Louis:
I don't think the issue is ncessarily the title, but the activity. If I
call myself an Expert Financial Analyst and dispense advice on stocks with
little to no credentials/knowledge/expertise, am I not in danger of causing
harm to those who listen to me? Ms. Cleo can call herself an "Advisor," and
most of us realize it's "caveat emptor" for those who base significant life
decisions on her, but when it comes to the general public, how many people
can distinguish between a licensed counselor/psychologist/practitioner and
a "therapist" who claims that they have formal psychological training
(i.e., they took introductory psychology in college), and years of valuable
"life experience." Not to knock "life experience," but such individuals are
sometimes well-meaning, and sometimes simply bilking the public at the
public's risk. A leading ethical principle is to present potential clients
with your qualifications as well as your limitations of competence. If a
"Personal Life Coach" does so clearly and specifically, then there's really
no problem...
And yes, I'm dodging the Pop Psychologist issue for now... maybe because
the exams I'm reviewing from some of the graduate counseling students right
now indicate that many of them pay more attention to John Gray and Oprah
than to my class...
Respectfully,
David
At 04:30 PM 7/11/01 -0400, Louis_Schmier wrote:
>Just because it hump day. Dave, suppose I am a Personal Life Coach, that
>is, a fancy name for a motivator and inspirer such as the like of Bo SHort
>or John Maxwell or even a zen coach teaching a certain philosophical
>outlook and behavior in life. Does that make me a pseudo- or
>pop-psychotherapist?
>
>
>
>Make it a good day.
>
> --Louis--
>
>
>Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com
>Department of History www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
>Valdosta State University
>Valdosta, GA 31698 /~\ /\ /\
>229-333-5947 /^\ / \ / /~\ \ /~\__/\
> / \__/ \/ / /\ /~\/ \
> /\/\-/ /^\_____\____________/__/_______/^\
> -_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ /^\
> _ _ / don't practice on mole hills" - \____
David T. Wasieleski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology and Counseling
Valdosta State University
229-333-5620
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dtwasieleski
"I had a clue now it's gone forever..."
--Dave Matthews Band
"Dancing Nancies"
