The Couch 116: Puns Tsar Terrible...

I thought we were friends..... Hehe

Just finished doing a social media video recorder recording with the spouse. It was actually quite fun. Kept me out of my head so that was nice. Probably do more of it tomorrow. Record a few more sessions for him to edit and post.

What you need is a hairdresser/therapist. Two birds with one stone.

I assumed you had one already.

Like CE, in the picture of stopdog in my head you already have one. Is it a requirement of your profession not to cut your hair that short? If it's not the same for men, that sounds like a pretty sexist rule.

Hi couch-
Sorry to fall off the map lately. I finally finally found another job this time in Texas. Hope they don't mind another east coast/west coast liberal joining the population. I'll try to behave.

Last in person appointment with my CBT T (Sparky) is Tuesday and I feel panicky--no safety net, all high wire until I find a new T

growlycat!!

Hey Growycat.

Hi GrowlyCat!

I hope the new job works out right. I'm not American but isn't Texas super conservative? Here's hoping you don't run into pushy religious Ts if you're not religious.

Texas does worry me!! Will someone like me fit in? At least I'm near a major metro area and almost any US big city skews centrist to liberal. I did go out for my interviews and met great people so far. But your concern is my concern as well.

I am having a hard time finding a non-religious T. I have a couple of good contacts so far, a few holdouts who practice evidence based treatment.

I was playing around with the website
"The secular therapist project" that matches T's with patients of like mindedness.
Here's a link for anyone interested https://seculartherapy.org

Omg, I was just about to suggest The Secular Therapist Project to you! I really hope you find a good T and that you settle in well in Texas.

FWIW I am an atheist and my T is some kind of Christian I think. I have told him I don't believe in god or spirituality, and it's never come up since. I guess as long as they keep it out of your therapy it doesn't really matter that much. (Though I appreciate I live in a very secular country so things might be different in Texas!)

The notion that therapy itself is not inherently secular bothers me. Here, it is part of the definition of therapy, it's in the textbooks they read in their first year. Individual therapists might use their own religiosity as part of how they do therapy - provided they have made that very clear to the client - but that is the exception and not the norm. Because religiosity is not the norm here, for better and for worse - there is a huge amount of intolerance against religious people, which is just as bad as the opposite. But at least therapy is supposed to be a place where you are safe against any overt religiosity (as well as any overt antireligiosity - the therapist shouldn't preach atheism either) unless you explicitly choose a therapist with a religious conviction. (The thread a little while ago asking "does your T pray for you" made me uncomfortable, because in my culture you do not tell people you pray for them, and in addition a therapist has to be neutral. My T would never say that he thinks of me between sessions, even though I know that he has on occasion done that.)

I don't mind religion at all, I used to have a religious faith and I sing in a church choir, and I understand and respect that a religious person may find it hard to discuss from an irreligious point of view. Reality is reality, and we can know that other people's realities are different from ours but that doesn't change what is real for us. But the notion of therapy being slanted that way without there being options for people whose reality is different still bothers me, because so many people are extra vulnerable with their T.

I don't like mixing my healthcare with anything spiritual or religious. I can understand that someone might want those things, but I think it should new a different title or designation somehow so it is clear to anyone what you are "buying".

I myself am a gnostic atheist and my clinical psychologist is Christian but is completely secular, even giving me space to process the harm that my parents' evangelical, conservative, fundamentalist, right wing Christianity did to me.

Yet I've encountered an openly Christian counseling lecturer (who actively practices as a counsellor) openly mocking atheists in class and showing a video asserting that atheists think child rape is OK and that atheists have no morals.

My psychiatrist is also openly Christian and suggested I go for conversion therapy when I came out as bi to him despite us being in a secular public healthcare system.

I wouldn't be comfortable with an atheist clinician belittling religious people as delusional, stupid or mentally ill either. Hate it when atheists do that.

That's what makes this so hard. There ARE therapists who happen to be Christian that still practice evidence based therapy. And then there are the nightmare "conversion therapists" who, in my humble opinion, are no longer practicing therapy.

I wish there was a title or designation that makers it clear what is being offered. Looking at where someone got an education sometimes can be a hint but not foolproof. This is so hard.

