Should Linden Lab require certification for these SL 'Therapists'?

You do not seem to be aware that LL does certify Educators and education organizations in SL. We have to accept that people do seek help from many places. There are 22 classifieds from therapists in the SL search.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradley Bracken
You'd be surprised. The number of people in SL who are agoraphobic is much larger than you would imagine. In addition, there are many depressed individuals who don't leave their homes or have other disabilities that restrict their movement. These individuals would be easy prey for some quack calling themselves a therapist. Having come from a family with a long list of mental disorders, including myself, I can assure you that the individual would not necessarily be at fault. There is such thing is desperation that can be easily manipulated.



There speaks the voice of experience.
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Not to cast any doubts on Bradley.............I simply do not know her. However, that is exactly what I'm talking about. Nothing Bradley said is untrue and in all likelihood everything she said is absolute fact. But it cannot be verified.........unless she gives me some tangible way to find out for myself. Something I'm sure she would never do....if she did then my assessment of her just went down the drain.

Though there is no reason to doubt her, there is also no reason to put my total trust in her statement. It's merely a non arguable point made.......one, I've noted (mentally). But it still does not change the facts that anyone seeking real help and looking in SL for that help is seeking help in the wrong place..........and if they don't know that then they should not be allowed to enter SL (or even the internet). I know there is no way to prevent people from doing what I see as something stupid........but requiring (or even suggesting) LL get involved is not the answer. All that would do is further the problem.......make it "legitamate".

Now argue all night long........I'm going to lurk a bit more and take myself to bed. You see, I have a real world to face tomorrow.

I haven't forgotten that. But look at the state of the education system in this country. Not to mention, the educational facilities in SL are quite a bit different than "therapy" facilities. Can you graduate from an accredited college or university that has a facility in SL? Do you even get a piece of paper to hang on your wall saying you've successfully completed a course? Is any class you attend in SL going to be something that enhances your resume?

Certification of any service in SL carries no weight anywhere but SL.........and SL is make believe.

I believe Bradley because his posts are perfectly clear and there is no reason not to take him at his word.

I wouldn't waste my time on these forums if I thought otherwise. Why do you?

Why do I? Maybe it focuses what I truly think. Not so sure as you that I'm wasting my time.

Oops, there I go again.....heaven forbid I should think differently than others. Why do you waste your time agruing with me?

You know, this conversation would have ended a long time ago if you'd quit wasting your time.

In the 1990s everyone told artists "if your dumb enough to put your artwork on the internet then your just giving it away". And then the world powers got together at created DMCA and other organizations and laws that make it possible for artists to share their work on the internet without being considered silly.

Should we limit the help people can receive or regulate it?

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Or if you dropped the vapid sarcasm.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Someone needs to tell IBM


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Oh, now we're talking about IBM. So I take a class in SL and complete said class with a decent grade I can put that on my application and it will be a plus for me. Gee, I thought IBM only took note of classes taken in SL for present employees. Plus, IBM has a rather large investment in SL........I would think they would appreciate their employees supporting their efforts.

I bet Microsoft would chuckle though.

But, what the hell does this have to do with the subject of the thread? The question is should SL (or LL) require certification of "THERAPISTS". Not educational facilities. Or did I miss the education part? Oh yeah, someone equated licensing of therapists to licensing of educational facilities. Sorry, I saw that as a derailment.

Someone consulting a "therapist" in SL is likely doing so because they are too fearful and/or financially unable to do so in RL. As Bradley said, many people who cannot function well in RL can do so in SL. After several posts to the effect of "only a total idiot would consult a therapist in SL", I hardly think it likely that said "idiots" will feel safe discussing it here.

Yeah, that.

Agreed.


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I couldn't agree with you more.

I still don't think some of these people get that a person can be a 'therapist' without requiring a license or particular training background. and that's in the real world. now certain specific and extended types of title that include the word therapist may be regulated, but the term by itself is not (at least in N.America).

add to that the fact that certain persons have extensive background and training in helping others (despite the lack of psychology degrees) and it becomes apparent that some 'therapists' are legitimate, useful, and possibly skilled at counseling (another unregulated term, by itself).

SL or RL anyone that doesn't ask for and check qualifications should have their head examined.

unless you don't care that the contractor you hired to put an addition on your house only has experience building in SL....

