Some professional experiences

THIS NARRATIVE OF SOME OF MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES ATTEMPTS TO PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH I ARRIVED AT CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS LIKE: (a) Subjective personal experiences can be valid contributors to integration of a professional's world-view. (b) Concepts and constructs relating to diagnosis and other systems of understanding and practice are useful only as reference-systems. Rigidity in their use can be counter-productive. (c) Mental health profession is not always indispensable to patient's well being. Professional pride is an obstacle to learning. (d) Psychotherapy is not consciously done, but is a natural consequence of therapist's efforts to understand the patient and his/her predicament. Therapist's qualities play a predominant role. (e) Usefulness of therapeutic methods and techniques is dependent entirely on how the therapist uses them. (f) Absolute therapeutic effectiveness is a myth. (g) Indian mythology can offer a system of "Psycho-pathology," a system of explanation and management, parallel to existing systems.