New Therapist and Religion

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mandajane

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After much searching, I found a therapist near my new home that I could afford. However, there is a big - glaring - problem.

I went to my first session earlier today, and I mentioned that I was Catholic in response to the ‘tell me about yourself’ schpiel.

As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.

Generally, she spent the second half of the session talking about how religion was bad for me, and how she was going to help me break free from that.

I have no intention of going back (even though it means trying to find another therapist in the city who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), but I was curious, has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there some kind of board I can report her to?
 
mandajane said:
I have no intention of going back (even though it means trying to find another therapist in the city who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), but I was curious, has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there some kind of board I can report her to?
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I doubt it, but I hope you’ll at least write her a letter and tell her why you will not ever see her again unless you run into her at the market. (Preferably with your cart.) I hope you do write a letter to someone on some board someplace though. I just think this is disgustingly unethical. And rife with implications she needs the therapist.

I knew a young woman who was finishing her degree in psychology which necessitated her going through some weeks with a therapist. When she told the therapist she was planning on entering religious life the therapist told her a desire to live a celibate life was a sign of mental illness.
 
Maybe you can still have religion but rather have it play a different role in how it shapes your life. No one has the same faith they had when they were a child.
 
mandajane said:
After much searching, I found a therapist near my new home that I could afford. However, there is a big - glaring - problem.

I went to my first session earlier today, and I mentioned that I was Catholic in response to the ‘tell me about yourself’ schpiel.

As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.

Generally, she spent the second half of the session talking about how religion was bad for me, and how she was going to help me break free from that.

I have no intention of going back (even though it means trying to find another therapist in the city who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), but I was curious, has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there some kind of board I can report her to?
Click to expand...
I know a catholic psychologist who comes from a very good family. She told me that she has to separate her religious life from her professional life (in the sense that she cannot tell people under stress to pray, but rather to utilize techniques she herself wouldn’t use). If your psychologist is saying one thing, and the other is saying that she finds prayer a more useful tool for dealing with stress then you know it’s just out of personal preference that the first psychologist said that.
 
Hmmm, I would be interested to know how she gleaned all of that from just meeting you. It seems her projecting something of herself onto you may be a factor. Maybe if you find a new therapist you can send her the info so she can make an appointment as well. 😃
 
Ohh, I am sorry you went through that. I got pregnant at 19 in a Catholic University and went to the guidance counselor for help…

She suggested abortion.

Made me very sad and I didn’t go back.
 
mandajane said:
After much searching, I found a therapist near my new home that I could afford. However, there is a big - glaring - problem.

I went to my first session earlier today, and I mentioned that I was Catholic in response to the ‘tell me about yourself’ schpiel.

As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.

Generally, she spent the second half of the session talking about how religion was bad for me, and how she was going to help me break free from that.

I have no intention of going back (even though it means trying to find another therapist in the city who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), but I was curious, has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there some kind of board I can report her to?
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Yes, I’m sure there is a licensing board, you just need to know what her credentials are. Therapists are not supposed to be telling a client that a source of personal strength such as religious faith, is a crutch. You can also go to one of the rating sites for doctors or counselors and rate her poorly and explain why you are giving her the thumbs-down. Do it for someone who might not be as strong as you are and might be vulnerable to this forceful opinion from an authority figure.

:mad:
 
Report her to her licensing board. I would have been promptly fired from my agency for telling a client that. How is she not viewing your faith as a source of strength?
 
mandajane said:
After much searching, I found a therapist near my new home that I could afford. However, there is a big - glaring - problem.

I went to my first session earlier today, and I mentioned that I was Catholic in response to the ‘tell me about yourself’ schpiel.

As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.

Generally, she spent the second half of the session talking about how religion was bad for me, and how she was going to help me break free from that.

I have no intention of going back (even though it means trying to find another therapist in the city who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), but I was curious, has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there some kind of board I can report her to?
Click to expand...
I am a licensed therapist. If you are accurately describing what happened with this clinician I would certainly seek someone else as what they are doing/saying is not good practice.

