Invisible Scams

Hello dear readers, how have y'all been? The last article was a real hard pill to digest ,wasn't it? Sorry for triggering some difficult feelings but , it was necessary. Anyways, I am back with yet another thought provoking piece, lets dive head first into it!

So, many of you might remember that I am a psychology major student, and it is safe to say that I am neck-deep into this subject. However, a bizarre situation has caught my attention these days.

It's pretty well known that Asians especially Indians do not "believe" in therapy or psychological help , so naturally they think my degree teaches me nothing but black magic (which I desperately wish it were true but its not ! its hardcore science). However, the very few who actually seek help find it disappointing and unhelpful and at times downright disturbing.

What causes this phenomenon ? What really happens?

You see the first logic behind it is , it's their first experience, maybe some difficult feelings came up, they were not willing to do the session in the first place etc. While that stands true , something deeper goes on as well. To know better I actually booked a session with a therapist available near me and boy oh boy the nightmare she brewed!

She not only breached the first code of conduct of any therapist : confidentiality; but also encouraged some absolutely disturbing behaviors with her own personal beliefs and aggravated an already dooming situation. Needless to say I never went back for the next session. Since, I already am from this field and happen to know what therapy ACTUALLY looks like and fortunately enough know some really qualified therapists , that hideous session didn't really cross me bad. BUT! Had that been someone new into this experience , it would have been the perfect recipe to make sure they never seek help ever again from any mental health professional, which is precisely the case for many of them!

Why does this happen?

Unlike US, or UK , psychology in India and Asia alike is a growing sector , and maybe that's a reason why the rules and regulations here are not as stringent as they should be. You see, there are some different means of acquiring RCI license , which are being used by many such "practicing" mental health professionals. Jump scare alert : MANY OF THEM DON'T EVEN HAVE A PROPER DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY !!! Some of them do courses , yet others don't even bother getting any license whatsoever! Yet they are branding themselves as clinical, counselling and child psychologists on well known sites.

What can you do as a client or patient?

Now after knowing this piece of information, getting a proper therapist may seem challenging or daunting. BUT! There are some effective and easy ways to tackle it:

1. Get therapists from solid referrals , like your physical health practitioner or nearest hospital or better yet, someone who has actually been helped by their services.

2. Do a background check on your own , check their degrees and specializations beforehand if they seem to hesitate or deny giving access to their specialization details then its a red flag.

3. See for your own self if that specific therapist is working for you or not , are their approach to your issues valid or scientific , are they being professional , are they upholding what they are supposed to, are they breaching any code of conduct. Under any such circumstances you are free to walk out and never return to that therapist ever again.

4. Be a little bit optimistic and trust that good therapists exist and they do in loads !

   
   

Lastly , this post was not intended to bash people of my same profession but to expose the ones who are pretending to be something they are not and harming innocent people in desperate need of help.