Would you want your psychologist/psychiatrist to pray for you?

INSTEAD of giving you actual therapy?

Not providing therapeutic intervention (meaning, not performing actual therapeutic acts that will help you in a guided therapy, whatever its duration may be) but instead just proving a 'supportive' environment where you talk about religion and your problems? Not in addition to providing actual therapy. For example, if I got along really well with a psychologist, I don't think I would be extremely offended if he/she said "I prayed for you" IF he/she is a COMPETENT therapist providing ACTUAL therapy, and he/she just happens to be religiously inclined.

Therapy differs from friendships and normal conversations in a few key ways. (Even tho those conversations can certainly be therapeutic.) The most important and relevant to this discussion is that it is goal-oriented, meaning, it's a contractual relationship with a specified beginning and end in which you work together to achieve the goals you and the therapist agree upon. Where does prayer fit into that equation?

I for one would fly out of that 'psychologist's' office, even if I were a religious person looking for that kind of support. Because I would still expect that psychologist to do some sort of actual THERAPY, versus just 'praying' for me.

Here is a guide for atheists out there in need of psychological services, who would not feel comfortable with a 'religious' psychologist/psychiatrist/social worker:

http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/02/how-to-select-psychologist-or-counselor.html




Love to hear what you guys think about this :D

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[Flagamon]

Two questions:

1. What do you employ in the models you use for therapy? Do you apply own experiences, or the process is scienfifically built? Like how.

2. That woman has the right approach, wrong profession. He who needs a priest goes to the church. He who does not know self good enough, or abstains to call his actions by the proper name besides the politically correct name needs a psychologist.

No demeaning intended. The psychologyst rule this world, where the projected image is the master.

[bunnygotfree]

@Flagamon - 1. Depends highly on the therapist and the type of therapies covered by insurance. Most therapies make use of one primary form, and pull aspects from others (eclecticism). Most therapists are eclectic, in other words. CBT and Existential therapy are two popular ones that come to mind. CBT is heavily science-based, which is why most insurance companies favor it. It is a mixture of therapist experience and scientifically-based modalities/philosophies.

[bunnygotfree]

@Flagamon - 2. Wrong profession indeed. Your interpretation of one's need for psychiatric help is an interesting one. I find it phrased rather well, actually, though certainly not applicable across all cases / people.

[sariglenn]

The reason you cant get a phd in prayer or its not an acceptable form of treatment for patients is because it fails. Im sure any scientist would be open to the idea of prayer as the only form of treatment if it could be showed in studies that it works. Even a placebo works better than prayer. I bet your even prettier with out make up on.

[Flagamon]

I really would like to have an example when the need from psychological advice does not come from some distortion of reality. Even anger (which in apparaence appears as a subjective phenomenon) at its base contains the overstatement of yourself hitting back onto the injust world.

[TroyIII]

@bunnygotfree in school systems there are >70% of teachers who deny factual knowledge. They pray, they go to church and believe i ghosts.They are filthy religious hypocrites going after PhD and licenses for work so they can treat their patients with prays and hopes for miracles. -What scientists! :D

[bunnygotfree]

@TroyIII - Humans are extremely opportunistic, agreed. One does not assume scientists' motives are pure. Agreed. But with science, by and large, the process of peer review and the scientific method weed out those of that ilk in the true scientific community. Religion has no such process, in fact, it actively opposes and discourages evidence, facts, and inquiry and peer review. "God said it, I believe it, that settles it"?

[TroyIII]

@bunnygotfree Not all Fathers believe in God, and not all 'Scientists' are Scientists. The Primates are known opportunists, and they'll "feed" on whatever comes easier inside their immediate habitat. That's why we will always have nonscientists feeding on the "bread" of a completed scientist.

[bunnygotfree]

@RedDash1000 - I never said all scientists reject faith, because I know that's obviously false. I said that study after study shows that prayer does NOT work. Like I said, if you feel otherwise, you base that on your opinion, NOT evidence. You seem to have no problem, however, proclaiming your opinion as fact. The shit about me 'denying God' and 'not personally experiencing' the so-called 'power of prayer'? That's just asinine and rude, and you know it.

[bunnygotfree]

@RedDash1000 - You're not being pushy, you're simply ignorant of the concept of therapy. Therapy is not teaching. That alone tells me you know nothing of the subject, yet you're perfectly willing to argue something you know nothing about. I can understand not having an in-depth knowledge, but you're arguing points that I refuted based on ACTUAL knowledge of therapy. I don't think she's crazy. I think she's irresponsible and taking the easiest way out instead of become a legit therapist.