Psychotherapy help! lost among the cracks

Tiggy203 · 20-01-2021 10:47pm #1

Hi guys,

Hope this is ok to post here and please bear with me.
10 years ago I graduated from DBS with my MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy but just as I graduated, the recession hit and all efforts to find a job in the area I loved proved fruitless. At the time, a family member fell ill, and I had no choice but to find alternative work for financial reasons. My biggest mistake was not applying for accreditation then. At the time, you only needed 2 years of a Masters and I would have been eligible. But anyway.....

So time passed, and I was self employed in a totally different industry. All I wanted to do was go back to practicing but I had a lot of staff relying on me and kept putting it off. In 2019 I closed the business and tried to reconnect with someone who worked in my college. He was no longer there, so I met with his replacement. I left in tears. To say she was cruel was an understatement. I explained my situation, and asked how I could make up the extra 2 years now required to be accredited without having to do another Masters, to which I was told, “you don’t. It’s not your desire.” That was it, doors closed. I was also told that because it “wasn’t my desire” I wouldn’t get to the interview stage for the post masters training that was available. I was also told the college kept no records of my clinical placements and hours, and I was sent on my way in tears with no answers.

I guess what I’m asking is, has anyone ever stepped back for a number of years after training only to have the door closed on them, and how did you get around that if you did?
Does anyone have any advice whatsoever about what I could do in this situation?
I have actively been in my own personal therapy for 6 years and have kept up my CPD. None of it seems to matter, Psychoanalysis for one wants nothing more to do with me after spending €15,000 on that education. But to be honest, it’s not the modality I would currently lean towards anymore.
Any advice or personal experience here would be so welcome. I also have trained as a coach but I have clients who want to work with me as a therapist, but I assume I cannot take this on if I’m not accredited? Thank you if you have read this far! I just feel like I have fallen in the cracks and can’t see any options

Jimmy Bottlehead · 20-01-2021 11:49pm

Tiggy203 wrote: »

Hi guys,

Hope this is ok to post here and please bear with me.
10 years ago I graduated from DBS with my MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy but just as I graduated, the recession hit and all efforts to find a job in the area I loved proved fruitless. At the time, a family member fell ill, and I had no choice but to find alternative work for financial reasons. My biggest mistake was not applying for accreditation then. At the time, you only needed 2 years of a Masters and I would have been eligible. But anyway.....

So time passed, and I was self employed in a totally different industry. All I wanted to do was go back to practicing but I had a lot of staff relying on me and kept putting it off. In 2019 I closed the business and tried to reconnect with someone who worked in my college. He was no longer there, so I met with his replacement. I left in tears. To say she was cruel was an understatement. I explained my situation, and asked how I could make up the extra 2 years now required to be accredited without having to do another Masters, to which I was told, “you don’t. It’s not your desire.” That was it, doors closed. I was also told that because it “wasn’t my desire” I wouldn’t get to the interview stage for the post masters training that was available. I was also told the college kept no records of my clinical placements and hours, and I was sent on my way in tears with no answers.

I guess what I’m asking is, has anyone ever stepped back for a number of years after training only to have the door closed on them, and how did you get around that if you did?
Does anyone have any advice whatsoever about what I could do in this situation?
I have actively been in my own personal therapy for 6 years and have kept up my CPD. None of it seems to matter, Psychoanalysis for one wants nothing more to do with me after spending €15,000 on that education. But to be honest, it’s not the modality I would currently lean towards anymore.
Any advice or personal experience here would be so welcome. I also have trained as a coach but I have clients who want to work with me as a therapist, but I assume I cannot take this on if I’m not accredited? Thank you if you have read this far! I just feel like I have fallen in the cracks and can’t see any options

Sounds awful, OP. You have my sympathies.

With regard to a next step, I'd request another meeting with that individual and go in prepared to fight your corner. If they stone wall you again, I'd request to speak to their manager, or department head.

If you are not accredited, then you should absolutely NOT work with clients. To do so would be incredibly unprofessional, highly unethical, and totally unfair to any prospective clients. They deserve a qualified and professionally accredited therapist, not someone who wants to practice without having their credentials in order.

Finally, if psychoanalysis isn't your preference any more, then most of the post is moot. Why have you changed your mind? Is it a true change in therapeutic outlook, or is there some element of lashing out at the field as a F-U as you feel that's what they did to you?
With that in mind, what is your current preference?

SuperRabbit · 21-01-2021 6:49pm

Tiggy203 wrote: »

Hi guys

Oh my god you were so mistreated. DBS just went down 500 points in my estimation. She shouldn't have treated you like that. That was not on.

PCI have a 2 year top up program for people who have a diploma in counselling and want to get a BSc. I know you have more than that but your situation is pretty special and maybe you could jump into that place (or maybe another college has a similar top up course). During those 2 years you could get your pre-accreditation hours but you'd have to do it with a placement, you couldn't count your own clients until you were into your 450 hours, which comes after the 100 hours.

http://www.pcicollege.ie/counselling-courses/degree-counselling-psychotherapy-upgrade

something that looks similar to me at iicp: https://www.iicp.ie/courses/rpldegree/

At present there's no one to stop you but your own ethics if you want to take on a therapy client, there's no regulation yet.

I would disagree about taking the individual on again, but it's up to you, do you feel that would help? I don't see the benefit of it but Jimmy does, who knows! What do you think?

“you don’t. It’s not your desire.” that just seemed like NLP to me, i just avoid NLP users.. what else would have possessed someone to say that I wonder

Freedive Ireland · 21-01-2021 9:22pm

Hi Tiggy, sorry to hear what you've gone through. What modality would you be leaning towards now?

You said Psychoanalysis wants nothing more to do with you but obviously DBS doesn't equal psychoanalysis.

