A therapist's ruminations about Filner (stolen from a professional listserv)

[Jackpine Radical]

Jesse came in for some therapy. He did some bad things, and was going to
have to deal with the legal system to get a hellofa spanking.

But his day in court was delayed by his lawyer who wanted Jesse to have
some counseling.

"It'll look good," his lawyer told him. "The judge'll like it."

So here was Jesse, told that the sole reason for coming in was to
impress the judge. Not to deal with his issues. Not to fix anything.
Just to impress His Honor.

And I'm a part of the facade. As Al Ellis would have said, "A whore."

Ellis was not one to mince words.

Mayor Filner from San Diego has just completed around a week of
intensive behavior therapy and supposedly is to continue to receive
outpatient work. I smiled a sarcastic inner smile on hearing this. Not
because I found it a mammoth appearing manipulation of the therapy and
treatment business.

Nope. Not at all.

I've been one of those providers. Over the years, I've seen more than a
few Jesse's and Filners. People who used therapy not for treatment, but
for appearance.

I'd like to feel that some good came from the sessions provided. That
the time spent was useful in spite of the starting reasons. And that my
mission is to help where and when I can.

So I guess I should go easy on my tendency to be hypercritical of Mayor
Filner's pathetic attempt to manipulate public opinion by doing a week
of therapy.

But that's pretty tough to do.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. even in the broadest definition of the term 'week of therapy' that is laughable

on the face of it regardless the motivation.