[MamaKay]

I am seriously confused and would appreciate some input, please. I have been seeing a psychologist 2 or 3 times a month now for a couple of months. Each visit has been him asking me what was going on, and then me talking and unloading for the majority of the visit. He has given some insight at times as to what I seem to be doing and how I can correct it, but has not said "IMO, you are OCD, or Panic Disordered." I went in this morning and asked him what he thought, and if he felt I could get better after being this way for so long or if I was just spinning my wheels. He then proceeded to tell me he felt I could, and spent the rest of the session basicly preaching to me. I need to let go and let God. I need to pray, because only through Him will I find peace. I left todays session feeling so let down that it was scary. I've had to spend the whole day talking myself out of slipping into that place I don't like to be in. Has anyone else experienced this with a psychologist? I hate to think I have wasted this time and talked so much about the deepest, darkest things only to find that he is going to preach at me instead of using his medical teachings to help me. Please respond because this has really thrown me for a loop today. TIA!

Totally inappropriate in my opinion ... The good news is you don't have to continue seeing this therapist ... He definitely doesn't seem to be a good fit for you ... However, there are plenty of therapists out there who will be ... And, they won't try to indoctrinate you into whatever their religion or religious beliefs are ... Keep searching until you find one that fits what you need ... !!!

[ECHOES]

It would not be for me. If that isn't for you, that's okay. You can talk about it with him or find another therapist maybe.

[Towanda]

I agree with Pfrog - totally inappropriate. Unless you specifically sought out a religious counsellor at the outset, with the intended purpose of including religion and prayer in your sessions, your therapist was out of line. I would find someone else.

[WikidPissah]

Are you a Christian who sought pastoral or Christian counseling? If now, then it is inappropriate, and if so it's okay to try something else. I personally feel faith should be reassuring and uplifting.

[MamaKay]

Thank you all for your responses. I did not seek out religious counseling, and he is simply listed as a Phd. Psychologist. My GP referred me to him.

[murray]

That would bother me so much for him to go in that direction if you hadn't specifically sought therapy with a religious component. Perhaps you could just tell him that you would like to leave religion out of your therapy sessions and see if he feels he is able to accommodate your request.

That would bother me too, I mean not having specifically sought out religious counseling (which I didn't either), if my t did that. I would suddenly lose the ability to talk about the very stuff I need to talk about because I would be all afraid of offending what I would see as overly pious religious sensibilities. Wow. I didn't know I felt so strongly about this. Thanks for bringing this up here, I really appreciate all the questions and insights everyone has here at PC.

[autotelica]

If my therapist did that to me, we'd have a rupture the size of Mount St. Helen!

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by autotelica

If my therapist did that to me, we'd have a rupture the size of Mount St. Helen!

If my GP did that to me (he referred the OP), HE'D have a rupture the size of Mt St Helen's. I swear, I would sue him for the bill. I am spitting mad over this. Several months ago, before I started my current diet plan, I was feeling so terrible, I did ask my GP, an East Indian, for help from HIS religion in end of life planning, and he immediately offered to take an axe and go cut some wood for me from the trees we could see from his office windows to build me a funeral pyre - a little too enthusiastically, I thought. But to send you unknowingly to who I presume is a colleague or personal friend, is unconscionable; unprofessional, and I think reportable behavior.

[WikidPissah]

Originally Posted by MamaKay

Thank you all for your responses. I did not seek out religious counseling, and he is simply listed as a Phd. Psychologist. My GP referred me to him.

Then yes, he overstepped. If he can't leave religion out of it you should probably find someone else. I had a guy that was extremely religious that I thought I could work with because we had the same values and I am spiritual myself. He continually talked about exorcism being something that would help me. I put up with it for 2 years because I didn't want to change. That was a huge mistake, I wasted valuable time.

I see a christian psychologist and I find this totally inappropriate. My T advertised himself as a christian therapist and still he asked how much I wanted faith to be part of this. If I went to any therapist and they tried to tell me my only way to heal was to believe the way they did whether buddist, hinduism, or any religion I would be upset... the thing about spiritualism (even if its expressed as christianity) is that it is very personal!

[Anne2.0]

Originally Posted by hankster

But to send you unknowingly to who I presume is a colleague or personal friend, is unconscionable; unprofessional, and I think reportable behavior.

A lot of assumptions in this statement. It is very possible that GP has no knowledge that this psychologist has a religious bent to his practice, so to speak. How would he know, unless patients of his reported back that they had had this experience with this psychologist? Most people would probably not tell their GP if they had this experience-- as the OP has not, or has not yet. Also, it may be the case that this dude does not regularly preach in his sessions, so other people may not even have had this experience. After all, the OP did not have this experience in the beginning-- maybe he's cured everyone else before he has to deliver the Jesus speech

To the OP: I'd make another appointment with your GP for a consultation. Tell him that this psychologist was a bust because he told you you would be cured if you just prayed, and you can get that advice for free on TV. Say you need another referral to a psychologist who actually practices psychology rather than evangelicalism. See what he says. My guess is he will be horrified about what this shrink said to you. If he's not, I'd be looking for another GP too, because that is not the good practice of medicine.

