Stop looking for Pathology—Thera-pissed

When will therapists and counselors cease the endless pursuit of searching for pathology and begin to use a lens that builds on strengths? Few would argue that helping individuals and families find what is positive in their lives is an efficacious method of providing counseling. However, when the session begins, the default position is almost always the search for pathology. There is once again a proliferation of born again therapeutic techniques that attracts sheep-like counselors in search of “the answer”. Empowerment more often relates to the therapist rather than clients and families.

After many years one becomes less than enthusiastic regarding old theories being presented as new-- just in fresh wrappings. Such quick fix methods of providing service like CBT, client centered therapy, EMDR, psycho drama etc. amount to trying to bang square pegs into round holes or making a dog a cat. Without much effort one might

at random bring a seemingly healthy individual into the office, ask them to relate disappointments and regrets in their lives and quickly create what some might label depression. This is similar to the rationale applied to the use of so many of these easy-to- learn, fairly short-lived, so-called techniques. Some have gone as far as to create workshops to perpetuate the myth and even worse, certifications for these black box voodoo methods.

It is time for counselors and therapists to abandon their Guru like position for one of truly meeting clients in their space and fostering change in their direction not the therapist’s. The carnage in the name of therapy must stop. When cookbook methods of providing treatment are used, both clients and therapists leave satisfied while recovery remains elusive. Therapist and client struggling together-- both reap the benefits, what a concept. When clients are given the responsibility for driving their own care, the path to recovery becomes possible.

It is no surprise that many counselors and therapists are attracted to narrowly focused diagnosis often resulting in knee jerk therapy. No wonder it is difficult to find two therapists who agree on the same practice direction for similar clients.

Yes. I believe that for some there is a serious ethics question when car payment therapy becomes the pratice model . "Just come twice a week for several years and you will feel better" sounds a bit like some Chiropractors I have met.

Hey, I am not saying that these counselors have poor intentions or are bad people just poor  training and supervision. How can one blame individual therapists when they are supported in their practice methods by Universities and some ivory tower Professors who wax poetically with great authority regarding theoretical nonsense that has little foundation in real practice. No surprise that so many graduates of these programs hit the road with a backpack filled with therapeutic tools searching for victims to carve into their therapeutic images of what a client should look like:  it is simply the case if the only tool you have is a hammer everything starts to look like nail.

The sad truth is that so many fragile clients become doubly victimized, once by their poor lot in life and again by the poorly trained and supervised therapist. I often ponder which is worse- to be over medicated by knee jerk MDs or probed to death by robot therapists!

No my friends I am not cynical, just THERA-pissed.

Dr. Bob Lynn  AKA docblynn