What would you think of a therapist who said this to a woman...

[the Princess]

"I believe all men are mentally ill - if and until they prove otherwise."

Seriously one of my best friends has some serious issues about men (she hates them) she found a new therapist who she *LOVES* and this woman said the above to her in a session.

I was disgusted and told her to run screaming from her - but my friends is hearing what she wants to hear from this woman therapist.

*sigh*

Does anyone else think that threapists are the sickest of us all? sorry I mean no disrespect to any therapists here but Jeez - this woman is crazy and should not be trying to help others.

JMHO

[lazarus]

1. That therapist

is unethical and should not be in business.

[tigereye]

2. that's pretty over the top

and I'm in the business. Jokes are one thing, but that is too much, I think. And it's not clinically accurate, either. ;)

[commander bunnypants]

8. same here

male mentally ill therapist. Im done

Unethical
DDQM

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. This "therapist" sounds like she needs therapy.

That's just wrong.

[CO Liberal]

11. Many Of the Therapist I've Dealt With Over The Years...

...had elevators that didn;t go to the top floor, if you get my drift.

And don't forget - James Dobson was a school psychologist before he founded Focus On The Family...

[commander bunnypants]

13. of coourse

you have to be a nut job to go into this field. No money, long hours, irate clients, blah blah blah

DDQM

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. True, true...but still, I expect better for $200 an hour.

;) I'm the one who is supposed to be allowed to be crazy..:)

[tigereye]

17. ha ha $200 an hour

not where I am!

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. I was just teasing. Plus, we all know how sane I am...

;) :hi:

[tigereye]

25. I think you are very sane, Mrs. G

most people are more sane than they realize. :)

[commander bunnypants]

18. who makes 200 an hour?

Not I

DDQM

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. Teasing, teasing....!!!! Really! Honestly! Seriously!!!

Mea culpa!!!!!! Please???? :shrug: :hi:

[clover]

4. a therapist who needs therapy (nt)

[skypilot]

5. Sounds irresponsible to me...

...especially since your friend already has issues about men. She won't resolve those issues if she (and her therapist) just blames men for being "mentally ill". It's a cop-out.

[Catfight]

6. It may be out of content, but if not, it's certainly questionable of a

professional to make such a generalization.

[EstimatedProphet]

7. This "therapist" isn't someone who can help your friend

if she can't even deal with her own problems.
In case she didn't notice, soemwhere around 50% of the population is male. That's a lot of people to condemn.

[fudge stripe cookays]

9. I knew a girl

at UNT a few years ago who was some sort of psychology doctorate student or somesuch. Very intelligent.

But when I got to know her more I was horrified. She took a liking to my friend's husband and went after him with a vengeance. When he let her know in no uncertain terms to lay off, she tried another guy.

He and his girlfriend (whom everyone loved, together and separately) had gotten in an argument. He was drowning his sorrows at one of the Fry Street bars, and she moved in for the kill. He didn't even have a chance, drunk and out of it as he was.

When he and his girlfriend did get back together (a few weeks later), they practically had to take out a restraining order against this nutball.

FSC

[crispini]

10. WTF?

Tell me she was making a joke. If not, sounds like she has serious issues herself.

Not that I haven't agreed w. her sometime. :D

[the Princess]

On no

This was no joke - this was said in a session in all seriousness.

I'm disgusted by it

[7th_Sephiroth]

12. oh god more of this man-bashing bullshit

call a woman a butch and you go to prison but you can call a man scom, slime, a snake a dog ect. and nothing will happen, i was a book at the check out of barnes and noble called "men suck a woman's guide to self empowerment (being a ballbuster and a sexist)

[the Princess]

15. that book

sounds repugnant to me

[7th_Sephiroth]

24. its blatant sexisim

i dont give a f*** about race gender age ect so dont bring that crap to me or generalize me in a category of what you hate, because being non-discrimitory also means if you start some s*** with me i'll stomp you into the ground just the same as anyone else

[CanuckAmok]

37. It's perfectly acceptable to slander men, it seems.

I read it and hear it all the time. It's a shame when the rest of us are painted with the same brush used on the minority of men who deserve it. It's everywhere, from genuine psychological opinion, some schools of feminist thought, and even conventional advertising.

I can't help but feel that some od this 'male bashing', regardless of intent, contributes to misogyny in the long run....

But I'm imnpressed (and surprised) that nobody in this thread has 'joked' that all men *are* mentally ill, which would pretty much prove my point.

[redqueen]

41. I find that double-standard quite abhorrent

I've noticed it for years... have been wondering when something would be done... guess we've got a while longer. :(

[napi21]

14. There are very few law governing therapists.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad ones. My cousin is a therapist in Pa. and when my son's wife left him, I asked this cousin how to find a good one. He was the one who told me there are a lot of very bad ones. He suggested to contact an organization you trust, like your church, or a professional organization, and ask that they recommend several, and then check each one out.

