Expectations from psychotherapy are sometimes not met: "Communication with the therapist could be compared with mental rape"
More and more Finns are trying to solve their problems with the help of a therapist. Many will be disappointed when the therapist, instead of treating, only exacerbates the client’s problem. Unsuccessful psychotherapy can turn a client's life into a nightmare, but the therapist is rarely responsible for this.
“I often left the therapist in tears and more depressed than before the visit. At the end of the session, I did not receive anything - except for the service bill, of course. I realized how bad everything was, only when I got to another therapist who was different from the previous one like day from night. ”
“Therapy was comparable to violence. The therapist made it clear to me that I would never be cured and I would never achieve anything. The therapist’s visits completely destroyed my legal capacity. ”
"My therapist was a believer and inspired me that my sexual orientation was a sin and something shameful."
The current Yle Perjantai program asked readers to share their negative experiences of seeking psychological help. About a hundred answers were received, in which for the most part the same scenario was repeated and the same problems surfaced: the wrong type of therapy, the wrong therapist, the high cost of the sessions, the patient’s lack of rights in case of unsuccessful treatment, and sexual harassment and trying to plant your beliefs or beliefs.
Many wrote that their situation worsened after therapy. About ten respondents mentioned that they began to have suicidal thoughts after the sessions.
The risks of therapy are not spoken enough
In the Helsinki-Uusimaa hospital district, they are familiar with the problem. Jan-Henry Stenberg, head of the department, knows that the risks associated with psychotherapy are often silent. Stenberg is responsible for overseeing psychotherapeutic care in the hospital district.
- Despite the fact that for most patients therapy is of great benefit, serious problems can be associated with it.
“In the end, it was so hard for me that I with all my might avoided visiting the therapist and lied that I was ill, just not to go. I was suffering from anxiety disorder, and therapy exacerbated my neurosis weekly, which I tried to avoid. "
“My therapist pressed me with authority and I believed everything he said. I can only compare this with rape. The feelings were similar. ”
Every fifth resident of Finland suffers from mental disorders. Often they are difficult to detect and clearly identify, since many symptoms manifest themselves in difficult times in life, and a person does not associate this with a mental illness. According to experts, we are talking about a mental disorder if a person’s legal capacity and relations deteriorate sharply. A serious mental disorder can completely deprive a person of disability. Today, three times more people are clients of rehabilitative psychotherapy, which Kela partially pays for, than 10 years ago. One of the reasons for this growth is that since 2011, rehabilitation therapy is guaranteed by law.
"Dependence on therapist"
“I wasted a year and a half of paid therapy on what was not a treatment, but was, in fact, a traumatic addiction to my therapist.”
“My life situation at that time and my childhood injuries mixed together, when I eventually told the therapist that the therapy made me feel worse, he got angry with me.”
"Therapy caused my anorexia and severe clinical depression."
"The therapist condemned all my decisions and actions, after each session I felt my inferiority."
Based on various studies, the head of the development department of the Department of Health and Social Well-being, Olavi Lindfors, estimates that the number of cases when the patient's condition worsens due to therapy is from 5 to 8 percent.
- The success of psychotherapy largely depends on the contact with the therapist and the general point of view on what a person wants to achieve through treatment. It is important to pay attention to how the interaction with the therapist develops, ”Lindfors recalls.
Finns diligently attend therapy
Especially young people, in particular women, often turn to a psychotherapist. According to Kela statistics, a typical therapist's client is a young woman aged 25 to 34 years.
“Over the 14 years of therapy, I have wondered more than once, would I be at the age of 32 on a disability pension if my first therapist really understood his business?”
“I was 17, I had severe depression and behavioral problems. The therapist offered to participate in the Miss Finland contest and constantly joked that I would be a good couple for his son. ”
“I was about 20, I'm a lesbian. The therapist was a middle-aged man. He asked about my sexual fantasies and how I react to other women. I couldn’t open up to him. ”
The cost of therapy
Many clients complain about the high price of therapy.
Kela partially pays for rehabilitative psychotherapy, which can be provided to a person aged 16 to 67 years, whose legal capacity is at risk. In order to receive a decision on compensation from Kela, you need to be observed by a psychiatrist for three months, during this time you need to visit a doctor at least twice to get an official diagnosis. It is also necessary to find a psychotherapist on your own and pay for an orientation session. This means that the patient pays for the first visits to a specialist.
