MovieChat Forums > Teen Mom (2009) Discussion > Kathleen the Therapist, Again!

Kathleen the Therapist, Again!

posted 8 years ago by Melancholy11
16 replies | jump to latest

Not again. She is a horrific mental health professional. She most likely is a marriage and family therapist which is not like a real psychologist.

She just sits her fat bottom and listens to Catelynn and smiles, smirkes and blushes.

Kathleen gives Catelynn awful advice to not protect April and the root of all her depression and anxiety is her horrible childhood. WAKE UP, CATE.

If that was the real true reason, she would be picking that issue apart really dissecting and pulling out of her subconscious all the Tramua. But that ISNT the problem. Her symptoms are because of the adopted child Carly. She cannot forgive herself. She has very deep regrets that are beyond the surface regrets she speaks of. Her mental a health deteriorated once Nova was born because she thought that would be a panacea but instead it is a every second of the day reminder of Carly. Care regrets giving away her first child. That is the issue that needs to me addressed. Only then can she forgive herself. She is pushing Tyler away so hard I'm afraid they won't last.

[–] jessicass 8 years ago

She is really awful. Did you catch that she appeared to be late? The scene started with Cate sitting there waiting and Kathleen rushed in and put her purse down. When Cate is more prompt than you, you need some hustle. I was cringing through this whole scene. Cate was expressing some serious distress and Kathleen just sat there barely responding, and when she did it was in that flat, deadpan, disaffected tone. Cate says she feels everyone would be better off if she wasn't around.. Kathleen left an awkward silence and then says "would they?" Or something to that effect. She seems more harmful than helpful. If Catelynn is looking to her as a "professional" then she risks coming to the conclusion that a slovenly, disconnected, late to appointments, overeater "has it all together" so she will just justify her own path and stay on it.

I'm tempting the wrath of the whatever, from high atop the thing.

[–] piggytoes123 8 years ago

It's been many years since I got my psych degree (never pursued becoming a therapist) but if a client makes statements like "everyone would be better off I wasn't around" isn't the therapist supposed to follow that up with whether or not Cate has a "plan" or has thought about or currently thinking about suicide. If yes then they usually send the patient to the emergency room for an evaluation and possibly an inpatient psych admission? You can't just let clients go when they start talking like that. FYI I haven't seen the episode yet, just basing this on board discussions.

[–] Miss_Astarte 8 years ago

You are correct!

Anytime ANY client makes any type of comment or indication about having suicidal ideation, there is always suppose to be a follow up questioning assessing plan, means, intent, reasoning, etc. Depending on the responses, either a No Harm Contract (edit: also a safety plan. Where I work, this is combined) is implemented and coping strategies and supports are identified OR the client is arranged to be hospitalized. Normally this does not include the ER unless a client is unwilling to self-admit. In our case, we call the local inpatient hospital and arrange a bed reservation and then arrange transportation for the client.

If Cate were to ever attempt, Kathleen can lose her license (if she has one) for negligence.

Invisible Children: Uganda
To Write Love on Her Arms

[–] BitterSwtEndings 8 years ago

You need to follow up with a safety plan if the consumer cannot come to a safe realization about suicide on their own. She and Cate seemed to come to a safe place without the need for a safety plan.

[–] Katiedidd 8 years ago

Yeah, does Kathleen even have a license? Catelynn said the psychiatrist to whom she was referred "works with" Kathleen, but in what capacity I wonder. Kathleen seems quite ill-equipped. Catelynn would do well going elsewhere ASAP and then not skip out on visits for weeks.

[–] Melancholy11 8 years ago

Agreed. It was a pretty pathetic scene. If I was to give the benefit of the doubt on Kathleen's method, which is a stretch, to say the least. I would think that she looks at Catelynn like Eeore from Winnie the Pooh. Catelynn is not being genuine and wants sympathy so badly that she is acting as though Nova would be better off. Cate does this to excuse her drug use, and general slaggging off.

Despite this method...care is a wreck. It doesn't work for her. She needs a more skilled therapist like Dr Drew. Kathleen needs therapy herself and maybe Jenny Craig.

