The Trouble with Therapists and Whether or Not We Need Them...

When we feel bad, there is no shortage of 'therapists' to come to our aid. Who are these people who claim to be qualified to give advice and listen to our problems? To qualify to be a therapist, you need the right degree, like a master's in counseling, as well as to pass a state test. Now, you are a licensed therapist.

Therapists are not monitored during client meetings. So, what goes on in the office stays in the office. That means a therapist could give bad, wrong, or even harmful advice, leaving the client feeling powerless to do anything about it. 

The problem lies in the lack-of-power relationship between the client and the therapist. Say that someone is depressed.  Their state of mind is such that they are making bad decisions, because that's the effect depression can have.  Maybe, in addition to choosing the wrong partner and eating the wrong foods, this person also decides to contact a therapist they find on the internet that has a nice photo and smile and an attractive, professional appearance.

It's the state of mind of the depressed person that prompts him to seek 'help' and give power away to a complete stranger.  What if, instead, he found ways to help himself by reading works by the trailblazers of psychology, like Albert Ellis.

Albert Ellis developed 'Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)' in the 1950s. Therapy aims to teach patients to distinguish between rational thoughts (based on logic and evidence) and irrational thoughts.  Ellis earned a PhD from Columbia and taught at Rutgers University and New York University.

In 1955, Ellis focused his attention on changing people's behavior by confronting them with their irrational beliefs and persuading them to adopt rational ones. 

The Albert Ellis Institute in New York provides professional training programs, psychotherapy, and psychological assessments to individuals, families, and groups.

When I feel down, I immediately apply REBT, and then I can see that my mood was affected by my thoughts.  This is not the same as positive thinking, which does not work for me, encompassing irrational thoughts.  An example would be, 'If I play the lottery, I will win a million dollars, and my financial problems will be solved' - This thought is not logic-based. Apply REBT to this thought, and it might change to, 'If I live within my budget and get a second job, I could save money!'

~N. Acharya