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Post by theexplorer on Dec 6, 2019 13:25:05 GMT -5
Can going to see a counselor or other mental health provider cause any potential problems or unintended consequences? It seems like many years ago, I read that some employers will not hire people for certain jobs if they have sought mental health care in the past. Is this true? Are there any other negative effects or results to consider?
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Post by worksforme2 on Dec 6, 2019 15:03:53 GMT -5
When I saw this question the 1st thing I thought of was that one's employment might well be affected by a mental health condition. If you are using your employers insurance then HR is sure to learn of your treatment and that could well bode ill for you. You could be passed over for promotions, not considered for a job that might be stressful, and any future shot at employment at another company could be effected.
Also being in counseling could well dissuade you from doing what you need to do to prepare yourself should it become clear the marriage can't be saved. It might keep you in a bad situation for years thinking there's hope if only the counselor helps you figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.
That being said I am not saying you are better off without the counseling. You may well be much better off having sought out individual counseling for your issues.
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Post by DryCreek on Dec 6, 2019 15:51:06 GMT -5
The cost.
Your spouse interpreting the counselor (rightly or wrongly), and using the experience to reinforce their behavior.
The coding. If you use insurance to pay for your counseling, be keenly aware of what code the counselor uses for the diagnosis. Like your credit report, there is a bureau for tracking your medical claims. These days, there is surely a “marital struggles” category they could choose.
“Depression” is a convenient, easy bucket for them to use, but it leads to complications. I ran into this with my first counselor, and years later had to find him and get a “all clear” diagnosis before I could get life insurance. I opted to pay out of pocket in the future to avoid the reporting.
[Edited to add...] You asked about the downsides, so that’s what I focused on. The other side of the coin is that I think the right counselor can be very helpful - enough that I was willing to pay out of pocket for it. But realize that you’re hiring a person for a job; they aren’t one-size-fits-all, and your initial session is also their job interview.
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Post by baza on Dec 6, 2019 17:14:13 GMT -5
In my jurisdiction you are talking about two different issues here.
If you have - or are seeking a diagnosis for - a mental health problem, you'd likely see a Psychiatrist for that purpose. A Psychiatrist is also a qualified Doctor and as such can prescribe medications .... *generally* they confine themselves to the diagnosis and management of mental disorders, perhaps offering chemical solutions to get you on an even keel from which you can start to deal with your life problems.
If you are having relationship problems you might see a Counsellor. They are not necessarily Doctors (I could hang a shingle outside my house calling myself a counsellor) .... generally they confine themselves to helping you seek out your own answers to the life problems you are dealing with.
In regard to - "some employers will not hire people for certain jobs if they have sought mental health care in the past. Is this true?" - I'd suggest a bit of googling might be worthwhile.
In my jurisdiction this would be illegal conduct under Discrimination Law.
Anyway, to the question "Are there any other negative effects or results to consider?" I'm sure there are, short term.
For one thing, in a counselling scenario, you may find out stuff about yourself, your spouse, your marriage that can be very unsettling.
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Post by Handy on Dec 6, 2019 20:54:26 GMT -5
One thing I heard about counseling is some counselors advocate divorcing fairly soon in the game. Other counselors just seem to mostly listen and do not provide much direction, and then the counseling sessions just go on for a long time and it winds up being years until something constructive comes from the counseling sessions.
Finding what matches your style and needs can take going through a few counselors.
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Post by Apocrypha on Dec 9, 2019 10:18:02 GMT -5
If we are talking about family counseling, I believe the outcome depends on whether one is invested in staying and trying to find a way, or if one is hell bent on using the session as a method to outwardly justify and manifest their anger or disconnection.
Most counselling that I've seen tends to take the strategy of holding up a mirror.
So, leaning in or out?
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Post by h on Dec 9, 2019 12:52:24 GMT -5
In my jurisdiction you are talking about two different issues here. If you have - or are seeking a diagnosis for - a mental health problem, you'd likely see a Psychiatrist for that purpose. A Psychiatrist is also a qualified Doctor and as such can prescribe medications .... *generally* they confine themselves to the diagnosis and management of mental disorders, perhaps offering chemical solutions to get you on an even keel from which you can start to deal with your life problems. If you are having relationship problems you might see a Counsellor. They are not necessarily Doctors (I could hang a shingle outside my house calling myself a counsellor) .... generally they confine themselves to helping you seek out your own answers to the life problems you are dealing with. In regard to - "some employers will not hire people for certain jobs if they have sought mental health care in the past. Is this true?" - I'd suggest a bit of googling might be worthwhile. In my jurisdiction this would be illegal conduct under Discrimination Law. Anyway, to the question "Are there any other negative effects or results to consider?" I'm sure there are, short term. For one thing, in a counselling scenario, you may find out stuff about yourself, your spouse, your marriage that can be very unsettling. It would be illegal here also, but the individual would have a nearly impossible task trying to prove the discrimination. Any employer who did so would only have to say that the other job candidate was better qualified in some subjective way that sounds legitimate. That's how people with children get passed over for promotion in the business world. Employers sometimes avoid hiring people who have known medical conditions also to avoid increasing the costs of group insurance benefits. It's rotten, and illegal, and nearly impossible to prove in court so they get away with it. |
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Post by Handy on Dec 9, 2019 22:23:07 GMT -5
H
Employers sometimes avoid hiring people who have known medical conditions also to avoid increasing the costs of group insurance benefits. It's rotten, and illegal, and nearly impossible to prove in court so they get away with it.
