Christ_empowered
Member
- Oct 23, 2010
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Its a book by Dr.Thomas Szasz, the same brilliant guy who brought the world The Myth of Mental Illness. I kinda wanna get it...I've been skimming it on google books.
He argues that psychotherapy is more a religion than anything else, at least the way its usually practiced, and it tends to undermine "real religions," including Christianity. Kinda makes sense.
I dunno. I'm considering maybe doing some kind of counseling with people. I should have an undergraduate degree within 1.5 years. But...then I think...
...as a Christian, is it really appropriate for me to counsel people? Think about it. One of Szasz's core arguments seem to be that therapy is really just conversation. You and I could have a conversation. Should you pay me for my conversation? Should I pay you? Are the words of a trained "mental health professional" any more "therapeutic" than the words of a pastor, rabbi, concerned friend or family member?
And...diagnosis. I think diagnosis dis-empowers people, labels them, stigmatizes me. Happened to me. Even now, with "mental health professionals" who are...gasp...Professional towards me, less controlling, more compassionate, etc., I get the sense that I'm not permitted to name my own experiences. That's Bipolar. You're depressed. Agitation. I mean, I'm not all anti-psychiatry and hippy-ed out now that I'm focusing more on Christ, but...there are real power issues, and I'm blessed that community mental health is more 60s and 70s in their approach than the private practice shrinks I dealt with in years past.
I thought maybe...you know, maybe I could get the appropriate graduate level degree, and just pull a Szasz and talk to people about their "problems in living." But then I think...would the other mental health pros put up with that? But if I"m just talking, why get a masters? Why not be a plumber? If I get the M.Divinity (Liberty has relativley low per semester tuition for their seminary programs), why do that with the M.Divinity? Shouldn't I be tending the flock in a church or para-church setting?
Ugh. I'm just thinking out loud. I'm doing well in my classes and getting the lower level classes I didn't do in undergrad, round #1 done, so now I'm moving up to the mid and upper level classes. Maybe I'm just getting a bit...nervous. Things are getting real, lol.
He argues that psychotherapy is more a religion than anything else, at least the way its usually practiced, and it tends to undermine "real religions," including Christianity. Kinda makes sense.
I dunno. I'm considering maybe doing some kind of counseling with people. I should have an undergraduate degree within 1.5 years. But...then I think...
...as a Christian, is it really appropriate for me to counsel people? Think about it. One of Szasz's core arguments seem to be that therapy is really just conversation. You and I could have a conversation. Should you pay me for my conversation? Should I pay you? Are the words of a trained "mental health professional" any more "therapeutic" than the words of a pastor, rabbi, concerned friend or family member?
And...diagnosis. I think diagnosis dis-empowers people, labels them, stigmatizes me. Happened to me. Even now, with "mental health professionals" who are...gasp...Professional towards me, less controlling, more compassionate, etc., I get the sense that I'm not permitted to name my own experiences. That's Bipolar. You're depressed. Agitation. I mean, I'm not all anti-psychiatry and hippy-ed out now that I'm focusing more on Christ, but...there are real power issues, and I'm blessed that community mental health is more 60s and 70s in their approach than the private practice shrinks I dealt with in years past.
I thought maybe...you know, maybe I could get the appropriate graduate level degree, and just pull a Szasz and talk to people about their "problems in living." But then I think...would the other mental health pros put up with that? But if I"m just talking, why get a masters? Why not be a plumber? If I get the M.Divinity (Liberty has relativley low per semester tuition for their seminary programs), why do that with the M.Divinity? Shouldn't I be tending the flock in a church or para-church setting?
Ugh. I'm just thinking out loud. I'm doing well in my classes and getting the lower level classes I didn't do in undergrad, round #1 done, so now I'm moving up to the mid and upper level classes. Maybe I'm just getting a bit...nervous. Things are getting real, lol.
