j-malotky:

 I saw an interview with a fellow Dr at fort hood.  Sounds like the shooter had as many as 500 patients.  The Army does not have a support system for the Dr's.  That is a lot of horific stories to hear and a lot of people to be strong for with no outlet.

 True- they often suffer the same symptoms as their patients, requiring counseling themselves.

Marvel:

 True- they often suffer the same symptoms as their patients, requiring counseling themselves.

"Is it a myth or is it true that most mental health professionals like psychiatrists and psychologists have therapists of their own, just to help them keep on track after dealing with patients with mental issues all day, every day?"

It used to be standard practice for a full fledged therapist to have a consultant.   Many still do, but some do not.   Of course, when they first start out, in many states, they all go through thousands (literally) of hours of supervised practice with regular sessions with their supervisor / consultant, who is a therapist with more experience.  They earn something like 1/2 of their supervised hours before getting their degree, and the other half after they get their degree, but before they are licensed.  In California, for instance, this is true of  people practicing psychotherapy who are psychiatrists with an MD, clinical psychologists with a Ph.D. or PsyD and a psychology license, and therapists / counselors with master's degrees and licenses like MFT, MFCC or LCSW (terms used in California and some other places). 

Virtually all, but I have known exceptions, have gone through their own therapy as a client*

Some states are more lax than others.  In the 1950s, in some states, a person could hang out a shingle without a license.  That still happens, but there are usually state laws that prevent them from using titles like "therapist,"  unless there an adjective (e.g., past lives therapist) that nullifies the impression that they are mainstream. 

I don't know what the rules are in Texas or in the military.

As far as it being a good profession to be in, yes, but ... MDs in psychiatry have a rather high suicide rate.   I used to be connected to a training clinic for future MFTs and future Ph.D.s and PsyDs.  One night, long after hours, when a supervisor who had to drive in to help an intern with a client in crisis, as she was walking to her car said, "Why does everybody think this is such a neat field to go into?"

*Back in Freud's day, this was known as the "training analysis," and was required.  It recalls the advice of another person some 2,000 years ago: "Before taking the sawdust out of your neighbor's eye, take the great plank out of your own."

Islander:

j-malotky:

 I saw an interview with a fellow Dr at fort hood.  Sounds like the shooter had as many as 500 patients.  The Army does not have a support system for the Dr's.  That is a lot of horific stories to hear and a lot of people to be strong for with no outlet.

Is it a myth or is it true that most mental health professionals like psychiatrists and psychologists have therapists of their own, just to help them keep on track after dealing with patients with mental issues all day, every day?

Islander,

It has been my experience that most Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Psychiatric Nurses go into Psych therapy orriginally to better understand themslves!! They all usually had a mental disease or deficit to begin with themselves or sometimes in the family and wanted to research and understand the problem better. To say they have their own Psychiatrist because of what they deal with would be an excuse, or crutch to the truth.

             Roger

Garyrc:

Of course, when they first start out, in many states, they all go through thousands (literally) of hours of supervised practice with regular sessions with their supervisor / consultant, who is a therapist with more experience.

Yes, the supervision sessions almost always screen out those few psychotics who are very occasionally admitted to a program.    

Moving away from psychosis, there is flakiness.  Some graduate programs have a better flake filter than others. 

Therapists having therapists reduces stress.

I have known fairly well approximately 300 graduate students in Clinical Psychology who were training to be therapists.  Almost all were lovely, perceptive, compassionate, and insightful people.  Perhaps two -- less than 1 % -- shouldn't have been in the program  ... one left, and one failed to get a license.  ....  That's what should happen.

The ratio of applicants to those admitted is high.  I remember one year when we took 12 out of approximately 200 applicants, all of whom were fully qualified academically and experientially.  I have heard of institutions that take 5 out of about 350.   

Therapists are willing to admit that they have some inner turmoil, perhaps more willing than people in most other professions. Some believe that a "wounded healer," everything else being equal, is singularly qualified to be a good listener and have the empathy that helps heal.  To continue the reference from 2,000 years ago that I used in an earlier post, if you work hard to remove the great plank from your own eye, "then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

All of that having been said, It only takes one ... with a weapon ...

Several comments.

Now it's being reported by several patients that he proseletized them on Islam during counseling.

Two words: Muslim Brotherhood. If Egypt can outlw them, so can we.

TheEvan:

Several comments.

Now it's being reported by several patients that he proseletized them on Islam during counseling.

Not good...I wonder if there are any Christian military therapist proselytizing to their patients.  

tkdamerica:

Not good...I wonder if there are any Christian military therapist proselytizing to their patients.

I don't know, but so far they haven't been shooting any of them.

Don Richard:

tkdamerica:

Not good...I wonder if there are any Christian military therapist proselytizing to their patients.

 

I don't know, but so far they haven't been shooting any of them.

I didn't see where this looney shot any of his patients.

I remember our military would keep Japanese Americans from fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. Similar programs were in place to keep a soldier from "fighting one's own race" when possible.

There might have been issues involved here that caused the turmoil.

Seems like he perceived his upcoming deployment as being against his faith.

My faith is strong and I'm sure I'd have issues fighting against my Christian faith.

Bless all and their loved ones. May the healing be kind to all.

I can only hope this isn't swept under the carpet and the truth comes out. At least as it's best understood in the investigation. 

I'm sure there's going to be a lot of different angles shown in the news on this.

Let the truth be told as it is. Openly and honestly. It's the only way we can understand and learn.

tkdamerica:

I didn't see where this looney shot any of his patients.

Excuse me. I did not realize that it was OK since his patients were not shot.

Good post, HarryO.

Given the nature of war and especially with the Iraq Invasion, I find it hard to believe that a Muslim Therapist would be a good choice for troops having issues fighting on that front unless the doctor had a proven temperament...I definitely don't think any therapist should be proselytizing a Religion, but can see where in a clinical setting explaining about similar tenets that Islam and Christianity share could be beneficial to deprogram a returning individual. 

Don Richard:

Excuse me. I did not realize that it was OK since his patients were not shot.

It's not! That is why I started off my initial response with "Not good."  To clarify, my response to you was that you insinuated that he shot his patients.