[–] Miss_Astarte 8 years ago

Hello, MFT in progress right here. Your comment is quite offensive and misinformed. MFT's ARE real therapists and are the primary therapists most people seek for psychotherapy treatment and work with all forms of mental illness. They also specialize in the focus on family systems. Psychologists hold a doctoral degree which often gives them more exposure to research based studies and testing practices which can impact diagnosing. Many MFTs hold a doctoral degrees and practice as an MFT (I worked with several). Careful with bashing a huge career field that deals with a sensitive population just because we see one person failing at it. Dr. Drew is often criticized as well on here and is not someone I would call a great therapist either, but that's because he actually did not study psychotherapy. He has a medical degree with a focus in addiction. Not the same thing as a full study on mental health. So he is likely very good working with addictions . . . not so much issues outside of that specialization.

That said, there are always bad therapists or unskilled therapists, whether that is MFT, psychologist, or even psychiatrist. I've met more than I would ever care to admit from all 3 categories.

Kathleen appears to be one of them. At least from what we see, we do not see her using any active interventions beyond basic person centered psychotherapy. No confrontation, no accountability, and not even any evidence of setting goals. Beyond active and reflective listening, I do not see any other strategy and she misses so much, like you pointed out, of areas needing to process, heal, and work through. We don't see her offering any alternative coping strategies to her negative habits, no psycho-education on anxiety and depression, no reflection on family history and impact of the past onto the present (well, what we have seen is Cate saying it and Kathleen doing NOTHING with the information), etc. It drives me crazy, because there is SO MUCH to work on and through. So many interventions available.

It's even an ethical concern that she even sees Tyler at times. It's generally frowned upon for a therapist to see a husband and wife separately because it impacts the ability to be unbiased and not play both ends. If I have a couple and they want individual, they both see different therapists while I continue with the couple, or vice versa.

I don't know how much of the interaction is impacted by the camera crew, but even then that is an ethical concern since a reputable therapist would NEVER allow an outside stimuli come in and negatively impact the effectiveness of therapy.

Maybe she is a life coach? Many life coaches call themselves therapists but they lack the education in mental health.

Invisible Children: Uganda
To Write Love on Her Arms

[–] Melancholy11 8 years ago

If you are offended by a comment on a public board I think you need serious help. MFT are the easy way to be a therapist. It's not as respected as a real paychologist like a psyD or Doctorate which someone has to actually do the work. Good luck to you

[–] Miss_Astarte 8 years ago

Are you actually in the mental health field by any chance?

Do you know what the process is like to become an MFT?

Invisible Children: Uganda
To Write Love on Her Arms

[–] BitterSwtEndings 8 years ago

Both require the same amount of schooling you dimwit.

[–] kem7696 8 years ago

and here is yet another a@@hat!!

[–] Melancholy11 8 years ago

No they do not. An MFT is a masters degree. a psyD and doctorate are much longer programs that require much more work and some might say, intelligence. The programs are harder to get into amd justifiably so, pay much higher salaries and enable someone to teach at a university. An MFT is like a social worker. Those degrees are a dime a dozen. Poor sap took it personally. Get a life

[–] BitterSwtEndings 8 years ago

You do not need anything more than a masters degree to be a any kind of therapist.

[–] Katiedidd 8 years ago

The OP was talking about the hierarchy though: doctorate vs. masters degrees. They didn't say a therapist needs a PsyD.

I really can't say if Catelynn would be better served with a PsyD psychologist over one with a master's. I think what may be more important is seeing a professional with certification in drug dependency, but that would take her admitting it. I think comorbidity is a definite problem.

[–] calico_skies 8 years ago

I was going to bring that up, too, that all she seems to be doing is talk therapy with Catelynn, aka basically letting her vent. She needs some cognitive behavioral therapy or something like that to stop her negative thought processes. I had a therapist like her once and left after a couple months because I was wasting my time just venting to her. I can do that with my husband.

Dexter: I would give everything to feel nothing again.

[–] mmhowell81 8 years ago

I don't know if anyone noticed but the scene was obviously clipped and put out of sequence. Her bra strap would be showing, then all of the sudden it wouldn't. So we probably weren't seeing the session in its entirety, but in any case, yes, I think Cate definitely needs a new therapist. Between this woman and the way Dr Drew babies them at the reunions, she definitely needs someone who is going to get a little tough with her.