Sunday, 14 June 2009
Counseling as social control
As a counsellor sometimes I feel like Pinquean Smallcreep. Or more correctly I feel like the factory in which Pinquean Smallcreep worked. Good old Wikipedia gives us a run down on the book “Smallcreep’s Day” which I read in high school and it always fascinated me:
“The story is a surreal satire on modern industrial life. The central character Pinquean Smallcreep works in the slotting section of a vast and labyrinthine factory and has done so for years. He becomes curious about the purpose of the pulley that he puts the slots in and one day, having become obsessed by an idea, leaves his machine and goes exploring through the strange world of his factory. On a quest to find meaning in his monotonous existence, Smallcreep experiences many surreal and disturbing situations. Each scene explores some of the author’s ideas about human relationships, freedom and the value of human life. Some of the scenes are hilarious, some depressing and some macabre. The final two pages are taken up with a powerful vision of the futility of factory work and a passionate cry for the lost dignity of the craftsman.” (end quote)
In recent years with the development of the nanny state in Australia (and the western world) there has been a move away from dealing with deviant behaviour by legal means to dealing with them as a health issue as they call it. The best example is the drug courts which now for minor drug offences redirect the drug user into counselling rather than punishing them through the law.
This theory is an enlightened idea except that it has subtly changed the idea of what counselling is. Another example of when counselling is so used is when an errant sportsman runs off the tracks. A good example of this was recently when a high profile cricketer got drunk at some event and made a mess of himself. He had done nothing illegal and the police were not involved but his behaviour was considered deviant and thus amongst other things he was sent for counselling.
The counselling is meant to convert him into behaving in a non-deviant fashion. It is meant to get him to see the error of his ways and thus he will then behave in ways that are considered non-deviant. This of course changes what counselling is about. In essence counselling becomes as mechanism of social control to make people behave in non-deviant ways. I must say this is a concern for the counselling profession in general. The word counselling gets used regularly in the press in these very circumstances.
I feel like I need to make some sort of public declaration that the counselling I do is not for social control and my goal is not to make people behave in non-deviant ways especially when the ‘deviant’ behaviour is not illegal. Indeed a lot of what I do is facilitating people to accept that their deviant behaviour is OK. If I was referred a sportsman who was sent for counselling because he got drunk and told someone to fuck off in front of the camera, this is what I would do.
1. The administrators of sport are power drunk.
2. They can tell you what to do because they dangle a big wallet of money in front of you and say unless you behave how we want then we wont give you any money.
3. Do you want to continue living under those circumstances?
4. If the answer is no, then the problem is ended
5. If the answer is yes, then you conform but you must never lose your spirit because if one does then one becomes like Pinquean Smallcreep.
The counselling profession needs to distinguish the two. I for one want to distance myself from those counsellors who are used by sporting administrations as a means of social control. That is not what counselling was originally about and it is not what I do.
Graffiti
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Comments
Yep. That pretty much does it for me. I do want to be just like you.
Ok, ok, i'll be me... but i can't help liking almost everything you just said.
Its true though - people can be moulded, reshaped and changed for social reason. Its quite easy really. Just hook them up and then when your system becomes everything to them, theaten them with rejection. Simple.
A little sprinkling of 'macabre' for your Monday morning. Not quite the same as the sprinkles on fairy bread though.
Posted by: roses | Monday, 15 June 2009
Well Roses
you can't be like me. First i'm a boy and second it would mean that you would have to add on some years and girls usually want to take the years off!
I am glad you are you
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Monday, 15 June 2009
Well said Tony some people and counsellors have a completely wrong idea about mental health. They are the ones who would pathologise ones creative spirit.
The AFL is such a body. There are many old retired players who have given their all for football who now have debilitating mental health issues.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Monday, 15 June 2009
Yes kenoath,
I agree that in this country the AFL epitomizes all that is bad about sports administration.
After the Cuz gave his finger to the world I saw Demetriou in an interview and just the way he said that on Monday Cousins will be given a please explain.
just completely paternalistic with a good measure of arrogance thrown in. He knows he can make the players jump through all the hoops he wants and he seems to get off on it.
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Monday, 15 June 2009
I get what you mean, Tony. I wouldn't want anything to do with counselling if my therapist was trying to get me to 'behave'. I don't do that sort of thing much. :-)
Posted by: Ethereal Highway | Monday, 15 June 2009
I'm angry today.
