I recently received a phone call that was professional, authoritative, and the caller was offering to help. It turned out to be a scammer trying to get my debit card info. I almost gave them the info, because they seemed so believable. 

I am a licensed and practicing mental health counselor. I listen to stories all day with a critical ear. I almost gave the caller the desired card info. Had I given the info, which I nearly did, then they would have charged thousands of dollars of which- I would have been on the hook for. 

It makes me wonder, where else do I encounter scams? All I need to do is turn on the radio as I drive to work, tune into the television as I cook dinner, or browse my phone as I do more than I would like to admit. Scams are everywhere.

In therapy I often work with people who are self-scamming. They are misinforming themselves about the nature of reality that they live in. They tell themselves all sorts of lies. The anxious are telling themselves that their fears are coming true. Those with depression believe incredible untruths about themselves and the nature of life. Other mental illnesses use self scamming to further their agenda. For instance substance use disorders convince us that the substance is helping us. Are you convincing yourself of truths that are not real?

I feel like at their worst, several social groups, professionals, churches, and etcetera can be scams. Please do not get me wrong, as many of these individuals and groups are well intentioned and not scams. However, some are. We need to be mindful if different groups or professionals are taking our time and money while convincing us there is great benefit. Sometimes we are putting great effort into a group or individual and we are getting little in return. I want to be mindful and respectful of your time and money.

I want to know when clients feel that therapy is not being successful when they work with me. There is no guarantee that therapy works (we should be cautious of mental health professionals who sell guarantees.) In rare occasions, therapy can actually make things worse. I need to know when things are not working. Any high-quality therapist would invite these conversations. Beware of therapy promises that it works every time and all the time.

More importantly, as a client in therapy, you should be feeling improvement. Everyone is different, but there should be at least modest improvement- as you define it- within 6 months with weekly meetings. Often improvement happens much quicker. These are very broad stroke, as some will have modest improvement after just one or two sessions, and others will after one year or longer. But things should be getting better. 

Beware where you invest your time and money. Be careful who is on the phone and what they are telling you. Look for a therapist who is modest in their goals and beware of ‘for sure promises.’ Therapy is an ongoing process and there are ups and downs. Life is hard, and scammers are out there. Be careful where you invest your time. My scammer wanted my debit card info, but other scammers want your hope and time.