Therapists are not parents – are we simulating family?(www.freyaindia.co.uk)

3 pointsby binning15 hours ago4 comments

JohnFen10 hours ago
Nothing in that description of therapy resembles my experience with therapy at all. However, she appears to be talking about things like BetterHelp, which I don't think really counts as therapy.
nephihaha15 hours ago
Not just family, but friends, and religious leaders. A Catholic friend claims they are a kind of substitute for priests. Maybe, at least in the way they are supposed to behave as opposed to how they do.
But given that many people bitch to their therapists about their parents I'm not sure whether that is the case.
nephihaha14 hours ago
I had to get counselling and therapy in the past, but I have never had ones as described in the text. They didn't continually flatter me, or text me outside of the business side of things.
If you wanted to simulate my family there would probably be ages between messages.
reify14 hours ago
I dont know what types of therapy or therapist this person has enaged with, they are talking a load of bollocks.
yes, betterhelp is shit and a rip off for clients. Charging monthly fees that only a percentage is paid to the therapist, extra money is paid when the therapist replies to a text messages, but most therapists have a life and choose not to reply to text messages because they know it is unhealthy for the therapeutic alliance and the development of the therapeutic relationship.
My concern with all online therapy is the day that they get hacked, and they will. All that private video footage becomes readily available online. Can you imagine the horror of seeing yourself online talking about being sexually abused as a child.
The most fundamental requirements of all therapy is confidentiality, there is no confidentiality online, therapist, who work online are putting all clients at risk and should be struck off by their professional bodies.
Extract from the BACP Ethical Framework on confidentiality:
https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-stand...
this is not therapy!
but the modern capitalist enshittifcation of therapy in general and the exploitation of vulnerable clients.
```
  therapists do not tell client what to do!
  therapists do not tell clients to trust them
  therapists do not warn against co-dependency
  therapists do not encourage clients to call and text them
  therapists do not teach people how to date
  therapists are not available 24/7
  therapists do not act like proud parents
  therapists do not work solely with the inner child
  therapists do not treat clients like children
  therapists do not speak to clients like a baby
  therapists do not treat clients like a toddler
  therapists do not "actually" love their clients
  therapists do not miss their clients
  therapists do not have favourite clients
```
on and on.
In my 20 years as a practicing psychotherapist I have never heard so much shit.
How about trying a local therapist and not some online bullshit money making machine. It is cheaper and safer.
- namchang14 hours ago
  I was wondering about this after reading the article. What she describes doesn't match my experiences as a client at all. My therapist was very professional and set firm boundaries on contact time. We had an appointment every two weeks and that was it.
  Seems to be a distinction between therapy and "therapy"?