Agreed, it's tough. That's why I think stuff like the Secular Therapist Project helps.

Do let the couch know how your T search goes, if you feel comfortable?

Any chance Sparky has referrals in Texas?

Yup Sparky my friend is going to go through one of his behavioral medicine groups and give me contacts. I found a couple of people online who might be worth talking to, but again, the LPC designation gives me pause for different reasons. I will have fun with my storytelling of meeting T's for the first time

Morning, couch.

I had a long day yesterday. I was called into CVS for an hour to make the phone calls, since they were understaffed and had no one else to make them. The pharm manager said when he called me, I wouldn't have to do anything but make the phone calls because he wanted them done as fast as possible, since he was over on hours this week.

After CVS, I came home took my last live CE for my registration renewal for pharm tech. I wanted them out of the way early, so I would not be scrambling at last minute.

Then I went to my hair appointment. I guess I missed the talk on hairdressers yesterday. I don't small talk with mine and she doesn't try to. She just cuts my hair and lets me go. I like that she does that, since I am not one for small talk. I find small talk with my co-workers hard enough and I "know" them better than my hairdresser.

CVS today. 9-6. I will probably be on phone calls again (the new round starts on Saturdays and must be done by Friday at 6pm, with 3 attempts on each call that is not reached). I have the highest percentage of people reached when I do it and the highest conversion rate (people saying "yes" to refilling their scripts), so phram manager likes me doing it. I get yelled at by lots of people for calling, but whatever, I am just doing my job. If JP is off today though, I will be doing the typing/drop off since the other people who work Saturdays don't do well there...even though I am weak at it too. In that case CD will be making the phone calls. I guess I am valuable, though it feels weird to be.

Need to buy my cooking stuff for my dinner cooking on Tuesday. I have been spending Tuesdays cooking for the one of the families I do charity stuff for. The ones I bought Christmas and birthday presents for. I am only doing it for the summer when I have time to cook and deliver the meal. Tuesday will be the 3rd time. Honey chicken drumsticks this week, with yellow rice, and broccoli. They ask that you include a protein, a starch, and a vegetable. I am also taking them a fruit salad for desert. I am having fun cooking each week.

Still need to finish cleaning my room and clean out my car. I failed to do any more work on it yesterday. It's just stacks of papers I have to go through, but it is overwhelming.

My toe hurts like crap. I stubbed it yesterday morning and it hurt all day. I knew it wasn't broken though because I could still move it and it was not swollen. It still hurts today, but today it is bruised. So I guess I just bruised it. Hopefully it will heal soon.

Well, I need to go take my meds and get dressed and maybe eat some breakfast. I'll be back after work.

Squirrel, I have to tell you something! I use CVS for my pharmacy even though it is cheaper to do it mail order through my insurance, because the people at my local CVS are so friendly and sometimes they are the only human contact I have that day. I bet you have customers like me, too, who like your phone calls!

I see three providers who are Christian. Each will follow the client's lead about whether to discuss faith at all. And when they do speak of things that are related to faith it's not the "bring your worries to God and all will be well" stuff, but mentioning a story or situation (often from the Bible) that relates to my situation. Even my non Chriatian provider has asked me if there is a Biblical person who had to forgive difficult stuff. At least two of them counsel people who are adamantly non-Christian and have no problem with that.
Around here (rural Illinois) if a counselor is determined to bring their Christian Faith to bear in session, they advertise as being Christian counselors.

Growlycat, where in Texas? That makes a big difference. I lived there for ten years and the atmosphere is very different around the state.

There used to be a tourist ad campaign with the tagline "Texas: it's a whole other country." I think it's like four other countries, at least.....

PM me if you like. Congrats on the new job!

Hey I rolled over five years! CAAAAAAAKE!!! What a long strange trip it's been. Thank you for your support.

Growly how exciting!!!

Squirrel, I didn't know you guys got tracked on whether we refill or don't refill. I sometimes don't refill my inhaler because honestly I have two completely full ones sitting right here, unused! Nothing to do with the pharmacy tech!

Yes - if it is in Austin, it may be like not leaving California at all. And even if it's not in Austin, that's a good place to visit.