As I bared my soul in your office chair, your responses left me more than disappointed. I have always thought of people who work in the mental health profession as the kind of people who make a difference in the world. Proficient mental health professionals take the broken, abused, and tarnished souls of strangers and provide them tools to reconcile their lives. In contrast, your services are inadequate.

You suggested that it is acceptable for my brother to live in intentional, ignorant bliss as he does not currently possess the mental faculties to deal with the truth. When ignorance is intentional, it is no longer ignorance. My question to you was, "How can anyone live in intentional ignorant bliss?" The answer is – it's not possible. Knowledge that one already possesses cannot be removed from one's memory. That technology simply does not exist. The human brain does not work that way and you of all people should know. Since when has shoving issues under the carpet been the answer? Since when is it okay to suggest that someone do so? Isn't the point of therapy to deal with issues and not simply close your eyes and be content with being able to fulfill a daily schedule?

I then pointed out that in my professional experience, I have seen counselors, psychiatrists, and therapists recommend medication rather than speak with their patients. You stated that this has become the norm and therefore acceptable. I tried to hide the look of disgust on my face after those words left your mouth. You then nonchalantly stated that it is monetarily beneficial to write prescriptions rather than speak to patients. I then asked if this was frowned upon. As you stuttered and turned red, I stated that your hesitation gives me all the answer I need. You went on to slop your words together forming incoherent sentences. In essence, you explained to me that capitalism always wins – even when you have the soul of another human being in your hands. You are disgusting and should be ashamed of yourself. You call yourself a mental health professional, yet all you're really doing is collecting a check. Your prescription pad and pen are your only tools. You glaze across subjects like daily schedules, general life advice, and community resources. In the end, you provide nothing more than a Google search result. It makes no sense to me how someone could spend that much time in school learning something through and through all to just graduate and barely use any of it.

I am tired of people like you. I am tired of the inherently flawed, for-profit healthcare system in the U.S. And I am tired of people not giving a shit about other people.

I saw the way you reacted when I told you about the horrific past of my brother and I. You kept trying to hide the fact that you were cringing in your seat with discomfort. It was very clear that you placed us into a category. Let me ask you something – if a child is born into unfortunate circumstances and treated horribly, therefore affecting the way in which they develop and grow, and that child becomes an adult, and that adult sits across from your desk, and you are looking into their eyes, how the hell do you not see that wounded child staring back at you?

It was also very clear that you did not want me to return to your office for therapy, regardless of who would be providing therapy. I think I asked too many questions, therefore making you feel uncomfortable.

If I had a dollar for every mental health professional who wanted to throw out: thought = emotion = behavior, I'd be rich. Try to be a little more original. Isn't the purpose of going to school and culminating knowledge to use that knowledge creatively for your own specialized application? There is nothing specialized about your application. I would have assumed that you were a new graduate, however upon looking up your credentials, it appears you have no excuse.

I doubt this letter will make a dent in your useless, generic treatment sessions. You're probably living a very comfortable life and too busy resting your feet upon your button-tufted ottoman to care about your patients. They're all damaged goods anyway – garbage of society, right?

Why did I send this letter? Because I hope it eats away at you every day until you make a change. You may never verbally admit it, but you know it's all true.

Sincerely,

(battlestarcaprica)