I don't like therapists.

Psychologists are scientists, maybe you guys are thinking of counselors?

Is the point of a therapist to emotionally connect with their patients? Because if it is, I can get why life experience, and having been through the same situations would help. But for me, I had seen a therapist for a while, and the whole point of it, for me, was for the therapist to act like a mirror, reflecting the things I know, but usually leave hidden from my normal thoughts, forcing me to deal with them. It wasn't pretty, really.

I hate therapists because a lot of times they jump at anything the can use to explain why your having "problems." And sometimes they over analyze to the point where they're totally off about everything.

Is everyone missing the point that the job of a therapist is not to "help" you in the terms the dissenters seem to be speaking in? Therapists are not meant to fix you or rid you of your problems. Many of the posters here seem to be thinking that is what talk therapy is for. I say talk therapy since there are other types that we do not seem to be focusing on, however I think it is important to distinguish what type of therapy you are attacking. Freudian therapy is vastly different then CBT or strictly gestalt therapy, so to dismiss the existence of the varying types is rather foolish for holding a strong argument against all therapists. It is like saying all Toyota's are the same since they have the same title. Yet, the individual models are different and serve different purposes.

The job of a therapist is to guide you to understanding the problems before you, recognizing the ways your life is impaired because of them and giving you the tools, courage and strength to work on changing them. Therapy ONLY works if you want to be there. A therapist is not like a general practitioner of medicine. Their job is not to give you a pill to make the sad thoughts go away. Therapy is not some magical tool that erases everything. You work side by side with the therapist to do only what you want to have done. You are in control of the sessions and if you feel money gouged? Go pick another therapist. How many people go to doctors and walk out still having the symptoms and problems they went in with? But you still turn around and go right back to that doctor don't you? Where did this expectation that therapists are responsible for fixing your life begin? You pay them to mirror you and help sift through the problems that you are too close, or too scared, or too emotionally exhausted to solve on your own.

Also, please be careful with going about town blaring your horn about the supposed evils of psychology. And! Be sure if you mean psychology or psychiatry. Two very different things so education before argument is important. You could possibly be deterring someone from the help they need to save their life.

Originally Posted by itssoOHMYGOD

Also, please be careful with going about town blaring your horn about the supposed evils of psychology. And! Be sure if you mean psychology or psychiatry. Two very different things so education before argument is important. You could possibly be deterring someone from the help they need to save their life.

I am just trying to encourage discussion and debate on the issue. You say I may be deterring people from seeking help they need, true, I may also be deterring people from wasting a lot of money or trying something which might make the problems worse or maybe even finding a better way to deal with and sort out their problems.

That said I am really not trying to put people off the idea of seeing a therapist though and think debate on the issue will encourage people to think about it properly.

Was also looking for people who can strongly defend therapy, show how it does indeed work well and I know a lot of people on the forum strongly believe in therapy as well so was hoping to see them defend it with a very strong concrete argument.

Was looking also for someone to convince me that therapy is a good idea, without trying to psycho-analyse me.

edited.....

You keep talking about how they aren't justified or don't have the "right" to help people. That's a bit extreme. It's the people who have problems who go seek help from therapists. I can see where you're coming from in that therapists might not have the knowledge or life experience to help certain people, but therapists don't come to people's houses and force them against their will to do anything. I don't think trying to help someone who sought after the help is such a bad thing. Yes, they have the "right" to try to help people.

Originally Posted by ilphithra

"think of ponies and faeries while dancing atop a hill, wearing a tutu and bellowing out 'the sound of music'..."

OMG I just visualized it and it was freaking hilarious


EDIT: I still have tears in my eyes from the laughter

I remember reading that therapy can sometimes do more harm than good (something about dwelling on negative experiences). When therapy is beneficial, I think it mostly has to do with having someone to confide in and express your problems to, I could be wrong, if I'm not then anyone could fulfill the role of 'therapist' whether they have a degree in psychiatry or not. Whether therapy is beneficial or not, I don't view psychology as a science or therapists as actual doctors. Psychology is more like a branch of philosophy since internal mental states aren't empirically observable, even if psychiatrists can usually make accurate inferences about internal mental states.

therapists don't come to people's houses and force them against their will to do anything.

Whether or not someone is legally committed to a psychiatric institution against their will depends on a therapist's evaluation.

OP is mad that he had a bad therapist.

If you can explain why the theoretical knowledge that school provides combined with the experiential knowledge that being a therapist provides isn't enough to provide decent counseling on a fairly regular basis, then we have a discussion.

But you spouting off about how nobody has the right to tell other people what is wrong with their lives just seems to indicate that you are angry about a specific problem you have and are unwilling to deal with it because you had a shitty therapy experience.

Originally Posted by Raain

Personally I don't wan't a therapist so much I want a mentor someone who has been through a lot of utter shit but somehow made it there somewhere in the end and has a lot of experience and wisdom to impart, maybe even better if the person knows me well also.

You just want to talk to your older self. Get over it.

EDIT: Oh, you're an INFP. My INFP friend is also in a shitty state right now and acts the same way. Doesn't think anyone who hasn't had the same experiences as he has is qualified to give him advice. So enjoy being a pissy annoyance to the people around you until either a) get over it or b) get told by your ENTP friend that you're being shitty and should get over it.