My psychologist

Calling this post “My psychologist” might have been wrong, seeing that she isn’t any more. I went to a psychologist for some anxiety and depression issues. But after the first few sessions I started feeling that it was all some #######4. She rarely said anything; I was the only one talking. This I could have done completely alone. Even when I directly asked her something she would avoid the question – usually by answering with a question. For example I could ask: What is the diagnosis you have given me. And she would reply: what diagnosis do you think I have given you. Jesus this was annoying. She almost completely refused to answer anything.

Is this the normal way a psychologist is supposed to behave? If that is the case then therapy is ridiculous.

that does sound unprofessional if the psychologist is going to continue being like that change psychologists and if u want put a complaint in.

she probably thinks your normal. Is that a bad thing?

No that is good. But she did say to may GP that after I left that she thought it was a bad idea that I quit.

quitting meds is a bad decision, not taking them also and forgetting well, forgetting is just wrong.

Well I still take my meds. But I quit therapy because I didn’t see the point in it anymore. One of the few things she actually said to me, was that she thought I was a bit eccentric.

Do you know what kind of psychotherapy she specialized in or what degree she had?

I find that psychotherapy without any other treatments is #######4, maybe you should explore more options.

This is to some degree or another I think what is wrong with the mental health field. It is basically a NON SERVICE in terms of someone actually providing feedback.

Heaven help a patient who asks for their diagnosis. I actually had a psychiatrist (I had a brief period of bad insomnia that was causing me to fall asleep on my feet and a bunch of quacks said stuff like I was 'dissociating' and stuff that never actually just happens to anyone, at least abruptly if they had been perfectly normal before) who said that if I wanted a diagnosis I could go to anyone in the yellow pages and ask for one.

But apparently not HIM, who I had sat there and had take down every word I said for two years without feedback of any kind. He basically charged me two hundred dollars an hour (cash) for the service of being a human dictaphone, and absolutely not a THING MORE.

The 'psychologist' that referred me to him was even worse. He would basically ask me intruding questions and sit there and look puzzled and ask more, but when I got the part where I said, well, can you help me? (of course he said yes but was nonspecific about how) and asked for my diagnosis he started whining that I was being difficult and agressive. He actually used my asking for my diagnosis as evidence that I had personality problems!

This was absolute quackery.

Probably this guy makes his money because there are a lot of people out there that are have problems and there is probably no where better to go. And add to that the fact that a lot of people assume that something must be going on helpful or this wouldn't be such a successfull, prestigious profession.

Basically he probably makes most of his money by the volume of patients he has that

1. Actually need to pay 200 dollars an hour to have someone to talk to

2. Get better on their own, which probably half do and attribute it to having talked to him for two years or whatever

3. Realize that he doesn't have any actual service to provide but it takes them a while to do it.

I thought an actual medical doctor would be different, and would agree that I actually had to get an actual diagnosis, but he was just the same. Basically after all that time and money writing down everything I said he simply forwarded all of the possibilities that he had been given by other doctors. He didn't provide his own, even his own insight, or even rule any of the possibilities out that others had given me.

I don't know if these two represent the best that there is in the Portland, OR area or not. If there is better out there, I certainly won't ever know because it could be MUCH better and still be pretty bad and a waste of time and money. But since this forum probably doesn't want names posted here, if anyone wants to specifically avoid these two please contact me and I will give you their names.

I know that for some people there might not be a lot of good options and often they are even pressured to 'get help.' But in my profession, the whole psychological field was started on flawed premeses (Freud) and offers services that have no actual evidence of working (hypnosis) for no actual result (worse than placebo, even).

I would encourage anyone to do whatever they can to shy away from this terrible abuse.

There are methods of psychotherapy where the therapist just listens, never asks questions, and behaves just as you describle. It is 'legitimate' though I consider it total #######4. I have read about it and discussed it with my psychologist. She pracices a very different approach called 'Cognitive Therapy'. Don't give up on therapy. With the right person and the right techniques it is very helpful.