To think a therapist with a personality disorder is concerning?

I used to work in a well-known counselling organisation. I can honestly say that the majority of the counsellors were unstable in some way. In fact it was like trying to manage a group of unregulated toddlers who tantrummed if told ‘no’. It’s easier to dabble in other people’s emotional problems than to admit that you yourself need some sort of help.

Credentials should be available -e.g BACP registration is what I ask for, and proof of insurance.

Many therapists are regulated by bodies such as UKCP and BACP who insist on a high level of supervision and ongoing training.
Edit: I did not mean to post this gif and can't see how to delete it!

TherapistKnot, I completely agree with you. I think the posters defending the situation are being naive. Yes, of course therapists are brought into the job by their own experiences, and this gives them understanding. But surely there are limits? i would be horrified to think someone with the past you describe should be in that intimate situation with clients and charging a fortune...
Does she have credible qualifications?

In my 20s I had a very wise older friend who said, about a social worker judgemental fucking bitch who we both knew, that many of them are on both sides of the fence. As in, she was nuts and was trying to solve her own issues by acting like a saviour to others. Years later I saw the same with a conspiracy theory nutter and she was a fucking social worker too. Lied and fudged her MA, but still qualified. She was proud of her deception. Fuck you, S, you had your youngest asking if the sky is real and you believe viruses don't exist. Mum of the year. NOT. I fucking hate conspiraloon nutters. That's child abuse.

I wouldn't go to a dentist with bad teeth and if I found out my cleaner had a dirty home, I wouldn't be impressed as I want to hire someone who is good at cleaning!

Therapists are not regulated around their mental health, but that's the case with most professionals, surely? I think entrusting someone with your personal information is always risky. I don't know if therapists are worse than other professions, but they are not better mental health wise usually. I do think sometimes people can be supportive and wise to others whilst personally living a bit of a shit show, I've seen it myself.

I'm really sorry that you're struggling.

There is so much that we still don't have a clue about when it comes to mental illness.

Just in case it wasn't clear, I wasn't in any way commenting on yours or anybody else's specific situation. xx

There are a few professional governing bodies for psychotherapist and counsellors. UKCP has the highest standard of training to be a member, BACP is the biggest and best known.
Yes, their investigatory powers are limited but they do respond to complaints from clients and members can be struck off.
As there is currently no obligation to register (something which many are pushing for change on) all ethical conscientious therapists are voluntarily members of a governing body. These organisations accredit training courses and ensure that members are doing supervision and cpd continuously.

So, the onus is on clients to properly research who they choose to see and pick someone who is a member of a governing body.

https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/about-ukcp/our-register/

Oh I know I have serious problems. I also know that I don’t have a personality disorder, evidenced by the fact the psychiatrist has been unable to provide me with details of how I meet the criteria.
im also highly aware of how attitudes towards me changed once he gave the bullshit diagnosis.
I was in A and E last night. Sent by my GP after consultation with my husband. Hallucinating. Hearing voices telling me to kill people and myself. Ambulance staff were lovely. Dr in A and E amazing.
MH team came in, spoke to me for 15 mins and sent me home.
I can’t live with these strange experiences I have when I’m not on medication. My family know this will end my life.

... it's really quite common for people with PDs to think the problem is everybody else and not themselves!

1. It's quite extraordinary that you know this much information about this person. One has to assume that either a lot of it is hearsay or you're family.

2. People with mental health conditions can be therapists. They might even be particularly apt for certain clients if their condition is well controlled and the clients are struggling with the same MH condition. People who have lived experience with things like suicidal ideation be GREAT therapist for somebody who is experiencing concerning thoughts.

3. People can compartmentalise. ESPECIALLY, sometimes, people with mental health disorders.

4. I'm tangentially involved with students at a college that offers training for counselling skills. I think a lot of people who go into training to become a therapist need therapy themselves. IME many of them don't really recognise their own problems and don't get appropriate therapy to work through them.

5. The main concern I'd have would be about are they having regular and suitable supervision.

They basically don’t exist?
This is basically just spreading nonsense and untruths.
what is this based on? Do you think you know better than the entirety of the best minds within the psychiatric profession?
I think you’ll find PDs are still very much part of the DSM.
It’s true that the area of personality disorders is always being reevaluated, refined and evolving. But they still very much exist within the DSM.

