“Since when are SDMB posters qualified therapists?”
Since the SDMB poster seeking therapy qualified them. Geez, suddenly, everyone has a title. It’s not enough to have personal experience, now you have to have professional credentials.
Have you never sought some sort of “therapy” or “counsel” from your friends or family members?
If your best friend knows a great deal about real estate, but is not actually a licensed, certifed real estate agent, do you refrain from asking him his opinion when you’re gathering information to educate yourself about buying a house?
If your mother knows how to take care of a sick child because of her experiences taking care of you, yet she’s not actually a pediatrician, do you refrain from asking her how to help Junior get over his cold?
We provide a good sounding board for one another. In addition to wanting feedback from someone who’s “been through it”, it’s also nice to have UNBIASED opinions - advice, tips, anecdotes from people who aren’t necessarily going to side with us or walk on eggshells to preserve our feelings.
I know that when I’m pissed at my husband, I’ll talk to my friends about it. I also know that they’ll side with me, each and every time. That’s all well and good, but sometimes (very occasionally) I am the one being a dork, not him. Since it obviously doesn’t fly when I hear it from him, it’s easier taking my lumps from a group of people into whose faces I don’t have to look, sheepishly.
It’s a nice combination of reality and impersonality. Knowing that these people don’t really give a shit about my personal problems once they’re done offering their two cents is actually rather comforting … as far as our common problems go, I know they’ll offer whatever support or advice they have, and then move on.
When dealing with friends, the subject just won’t go away. When dealing with a therapist, they won’t let it go away until your hour is up. Then when you go back, they’ll ask, “Did you try what I suggested last week?” If the answer is no, they want to go into your feelings of rebellion, or your feelings of insecurity, or whatever.
I decide I want to take five minutes and bitch about something, I’m gonna do it. Some people with sympathise, others will tell me I’m being a selfish wench. I can take their advice or leave it, but at least I came away with a few new points of view.
AND I didn’t have to shell out $100.
Veni, Vidi, Visa … I came, I saw, I bought.