Do you think psycologists are the new highinquisitors of western civilization?

Question

Why?
Why not?

There have been some instances of "witchhunts".

I'm a GP btw...and sometimes I think so. lol

You know some of those unprofessional psi who in therapy convince people they have been molested and suffered ritual abuse.
The repressed memory thing.
They certainly have destroyed lives.

And yes I do know the benefit of professional psychotherapy for the depressed, people in crisis,OCD and so on and there are many really good psychotherapists.

Answer 1

Psycology is the new religion that mixes pseudo-science and feelings to come up with a mix, - that changes every 5 years or so.

The big last witchhunt was for child molesters, and the hi-light of that was in the mid-1980's when a mother and son day care provider went to jail for "molesting" and threating 3 year olds in their day care.

They eventually got of jail, but the child-psychologists, planted thoughts in the kiddie's heads and conjured up "supressed memories" etc.

Answer 2

I wanted to watch responses to this question before responding. I'm a master's level psychotherapist who has been in practice for 25 years. In that period, I have seen a variety of "techniques" and diagnoses rise and fall in popularity as the "treatment du jour." Watching the profession change with the winds doesn't help us seem very well grounded, I'm afraid.

The recovered memories movement, the emphasis on dissociative identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder), and encouraging people to identify themselves as victims are all areas that have tarnished the profession.

However, research indicates that people who are clinically depressed, people who have serious mental illness, and people who have behavior control problems usually benefit from therapy. The therapy has to focus on helping them change the way they think, to introduce new possibilities they have not been able to generate on their own.

We need to better track the effectiveness of therapy. As a general rule, if someone is not benefitting from working with a particular therapist within 3 sessions, they need to look elsewhere. Therapists who utilize Scott Miller's session rating techniques (which in 30 seconds can assess the effectiveness of each session) or similar measures are more likely to tune their particular styles to the needs of the clients.

(http://www.talkingcure.com/)

Answer 3

The problem with psychologists is the assumption psychologists are devoid of character flaws and above mental aberration of any kind. AMONG PROFESSIONALS even, of all people.

We are talking about men and women (with excellent degrees) who could potentially be control freaks, people who have no no problem with pushing across political or even their own spiritual agendas - just in disguised, stealthy means.

For example - one man I visited because of a low point in my life tried his best to get me to believe I was homosexual, which, if I was, would have went along with it - however - my desires in such an area was never in doubt as my being 100% heterosexual, and was NOT the problem for which I sought help.

And so I am wondering just how many of these people push their agenda across the board, overlooking the real need of the client for the need of the psychologist.

And for the record - it does no good to report them because why? They doctor your charts as they please, labeling the client (true or not true) as demented - end of story among their peers.

If you try to defend your state - (right or wrong) they can write down a diagnosis of whatever they want. Why? They can!

The assumptions that shrinks are above board are dangerous assumptions and the screwballs in charge make it difficult to trust real, genuine well meaning professional psychologists. AH! But then there in lies the caveat!

There are people of ALL walks of life (though not meaning all people) including shrinks.., that are well meaning and yet in denial of their own personal flaws in the areas I just described and or worse.

So yes - psychologists can be the new high-inquisitors of western civilization.

Answer 4

Good Psychologists are hard to find. I thank God for them. They are constantly out there searching for answers. And they provide us with new ways of dealing with problems that in the past there was no hope for. I'm glad they are working at it. Brovo! Their expertise is needed even if like many of us they are not always right.

Answer 5

I have been in the medical profession for 25 years and some of the weirdest people I have met are psychiatrists....There is definitely a power thing going on, and they have people at their mercy, because everyone is afraid of being called crazy....Who cares?

Answer 6

No of course not. These people were putting people on large wooden wheels and spinning them trying to cure emotional problems just 75 years ago. They are too new

Answer 7

Yeah , I think they may be . But they'll always be some kinda thought police . No matter where or when you go somebody , in a position to do so , will always tell you what and how to think about things . Good ones will do it " for your own good " and Bad ones will do it for their own good .

Answer 8

No. Psychology has yet to prove itself as a science that can sufficiently deal with human behavior as a mass.

Answer 9

I have no idea what you have heard, but mental health professionals such as pyschologists and pyschiatrists are the hope of your generation.

Answer 10

I think they are all nuts actually.. I have a degree in this field..lol