Sound practice isn’t so much about, “giving advice” but about helping the client understand themselves. A good clinician for a non-severely mentally ill person, has no “agenda” except to help the client be a more happy person in their own way.

Religion and spirituality are a key strength for many or most people.
 
mandajane said:
As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.

Generally, she spent the second half of the session talking about how religion was bad for me, and how she was going to help me break free from that.
Click to expand...
Find another therapist.

Luna
 
Julia_Mae said:
I doubt it, but I hope you’ll at least write her a letter and tell her why you will not ever see her again unless you run into her at the market. (Preferably with your cart.) I hope you do write a letter to someone on some board someplace though. I just think this is disgustingly unethical. And rife with implications she needs the therapist.
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Julia Mae, I know you and I often disagree but 👍 👍

And since it IS unethical, I would add that she should be reported to the ethics board in the state. They might not do anything but she should still be reported and have this go on record.
 
Unfortunately a lot of licensed therapists (myself included) have our own baggage and issues. There are reasons many of us are drawn to helping professions. :rolleyes:
 
Yes, the woman seemed very pushy, and frankly, made me uncomfortable. I’ve already called the doctor who recommended her to me, and told him what happened, and I’m working on writing a letter to the organization she is certified through. (However, I am TERRIBLE with the written word, so it takes me some time.)
 
our Catholic Charities here provides counseling on sliding fee scale.
 
mandajane said:
I went to my first session earlier today, and I mentioned that I was Catholic in response to the ‘tell me about yourself’ schpiel.

As soon as I finished, the therapist said that she thinks I have a lot of potential, but I need to let go of my ‘security blanket’. I asked her what she meant.

Apparently, I’m using religion as a ‘crutch’ to help me deal with my life. If I were strong, I would let go of these outdated modes of thinking.
Click to expand...
Did she give you an example to support her belief that you are using religion as a crutch to deal with your life? Maybe she thinks you are scrupulous? Since we weren’t there, it would be hard to tell what actually transpired between the two of you. I’ve never met a therapist who didn’t encorporate a person’s religion/culture/belief system into the treatment of the patient or client. I’m sure they exist…but I doubt they would be very popular.
 
Rence said:
Did she give you an example to support her belief that you are using religion as a crutch to deal with your life? Maybe she thinks you are scrupulous? Since we weren’t there, it would be hard to tell what actually transpired between the two of you. I’ve never met a therapist who didn’t encorporate a person’s religion/culture/belief system into the treatment of the patient or client. I’m sure they exist…but I doubt they would be very popular.
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Most people who aren’t Catholic have no clue as to what “scrupulous” even means…I doubt a therapist has ever heard of the word used in the context of our faith. I sure had never heard of it. Of course, in the normal sense, it is good to have scruples, it means moral standards, a limit on what you will and won’t do. But for Catholics, it means getting too anxious about sin to focus on grace. I believe it’s the Catholic manifestation of OCD. 🙂
 
TheRealJuliane said:
Most people who aren’t Catholic have no clue as to what “scrupulous” even means…I doubt a therapist has ever heard of the word used in the context of our faith. I sure had never heard of it. Of course, in the normal sense, it is good to have scruples, it means moral standards, a limit on what you will and won’t do. But for Catholics, it means getting too anxious about sin to focus on grace. I believe it’s the Catholic manifestation of OCD. 🙂
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It’s not the term, it’s the behavior, which can be easily recognized in people’s questions, answers and actions. If the therapist recognized ‘scrupulous’ behavior either during the session, or as the patient described it during the session, he’d know it for what it was even if he called it something else.
 
Rence said:
It’s not the term, it’s the behavior, which can be easily recognized in people’s questions, answers and actions. If the therapist recognized ‘scrupulous’ behavior either during the session, or as the patient described it during the session, he’d know it for what it was even if he called it something else.
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Yeah, either OCD or neurosis, religious type.
🙂
 
Julia_Mae said:
I doubt it, but I hope you’ll at least write her a letter and tell her why you will not ever see her again unless you run into her at the market. (Preferably with your cart.) …
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

As for the thread, try to find a good Catholic therapist. It might be difficult, but it can be done.
 
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