist nations. Fear that they might not let me leave.

 

That's the psychoanalysts, not the psychotherapists.

 

You know, as a healthcare administrator in a large multi-specialty clinic that includes a Behavioral Health department, I had no idea as to the controversies in the field. Our psychologists, psychology interns, MSW and LCSW seem so calm and serene when I have interaction with them. I am beginning to wonder if this is a facade! I simply must ask my head psychologist about this the next time I see him in the hallway!

 

That's not serenity, it's numbness.
Don't ask him in the hallway. He's too busy then and he'll just say what he thinks you want to know. (Obviously he's been rather good at that so far.)
Jack

 

Michael,

I have worked in four mental health clinics and one addictions agency. We all got along very congenially and cordially and knew of one another's specific ideas about issues in the field.

For instance, most of my colleagues knew I didn't completely buy into the medical model. They knew I had problems with medicating children and adolescents and that I believed many psychotropic medications had more dangerous side effects than were admitted. We now see the FDA requiring warnings on some of these meds.

However, we put our individual beliefs aside and focused on how best to help the client. I do not believe in repressed memory. Yet, one of our therapists was a strong believer in it but we still all worked together well.

A strong multidisciplinary team works more efficiently and productively than a singe-discipline team. We can all learn from one another and most of us have modified or changed our views in the process of exchanging ideas.