Mentally Ill Therapist

[WonderWanda]

Should someone with significant mental health disorders of their own be practising as a therapist?

I have looked into this briefly and there are suggestions that mental health conditions are at higher rates amongst psychologists and psychiatrists. It could be argued that a therapist who has experienced issues for themselves would be more understanding and empathetic towards their client's struggles. In cases of of experienced anxiety or depression I can see how this might be beneficial.

Currently there are no restrictions on any mental health conditions that would prevent a person from practising as a clinical psychologist.

In cases of schizophrenia, BPD, psychosis etc, all of which that can leave the affected person detached from reality or with a warped view of events, is it ethical that they be allowed to treat others? I don't see how.

@daffodilandtulip Oh God, that's shocking!

Please don’t confuse psychiatrists with Clinical Psychologists, therapists or counsellors. Some psychiatrists train in psychotherapy or talking therapies but they are not therapists.

Sorry, this is a serious subject but this made me laugh guiltily, imagining you going in to have your boil lanced and the nurse practitioner solemnly informing you about her bipolar diagnosis before she comes at you.

I have personal experience of a colleague who experienced psychotic episodes and delusions and who was off their meds and believed they were perfectly well and a top performer but didn’t do any work and caused all sorts of damage to team members. It was very difficult to take any sort of action to improve the situation due to their refusal to own their condition and their behaviour. They just had no insight and everyone else was to blame. And a workplace can’t insist someone takes their meds.
Extremely stringent monitoring would be needed for someone like my colleague to work with others experiencing mental ill health.

We all have mental health. Sometimes it’s better and sometimes it’s worse, depending on a complex range of variables. Clinical Psychologists are very carefully selected, very well trained, registered and supervised clinicians. It doesn’t stop the odd one getting through who really should’ve, but mostly very good governance.

I think it’s fine to phone and find out why the appointment didn’t go ahead. Someone should have been in touch with you if he’s off. They need to rectify that.

I think it would require a period of stability. Like if your an alcohol worker with lived experience you would be expected to obviously be sober and for a long period of time prior, or depending on the illness if it is managed.

But in all honesty i would trust a professional/support worker who had been through it and come out the otherside, or had done the therapy/experience themselves and knew what worked for them, then someone who had no idea about the recovery process other then what they learned from a class or observed.

I mean at least then i know whatever treatment you're getting can work.

Wow!!! Headcases....if I were you, i would be appalled by your own thoughts and feelings about other people!! I'm so glad you never made it any further than you did. That's disgusting

@Emotionalsupportsnail

I think the point was many professionals working within mental health already have extensive mental health problems themselves and that also includes psychiatrists. God complex comes to mind.(not all but definitely some).

Many clinical psychologists went into the role to understand themselves, along with counsellors, therapists and mental health nurses. It can sometimes be useful with the user experience but I still find the lack of insight astonishing in registered professionals. The blind spots are … well, mental.

Technically though it’s still unlikely you would be treated by an individual with schizophrenia. The stats for employment for those with severe, psychotic illnesses are very low.

This has led to pilots failing to disclose any mh issues for fear of losing their license.

Thd pilot in America who entered a psychotic state and tried to take the controls and down the plane, believing himself to be in a dream ( and wanting to 'prove it' by waking himself up) being a recent example.

@Smokeysgirl

You have to report them. He's not doing his job and someone could come to significant harm because of it.

One of my ex boyfriends used to be very possessive, strange & depressive. Used to drive 40 mins to my work most days where I would find a love letter with a multiple choice questionnaire on the back full of ‘Will xxxx love me forever, does xxxx love me more than anyone’ with tick boxes! It all got way too much! He also took lots of drugs & said he’d be dead by 50.

He’s a high up Consultant Psychiatrist now & I’ve seen him on TV a few times. I can’t imagine he’s without issues.

There was a pilot who intentionally flew his plane into the Alps killing everyone on board some years ago too.

I think doing everything possible to determine people in these roles are mentally stable is incredibly important.

