Therapy Subforum?

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SophiaGrace

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Hi,

This is a thought I just recently had. What if ALL were to create a Therapy/Counseling subforum where people could talk about different therapies and their own experiences in trying to find a counselor/psychologist/therapeutic help? This could also be a place where they could talk about their experiences in therapy.

It might create more of an atmosphere on the forum where people were willing to go get help for being lonely and other issues they have (such as depression, social anxiety, aspergers, alcoholism etc). It might also create an atmosphere where people might be able to fight against their own cognitive distortions, proclivity to not be able to calm themselves when upset, etc.

Most of the people here do not come from therapeutic backgrounds, and I recognize that, and I wouldn't want anyone to take this subforum as medical advice (so there'd have to be a disclaimer), but I do think this subforum might be very helpful for people. I know people already talk about their issues, but it seems as if the forum is geared towards advice-giving, and the therapy subforum might offer a different perspective and outlet for people that might help them as well.

-Soph
 
I think almost everyone could benefit from therapy for one reason or another. I wish there wasn't such a stigma attached to it. I once told a guy who was acting very controlling that therapy could probably help him with that behavior and he took it as an insult, suggesting I was the one who needed therapy and blah blah blah. I didn't even bother to explain to him that I've had therapy which is how I knew better than to get involved with a control freak such as himself. People who think badly of people who seek help, need help.

I had to go through a few therapists over a period of many years before I found the right time and right therapist and things clicked. I really need to go back because I wasn't done, but what I have done has been so very helpful.
 
My two cents...

We already have a forum for issues.
Also, and this is just my own personal opinion, it could possibly open the site (and the site's owner) up to legal suit. I don't feel we should represent this forum as any place for "therapy" due to possible legal repercussions.
Having said that, your idea would be better made into a thread. I'm sure that a thread based on your idea (where people can discuss what has and has not worked for them) could be VERY helpful for some.
 
I think this is a good idea. I understand where Eve is coming from, but i think there won't be much to worry about. It would be, from what i understand, just a place where people share experiences, which in turn could generate therapeutic value without being a place of any actual therapy.

I also feel a subforum would be a better idea, in the sense that, everyone could have there own space (thread) in it, as people may be ignored if there's just one thread for it. Well that's just what i think anyway.
 
Rosebolt said:
I think this is a good idea. I understand where Eve is coming from, but i think there won't be much to worry about. It would be, from what i understand, just a place where people share experiences, which in turn could generate therapeutic value without being a place of any actual therapy.

I also feel a subforum would be a better idea, in the sense that, everyone could have there own space (thread) in it, as people may be ignored if there's just one thread for it. Well that's just what i think anyway.

hmm...I can see your point with that. Unfortunately, I can't really think of a good solution for it.

I think that perhaps it would be something that would might have to be approved by the site owner as well.
 
EveWasFramed said:
My two cents...

We already have a forum for issues.
Also, and this is just my own personal opinion, it could possibly open the site (and the site's owner) up to legal suit. I don't feel we should represent this forum as any place for "therapy" due to possible legal repercussions.
Having said that, your idea would be better made into a thread. I'm sure that a thread based on your idea (where people can discuss what has and has not worked for them) could be VERY helpful for some.

I would have to agree with Eve on this. ALL already has individual subforums for many of the main issues that would come up in therapy, so it's more specified than a regular therapy forum would be. Of course, this is just my opinion, if I'm allowed to have it.
 
I feel as if people may be missing my point here. To clarify, I feel the Issues section seems to be more unstructured than what I am proposing. It's mainly people saying "I have a problem" and then others giving their own opinions/solutions to that problem.

With the therapy subforum it would actively be encouraging others to go outside the forum and seek help with a professional in-person, and we would be there to support them when they have issues in the therapist search, or therapy relationship. It would also actively make them think about what progress they are making within therapy.

So it would be a step beyond giving someone our lay opinion and advice in the sense that it would facilitate/encourage their healing further in real life with someone that's been trained to do so. It would also force them to get out from behind their computers and go somewhere and see someone physically. Does that make sense?

I just want to see people get better and be happy.
 
SophiaGrace said:
I feel as if people may be missing my point here. To clarify, I feel the Issues section seems to be more unstructured than what I am proposing. It's mainly people saying "I have a problem" and then others giving their own opinions/solutions to that problem.

With the therapy subforum it would actively be encouraging others to go outside the forum and seek help with a professional in-person, and we would be there to support them when they have issues in the therapist search, or therapy relationship. It would also actively make them think about what progress they are making within therapy.

So it would be a step beyond giving someone our lay opinion and advice in the sense that it would facilitate/encourage their healing further in real life with someone that's been trained to do so. It would also force them to get out from behind their computers and go somewhere and see someone physically. Does that make sense?

I just want to see people get better and be happy.

