Should I Change Doctors/Therapists?

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I have been with my current therapist and psychiatrist team for over 10 years. I was looking at their website today and noticed “GLBT” and “GLBTQ” coming up several times in the profiles of many of the therapists. Apparently many of the therapists there deal with GLBT and GLBTQ (whatever the “Q” means (“Questioning?”)) patients. Should I find a new team, or is it okay for me to stay there? I’d like to stay there if I can. My psychiatrist is decent. I really like my therapist, but he is leaving and I will be getting a new therapist at the same clinic. Both my current therapist who is leaving and my soon-to-be therapist were ones who had GLBT or GLBTQ in their profile.
 
If you’re happy with your treatment, then stay. The other doctors in the team aren’t affecting your one-on-one relationship with your doctor. Also, LGBTQ people have their share of troubles too, I’m sure. Why should they not be able to receive psychological counseling? We’re all equal, and just because someone is “straight” doesn’t mean that their psychological needs should take precedence. Jesus wants us to love all people.
 
Having seen my wife go through numerous therapists/counselors over the years, I think it is important that the counselor be coming from a Catholic or Christian background.

Mental health is completely unlike any other branch of medicine or science. By necessity the person being treated must hand over extraordinary power to the counselor. It is not like any other relationship, except that between a person and their spiritual director.

The problem then is that the vast majority of people exercising this power, who are a type of spiritual director, hold a worldview that is not at all compatible with our faith. They do not believe in the marriage covenant, or in the sanctity of life, or in any of the other things we hold most dear. They will say that they isolate that part of themselves from their work, but in reality that is simply not possible.

Unfortunately it is not so easy to find a counselor who does incorporate faith into their practice! But it is possible. We found it very helpful to ask local priests for referrals.

I would say that for the psychiatrist the case is different; generally all they do is prescribe medication.

God bless!
 
I found in my training as a therapist that I take the lead of the client in incorporating religious beliefs into therapy. You can ask your therapist how he/she does this. It is something that you can explore with the therapist. If you are not satisfied with their response you can look elsewhere. I just checked out a website that Dr. Ray Guarendi recommends: www.catholictherapist.com

In my state it came up with zero; however I do know of two Catholic agencies in the area.

As for the LGBTQ? Obviously there is a lot of controversy in this area on how therapy is done. If you are not comfortable, then you can change; however it is not necessary for you to see eye to eye on everything that a therapist personally believes to develop a therapeutic relationship.
 
Would you prefer a therapist who refused to treat homosexual patients? If you disagree with the advice your therapist gives you, you are of course free to change doctors. But if this is not a subject that’s liable to ever come up between you and your doctor, I don’t see why you should make it an issue any more so than if you “discovered”, for instance, that your favorite coffee shop also serves homosexuals.
 
DhuAlQarnayn said:
Would you prefer a therapist who refused to treat homosexual patients? If you disagree with the advice your therapist gives you, you are of course free to change doctors. But if this is not a subject that’s liable to ever come up between you and your doctor, I don’t see why you should make it an issue any more so than if you “discovered”, for instance, that your favorite coffee shop also serves homosexuals.
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I don’t mind one bit that they give therapy to people who are attracted to members of the same sex. However I am bothered (although not surprised) that they would encourage same-sex relationships and sexual relations.
 
I am a licensed therapist and I believe that if you are happy with your treatment you don’t need to change.

I am a Catholic and and follow the teachings of the Church but my feelings on sexual morality wouldn’t effect how I work with a gay client as impostitions on personal morality is not the realm of competant practice and a therapist shouldn’t be involved in this.

The LGTQ you are seeing on their site may refer to them having a specialization in this area of practice. There are disignations for such things. Often therapists will have a pink triangle somewhere conspicuous in their office to show this.
 
If you feel you are receiving good treatment, I would stick it out. I think a lot of people in the health care field are obligated (with good reason!) to treat everyone equally, and help people navigate down a path that will bring them to their healthiest state.

While I would never encourage anyone to sin or do something against my beliefs, I would also be more than happy if a patient turned out to be Catholic and wanted to discuss their beliefs. However, again, as a health care provider, my beliefs do not and should not come up, at least in nursing.

I saw a therapist awhile ago for grief counseling, and she turned out to be Catholic. She did share some solid Catholic advise that I was grateful for, but I don’t have any doubt that she could have done just as great of a job without mentioning her Catholicism.

I think if you can lay down the law with your therapist and psychiatrist - state what your beliefs are, and that you would like their support in those beliefs. They don’t have to agree with you, but they should be able to support you.

Good luck!
 
Job42 said:
I have been with my current therapist and psychiatrist team for over 10 years. I was looking at their website today and noticed “GLBT” and “GLBTQ” coming up several times in the profiles of many of the therapists. Apparently many of the therapists there deal with GLBT and GLBTQ (whatever the “Q” means (“Questioning?”)) patients. Should I find a new team, or is it okay for me to stay there? I’d like to stay there if I can. My psychiatrist is decent. I really like my therapist, but he is leaving and I will be getting a new therapist at the same clinic. Both my current therapist who is leaving and my soon-to-be therapist were ones who had GLBT or GLBTQ in their profile.
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Which Commandment is your therapist breaking? Which part of Church teaching they violating? What is your rationale for finding a new therapist?

Luna
 
I’m not saying this is correct but my perception is that more Americans seems to see therapists than anyone else. Is my perception correct or not.
 
thistle said:
I’m not saying this is correct but my perception is that more Americans seems to see therapists than anyone else. Is my perception correct or not.
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I don’t know. Have to look it up. Psychology and the helping professions are quite popular in Western Europe and Aus/NZ as well. India does some good research and the well-off there make use of therapy. Saudia Arabia also has a certain amount of therapists.

In Asia not so much- somewhat to the detriment of the mentally ill community there- especially as the dynamics of the family unit are changing.
 
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