Do you think a JW could be a psychologist?

Champion

I am trying to get my brother to go speak to someone just to help him because he is very depressed(we all know why). He said the only person he would speak with is this BROTHER who is a psychologist. I really find it hard to believe that a JW could practice with the realization the whole organization is about mind control. What do you all think?

carla

Do you think a JW could be a psychologist? Let's hope not! talk about the blind leading the blind! Wouldn't a jw be fearful that anything that was said would be promptly reported to their elders? That is what they are supposed to do isn't it? I recall a wt where they say that even in a work place or one where privacy laws are supposed to be observed they encourage jw's to report wrongdoing and apostate thinking, something on that order.

CandleLight

Not and help anyone Who was a JW. I was sent to one years ago and it was disasterous. If he wants professonal Help he should go to someone outside the organization. The "brother" has an agenda that will get in the way of your Brothers healing.

My prayers for his recovery

CL

jaguarbass

You have to go to college to be a psychologist. That would rule or leave out most witnesses I knew.

Are they allowing college now days?

I'm going to speculate that a psychologist would be trained to help one find mental peace and tranquility in their life.

So a person could probably take what he knows about psychology and apply it to the Wactower publishing companies view of the world.

So it seems were talking about a person who was a witness, went against the publishing company for 8 years and went to school so he could give advice to fellow distraught JW's that the answer to their psychological problems is more service and more meetings.

I did read a good book on depression since I escaped the tower, by a worldy authority.

He said the cure to depression is to get up and get going.

So maybe the tower is onto something. More service and more meetings.

Some of the greatest truths in life are simple.

Yes I think a JW psychiatrist could give good advice about depression.

How can you be depressed if your at the meeting or out in field circus?

It's when you idle and doing nothing that your depressed.

AnneB

There are several JW-psychiatrists/psychologists. Some will only take JW's for patients, others won't take JW patients at all. Of the ones who do see JW's I have read that some have broken doctor-patient confidentiality and talked to the elders about what the patient said. If the patient knows that is a possibility going in and agrees to it...well, to each his or her own! If it's done without the patient's knowledge or prior consent think of the harm that might be done. This is something to communicate to anyone who is considering getting professional help from a JW.

As far as mind control is concerned, ever hear of a double blind?

My suggestion is that you dig up the Awake! articles on depression from back in the '80's. They mention seeking professional help and they don't limit it to JW practitioners. There are suggestions and things to consider before seeking professional assitance in one of the articles, maybe if you presented that information to your JW it would do some good. At least it would show from their own publications that a non-JW practitioner is OK.

Tired of the Hypocrisy

Not a good one. They would be either too tempted to go running to the elders with new light on so and so or they would be calling wveryone demonized.