It makes sense and I can certainly see that side to it. However, I feel that if there were a sub-forum for that, some people (maybe new members who don't know) may think that it's offering professional help. And that is not what this forum offers. Members here will probably be more than happy to sit and talk with people, maybe help think through an issue. But talking is in no way offering professional help. I think it's preferable if the waters weren't muddied in that sense. It's been clearly stated that there isn't any help offered at a professional level here.
 
VanillaCreme said:
some people (maybe new members who don't know) may think that it's offering professional help.

VanillaCreme said:
It's been clearly stated that there isn't any help offered at a professional level here.

I think that solves your own problem. A clear disclaimer should do.

I also don't think Sophia is trying to emulate a proffesional therapeutic environment. As she says, just a sub forum where people would be able to share their experiences, and encourage people to get some actual proffesional help, instead of giving it ourselves.
 
VanillaCreme said:
there isn't any help offered at a professional level here.

Right, and there would continue to be no professional help offered here if the therapy subforum was established. It would be for the purpose of encouraging others to go get professional help in the real world and giving lay-support/insight/opinions on conflicts that may happen during therapy and in the process of trying to find therapy. There would be no actual therapy going on.

Professional help would happen outside of this forum.

Nilla, if after reading this explanation I gave, you still feel like this isn't something you and the other moderators want for this forum, then, okay. I'll accept that. The decision ultimately rests with you and the other moderators.
 
It could work and be beneficial and all without giving or providing professional therapy. There are so many lonely people with depression and so many treatments that work or help and sharing WHAT works or helps but without DOING IT here to me is not professional anything - merely people sharing what works for them. Not all lonely people are depressed. Not all depressed people are lonely. I'll never equate loneliness with depression because I know it's not so but sometimes those who are both lonely and depressed just cannot network face to face to see what helps with others. It's a huge catch 22 for sure.
 
Okay since it's been a week since any mods responded to this thread, I'm going to assume the final answer was no.

Oh well, it was worth a shot.
 
SophiaGrace said:
VanillaCreme said:
there isn't any help offered at a professional level here.

Right, and there would continue to be no professional help offered here if the therapy subforum was established. It would be for the purpose of encouraging others to go get professional help in the real world and giving lay-support/insight/opinions on conflicts that may happen during therapy and in the process of trying to find therapy. There would be no actual therapy going on.

Professional help would happen outside of this forum.

Nilla, if after reading this explanation I gave, you still feel like this isn't something you and the other moderators want for this forum, then, okay. I'll accept that. The decision ultimately rests with you and the other moderators.

We already suggest therapy here, though. If someone has a problem that isn't something we can help with, quite a few people encourage the poster to seek the help of a therapist.

This is just my opinion, of course, but a therapy section seems like it would be kind of redundant, given the other sections here and what goes on.
 
However, Callie, it would be a subforum dedicated to not only the encouragment of it, but also having a dedicated place where people could share these experiences theyve had with therapy.

So, i would like to ask again, if the answer is no, then what is the proper explanation for it?
 
Rosebolt said:
So, i would like to ask again, if the answer is no, then what is the proper explanation for it?

The answer is no because "therapy" isn't general enough for everyone to relate to. To be honest, there probably won't be a proper reason why because for those who aren't accepting the fact that we're probably not going to do it, you will always try to find a way around our answer. It was suggested; We thought about it; Our reply wasn't the one you wanted.

Now, a depression sub-forum would be more befitting to what this forum does offer, and that's people sharing their thoughts and experiences. It's sharing the dark or depressing thoughts that may creep in. It's a much more general sense of relation. Not everyone wants or agrees with therapy. But many people can relate to being down in their moods at least once in their life.
 
Well that's actually quite a proper reason, even in my eyes. It's a shame you see me as malicious or blind or whatever, for simply wanting clarity. Oh well.

So, i apologise in advance for asking, but is this depression sub-forum something you are considering, or more meant as a counter offer of sorts?
 
VanillaCreme said:
Now, a depression sub-forum would be more befitting to what this forum does offer, and that's people sharing their thoughts and experiences. It's sharing the dark or depressing thoughts that may creep in. It's a much more general sense of relation. Not everyone wants or agrees with therapy. But many people can relate to being down in their moods at least once in their life.

I wouldn't be against this idea. :)
 
Rosebolt said:
Well that's actually quite a proper reason, even in my eyes. It's a shame you see me as malicious or blind or whatever, for simply wanting clarity. Oh well.

So, i apologise in advance for asking, but is this depression sub-forum something you are considering, or more meant as a counter offer of sorts?

Is this post directed towards me? Because I don't get where you see me viewing anyone or anything as malicious or blind or anything else. Nothing wrong with wanting clarity, nothing wrong with asking for it. I had no idea my words would be viewed as such, and I apologize you feel that way. That is the only way I could really describe why we think that a therapy sub-forum in particular is not being looked into. If you wanted another justified reason, I'm sorry, but I don't have another one for you.

The depression sub-forum, which apparently Sophia would be content to have, is just a suggestion. If it's agreed that it could be useful, which I personally believe it could be, then there's a high possibility it could be done. I don't know. I'm not the one who could add it.
 

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