4 ms·

I don't know, the confidentiality of a professional therapist is huge. Plus a lot of the elders I know would advise you to deal with depression by sucking it up

I don't know, the confidentiality of a professional therapist is huge. Plus a lot of the elders I know would advise you to deal with depression by sucking it up. Or try to pray the gay away.

kzrdude 5y ago
Now a professional therapist might not want to tell you to do anything at all. The ones I've met have been very passive. They listen, it's great, but they don't point in any direction.
- actually_a_dog 5y ago
  While it's true that my therapist never tells me to do much of anything, he often offers me some much needed perspective I can use to make my own decisions to do or not do things. So, I guess you can say I indirectly get direction from my therapist.
- leetcrew 5y ago
  depends on the therapist and your situation. lots of difficult decisions in life come down to what you personally value. the therapist can talk it through with you, but they can't decide your values for you. on the other hand, if you're depressed and spend most of your time in bed, the therapist might strongly recommend that you try going outside more.
bsanr2 5y ago
It's give and take. Everyone knowing your problems can make you a target for persecution, but it also makes it more difficult for you to get involved in things that your community disapproves of (again, sometimes this is bad, but sometimes it's good). The loss of meatspace community can mean falling into a counterculture that is, ironically, at once met with suspicion by the mainstream, but also better at helping members manage difficulties and better at enforcing certain nominally-embraced but practically-ignored moral standards. For example, late-century LGBT communities (who encouraged unconditional love for one's neighbors better, them or your local ministry?).
neartheplain 5y ago
>the confidentiality of a professional therapist is huge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_the_Confessional_and_the_Catholic_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_the_Confessional_and_t...
- msla 5y ago
  OK, but you're still back to "pray the gay away" if you go to a priest, at least through most of human history.
  - recursive 5y ago
    There are plenty of issues people have that aren't related to being gay. Most of them, I'd guess. That doesn't help if that's your issue, but it also doesn't mean the entire practice is useless.
  - mistermann 5y ago
    Out of curiosity (because of the topic): do you consider this to be an an evidence based belief (taking into consideration the comprehensive nature of it)?
- tenpies 5y ago
  Should add that unlike any professional oath or body, Catholic priests will literally die before breaking the Confessional Seal. They will never follow any government or politician order to break it, and even the Pope himself cannot order them to do so. Many have gone to jail or been martyred keeping the Seal (as listed a bit lower in the same article).

I don't know, the confidentiality of a professional therapist is huge. Plus a lot of the elders I know would advise you to deal with depression by sucking it up. Or try to pray the gay away.

kzrdude 5y ago

Now a professional therapist might not want to tell you to do anything at all. The ones I've met have been very passive. They listen, it's great, but they don't point in any direction.

actually_a_dog 5y ago
While it's true that my therapist never tells me to do much of anything, he often offers me some much needed perspective I can use to make my own decisions to do or not do things. So, I guess you can say I indirectly get direction from my therapist.
leetcrew 5y ago
depends on the therapist and your situation. lots of difficult decisions in life come down to what you personally value. the therapist can talk it through with you, but they can't decide your values for you. on the other hand, if you're depressed and spend most of your time in bed, the therapist might strongly recommend that you try going outside more.

bsanr2 5y ago

It's give and take. Everyone knowing your problems can make you a target for persecution, but it also makes it more difficult for you to get involved in things that your community disapproves of (again, sometimes this is bad, but sometimes it's good). The loss of meatspace community can mean falling into a counterculture that is, ironically, at once met with suspicion by the mainstream, but also better at helping members manage difficulties and better at enforcing certain nominally-embraced but practically-ignored moral standards. For example, late-century LGBT communities (who encouraged unconditional love for one's neighbors better, them or your local ministry?).

neartheplain 5y ago

>the confidentiality of a professional therapist is huge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_the_Confessional_and_the_Catholic_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_the_Confessional_and_t...

msla 5y ago
OK, but you're still back to "pray the gay away" if you go to a priest, at least through most of human history.
- recursive 5y ago
  There are plenty of issues people have that aren't related to being gay. Most of them, I'd guess. That doesn't help if that's your issue, but it also doesn't mean the entire practice is useless.
- mistermann 5y ago
  Out of curiosity (because of the topic): do you consider this to be an an evidence based belief (taking into consideration the comprehensive nature of it)?
tenpies 5y ago
Should add that unlike any professional oath or body, Catholic priests will literally die before breaking the Confessional Seal. They will never follow any government or politician order to break it, and even the Pope himself cannot order them to do so. Many have gone to jail or been martyred keeping the Seal (as listed a bit lower in the same article).