I wonder does anyone know of or wants to start online counseling or therapy? I would think with this COVID-19 thing maybe this is something that there would be more of…
Also for me it would be easier because I don’t have to walk to The Center in the hot sun (for some reason there’s not many buses to Tienmu that runs often).
I think I’ve posted about this before but I personally found it as ineffective as it was expensive. Which is to say, very. I only saw one person for one session, but it was more than enough for me to figure out they weren’t for me. They stuck me with some shit-for-brained counselor of the type that’s so transparently judgmental you can’t even believe they managed to become a counselor.
I suppose I could’ve switched to one of the others but that experience soured the whole Center for me.
It’s ok and they charge on a sliding scale, which could range from ok to really expensive.
But the thing is, other than some advise and stuff I just felt I get better quality therapy for the same money doing fun stuff… and it really wasn’t working for me because other than them saying stuff to make me feel good it doesn’t really solve the underlying problem for me. So I end up just going to a hospital to see a shrink for 5 minutes and get medications. At least NHI covered that.
I did therapy a couple times in my 20s (in the states) and my problem was the opposite. Instead of being judgmental, my fella seemed totally disinterested. He’d nod and add a generic remark to whatever part of my soul I had just bared (eg: “sounds bad, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much” or “they’ve probably already forgotten and so should you”). Then he’d be glancing at his watch when the session still had 15 minutes left and always wrap up a few minutes early. Plus, it cost an arm and a leg. Honestly I feel much better after talking to my brother or a close friend than I do to a shrink.
Therapy with a good therapist that really knows their craft and how they can help you is worth every penny. They’re just really hard to find. And I didn’t find one at the Center, that’s for sure.
I think I’ve tried seeing about six different professionals throughout my lifetime and while no one was a perfect fit for me, I learned that the ones who are in some way(s) fundamentally different from me, i.e. much older, or male, or of a different race or nationality or sexuality, etc. are the ones who were best able to offer me a new perspective to my problem.
Bad therapy is why many people go to fortune tellers, tarot card readers etc and sometimes have more success. Gypsy Jessie and her crystal ball may not be all that bad.
“I see a long dark haired stranger of mystical beauty, over water”…
I know a couple who went to The Center and said their counselor was coming at things from a very Christian perspective (a belief system neither patient had) and was convinced they should pray, apologize and come back next week for another session. Neither did.
I can kinda sorta see it in a country like the US but not in a country that doesn’t have Christian traditions it probably sounds like “Cronus swallowed his children because he wanted you to be able to forgive.” I don’t have anything against faith-based counseling but you probably need to let people know in advance.