Posted by alan on June 6, 1999, at 22:43:17
In reply to Re: Am I paying too much for therapy?, posted by Elaine on May 30, 1999, at 1:25:19
i am seeing a psychologist for talk therapy thru a county supported program that charges on a sliding scale. The therapist impresses me as very intelligent, knowledgeable, and conscientious. I have never been able to fathom why MD's are considered especially qualifieed to do this kind of work; seems to me a terrible waste of an expensive and deemanding medical education. I also see an MD psychopharmacologist for medication once a month for 15 minutes. Anyhow, I pay $14 per session for the talk therapy. I suspect you could find similar resources in your community.
Studies done some years ago showed no correlation between the formal education and the effectiveness of psychotherapists. There may be some advantage in having therapists follow well defined protocols for cetain types of therapy (IPT, CBT), as specified by researchers; but very few therapists do. The kind of degree makes no difference. (Freud thought a medical education was bad training for a psychoanalyst, but I don't think he had any evidence for that either.)
I have no idea of how to tell if a therapist is good (for you!) or if you are making progress because of therapy. That is why we need controlled studies, but they won't tell you much about YOU.
I hate to give advice, knowing how wrong anyone could be, and especially non-experts like me, but I would certainly look for less expensive therapy.
We all have enough problems without poverty too.
Alan
poster:alan
thread:6789
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/7118.html