Dr. Catherine P. Perry talks about going from psychotherapist to spiritual healer

[jambonsambo]

science is just bad poetry

[ClamCrunchy]

This is gibberish. Psychologists have serious problems with thinking in a rigorous scientific manner, and she is a sterling example of this. The field of psychology needs more training in scientific methods so that psychologists are less vunerable to magical and irrational thinking.

[nomirran]

@ClamCrunchy I think you are missing the point. Whether or not the scientific method is used as a tool within the healing process is irrelevant (scientific method is not the end-all be-all for every application, especially concerning things concerning the psyche, which are outside the realm of the observable and "empirical"). Furthermore, I'm afraid you have not mentioned what "training in the scientific methods" actually means, and would challenge you to explain what you mean.

[ClamCrunchy]

@nomirran This is a therapist that believes she can read other people's minds, not just in the sense of being able to empathize with others and imagine what they must be feeling, but in a much stronger sense of literally being able to read minds. She also thinks she can predict future events using psychic abilities, when in reality a simple selection bias explains this ability. These are certianly testable claims, and thus they can be tested by science.

[ClamCrunchy]

@nomirran A training in scientific thinking or method means that a clinician has a rigorous skepticism concerning claims made in their field, understands that testable statements have to be supported by adequete evidence, is able to consider alternative explainations fairly and eliminate explainations that are inadequetely supported, and keeps up with the latest results that are published in quality journals. There's a bit more to it than that, but those are some of the most important qualities

[nomirran]

@ClamCrunchy Thank you for the through reply! I agree with your skepticism: in many senses, it would be hard to prove that she is able to do the things she claims she is able to. Whether or not she actually has, or simply believes she has physic ability is a hard call. What interests me is whether or not these claims to ablity are problematic within the practice of psychotherapy (or i guess she claims to be a spiritual healer, another distinction that would be worthwhile to unpack)

[nomirran]

@ClamCrunchy Is it worthwhile to allow a fraud (assuming she cannot, in fact, do the things she claims to be able to) to successfully help clients (using methods uncharacteristic of "proven empirical data")? Ought we prescribe ourselves to the epistemic rigor of the SM? Is this useful?

I'm not sure I agree with your assertion that these claims are testable- what variables would you isolate? When one enters the realm of the psyche, things seemingly become less tangible...

[ClamCrunchy]

@nomirran Good question. I would say that a clinician can stray from science so long as the patient is not harmed by it, and the patient can continue to make progress in treating their psychological conditions. But if a clinician goes too far away from the scientific method, and ignores evidence for the effectiveness for medications, say, or begins to believe in the patient's delusions, then this could be either harmful or it could lead the patient down a dead-end path of illusory beliefs.

[ZzZEeESsSTtTYyY]

yea whatever lady..

[micbaum]

I once again watching this video am reminded how much of a divine connection it was years ago that I found myself in therpy with Dr. Catherine and she delivered to me awesome energy healing treatments. I am proud of her for finding and living her divine destiny now with all the work she is doing!

[writeonmatt1]

It's always good to see someone going from our brainwashed career-driven culture opening up to the higher frequency of our spiritual beings.

[Rhiannon2]

Dr. Mitchell Gibson has a YouTube channel here. He is a retired forensic psychiatrist, who worked in clinics with the most seriously mentally disturbed people. Once he was no longer part of the "system" he could share his own experience as a psychiatrist, having the same abilities as Dr. Perry has now.

[pduffy4]

I am very much enjoying this interview. Thank you.

It is nice when someone on her profession believes in spirit as most would not believe.

[BarefootAnthropology]

Fascinating testimonial. I think it's wonderful that Dr Perry has been able to bridge the scientific and the spiritual in the way that she has. What a trailblazer!