How to Not Be a Therapist
There is a significant amount of social stigma around mental illness, and getting help for mental illnesses. Before delving in, it's important to mention that professional help is required for the illnesses of the mind, just like it is for the body. You can't beat mental illnesses with the power of will if your mental health, itself, is not sound enough. It's also important to get help from professionals. Sadly, there are always therapists who are not so good at their jobs.
Shaming people for their clothing: First off, as a therapist, he or she should not be telling you how to dress. Even if there are good intentions behind the comments, how one chooses to dress is completely on them and a therapist, of all people, shouldn't be determining one's appearance. Unfortunately though, this has transpired. More so, it's not just about the clothing. Therapists should not be shaming their patients for any reason. A patient that is trying to develop a sense of self should not be subjected to any form of shaming. That is just how you land yourself into a pool of terrible therapists.
Telling their patients about other patients: The main role that the therapist is meant to play in the patient's life, is that of a confidante; especially, in Dhaka, where many people repress their thoughts and feelings for the fear of being publicly shamed. So can there possibly be anything worse than when they share the stories with other patients? This seems to be an ethical code that often the therapists in Dhaka don't seem to follow. Whether that be the independent ones or those who work as counselors in renowned institutes.
Telling the patients' families: It's even worse when the therapist tells the parents of the patient. When a patient shares something that may be considered taboo, telling the parents might just be the biggest breach of trust. There are certain things that cannot be shared with anyone, which includes family members. Especially since the dynamics one has with family are much more permanent than elsewhere. Thus, if there are things not shared to keep that dynamic safe, they should be kept safe.
Writing off your identity: There's a big difference between unpacking someone's identity, i.e. determining the cause of why someone acts the way they do, and straight out writing it off. Therapists are there to unpack the identity, not write it off completely. As much as breaching the trust of the patients is a no-go, so is making them feel isolated through writing off their issues or problems. Therapists are there to listen and provide practical solutions. It's difficult enough to even consider seeking help regarding mental health; questionable therapists don't make it any easier. However, there are still pretty great therapists, in this very city, and only through normalizing of the idea of mental illness can the better therapists be able to stand out.
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