Tell me about this issue. No, don't. I got 74 "we have found a more qualified applicant letters, I suspect because I was off work for a good amount of time and had some expensive work related injuries. I finally got a part time job working 3rd shift on the week ends.
One employer would not hire older women because they might have or get breast cancer and that would raise the group policy rates.
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Post by saarinista on Dec 26, 2019 22:20:07 GMT -5
I'm honest to a fault but any employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all and generally it's completely legal. Even if you are fired for illegal reasons, it's almost impossible to sue successfully. (I am in the US where at will employment is the norm.) Remember we only hear about the people who win big workplace discrimination awards because they're so rare. Here's what I think. Your employer is not your friend. I do my best to be super honest on job applications because I'm excessively moral, basically. I was brought up not to tell a lie and with the view that God was a big cop in the sky who might send me to hell if I misled anyone. I'm starting to rethink the utilitarianism of that view. I still think it's best to be essentially candid with employers because I'm ethical, AND who wants to work so hard to remember a lie they told their boss? I do not, however think that being painfully honest is a great way to get ahead in your career. Look, bosses are going to do what they're going to do and if they want to get rid of you they will no matter whether you've ever seen a shrink or have a diagnosable mental situation or what. I just say always be ready to be fired, because it can happen to anyone at any time. Like in itme s case, since he went to the emergency room voluntarily I would not call that an involuntarily commitment on a work application. Remember this is not sworn court testimony. Unless someone asks you a lot of interview questions specifically, I don't think you're obligated to give the details. It took me many years to learn THIS, but sometimes the less said the better . So I say get the therapy you need and if somebody finds out and fires you for it, screw them. So long as you keep doing your job and stay on your boss's good side, that's the important thing. NOTHING you do guarantees success or failure in the workplace, so take care of you first. Mental health is so important and you need to take care of it. Career success is largely luck, IMHO. |
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Post by northstarmom on Dec 27, 2019 14:49:50 GMT -5
“
Like in padgemi s case, since he went to the emergency room voluntarily I would not call that an involuntarily commitment on a work application. Remember this is not sworn court testimony.”
I agree.
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Post by mirrororchid on Mar 4, 2020 20:38:46 GMT -5
Can going to see a counselor or other mental health provider cause any potential problems or unintended consequences? It seems like many years ago, I read that some employers will not hire people for certain jobs if they have sought mental health care in the past. Is this true? Are there any other negative effects or results to consider?
Some horrific downsides in this man's opinion. This concerns marriage counseling specifically. Basically, there's lots of bad mental health professionals out there. ADDENDUM: I threw too much shade on the mental health industry. The mental health facilities my daughter needed were staffed with 80% indifferent staff. 10% phoning it in, but compassionate, and 10% people I wish were running those places. Doctors she saw were largely okay with 15-20% of questionable capability. 10% again were inspired and understood that "playing it safe" is sometimes malpractice. I find it plausible that the share of really great doctors is higher in private practice. The great doctors that accept insurance are very difficult to schedule with, so I figure the economics will push great mental health professionals to prosperity, including not giving discounts for their excellent work. That said, I'm not a believer in "you get what you pay for." You can pay a lot of money for charismatic frauds. (not that I have. I couldn't afford private doctors.) |
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grower
Junior Member
Posts: 79 
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Post by grower on Mar 5, 2020 8:36:19 GMT -5
Anytime you create some sort of health care
record, it could come back to have repercussions.
Don't know if you can actually find a counselor that
would take cash and keep you off records. Money Talks!
It is always great to find someone that is not involved
to talk to and can offer strategies to help. Psychiatrists and
on down the line are only fallible humans with there own issues and
circumstances, and you must always be careful.
If you have great insurance or cash, you are a great patient and
your treatment will last as long as they do.
Always a skeptic. A friend of mine is a MD Psychiatrist and manages
several offices of counselors. After primary evaluations, he is
mainly the signature on the script pad. You must evaluate each
counselor and find one you can relate to. They are not God and
may have more issues than you. Good luck
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Post by bozodeclowne on Mar 5, 2020 15:21:47 GMT -5
Anecdotally, I've heard of several people that have had their use of an employer's EAP program come back to bite them. That includes mental health services, but also down to things like financial advice. For some companies, it seems any use of these benefit programs raises a red flag. I'm not sure if seeking out a therapist for IC or MC and using health insurance receives the same level of scrutiny. I have resisted MC for a couple of reasons - the primary being my wife hasn't seen fit to put the effort into really talking to me about our issues, holding up MC as some sort of magic pill. The other is as mirrororchid points out - there seem to be a whole lot of bad marriage counselors out there. ETA - I have considered IC for myself, and would pay cash until I was sure the arrangement was going to be a good fit. |
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