Alone Together - Maybe what my problem is

I think I realized that maybe I disagree with Turkle sometimes because she is a big believer in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, etc. and I have my doubts on the effectiveness of talk therapy. I'm not one of those militant anti-psychiatry people. It's just that man...I've known some pretty.... well...not so great therapists. Some therapists who probably, really, should be IN therapy instead of offering therapy. I do believe that psychiatric drugs can be very, very helpful when used correctly. I am a firm believer in that. Someone who needs an anti-depressant needs that just as much as a diabetic needs diabetic medication. It's just the therapy part that I have trouble believing in, because yeah...there are a lot of nutty therapists out there. And a lot of therapists who just aren't so bright. There's nothing wrong with being not so bright! I'm not so bright! But I'm not a therapist, trying to help people figure out their problems!

So while Turkle laments that talking to a computer about one's problems is not the same as talking to a therapist about one's problems, because the computer isn't "real" and doesn't "care," I have to say that I know a lot of therapists- human ones- who don't care. They joke about their clients behind their backs, they get paid to listen to people and some won't see a client when the money runs out. So a computer.....well....they aren't really keeping their eye on the clock or checking the checkbook balance, right? So they at least have THAT going for them!

Now I know, I know there are probably a TON of great, caring, wonderful therapists out there. But man...there are quite a few who are far less than that. Some therapists I know remind me of the emotional vampires (literally, you have to read the book - I'm not using that term as a pejorative) in this great book by Patrick Jones.

But now that I think about this, and write it out, Turkle probably wouldn't argue with me on this point. She would probably say that we expect too little of our therapists, so we see computers as a better alternative. And she'd be right in my case. So maybe my point is, instead of turning to computers for therapy we need to make sure that only the best of the best become therapists. That therapists themselves have to see a therapist. That they have to prove and continue to prove that they are bright enough, caring enough, social enough to really be a GREAT therapist. I say GREAT because remember, good isn't good enough.