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.

The whole purpose of MN being anonymous is to have the discussions you can't have in real life. You don't know this person. I haven't given out personal stories or details about her and better to talk about it on here than to other friends in real life where it would be slagging her off. Strange comment.

I dated a NHS psychologist who was the definition of NPD and literally tried to manipulate me into thinking I was mad. Zero ways to report this.

If he’s a practising psychologist you can report to the BPS, and/or NHS.

I almost reported a former colleague who has set herself up as a counsellor and guru for people with eating disorders despite having no counselling qualifications beyond a LearnDirect type course. She claims she has BPS membership and touts herself as being a psychologist, which is misleading as she actually only has an undergraduate in sports psychology. I think what she’s doing is highly unethical and dangerous. I looked her up on various registers she claimed to be a member of but found no trace of her, so in the end there was no one to report to.

If anyone is considering counselling or seeing a psychologist then I would recommend doing your research and checking they’re registered with the appropriate bodies such as BPS, BACP, HCPC etc.

All three of the psychotherapists I know (a former housemate, a former colleague, an in-law) have, or have had, significant mental health issues.

Obviously that's just anecdotal, and I don't necessarily think that it means that they are not good therapists, but it has made me a bit more circumspect about therapy.

I'm a therapist. I have OCD and PTSD. It would depend entirely on what type of therapy they're giving and how severe and how managed their condition is. One of the best trauma specialists I know has (well managed) EUPD. I am excellent at treating anxiety despite having OCD. This is a very nuanced issue that cant be answered with a yes or no.

A therapist and a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist are not the same things. Ideally, all should have good supervision and professional support networks - though, of course, anyone can pretty much call themselves a therapist without many qualifications. Those who work privately (outside the NHS) will have a lot less to no formal supervision.

That said, I think many people are very good at compartmentalising professional and personal lives. I have close family who is an NHS clinical psychologist and another is a social worker in a safeguarding role. Both have very messy personal lives, both have failed to safeguard children outside of their professional work, one of them (the one in the safeguarding role) is married to a convicted child sexual offender who spent time in prison. It boggles the mind really.

you can most definitely report people who are misrepresenting themselves ,any professional who claims to be a HCPC registered professional but isn't (this includes clinical psychologists) will be investigated as it is a protected title.

I've just had another look at her page and interestingly she's removed references to BPS and HCPC, and added a small legal disclaimer that her services are not designed to cure or treat and anyone unsure and wishing to use them should consult with a licenced healthcare professional perhaps someone did report her.

You come across as very ignorant and judgemental.

I live with schizo-affective disorder. I work, have a career, family etc. I am not 'detatched from reality' neither do I have a 'warped sense of events'

There are many people with severe mental illness successfully managing their illness & with successful careers.

Lots of things can affect someone in a single moment of time. What if the therapist had diabetes - a hypo could affect them or perhaps epilepsy or pregnancy. How about if she was undergoing cancer treatment? There's some nasty chemicals floating around someone's brain following chemo.

@Serencwtch

'You come across as very ignorant and judgemental'

Ironic.

Why? I don't see that post as ironic

And as a nursing team not one of them helped her. No one bothered asking what was hurting her. If a mental health team can't look out for their own then well I have no words.

I’m glad you realise a few modules isn’t enough of an understanding and just gives you a snap shot. The modules in a psychology degree don’t give you any ability to provide therapeutic interventions. You are right, there are competing theories and view about the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of human beings throughout the lifespan. It’s a science and research is continuously informing practice and vice versa.

A therapist or counsellor (and anyone can call themselves that) usually is trained in one model of therapy predominantly and then will combine other models. The training can be short and part time or much longer and up to doctorate level. The BACP are most relevant professional body that ensures the correct qualifications and governance.

A Clinical Psychologist will have an undergraduate psychology degree and a doctorate in clinical psychology. They have the baseline training in psychological theory and then are supervised and examined to learn how to apply these theories in different areas of psychological well-being. They use this to co-create a psychologically informed understanding of the person/people they work with and draw on a number of models and theories. The HCPC are the registering body and the BPS offer accreditation too.

A psychiatrist is medically trained and then specialises in mental health. They usually focus more on a medical model of understanding distress and diagnose mental Heath. The GMC are the regulating body.

Psychiatric nurses and other Allied Health professions often train in specific therapeutic models.

Psychotherapist is an unregulated title and can refer to anyone offering a talking therapy but is more often used by those using a psychoanalytic approach.

m There are some caveats to the above but this is a rule of thumb. In terms of applying the different theories and models of the psychology of humans Clinical Psychologists are well placed and are aware of the pros and cons of different models and are trained to apply them purely or in an integrated way using a formulation (the understanding developed with the client/s).

I hope this makes sense.

With any therapist/practitioner self awareness, knowing your competencies and knowing when you need to step back wte crucial. Some professions are better supported to do this, some organisations support this better than others. Some people get through even the most rigorous of selection and training processes despite not being suitable. Luckily this isn’t the norm.

Absolutely this. I have a severe mental health condition and I'm frontline NHS. I work in a stressful environment, with a lot of responsibility and I'm good at my job. I am well medicated, I no longer work nights as this can be a trigger and I am very aware of what to look out for.

The BACP are most relevant professional body that ensures the correct qualifications and governance.

The BACP are a membership organisation, not a governing body - they might act like one but they have no power to stop anyone practicing, all they can do is kick them out of the club.

True. I would say they are a good go to if you are looking for a counsellor/therapist.

Psychologists have extensive clinical and peer supervision in order to practice usually. They have to have also had a minimum amount of therapy (which they pay for) whilst the train to be a psychologist. They are registered with a professional body, same as doctors, nurses,.OTs, SALTs and physios.

Where are you drawing the line? Can nurses practice with mental illness? We don't have the same level of supervisory support as psychologists. We're still expected to practice safely and maintain appropriate boundaries.

And is is specifically people with EUPD you're concerned about?

The majority of people with EUPD have their issues due to early life experiences (inconsistent parenting. Trauma). Treatment options are improving greatly for them. Should they not have the option of helping others having overcome adversity themselves and gaining insight into their own behaviours and thought processes?

And ultimately some people are just absolute d**ks, with or without any sort of diagnosis.