My son was looking for a marriage councelor, and some of them simply tell you, oh the hell with the marriage. Just get out, and try again!

[tigereye]

20. most of the folks I know are very cool, competent and ethical

but you have to find the right fit for you.

[MsUnderstood]

22. wow--that is some harsh sentence at the end

First, unless you were in the session, how do you know what was said?

My mom, who has some pretty severe psychological issues, came home one day and told my step-dad the therapist said my mom's problem was the step dad and she was getting a divorce.

Knowing my mom as I do, I know the therapist did not say that, but believe my mom heard that. Do you follow? People hear what the want to hear.

Second, even if said, how do you know this wasnt taken out of context? For example:

Therapist: "Would you agree with this statement: I believe all men are mentally ill - if and until they prove otherwise."

Patient: "YES! I would".

Therapist: *writing in journal* need to work on gender issues

Patient: "I love this therapist--she really gets me".

And you may not have meant to disrespect therapist but you lumped them all in as the "sickest of us all". That is really not nice. . .

[the Princess]

27. Like I said

I meant no disrespect.

But I have been to so many therapists in my life it would make your head spin. Some helped - some were dopes - like the guy who would fall asleep on me. Don't most therapist become therpists because they had problems all their own and went into the profession from there? It just makes me wonder that's all. Just my opinion.

And more than once my freind has told me that this therpist says this about men all the time to her. So I have no reason to doubt her.

I'm not condeming your mother - I hope she is one of the good ones - they are desperately needed.

[MsUnderstood]

39. my mom is not the therapist

she is the one in therapy.

Drawing blanket assumptions about a profession is disrespectful.

Lawyers=sharks
Doctors=quacks
Used Car Salesman= okay I can believe that one.

[Susang]

43. Exactly

Having seen family members lie about what was said in therapy (therapy sessions I attended, mind you), I can tell you that when a person says "my therapist said _____", they may not necessarily be telling the whole truth. I am not saying that your friend would intend to misrepresent, but sometimes people hear what they want to hear and then rephrase things in a way that validates their personal opinions and not the therapists at all.

Either way, to be safe, I would make sure that the therapist is board certified and has a masters degree in psychology at the very least. There are many people out there doing "therapy" who have little to no qualifications and pass themselves off as doctors. It's criminal. After all, Dr. Laura calls herself a therapist, but her degree is in physiology, not psychology. Look at the harm she's managed to inflict.

[forgethell]

23. Pure bigotry n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. can you be sure the therapist said that?

and not you friends interpretation of what the therapist said to validate her own feelings?

[the Princess]

29. That is certainly possible

But she keeps telling me her therapist said it and has said it more than once.

I gotta wonder if it is an interpretation - what was said that could be interpreted that way? LOL

[La Lioness Priyanka]

35. she could have said anything

"some men are crazy however....." and that could be interpreted as the therapist agreeing with you....

sometimes in therapy therapists make a joke.....which you if you are so wont to do can pretend was a serious remark

etc.

[skygazer]

30. Excellent point

My sister has been seeing the same therapist for about 12 years (I've pointed out that it would seem after this amount of time, there should be some improvement if the therapist is any good but she just growls at me).

Anyway, my sister is forever telling me all the things her therapist says which I know damn well no legitimate therapist would - things like telling my sister that our father is a sociopath (he's not) and that he's lashing out at her to cover up his own inadequacies and some clinical diagnoses of members of our family she's never met and that are simply based on what my sister has told her.

I'm reasonably sure the therapist has never said any of those things and that my sister is merely projecting or putting her own spin on perfectly innocent statements.

[the Princess]

31. I wouldn't be so sure

Of course we all want to believe that all therapists are ethical people - but the fact is some are not. I had a therapist who told me my mother was passive aggressive (which she is) and my family was full of sociopaths (which it is). I didn't want to hear it at the time and I dismissed it all and left the therapist. My question is still - should a therapist tell you what is wrong with your family - EVEN if they are right????

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. yes they should tell you

as sometimes you need to know that you are not the insane one

[the Princess]

38. Good point! LOL

[CO Liberal]

32. The Biggest Complaint Therapists Had About "The Bob Newhart Show"...

...was that he had the same patients in his support group year after year - no one ever got any better.

:-)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

36. sometimes therapy cant heal completely

and can merely stop someone from falling over a line of sanity etc

[CanuckAmok]

40. If you were being paid Equity or SAG rates to be there...

...you'd want to stay sick, too!

[CO Liberal]

42. Besides. Mr. Carlin Was a NUT CASE!!!!

:-)

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

28. I agree with the therapist, and I'm a man.

But I would change the statement slightly:

All PEOPLE are mentally ill, until they prove otherwise by VOTING FOR KERRY!

[Misunderestimator]

34. Wow... now I might agree :) but I'm not a therapist.

Pretty damn unprofessional, and if I had a therapist say that to me, I'd run like the wind.