As told by former bethelite at Xjw gathering June 2012 . Her experience with a Governing Body member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pit30xBjYbU&list=UUEfch9MApvfjIhOtaCYwxFA&index=9
Bethel has Witness Psychiatrists on staff for Depression/suicide
by BlindersOff1 21 Replies latest jw experiences
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hoser
The happiest people on the planet!
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cobaltcupcake
"You're a woman."
Dude, seriously? That's all you've got?
Back in the late 80s/early 90s all of a sudden the Watchtower got all soft and huggable about emotional illnesses, particularly with that October 1991 Awake on the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse. The articles talked about recovered memories and how to deal with a relative who had abused us. They encouraged us to go to a "qualified mental health professional" to deal with our issues, and I was heartened to see the old "psychiatry ba-a-a-ad" knee-jerk reaction softened.
Then, in late 1994 there was a Kingdom Ministry School for the elders, and when my husband came home from that he told me that the Society had completely pulled back from all of that touchy-feely stuff and had rejected the validity of "recovered memories" as well as the softened attitude toward mental health counseling.
I was incensed. Really. If a GB member had been in the room I would have kicked him in the balls. And I continued to see my counselor.
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d
I have heard wow this is so sad.Yet these people claim to be happy.
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OnTheWayOut
The woman in the video said they have a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. There is a difference. A licensed psychologist in NY state would have a doctorate but who says a Bethel psychologist is licensed in the state? Someone short of a doctorate (master's) would be a counselor or therapist. A psychiatrist has medical training and can prescribe drugs, a psychologist (even with a doctorate) cannot prescribe drugs.
Many psychologists are good, but I have to imagine that one at Bethel would be limited to having studied just enough to get by, avoiding serious study of how our minds are deceived.
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Phizzy
Any practitioner who is a professional can be sued for malpractice whether they charge for their services or not here in the U.K unless rigorous disclaimer proceedures are set in place and followed i.e getting the patient/client to agree, in writing, to see someone qualified to help.
Anybody doing this mental health work for the WT is leaving themselves wide open to a lawsuit, probably what the WT wants, deflects a suit on them.
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DesirousOfChange
OTWO -- I have to imagine that one at Bethel would be limited to . . . . avoiding serious study of how our minds are deceived.
You got that right!
Doc
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BlindersOff1
You are right my mistake psychologist, not a psychiatrist
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thecrushed
Here is the problem that I see with in house psychologists at bethel. If you say anything in confidence to them and it happens to be "unscriptural" then you are screwed. The whole point of being able to talk to a therapist is circumvented because you will not open up to the details of your problem for fear of reprisal.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Bethel set up an appointment for me to see an outside, nonJW, psychiatrist for consultation and prescription. I could be somewhat honest with him, but was limiting what I said about the religion and my life in bethel. He was a nice guy, and helpful. The medication helped me feel somewhat better. I also saw the bethelite psychologist. I didn't click with him at all. Although he told me that I was free to tell him anything and it would be confidential... unless it was something of a judicial nature, how could I trust him? Even thoughts are subject to judicial review. So that was a waste of time. I talked about some issues from childhood, but he didn't seem to understand or get the point that it was the religion that was truly messing up my life.
Oh, and there were lots of us non-women with depression and on meds at bethel.