Psychotherapy in Orange County

Ok, please don't get me wrong; I think all cultures are mixture of flaws and strength. So let's talk about ours for a minute or two for the hope of resolving them one at a time.

Every time I see an Iranian Patient, I'm reminded of our flaws and lose the sight of our cultural strength (my bad).  Mr. or Mrs. X comes to my office and first makes sure to trash the previous poor doctor for being a "good for nothing of a doctor who wasted their time and money", (avazie, besavaad, khodesh be doctor ehtiyaj dasht, etc", at this point I'm reminded yet aging what awaits me if I don't get his/her needs met! Then we proceed to explore their reason for pursuing therapy and they give me a story about 3 generations back including the in-laws, 3rd, and 4th cousins and their spouses and children, and I'm thinking these are all interlocking issues that somehow has effected this patient's life. Only to find out that it has nothing to do with anything that patient wants to resolve. Almost 10-15 minutes to the end of the 50- minute session you get their horrific-of- a-problem mentioned in a hurry, followed by a question, "what should I do about this, doc?" I usually recommend weekly therapy sessions, only to face a very confused/disappointed patient. "You mean I have to return for another session" "Arent you going to tell me what to do? Doctor such-and-such could diagnose your whole life over the phone and you already know everything about me, yet want me to attend weekly sessions? I'm not crazy, you know. I just need to know how to take care of my issues."

Ooh, the joy of explaining away the process of the therapy. It tickles me every time I recite it, ...not! After explaining that ordinary people like you and me who are by no definition "crazy" are ideal candidates for "talk-therapy" and those who are in psychiatry units may get the label of "mentally disable", we proceed to inquiries about my fees, and somehow "the bargain hunter" in them comes out, and boy they won't let go till they have their price. It makes me wonder, if I don't settle with their asking price would I end up with the description of the previous doctor? "Oon doctor-e avazie, besavad, khodesh be doctor ehtiyaj dasht."