Do we really need therapists? Or do we need better families?

Question

Since the 1970's there has been a tremendous increase in the number of psychologists and therapists trained. Why is this? Is this an effect of the society and values that we hold? Is this due to a deterioration of the family unit? Increasingly, so many people see therapists (some are mandated by the courts). People are more likely to disclose that they see a therapist to help with some problems. I suspect you would be surprised to learn the percentage of people around you who either participate in therapy or take some type of medication to help them through difficulties.

Answer 1

I have been through the loss of both parents and a child, and my husband leaving and have never set foot in a therapist's office. I attribute it to the fact that I have wonderful friends who aren't afraid to listen and be supportive. Therapists are way over-rated. My brother has been seeing one for 30 years and doesn't seem to function much better than he did 30 years ago.

Answer 2

If there were better families we would not need as many therapists would we?

I say as many because we will always need trained people to assist others with their numerous founded or unfound problems
in their lives.

The world has changed since the seventies in more ways than one. There has been an increase in number of therapists because of the demand.

Since then people have been speaking out against whatever has been happening in their lives, they were no longer left to remain silent unless they chose to, regarding horrific home life, the way things were done in their home. It began when people started comparing their lives with others and also getting the wrong advise from helpful sources.

People are unique with everyone seeing the world from a different perspective each one handles personal problems differently

The mind is a strange animal and we need trained people out there to assist those who are truly in trouble and from what I have seen there are many

In the almost 40 year time frame, we have gone from suffering in total silence to information overload. From strict up bringing to let them do what ever they want...I no longer care

Seems depression feeds depression and now the norm to inform everyone around that they are seeing their therapist, almost as if that in itself is the answer to the problem.

I have also noticed how many people are more than happy to share their ideas on what is the better depression medication to use.....everyone and their dog is on something for depression
that could one of the reasons on why there is such an increase

There are strong minded people and people who are totally unable to handle any type of crisis in their lives, always will be always were, just seems to be more so now as the world has opened up and we are now comparing our lives to the other
6 billion. Not to mention how dangerous it has become!

I believe the courts see so many trouble lives everyday that even
the justice system is at a loss what to do with offenders they mandate a therapist as the only alternative.

Another reason why so many people are believing they are now depressed ,diagnosed with this or that,is the therapist was not trained and actual made the person find more problem or ones that did not exist.

Answer 3

Yes, therapists hold and important role in today's society. The reason so many people study to be therapists is in their desire to learn about behavior and help people.

I feel that today's families aren't really any worse or better than they were in the 70's or 60's....we just talk more about the problems we have now. And we all take less responsibility for our actions...blaming everyone and everything else for our actions or inability to control ourselves or our children. We do rely too much on the "magic pill" to solve our problems when more often than not if we were to roll up our sleeves and get involved things would work out better in the long run. The latest craze of labeling children with ADD or ADHD comes to mind. In the 60's & 70's they would be labled "hyper". Go figure.

Of course there are times when medication is needed...as well as treatment. Post-partum depression is a classic example of a situation that needs immediate treatment...as well as a host of other illness's. Like bi-polar, paranoia, manic depression...The most important thing is to find the correct doctor or therapist for your problem.

Answer 4

Study after study has proven that a long talk with a good friend is just as helpful as :PhD trained psychologist, lcdc,nrt,lpc, or any of the other alphabeth pschyological counselors.

I agree that these people are not as helpful as real friends but in the abscense of real friends, they function subnormally.

I don't agree that the courts should put so much emphasis on whatever these well-educated nuts say. Most of them have failed completely at their own lives and now (as unmarried desparately lonely people) they would like to have a legal say-so in running our lives. This makes the couselors and the courts feel better.

Perscription medication is also a problem. The pharmacuetical companies spend millions on advertisement to convince us that we need them. Try to watch a TV movie. The pharmacuetical advertisements come on every 5 minutes.

