September Updates from Vered
Fall Season is Upon Us
Want to sign up for an upcoming Free continuing education class?
Check out the full offerings here.
Feature Story
Beware of Scams
I frequently get emails from VC-funded mental health startups, wanting to apply their tech magic to the under-exploited mental health space.*
When filtering these emails, I - personally - have a solid rule-of-thumb:
No legit company is going to make you pay to work with them.
They might be "a legit company" in that they're a real business. They might even do what they promise! But if we're thinking "Is this an ethical company that can be trusted with sensitive personal information at a time when people are at their most vulnerable?" My general advice is to be wary, and my personal policy is HELL NO.**
Old Therapist Yells at Cloud
Vered in the News
Taylor Swift, cat lady no more?
USA Today asked for my opinion yet again! This time, they wanted to know what I thought about Taylor Swift no longer being a "Childless Cat Lady."
After consulting my three cats, we determined "Huh? What are you talking about?"
CEU Spotlight
Why Therapists Miss OCD
As a therapist, I've been to therapy. I've worked at organizations that had their own protocols. I have never been asked (or asked to ask) screening questions for OCD.
All therapists need this training. (Especially so if you work with children, adolescents, or young adults.)
Therapists need to know how to ask about scary and shameful thoughts that people struggle with.
If we aren't proactive, someone could go their whole life without bringing them up. Many people don't know that these thoughts are caused by OCD and blame themselves instead.
If someone you know would benefit from any of the free CEUs, please share!
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Hater’s Corner
Sources Regarding My Ire
a.k.a. please don’t sue me
*I am referring to multiple stories that can be found here, such as "Cerebral to Pay $7 Million Fine and Limit Health Data Use for Ads Under Federal Order"
I am not making any allegations about any specific company. This includes no allegations about a company's legitimacy, business practices, or data protection.
I am simply stating my personal belief that a company that requires someone to pay to work at/with a company is - in my personal opinion - failing to display ethical behavior at my own personal standard.*
***My goal in writing the "beware scams" section is to remind healthcare providers that some companies are unethical, and there is a need to be wary about sharing patient data or supporting businesses without having some rubric to judge trustworthiness. I am not suggesting that my standard should be universal - only that this is how I handle the question of trustworthiness.
Instead of a sending a tip, say “thanks” with a donation
Survival, Together
Some lovely people have reached out wanting to send me a tip for my free CEU offerings.
Instead of sending me something, why not pay it forward in our community?
I've been a personal supporter of RAICES for a decade. Their work on immigration justice has, unfortunately, never been more important.
Until next time,
Vered