I keep seeing people crossing from therapist to psychologist , they are so very much not the same

(and recently upon learning a therapist doesn't even need certification in RL, why the heck would it be necessary in SL)

oh and if the therapist or psychologist has to give out their RL credentials, what about the "patient" shouldn't they have to also share RL info, so the therapist or whatever knows that they are also not being strung along and having time wasted, as well as be able to refer the patient to RL help, in the patients RL location. (if the "dr" is real I mean)

This thread actually got me to thinking about seeking out a support group in SL, for something I am battling in RL, yes basically a therapy group

Will I be asking for RL info, hell no, I just want someone(s) that I can relate to, and that doesn't need any kind of certification.

If someone claims to be a psychologist and tells me to do something to assist with what I am dealing with, will I do it? Who knows, however I will use the common sense god gave me and decide for myself if it is worth doing with no danger to me or anyone else. I would hope, that no matter what one is facing in RL, they still have their facilities and common sense, otherwise I would think they would not even be in SL

PS and I do not consider myself an idiot (and I still do not think they need to be certified by LL)

PSS anyone can claim to be anything in SL, it is up to the individuals interacting with that person to decide if they want to believe them at face value, or get further proof.

I am not trying to single you out Void - but it comes across a little insensitive when speaking about people seeking emotional or mental help to use terms like "you need your head examined", "stupid", "silly", "Idiot".

And I truly belive that if we can obtain real life education here, shop for real life products and do our taxes in a sim - then Virtual Mental Health is not far away.

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Well, considering my lil' sister is a licenced, PhD'd psychologist, I'll ask her what she thinks.

Although I would always question why therapists aren't required to have qualifications, I accept that the fact. Nevertheless, I think it's fair to expand the OP's choice of the word 'therapist' to include psychologists and such because I have seen instances of people offering such services both in-world and on these forums with no evidence of their capacity to do so.


A good friend can be just as helpful without incurring charges but I guess the lack of a good friend can just as easily be the root cause of many people's ills in this respect.


It really is a great one-liner until you recognise that the humour rests on the question of the chicken and the egg.


I had a similar RL problem recently: a bust pipe and extensive flooding of the downstairs apartment led to my urgent need of a plumber. Unfortunately the usual guy wasn't available so I had to take the next one available with disastrous consequences. I got what I deserved for allowing my neighbour's distress to panic me.

I can easily envisage how someone in psychological distress could make an inappropriate choice when seeking help in either RL or SL but there is no need for matters to be worsened by the vagaries of SL.

My wife is a qualified therapist in several disciplines, and I have met a large number of her friends who are similarly certified.

I would rather have a garbage disposal operative carry out brain surgery on me than undergo anything that she or her (entirely female colleagues) consider therapy.

It brings in the money and does nothing constructive for the victims, ahem, clients except what placebo benefits they might self-administer from (mistakenly) believing that they were receiving something from an expert.

Caveat emptor, in rl and sl!

Pep (there are worse things; you could spend much more on consulting psychologists/psychiatrists/psychotherapists, every one of which I have met is considerably more in need of help than the perps in CSI)

For more information on this subject perhaps you should consult the website TheRapist.com.

Pep (And note the writing advice website ThePenisKing.com too)

OMG, man - I hope she does not see this. Your going to need a marriage counselor.


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I know I don't deserve it, I really don't, but ...

Can we have photographic evidence when she beats seven kinds of sh!t out of you for that remark?

As a soon to e fulled qualified Social worker as well as a currently cerified counsillor let me tell you there are MANY people who seek helpin SL becuase they are too scared of talking to someone face to face in RL etc. There are a lot of eople whoknow my occupation in world and I have had many people approach me for help.

I am very careful what I do becuase my occupation has a Code of Ethics and I can be banned from practising as a Social Worker if I act in that capacity without check and measures so I would neve give advice as a qualified person in here.

Generally I will listen as a friend and give someone generl advce but I will not go into any depth with them and will generally try to get them to seek professional RL help.

It does worry me that people in here claim to be therapists and offer to help people becuase more often than not they can do more harm than good and most people who are distressed and need help would not be thinking aout if smeone is ualified etc. they just want help

Would not a trained psychologist/psychiatrist know to advise a person to seek real contact help ? Do you not think one who works in those professions come to SL like others to relax and get away from their job?

http://www.lifeline-international.org/

I included marriage counsellors as therapists and have seen several of them in my time, all of whom proved incompetent and unprofessional. Only one survived more than one session with me, and that was because I remained silent, which ultimately seemed to annoy her even more than my participation did the others.

Pep (my wife knows my opinion of therapists; she hasn't thought much of my jobs as an accountant, project manager or management consultant either but she doesn't complain about the money appearing every month in the bank account)

See above.

Pep (Are you *really* encouraging spousal violence, and if so, would you condone it in the other direction?)