Subsequently, Kela decides to pay for rehabilitation therapy, which is valid for a maximum of one year and is extended for up to three years. In total, the state pays for three years of psychotherapy sessions and 200 visits to the therapist. Kela reimburses EUR 57.60 per visit. On average, the patient pays for the session about 30 euros from his own pocket. Many, however, pay more because the price tag for psychotherapist services varies from 80 euros to 200 euros per visit.
Severe effects of therapy
There is very little information about suicides that occurred during therapy, but according to some estimates, just over one percent of psychotherapeutic patients commit suicide.
“I visited a psychotherapist for two years. As a result, my condition worsened, I refused to communicate with the outside world and tried to commit suicide. ”
“I have a tendency to suicidal mood, as a result of therapy I only approached death. "My initial problem with which I came to the therapist is still not cured."
Oversight of health services is carried out by the regional departments of the municipal government (AVI), and the supervisor of Valvira. Patient complaints of failed therapy are dealt with by AVI unless it is suspected that a mistake in treatment has led to the death or disability of the patient.
Complaints Receive Weekly
Valvira's Medical Advisor, Kaisa Riala, reports that psychiatric treatment complaints are received weekly. Cases when they complain about compulsory treatment, errors in the selection of drugs or about the unsuitability of a psychotherapist are mainly considered in regional oversight bodies.
“At Valvira, we look at cases of suicide.” We do not keep separate statistics, but, according to estimates, there are no more than a dozen such cases per year. When suicide complaints are received, we evaluate the quality of the psychiatric care provided and whether the suicidal risk assessment was performed correctly. Often, the care was assigned absolutely correct, however, the patient still commits suicide.
More than 100 complaints to municipal supervisory authorities are received by psychologists and psychotherapists annually. Most often, complaints relate to inappropriate behavior, accessibility of services, medical treatment, as well as errors in the choice of psychotherapeutic methods.
Most complaints do not have consequences. So, last year 12 official written warnings were issued.
Patients often complain about inaction of supervisory authorities
“I complained to the municipal department ... my therapist denied everything and stated that I was lying. I was young, and the therapist is a solid professional with experience, licensed at Valvira. ”
“The patient cannot defend himself in any way by falling into a layman with a dubious ethics.”
“The decision on my complaint came two years later. The therapist received a written warning. I was disappointed - I hoped that his license would be taken away. ”
"My therapist lost his license and practice - it turned out that I was not his only victim."
More and more Finns are trying to solve their problems with the help of a therapist. Many will be disappointed when the therapist, instead of treating, only exacerbates the client’s problem. Unsuccessful psychotherapy can turn a client's life into a nightmare, but the therapist is rarely responsible for this.
“I often left the therapist in tears and more depressed than before the visit. At the end of the session, I did not receive anything - except for the service bill, of course. I realized how bad everything was, only when I got to another therapist who was different from the previous one like day from night. ”
“Therapy was comparable to violence. The therapist made it clear to me that I would never be cured and I would never achieve anything. The therapist’s visits completely destroyed my legal capacity. ”
"My therapist was a believer and inspired me that my sexual orientation was a sin and something shameful."
The current Yle Perjantai program asked readers to share their negative experiences of seeking psychological help. About a hundred answers were received, in which for the most part the same scenario was repeated and the same problems surfaced: the wrong type of therapy, the wrong therapist, the high cost of the sessions, the patient’s lack of rights in case of unsuccessful treatment, and sexual harassment and trying to plant your beliefs or beliefs.
Many wrote that their situation worsened after therapy. About ten respondents mentioned that they began to have suicidal thoughts after the sessions.
The risks of therapy are not spoken enough
In the Helsinki-Uusimaa hospital district, they are familiar with the problem. Jan-Henry Stenberg, head of the department, knows that the risks associated with psychotherapy are often silent. Stenberg is responsible for overseeing psychotherapeutic care in the hospital district.
- Despite the fact that for most patients therapy is of great benefit, serious problems can be associated with it.
“In the end, it was so hard for me that I with all my might avoided visiting the therapist and lied that I was ill, just not to go. I was suffering from anxiety disorder, and therapy exacerbated my neurosis weekly, which I tried to avoid. "
“My therapist pressed me with authority and I believed everything he said. I can only compare this with rape. The feelings were similar. ”
Every fifth resident of Finland suffers from mental disorders. Often they are difficult to detect and clearly identify, since many symptoms manifest themselves in difficult times in life, and a person does not associate this with a mental illness. According to experts, we are talking about a mental disorder if a person’s legal capacity and relations deteriorate sharply. A serious mental disorder can completely deprive a person of disability. Today, three times more people are clients of rehabilitative psychotherapy, which Kela partially pays for, than 10 years ago. One of the reasons for this growth is that since 2011, rehabilitation therapy is guaranteed by law.