I once saw a counselor for several years who practiced cognitive therapy. I saw him for both group and individual sessions. He gradually started putting pressure on me to attend his Friday night Bible reading sessions. He also gave me religious pamphlets he had written. His views on sexuality were also religiously influenced. I was not there for religion and this strained the relationship as he was frustrated that I did not pick it up. It caused problems in group where some of the members followed his religious instruction. Finally, I left both individual and group sessions with him. I felt that I had been harmed and that valuable time had been lost. In short, if the counselors sign on the door or first session state the religious nature of their counselling then you have been misled. Religious beliefs are not an accepted treatment for OCD. My recommendation is that you terminate this counselor as fast as you can and find someone qualified who uses empirical treatments.

[unaluna]

Anne, you are SO calm. You are Alice's White Queen. I am the Red Queen. Off with their heads, I say!

Thanks for shining the light

[MamaKay]

Thank you, everyone. I feel a tad better. I have another appointment with him next Friday. I was tempted to cancel it and just not go back, but the thought of being left out in the cold like that was very upsetting. The thing is, I had actually been feeling better and more peaceful seeing this man with the talks we had had in previous visits. I found him to be insightful and one step ahead of me, and it seemed to be helping me. The "religious visit", as it will forever be remembered by me now, just really threw me off. It put me in a bad mood and depressed me for most of the day. So bad, in fact, that the clerk at my local FedX office took one look at me afterwards and asked if I was ok. (I had stopped by after my session to ship something.) I have decided that I will keep my visit for next Friday and simply explain to him that I am uncomfortable with his bringing religion into our sessions. I will let ya'll know how it goes. Thanks!

[taylor43]

I am a christian and when i sought therapy i went to a christian counsellor for 7 years. It was good at first because she let me go at my pace and let me vent for a year then she pushed all this claim it, forgive, and do not ever talk about it! I really still have nightmares everynight and it's been almost three years since she terminated me. I have started therapy from the local mental health clinic and going to group now it is a long process, but it is helping me heal from my childhood and accept my mental illness. My belief is that allot of religious counseling expect result fast, and if you cant then they will treat the client horrible play guilt trips and make the client feel a failure! Thats my experience!

[Snuffleupagus]

I reply as someone who is deeply sensitized and averse to any specific religion, but also as someone who has found some relief in spirituality and prayer. Quite a few of the replies presumed that your shrink was presenting a Christian point of view. While that may be the case, I didn't get that from your OP.

I have found the language of letting go and and letting god to be a useful way to think about radical acceptance. Likewise, I have found the practice of prayer to be a helpful tool in reorienting my attitudes toward that acceptance. I don't feel, most of the time, that I'm praying to anyone and when I do, it's something or someone I carry very little dogma regarding. So maybe your Dr. was talking about spirituality in this general way.

If that still makes you uncomfortable, then, since you have seemed to click, you could ask him to address your concerns in terms of acceptance rather than spirituality. If he doesn't amend his ways, probably time to move on.

[Anne2.0]

Originally Posted by hankster

I am the Red Queen.

You are my queen, that's for sure

[Chopin99]

Very simply, if your T does not advertise himself as a Christian therapist, he should not have told you what he did. I specifically sought out a Christian therapist for this round of therapy; although the practice she is in advertises itself as "professional, clinical Christian counseling" (all their practitioners are licensed), it only comes up about once a session. We've had a couple of sessions wherein a good portion was "biblically-based", but this is not the norm.

I specifically chose not to see a Christian T my first two rounds. Spirituality and beliefs (mine and both T's) came up, but was not the focus of any of the treatment.

[lostmyway21]

When I first looked for a T, I looked for a trauma T for my PTSD. The guy I was referred to ended up being a religious psychologist. I didn't know. More and more he kept pushing it on me, and a month later I stopped going. I didn't even give therapy another go around for a year. I think what your T did was inappropriate, and I would look for a knew T if he keeps pushing the subject. There are plenty other T's out there.

[KazzaX]

I think it would be great advice if you are religious. But if you aren't religious then that sort of comment would turn anyone away!!! Apparently it helps (for religious people) because it inspires faith (that god will fix their problems) and the responsibility is off their shoulders and onto god's shoulders, and that would make them feel relief.

[MamaKay]

I just wanted to update you guys on my session today. I told him I was made very uncomfortable by all of the talk of religion and he apologized and said he would not bring it up again. Apparently, I have mentioned my daughter being very religious and, I guess, an assumption was made that I, too, was. Anyway, we cleared the air over that, and I felt much, much better today after talking with him. I appreciate all of the feedback from you guys. It really helped.

[scorpiosis37]

That's great news. I'm glad you were able to bring it up with T and that he took it well. Great job!