Sorry, ATAT, but I have to respectfully disagree with you on this issue. I worked in the educational and mental health system for a looooong time. Believe me when I say that plenty of educators dumped or off-loaded difficult or challenging students all the time, and they could be quite creative in how they did it, not taking any responsibility for getting rid of the student and making the student the one who had the problem. Doctors do this, lawyers do this, mental health professionals do this, businesses do this to difficult or challenging customers, parents do this with their own children . . . the list goes on and on. Does that make it okay? Absolutely not!

But to hold the entire mental health system responsible and the only ones who engage in this behavior does not make sense. I think everyone on this board can pretty much agree that there are some pretty shabby, ill-prepared, stupid, head-up-their-arse, dumb and dull therapists out there and some of them are even charged with training other therapists--almost laughable if it wasn't so sad. BUT, that doesn't make the entire system wrong, corrupt or not workable (In my opinion anyway).

Personally, and I'm only speaking for myself here, if I was seeing a therapist who was feeling "overwhelmed and incompetent" with my situation in therapy, I don't want him continuing to treat me in the hopes that things will improve. Sure getting a referral would sting, but let's be honest, the sooner the ill prepared therapist does this, the better off I'll be. In every situation that I personally sought out therapy, I was overwhelmed and feeling ill-equipped to deal with what was going on in my life, why would I benefit from someone who was feeling the same way as me? And because I was whirling and reeling from the stress, anxiety and pain of my life, how equipped would I be to say to the person who was treating me, "Hey, dude, I think I need a referral. Forget that I just poured my heart out to you and think I'm beginning to trust you, just refer me out!" I think I'd probably stick with the jerk who was doing nothing than agree to trying again somewhere else, even if "trying someone else" might be the best bet for me. No, I don't like anyone making decisions for me, but I sure don't want to be working with someone who doesn't know what the heck he's doing and is going to sink right along with me.

And no, I don't like the attitude of the author who comes across as "covering his a#$" and the a#$ of his colleagues. A good, well-trained therapist who is in over his head accepts responsibility for his incompetency and helps the client make the transition with as much support and ease as humanly possible--but in the end, it will probably still be painful and disruptive to the client, but no more disruptive and painful than if the therapist muddled through with the client for five or six years and no progress was made and he ended up referring her anyway. Just my thoughts on the issue.