"Dependence on therapist"
“I wasted a year and a half of paid therapy on what was not a treatment, but was, in fact, a traumatic addiction to my therapist.”
“My life situation at that time and my childhood injuries mixed together, when I eventually told the therapist that the therapy made me feel worse, he got angry with me.”
"Therapy caused my anorexia and severe clinical depression."
"The therapist condemned all my decisions and actions, after each session I felt my inferiority."
Based on various studies, the head of the development department of the Department of Health and Social Well-being, Olavi Lindfors, estimates that the number of cases when the patient's condition worsens due to therapy is from 5 to 8 percent.
- The success of psychotherapy largely depends on the contact with the therapist and the general point of view on what a person wants to achieve through treatment. It is important to pay attention to how the interaction with the therapist develops, ”Lindfors recalls.
Finns diligently attend therapy
Especially young people, in particular women, often turn to a psychotherapist. According to Kela statistics, a typical therapist's client is a young woman aged 25 to 34 years.
“Over the 14 years of therapy, I have wondered more than once, would I be at the age of 32 on a disability pension if my first therapist really understood his business?”
“I was 17, I had severe depression and behavioral problems. The therapist offered to participate in the Miss Finland contest and constantly joked that I would be a good couple for his son. ”
“I was about 20, I'm a lesbian. The therapist was a middle-aged man. He asked about my sexual fantasies and how I react to other women. I couldn’t open up to him. ”
The cost of therapy
Many clients complain about the high price of therapy.
Kela partially pays for rehabilitative psychotherapy, which can be provided to a person aged 16 to 67 years, whose legal capacity is at risk. In order to receive a decision on compensation from Kela, you need to be observed by a psychiatrist for three months, during this time you need to visit a doctor at least twice to get an official diagnosis. It is also necessary to find a psychotherapist on your own and pay for an orientation session. This means that the patient pays for the first visits to a specialist.
Subsequently, Kela decides to pay for rehabilitation therapy, which is valid for a maximum of one year and is extended for up to three years. In total, the state pays for three years of psychotherapy sessions and 200 visits to the therapist. Kela reimburses EUR 57.60 per visit. On average, the patient pays for the session about 30 euros from his own pocket. Many, however, pay more because the price tag for psychotherapist services varies from 80 euros to 200 euros per visit.
Severe effects of therapy
There is very little information about suicides that occurred during therapy, but according to some estimates, just over one percent of psychotherapeutic patients commit suicide.
“I visited a psychotherapist for two years. As a result, my condition worsened, I refused to communicate with the outside world and tried to commit suicide. ”
“I have a tendency to suicidal mood, as a result of therapy I only approached death. "My initial problem with which I came to the therapist is still not cured."
Oversight of health services is carried out by the regional departments of the municipal government (AVI), and the supervisor of Valvira. Patient complaints of failed therapy are dealt with by AVI unless it is suspected that a mistake in treatment has led to the death or disability of the patient.
Complaints Receive Weekly
Valvira's Medical Advisor, Kaisa Riala, reports that psychiatric treatment complaints are received weekly. Cases when they complain about compulsory treatment, errors in the selection of drugs or about the unsuitability of a psychotherapist are mainly considered in regional oversight bodies.
“At Valvira, we look at cases of suicide.” We do not keep separate statistics, but, according to estimates, there are no more than a dozen such cases per year. When suicide complaints are received, we evaluate the quality of the psychiatric care provided and whether the suicidal risk assessment was performed correctly. Often, the care was assigned absolutely correct, however, the patient still commits suicide.
More than 100 complaints to municipal supervisory authorities are received by psychologists and psychotherapists annually. Most often, complaints relate to inappropriate behavior, accessibility of services, medical treatment, as well as errors in the choice of psychotherapeutic methods.
Most complaints do not have consequences. So, last year 12 official written warnings were issued.
Patients often complain about inaction of supervisory authorities
“I complained to the municipal department ... my therapist denied everything and stated that I was lying. I was young, and the therapist is a solid professional with experience, licensed at Valvira. ”
“The patient cannot defend himself in any way by falling into a layman with a dubious ethics.”
“The decision on my complaint came two years later. The therapist received a written warning. I was disappointed - I hoped that his license would be taken away. ”
"My therapist lost his license and practice - it turned out that I was not his only victim."
