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I think it's unfair you're being downvoted for sharing your experience. Definitely agree that human therapists aren't perfect either. I never had much success

I think it's unfair you're being downvoted for sharing your experience. Definitely agree that human therapists aren't perfect either. I never had much success with therapy personally. I've had to basically figure it all out myself. But I have occasionally had some really good therapy sessions. But ok, at least with a therapist, another human being cares enough to want to help, and that can make a difference. Tell a heavily depressed person to use a chat bot, and you're implicitly telling them they're so worthless that they're not even worth another human having a conversation with them. You might not mean that, but that is what the depressed mind will read into it.

Gare 4y ago
> But ok, at least with a therapist, another human being cares enough to want to help, and that can make a difference. Usually there's money involved, no?
- ambicapter 4y ago
  No one's forcing them to take that job so on some level, yes, they do want to be there.
- mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago
  Of course, but just because you're getting paid doesn't mean you don't care. They might seem cold because they have to practice a certain level of detachment. But most therapists do care about their patients, that's why they became therapists in the first place. Also, therapists usually have long referral lists, so they still have to decide that you're worth their time and that they believe they can help you.
vjk800 4y ago
> But ok, at least with a therapist, another human being cares enough to want to help, and that can make a difference. That's sort of my point. They don't actually care, they help you because you pay them. I don't know if it's how I grew up or what, but this is somehow off-putting to me. I mean, I'm not against paying for services in general, but the sort of human interaction that therapy provides seems me like something that we should be able to get without money.
- waboremo 4y ago
  It would be great if therapy was provided under universal healthcare! But I would argue against the "don't actually care" angle. They do, they would not have devoted years of their life to a quite miserable role if they didn't care about helping people. Their expertise matters, just like any other role in life, and it's what you're paying for.
- watwut 3y ago
  > but the sort of human interaction that therapy provides seems me like something that we should be able to get without money I do not expect therapy to be like friendship and friendships can not provide the kind of help therapy is supposed to provide. Friends can try and give you huge amount of contra productive advice or judge you, simply because they do not understand the kind of issues therapy deals with. The socially superior periods had also much higher substance (including alcohol) abuse rates ... and non-triavial part of that was self-medication.

Gare 4y ago

> But ok, at least with a therapist, another human being cares enough to want to help, and that can make a difference. Usually there's money involved, no?

ambicapter 4y ago
No one's forcing them to take that job so on some level, yes, they do want to be there.
mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago
Of course, but just because you're getting paid doesn't mean you don't care. They might seem cold because they have to practice a certain level of detachment. But most therapists do care about their patients, that's why they became therapists in the first place. Also, therapists usually have long referral lists, so they still have to decide that you're worth their time and that they believe they can help you.

vjk800 4y ago

> But ok, at least with a therapist, another human being cares enough to want to help, and that can make a difference. That's sort of my point. They don't actually care, they help you because you pay them. I don't know if it's how I grew up or what, but this is somehow off-putting to me. I mean, I'm not against paying for services in general, but the sort of human interaction that therapy provides seems me like something that we should be able to get without money.

waboremo 4y ago
It would be great if therapy was provided under universal healthcare! But I would argue against the "don't actually care" angle. They do, they would not have devoted years of their life to a quite miserable role if they didn't care about helping people. Their expertise matters, just like any other role in life, and it's what you're paying for.
watwut 3y ago
> but the sort of human interaction that therapy provides seems me like something that we should be able to get without money I do not expect therapy to be like friendship and friendships can not provide the kind of help therapy is supposed to provide. Friends can try and give you huge amount of contra productive advice or judge you, simply because they do not understand the kind of issues therapy deals with. The socially superior periods had also much higher substance (including alcohol) abuse rates ... and non-triavial part of that was self-medication.