To the Journal editor:

I would like to respond to A.J. Morois, and to express appreciation to the brave souls recently who have admitted to “daily struggles” with problems ranging from depression to addiction. You are far from alone in finding modern life a significantly difficult challenge. Please Keep On Keepin’ On.

I wonder if you have misunderstood the professional community based on run-ins with physicians and counselors within substance abuse and medical model agencies.

Often, well intentioned and lovely people work in situations that are handicapped by bureaucracy, accrediting agencies, litigation concerns, ever increasing overhead costs and overbearing insurance mandates.

Simply put, in order to get paid, in order to remain open as businesses, we must follow these suffocating requirements sometimes despite any moral opposition. “Nothing we can do for you” translates to, in this present mental health environment, “we are poor and handicapped.”

A.J implied his battle with addiction has lasted approximately 15 years. Rome wasn’t created in a day nor will most mental health problems be able to be fully explored and treated in short term “behavioral health” environments. Also the medical model, I would argue, is not the only useful model for “doctoring” the psyche.

So called “cost saving” measures actually have hurt psychology to the extent that it has become nearly unrecognizable as the potent and powerful agent of creative change it once was. We struggle side by side with medical doctors to deliver hope and help with dwindling resources.

The UPHP in particular actually deserves kudos for bringing many excellent independent psychotherapists into conversation with lower income clients. Prior to them “private practice” didn’t had the opportunity to provide therapy to these folks.

Sadly the pay rate is the lowest I’ve seen in three decades of practice. One excellent long time clinician put it to me this way “I made more money in the 1970s.”

I would like to be so bold as to speak for my friends and colleagues in mental health and say we want nothing more than to accept you where you are, create a healing relationship, and “hear more than what [we] need to know.”

But it is necessary to be fairly paid for these services, trusted as professionals and for clients to do their work honestly. We want very much to keep our minds, hearts and doors open.

Tonja Acker-Richards

Ishpeming