I qualified as a peer support worker and health and wellness coach a few years back and it's the latter that I find I use most. So the speal is I don't do therapy but what I do can have theraputic benefits. So while I'd agree with Jimmy above that you shouldn't practice as a therapist I don't see why you wouldn't practice as a coach with clients and be upfront with the people you are working with. No profession or modality has a monopoly on people, loads of studies show it's the theraputic relationship that counts and not the modality. You may have to let go some clients or else change the dynamic with them.

I suppose it may come down to whether you want to work independently or for an organisation. Best wishes.

Tiggy203 · 22-01-2021 8:58pm

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Sounds awful, OP. You have my sympathies.

With regard to a next step, I'd request another meeting with that individual and go in prepared to fight your corner. If they stone wall you again, I'd request to speak to their manager, or department head.

If you are not accredited, then you should absolutely NOT work with clients. To do so would be incredibly unprofessional, highly unethical, and totally unfair to any prospective clients. They deserve a qualified and professionally accredited therapist, not someone who wants to practice without having their credentials in order.

Finally, if psychoanalysis isn't your preference any more, then most of the post is moot. Why have you changed your mind? Is it a true change in therapeutic outlook, or is there some element of lashing out at the field as a F-U as you feel that's what they did to you?
With that in mind, what is your current preference?

Thank you. I wouldn’t go back in, I would be quite a strong person but that really knocked me and I know I wouldn’t get anywhere. My only regret is I didn’t complain to someone more senior.
I have spoken to a number of therapists who have told me I have more than enough to practice, but to me the accreditation thing is where I get lost in the cracks. My college has no records of my placement hours, supervisor reports etc. So even if they agreed to grandparent me in, I have none of that. I was also told that because my own therapist is humanistic, not psychoanalytic, that counts for nothing. It just seems absolutely ridiculous....
I think I do feel a bit of resentment towards psychoanalysis at the moment, but like you said it’s more because I feel so unsupported. In the type of work I do now, it has huge importance so I wouldn’t turn my back on that training, I can just also see the benefits of other modalities aswell. I think I need to encounter a psychoanalyst who shows a bit of understanding to the situation, so far my experience has really just left a bad taste in my mouth and it’s such a shame. I adored working with children and adults in my placement work, but life got in the way

Tiggy203 · 23-01-2021 10:21pm

SuperRabbit wrote: »

Oh my god you were so mistreated. DBS just went down 500 points in my estimation. She shouldn't have treated you like that. That was not on.

PCI have a 2 year top up program for people who have a diploma in counselling and want to get a BSc. I know you have more than that but your situation is pretty special and maybe you could jump into that place (or maybe another college has a similar top up course). During those 2 years you could get your pre-accreditation hours but you'd have to do it with a placement, you couldn't count your own clients until you were into your 450 hours, which comes after the 100 hours.

something that looks similar to me at iicp:

At present there's no one to stop you but your own ethics if you want to take on a therapy client, there's no regulation yet.

I would disagree about taking the individual on again, but it's up to you, do you feel that would help? I don't see the benefit of it but Jimmy does, who knows! What do you think?

“you don’t. It’s not your desire.” that just seemed like NLP to me, i just avoid NLP users.. what else would have possessed someone to say that I wonder

Thank you so much for those links! I will certainly look into them, that is so helpful 😊 yes, I don’t think I could go back in there, to me it’s totally put me off even pushing to do those 2 more years with that person in charge!

Tiggy203 · 23-01-2021 10:29pm

Freedive Ireland wrote: »

Hi Tiggy, sorry to hear what you've gone through. What modality would you be leaning towards now?

You said Psychoanalysis wants nothing more to do with you but obviously DBS doesn't equal psychoanalysis.

I qualified as a peer support worker and health and wellness coach a few years back and it's the latter that I find I use most. So the speal is I don't do therapy but what I do can have theraputic benefits. So while I'd agree with Jimmy above that you shouldn't practice as a therapist I don't see why you wouldn't practice as a coach with clients and be upfront with the people you are working with. No profession or modality has a monopoly on people, loads of studies show it's the theraputic relationship that counts and not the modality. You may have to let go some clients or else change the dynamic with them.

I suppose it may come down to whether you want to work independently or for an organisation. Best wishes.

Thank you. I find I lean more towards a humanistic approach now, however psychoanalysis is what I’m trained in and obviously as frustrated as I am with how I’ve been treated, I did enjoy it and would continue with it if given the opportunity. Unfortunately this person stated categorically that if I did apply, she would not accept me because of her assumption that this is ‘not my desire’. Every possible solution or compromise I came up with she completely slammed the door. I don’t know if the whole psychoanalytic community in Ireland is the same, but she doesn’t represent it well needless to say.

I could not agree more about the relationship being the most important. This is why I have coaching clients that want to continue with me on a therapeutic basis. They feel held, supported and heard. I do love coaching, but when I see people struggling for more which ethically I’m not supposed to explore with them, it kills me to have to say, I can’t help you here because of accreditation. I would prefer to do individual work in private practice, with coaching that would be different.

I have only started out on my coaching journey so it’s interesting to here it from your perspective, and I really appreciate it!

JuliusCaesar · 11-02-2021 10:16pm

There are a few different psychoanalytic professional associations, have you tried any of the others?

It is disgraceful that the college no longer has records of previous students. I would put in a strong complaint with the governing body, and the Dept of Education or whoever accredits the course and the college. HETAC? QQI? I think they'd be scandalised at the idea of someone being rejected on the basis of presumed 'desire'.

WhiteWalls · 15-02-2022 11:37pm

What's the verdict now folks?

Psychotherapy help! lost among the cracks

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