This world is THE MOST SUCKIEST place that could possibly exist.
I'm SO TOTALLY over the whole crap of life thing. What a waste of time and energy!
I just can't wait for an asteriod to finally get its timing right and smash into this pathetic little globe floating about aimlessly in space - enjoying the push and pull of everything it sees as important... AND ISN'T! - and terminating everything living and dead. Like anything really matters anyway!! Suck!
Someone give me a gun for goodness sakes so i can clean up some mess before we leave. Just a little spark of kindness in this whole concoction of crap.
I'm a little angry today.
Posted by: roses | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Some teenagers and adults believe that therapy is just that Ethereal - to get them to conform in some way. Perhaps they are entrenched in their own survival patterns that they fear counselling as something that will change them (pathologise them).
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Lynn,
I must say I do find it hard imagining you as the behaving type and that if such a therapist tried to get you to do such a thing how short lived that counselling session would be!
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Hi Roses,
Good to hear from you and I like your asteroid comment although you may have quite a wait on that one.
I like an angry Roses!
Go ggrrrrl!
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Hello Kenoath,
Hope you Tuesday is going well.
When I first started working in a prison it took me some time to get my head around the change of focus in therapy.
In my private practice most of my clients need to conform less and so I had spent 20 years with that focus. With prison clients they already don't conform so I had to make that change which was quite hard to do really
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Gosh, i was a tad upset this morning. Sorry about the stench. Its just such a yucky feeling though. I felt so sad, empty and dark. But i feel great now.
When it feels like that its kind of like an appendage that's lost it's body. I want to cry but it hurts to and so i don't. I've been going to bed early too - but getting up early as well. I'm reading a fiction novel instead of studying for the exam next Wednesday. I think i'm broken.
Thank you Tony. I so appreciate you.
Hope you're having a happier and nicer time on the inside than i was this morning.
Good night
Oh, and about the asteriod, gun thing? Well, i was angry. Sorry.
Posted by: roses | Tuesday, 16 June 2009
To conform or not to confrom, that is the question?
So you raise that question into the preson's consciousness.
so it becomes,
To choose, or not to choose.
And that becomes a whole new ball-game.
The risk / reward balance has to be evaluated. And that can be tougher that being ignorant and staying in a rebellious position.
Posted by: Kahless | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
I think it does get harder being rebellious and intelligent. One has to find other ways of being a non conformist (socially acceptable ways) whilst continuing ones goals in life.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Hello Kahless,
What you said sounds good but it is a but too cryptic for me.
Cheers
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Perhaps Kenoath, when one is rebellious then they are not getting their own life goals but are temporarily (One hopes) lost in another's goals and just happen to be opposing them, but following them none the less.
I think Nek sounds good.
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
I just came back from the Cinema's! Star Trek!
I don't think once is quite enough - going to have to see that little ripper of a movie again. Gosh it was good Tony.
Happy day to you and yours...
Posted by: roses | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
May the force be with you to Roses
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
There is an Asteroid with your name on it Roses. Its called (2057) Rosemary. It was discovered in 1934.
I dont think its coming this way.
best
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Yea - too crytic for me too in the cold light of day.
I think Shakespear was in there somewhere.
Posted by: kahless | Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Hmm. Ken, i'm not roses. Roses is my mask. I'm a whole something else other than roses.
If that asteroid were named after 'roses' then... regardless of the direction it is taking at the moment - it will find no problem in changing that direction and finding its way to where ever I wanted. Plus... its just a mask so nothing is as it seems.
How did you know about the asteroid? I'm intrigued.
Posted by: roses | Thursday, 18 June 2009
I googled it Roses. I am intrigued about the person behind Roses now.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Thursday, 18 June 2009
Nothing to be intrigued about Ken. Just an other person attached to this planet. Ever tried to jump off? Talk about attachment! Gravity sucks! Big time!!
Thank you for googling that. I'd never thought of looking for asteroids. They're everywhere. Also, i'd known that they were often named but that fact hadn't registered till now. Strange thing to do - naming an asteriod - but then again we name most tragedies I guess.
I wonder why...
Posted by: roses | Thursday, 18 June 2009
Blogs are so interactive where we get lots of informative on any topics nice job keep it up !!
Posted by: online dissertation help | Wednesday, 16 September 2009
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