Many personality disorders are enduring and unchanging.

You can check their registrations online if registered AND accredited with key organisations such as HCPC, BACP, BABCP etc. Important to consider accreditation not just registration, and that not all registers are equal in terms of how rigorous their expectations are. Within my own post grad training of 3 years (on top of an undergrad core profession of 3 years training) we had to have extensive supervision, send recordings of our sessions with clients (with consent of course), have our own personal therapy and complete a ton of self practice work!

But yes, many therapists can practice without registration, appropriate experience, supervision, or qualification - so you have to do due diligence yourself at the moment.

@TherapistKnot

If you are concerned about their professional practice you could contact their accrediting body if they have one? But not if this is just a hear say/he said she said situation. If they work with vulnerable groups such as children could also speak to the LADO team for advice.

Just be mindful of what is fact/speculation before you potentially upend a career.

A mental health diagnosis does not stop you from being a good therapist necessarily.

I think you may have a rather unusual definition of “friend”!

That’s actually just an excuse used when people challenge their diagnosis. Trust me, it’s total bullshit.

@freudenschaude I mentioned that I hadn't seen the certificate myself, because of the context of the OP talking about asking to view certificates. But why would my good friend lie to me about what went on hers, when I supported her? And why would the fact that certain information wasn't included on yours, mean anything about what my friend experienced, when the decision on what to include or not include, is discretionary and situation specific? Sorry but your post has really confused me, I'm not sure why you believe that because something was the case for you that everyone else would have a universal experience? I've never said it was automatic inclusion, in fact I've said twice it's not common, and given context as to why my friends situation was perhaps unusual for it to happen.

Personality disorders are often considered ego-syntonic, meaning the person may not realize their thoughts or behaviors are problematic, viewing the issues as stemming from others instead.

All the therapists I know are pretty nuts.
Some of them are bipolar.
I think if you have experienced therapy and it’s had a positive impact on your life, that can lead to you feeling that you’d be a good therapist. Been there, worn the t-shirt.
All the social workers I know are pretty bonkers too.

Personality disorders are absolute bullshit anyway. I’m certain I’m the future they’ll be debunked and many people will sue for the trauma caused by the diagnosis.
And I say that as somebody diagnosed. It’s quite clear they just plucked a diagnosis out of thin air.

You’ve stated you’ve not seen her certificate and you ‘assume’ you know the reason information you’ve seen wasn’t on there.

I have also been a victim of stalking and I can assure you that that information was not disclosed via the DBS check that my employer undertook on me.

@freudenschaude I'm not sure why you think you'd know more about my friends situation than I would. Fwiw he didn't report her to the police, he reported her to social services and LADO. Her being a victim of DV was on the DBS, the stalking was a relevant risk because he stalked her at her workplace, was believed to have tracked her car and had made threats to her - her job included going to visit children at their homes.

I'm not sure why you're so keen to convince me I'm wrong when a quick google could have prevented you from this embarrassment. As I said it isn't common that being a victim of crime will be on an enhanced DBS, but it is certainly possible that it can be.

I think because they've been found to be emotionally manipulative, abusive and dishonest then they shouldn't be a therapist as they aren't very good qualities to have in a therapist or indeed anyone working with vulnerable people especially children.

The counter allegations may well have shown, as she’d been reported to the police. Her allegations against him would not.

Can you understand the difference?

I appreciate we're going off on a bit of a tangent to the OP here, but I respect your opinion though have to disagree a little. I've worked with many women in their 40s upwards where diagnoses of EUPD have been questioned - either as misdiagnosis (eg replaced with Autism and or CPTSD) or where the supposed pervasive traits haven't been pervasive over the lifetime. Similar experience supporting an older women with a schizoid PD diagnosis where I don't think the same would have been diagnosed today.
The difficulty I think of working in a MH system is only seeing those people who are struggling the most, and are 'visible'. For example, I worked with a few in a forensic setting with anti social PD and I would have absolutely agreed with you, the individuals I knew were unlikely to ever be rehabilitated. But then, there are thought to be a relatively high % of people who would meet criteria for ASPD in certain sectors of business, who are 'high functioning' and successful.

They can be problematic diagnoses and often overlap with other mental health issues, but if you’ve known or worked with people with PD, it’s usually blindingly obvious. Traits of different types of PD are a different matter but the pervasive nature of PD is the key thing.