Citizens need to speak out: We do NOT need drugs to help us with the stupidest simplest human problems. We need to tell our doctors that we do not want these drugs and we refuse to take these trivial potents unless it's absolutely necessary to sustain life.

Answer 5

True but we have therapist now and many of them in part because of life before and during the 1970's. It was a world of don't tell anyone what goes on behind these doors. Incest, physical abuse, teens getting pregnant and forced to give babies up against their will. I think if we were to research we would find the bulk of therapist practicing graduated in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's. Look at Dr. Phil, although he is an actual Dr. But the same could probably be said of psychologist as well.

Answer 6

Maybe one day it will be much easier to diagnose and treat patients without all of the wasted money spent with mindless and repetitive chatter. Many people are most likely handed anti-psychotic and anti-depressive drugs when it's from diet or lack of and dehydration.Proper lab work could more accurately prescribe the missing nutrients and screen for toxins etc.I feel we are pressured to function in a dysfunctional and incompetent society that ignores the most basic human needs.Time-out.

Answer 7

As a young practicing therapist, it often sounds to others that I am being counter-productive when I talk about the overuse of therapy. My greatest fear in the practice of psychotherapy is the pathologicising of "normal" behavior, particularly adolescent behavior. Currently, I am working as an addictions counselor, and within our office we also do mh therapy as well. Not too long ago a mother sent her 18 year old daughter into see me because she was having issues behaving at home. After sitting down with her for 20 minutes it was apparent that she was going through some depression following her boyfriend cheating on her. In my opinion, the (and I hate to say this but) stigma of being in therapy in highschool could be far more damaging then being out of sorts from a highschool sweetheart messing around on her. Short version, I told her she could come back if she wanted, but gave her some friendly advice and sent her on her way. There are people out there with serious problems though. My areas of expertise are forensic psychopathology (why people kill each other) and theoretical social psychology (why don't people get along). I've been in the hospitals, seen people throw their feces on the wall, listen to the worries of hypochondriacs and seen grown men do strip-teases. I've never been an advocate of medication, I don't even like taking tylenol, but there are people out their with sever depression and schizophrenia who benefit from medication (IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNSELING!!!). This goes far beyond social support, this goes into the area of basic functioning. There are still more issues in which people benefit from therapy that don't necessarily need medication, such as post traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, simple phobias and social phobia. Yes, this definitely benefits from social support, but often is not properly addressed simply due to a lack of understanding by those who have not studied these disorders (not to say that as therapists we are perfect). And still more, there are people with symptoms of depression and anxiety wanting counseling, which in my opinion is much like going to a surgeon for a splinter. I know for me, I love forensic psychopathology, I find it facinating. I do work with convicts with psychological diagnoses and trainings in anger management. The first thing we admit in forensic psych is that if we get through to 1 out of 1000, then we are lucky. But working in forensic psych also allows us to be practicing empiricists, in that maybe we can learn something from Bob Arsonist or Joe Stabsalot that we can apply in the schools or in the community.

Part of psychotherapy is having a bond between the therapist and the patient. Yes, I've been told I'm in a field which whores friendship, but I often wonder that maybe having someone to confide in (particularly one bound by ethics and confidentiality laws) when things are at their worst, with the illusion of having their head screwed on straight (generated through process education and training) can impact someone more so than a friend who isn't seeing the whole picture. That being said, I question any therapist who says their role in an individual's life is more important than that of the individuals close social network.

I think what this question is ultimately stabbing at is a symptom of a greater problem. We have more doctors and therapists, and yet there are more things wrong with us. We have more communication technology and connectivity, but we are more distant from each other. We see more problems in the world, and yet we understand less. Have we lost the ability to appreciate silence?

Answer 8

" One hundred years of psychotherapy and we are getting worse " I forget who said this, but it is apropos.Therapists sell themselves better than any used car salesmen ever could dream of. Psychotherapy is the career refuge of those who could not hack it, academically, so they needed to promote a crisis and find a niche. Looks like they are doing a wonderful job of that, anyway.