From just reading around the subject and speaking to people, I have been aware for a long while that what draws a lot of people into being therapists, away from their other careers is their own experience of similar issues. I see that as a positive and I wouldn’t want a young therapist with no life experience.

Sounds like you think that people with mental health issues are delusional & irrational & there's nothing in between.
People who are diagnosed with mental health issues aren't all going to be sitting rocking in the corner nor will they be unable to maintain professional perspective.
Look at it this way, everyone has mental health issues, just like the majority have physical health problems at one point or another.
The best therapists are the ones who know pain & who have some life experience. And so if you are treating a mental health problem it could be really useful if you understand that problem first hand, it might be that you are a bit further along in your recovery or understanding of that problem but it could potentially make you a better person to understand personal struggles.

@Minecraftminecraft

It’s only a positive if the therapist has extensive therapy themselves and also ongoing, professional good quality supervision. If they’re able to maintain superb boundaries whilst having huge amounts of insight into what pulled them into that particular career path.

Its really not a positive when said therapist has had no therapy themselves (certainly possible for some therapists these days who aren’t as qualified but who are registered with the appropriate bodies). It’s also a problem when they’re projecting their own unsolved issues onto their often, very vulnerable clients.

I find it’s the minority in camp one.

I have bipolar disorder and have experienced psychosis. I would infinitely prefer to receive support from someone who understood where I was coming from, and had some lived experience, than someone like the OP who was silently judging me and writing me off.

I've had good experiences with peer support workers btw.

I understand that anyone can practise as a counsellor which is pretty scary. I have seen a few different counsellors and some of them shouldn't be allowed out their house. Not even because of a mental health condition - more because they were clearly not the right personality type to be doing that job - and bringing their issues into each interaction was quite apparent to me in one case!

I read an article this week about a diagnosed sociopath working as a therapist. She made some good points about the benefits that actually brought to the role!

@NavyKoala

Peer support workers are fantastic. They get it, totally get it. They are a wonderful addition to any MH multidisciplinary team. They’re not prescribing medication or essentially providing therapy though and I think this is what the OP is referring too.

I think the overall discussion is around individuals suffering from the likes of schizophrenia, and then being able to actively treat other vulnerable patients. It’s been an ethical dilemma within mental health for years to be honest. On paper it ticks the non discrimination box, but in services rightly or wrongly people do see things differently.

I’m a MH nurse. Every single MH nurse I’ve ever worked with has had personal, or at least family, experiences of severe mental illness (for me, my brother has severe OCD). For the most part they’re all incredibly caring and capable professionals. There’s already a shortage of us. If you banned anyone with any history there’d be no one left!

Therapists undergo consistent supervision and therapy themselves as a part of their practice.

In my experience, it's more common for people working in the social care sector to have a history of mental illness than to not have a diagnosis.

People who receive support are often disposed to give back to the community by supporting others, and people trained to support people with mental illness are often more able to recognise signs of illness in themselves.

Therapists all have supervision, and we all assume they have had training in boundaries.

My cousin is a therapist. Brilliant on paper, and with words and advice. Respected in his field. However he is a staunch woman-hating misogynist who messes up any woman he gets with, and aged 50+ has never been able to maintain a relationship. Gets bored of women and drops them, after killing their self-esteem first. Women tend to be drawn to him, he's handsome and charismatic also talented in other fields.

Due to him and 1 other therapist I know of who is a raging cokehead, and yet another who is a nice enough woman but lives a very small life - almost 40, still lives with parents, LTR 10 years+ and no progression - I am very wary of therapists although I know there must be some great ones. I just don't feel they're supervised enough and that they counsel others so as to not face and deal with their own issues.

Although Im not sure how increased supervision could be achieved anyway. If you do well on courses, pass the exams, have membership of the appropriate associations, look and sound the part then you're good to go.

@Nextdoor55

Sounds like you think that people with mental health issues are delusional & irrational & there's nothing in between.
People who are diagnosed with mental health issues aren't all going to be sitting rocking in the corner nor will they be unable to maintain professional perspective.

I am a person with mental health issues, I said this upthread.

I think any therapist who uses BPD as a label has no awareness and I wouldn't be going to them.