Stop beating up therapists please.

Could we please stop the therapist-bashing in this forum?

It's ok and fine to discuss how you feel about your therapist, and good for your personal growth, but I am a little sick of some lumping ALL therapists as bad!

With respect.

I don't think we can tell people how and what they should feel about therapists. I think we have to remember that a lot of people here have had bad experiences with their familys growing up and perhaps that is carried over into their theraputic experience? I think also that some therapists do need to be brought to book? Personally I've had a great experience with my T now but do know of not so great experiences and I think people need to be able to work through their feelings misjustic or whatever? Now we dont' want to become a group where no critical thought is allowed do we? Some of us grew up without being able to vocalise our own critical thinking?

yes, quit banging up on Therapists.....

we should vent our frustrations towards lawyers, politicians, and car salesmen!

I think this forum is the right place to tell of problems with one's own therapist. We can get a lot of insights from that and the poster can get support and different perspectives. But I agree, blanket generalizations are usually not helpful. All therapists are not a certain way. Sometimes I think it is just carelessness in wording the post. Perhaps we just need to be more careful not to say "therapists are like this," and instead say, "my therapist is like this."

Peace.

I agree with you mouse and I would never tell anyone how to feel about anything.

But I have to agree with Peg and others that generalizing a professional within a profession as bad is what is bad.

I once knew a person who loved to wear pink shirts. He was not a kind person.

Would it be fair to say that all people who wear pinks shirts are unkind?

With care,

Lenny

Pegasus,

What type of comment has been said that you construe as therapist-bashing? You say that some are lumping ALL therapists as bad, can you elaborate? I ask this of you because you make these statements as if they are factual, but at this time I am unable to see your point of view.

What exactly is it that you are requesting of the posters in the Psychotherapy Forum? There are so many factors in this equation, so many reasons why one would post negative feelings towards their T.

Thank you.

I know I personally have had 2 therapists who i feel were misguided and I have spoken to that. Also I have had 2 other therapists who I really cared about at the time even though there were some really hurtful, thoughtless things said by them to me. And I think that I have commented reciently that I feel very lucky to have the therapist I do because there seem to not be as many great therapists out there.

It is like all people; Not all people are great people. We all do mess up and make mistakes, but not all people are good. No generalization can be made that all people are either good or bad. But depending on one's experiences, one could say "not all are ______". I've had a 1/5 experience in finding a great T. I feel fortunate now with the 1. I know of course there are more than 5 T's in the world... some on this board LOVE their T....

I know for myself, the more rules and restrictions that are added, the more I think i am back in my abusive household and an unwelcome individual. I trust that we can find the difference between "bashing" and "being able to speak to our experiences".

Lenny - you asked,
"Would it be fair to say that all people who wear Pink shirts are unkind?"

((((((Lenny))))))),

No, it would not only NOT be fair, it is clearly NOT true. You are a very kind and caring person, I can tell from your posts. So, since you are kind and wear Pink shirts, then I think we can all agree that ALL PEOPLE WHO WEAR PINK SHIRTS ARE KIND! I can't help but think that you mistook this unkind person's shirt color to be Pink, when it was actually another color (sometimes certain shades of red can appear to be Pink). I really have to go now, I'm going to the mall to buy myself a Pink shirt. LOL

Take care!

LOL....That had me laughing Soliaree....cute,,,very cute...

But so true...I abhore generalities and steriotypes,,probably one of the most widely used forms of injustice.

We are all certainly members of the same species and share in most biological needs and processes,,but when it comes to what goes on between our ears only our preceeding moments dictate this one and so on...

We are so wonderfully unique and special.

I'm sure you will look wonderfull in pink!!!

Lenny

I like reading about the problems people have with other therapists. I've learned a lot about therapist in this forum. I'm on my first therapist and I don''t have the experience of other therapist. Sometimes it sure makes me glad I have the therapist I do have. Sometimes I can get a good laugh.

If I start reading a post that I don't like or doesn't interest me, I go on to another one. I don't waste my time. There are so many more that I can learn from.

I hope this helps some to understand.

I just wanted to get my 2 cents in here. I don't think posts should be restricted to positive comments about Ts. I've not yet heard anyone generalize negative comments to all Ts as people here seem to be better educated than that.

However, we can probably agree that not all Ts are good for everyone and that even good Ts make mistakes.

If this is not the place to discuss T issues, then where is? Plus, people who are totally anti-T would probably not be posting here.

I've actually been pleasantly surprised by all of the good T stories I've read here.

Let's stay OPEN, please! Personally, I will not visit this site (no loss to you, but to me) if restrictions start to be placed on what opinions can be expressed and if only positive T stories can be told. I want to learn about what therapy is really like for other people, the good and the bad.

Sorry for the soapbox, but yes, I do feel STRONGLY about keeping as much freedom of speech on this site as possible!

well said! i agree totally, stop the judgement & restrictions! people need to be able to say what is on their mind without being ridaculed. i personally despise therapists BUT that does not mean i disagree with people who have one. i have friends and family in therapy & it helps them. they need a stranger to rant to about their problems[which i find pointless] but if it helps them, then i am all for it! but like i said; i am against it for myself because of the bad experiences i have had with it & i hate talking about my problems, unless it's online[sometimes] i dont know im just weird like that. i am never comfortable to tell the truth in therapy because they always throw me in the pshyc ward, so FxCK!

I may be wrong here but I think Peg's initial idea was to avoid generalities.

That is not a rule, nor would I imagine it would be.

However, in social circles, making generalities of any kind tends to diminish one's audience as we all will in some way be touched by the generalization. For instance,,if someone had a bad expereince with someone who had a poorly manicured beard and stated that all folks with poorly manicured beards were assholes..well then I might be offended.

If someone has had a bad expereince with a therapist,,please share that,,but the suggestion I believe was not to state that all therapists are bad as a result of the bad experience.

I know many therapists for instance that receive therapy...some are here.

IMHO.

Lenny

I must be blind or something, but I didn't notice any T-bashing generalizations.

Hey,

I'm a newbie but I can't see that much T-bashing on here! Besides, in my experience there are a lot of things that can go wrong when you havent got the kind of therapist and relationship you need and I'd rather people talked about it so that others don't feel so isolated!

Having said that, I also like hearing when people have a really good T experience - it gives us all hope

BTC

As a new person I can see a much T (bashing is such a harsh word how about misunderstanding) as well as some serious T loving, I think balance is really good here.

JMO (Just my opinion)