This is UNETHICAL A.F.

"This 13-Year-Old Girl Is A Psychologist Shattering Ageist And Sexist Stereotypes" |:~ source ~:|

First, I'm half-Mexican and I love Mexico, so any comments of how I'm racist will be ignored.

So, the story in question concerns a 13-year-old from Mexico who graduated high school at age 9 and somehow became a licensed psychologist by age 13. I think that it is wonderful that she's so motivated, but Mexico isn't exactly famed for its ethical practices and I think that this is a prime example of unethical licensing procedures. She is not currently practicing (thank goodness), but the fact that she is licensed (and can theoretically practice) is disturbing to me.

Psychology Careers and Minimum Degree Options
Please note that these requirements represent the minimum educational requirements in these fields.
Job opportunities and pay are generally greater with advanced training. Learn about different degree options and requirements for various careers in psychology.

Clinical Psychologist: Doctorate Degree in Psychology (4 to 7 years of graduate school)
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist: Master's Degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school)
Forensic Psychologist: Master's Degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school); a doctoral degree is recommended.
Social Worker: Bachelor's Degree (4 to 5 years of undergraduate school) Licensed Counselor: Master's Degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school)
School Psychologist: Varies by state (2 to 3 years of graduate school) Health Psychologist: Doctorate Degree (4 to 5 years of graduate school)
Sports Psychologist: Master's Degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school) School Psychologist: Master's degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school)
Social Psychologist: Doctoral Degree (5 to 7 years of graduate school) Child Psychologist: Doctoral degree (5 to 7 years of graduate school)
Criminal Psychologist: Master's degree (2 to 3 years of graduate school); a doctoral degree is recommended.

Four years does not a licensed psychologist, make. At most, she's a social worker. I am currently embroiled in a debate of sorts on Facebook about this. Along with the fact that she doesn't meet the APA requirements to be a licensed psychologist (~onlyyyy in Mexico ), her brain isn't fully developed and by the time she decides to practice what she was licensed in is likely to be outdated. I can think of an inordinate amount of ethical reasons why a 13-year-old shouldn't be a psychologist. What do you think?

a reply to: rukia

A few years ago I visited Mexico a lot and had a lady friend that was a semi-practicing "psychologist." She had only a four-year study if that much. (She was hardly a professional.) I speak with a tad of knowledge in that as an off-spring of mine obtained her Master's in that field at the end of last fall's semester here in Texas.

I love Mexico also, in some respects, but corruption is rampant all across the board down there, everybody has their hand out like much of the other Third World countries in the world.

a reply to: Aliensun

Agreed. I've been there many times and while I love it, I would never want to live there. The best and brightest in Mexico are currently a part of a brain-drain of sorts and are being sent to Germany. I know that there are very good schools down there, but I think that, like you said, the corruption plays a big role. I just think they can't be following any legitimate standard of ethics if they allow stuff like this to happen.

a reply to: rukia

Is your problem merely because of her age or because she became a "licensed" psychologist in Mexico?
I don't know too much about Mexican politics in this regard, lets say though that she was licensed anywhere else in the world would you still have a problem with her being a licensed psychologist? Sounds to me like your jealous lol!

Oh yeah, I'm training as a counselor and I think this is about as unethical as it gets. A thirteen year old is not developed mentally enough to deal with this kind of work. I'm just thinking of incorrect uses of technique, confidentiality issues certainly, and many other issues that may be at hand here. This grates on me to no end. I mean, what thirteen year old no matter how intelligent can keep a secret? I'm just picturing him blabbing about all of his clients to everyone in the public to hear... Oh gosh, what a catastrophe. >.

a reply to: rukia

There is a young man wandering the world today who, while still well inside of his teen years, built a nuclear reactor. There are kids out there in the strange places in the net, who are already hackers and code writers of alarming talent. There are kids out there somewhere in an African nation, right now, who are unloading magazines of ammunition into an enemy position on the orders of evil men. There are kids out there who are trained theives, killers, fraudsters, couriers, and those working in sweatshops and getting nothing but gruel in return. I am not saying that all of these things are right, some are clearly not. But what I am saying is that of all the things this young lady could be doing at an unreasonably young age, this is the least concerning thing I could think of for her to get up to.

You could be absolutely right for all I know, since I have not met the young lady in question. However, what I do know, is that one cannot assume a person unfit to take on a role, based on their age alone. People develop at different speeds, depending on a huge range of factors. Basic intelligence being one, but environmental drivers and experience being another two, and the list actually goes on for a significant time. Given the geographical location in which this young lady has grown up so far, I can well believe that if she has a high degree of raw intellect, and significant academic achievements under her belt, then it is perfectly possible that she is more qualified than some of the quacks I have known of, who practice as psychologists.

It is also perfectly possible that she would make a terrible psychologist in practice. Who knows? However, it is important to recognise three very significant factors here. She has, at the time of creation of this post, not began an actual practice, and has no surgery to call her own. Second, the APA requirements are not relevant, since guess where she lives? That's right, Mexico, which is not part of the United States of America, meaning that the APA has no importance to the topic at hand. And third, it is unwise to apply blanket rules to human beings with rigidity. The beauty of this species, is that members of it are capable of bucking trends, surprising and delighting us, reminding us that exception does not always prove a rule, but that it often highlights the stupidity of a pigeon hole of only one size.

Humanity is a bird which attains many different shapes and sizes, so when making pigeon holes, it is best to build them around the individual bird, rather than to complain when the bird grows beyond the ability of that cookie cutter hole to contain it!

a reply to: rukia

I'll wager that 13 year old therapist could be a better counselor, than a Phd. from an American University.

IMO....It's more about compassion, caring and listening to the patient than BS meta models, psychodynamic, Gestalt, psychoanalysis, insight oriented, or cognitive-behavioral, BS.

In my practice, I subscribe to the voodoo theory of personality, where drinking rum and dancing nekked to guitars and drums, is the appropriate path to mental health.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Great post

OP as truebrit so eloquently put of all the nasty crap that happens to young children in this evil world this story is quite positive...in saying this i am not sure i would like to go to a quack and get a 13 year old girl as my aid,but then again she may be very good at her job...who knows

a reply to: NateTheAnimator

No, my issue is with the ethics. I think what she's achieved is great--getting a bachelors is no small feat. Yes, I would have an issue with a 13-year-old being a licensed psychologist because it compromises the integrity of the industry of psychology. To make sure that I wasn't just flapping my gums over nothing, I even asked my old abnormal psych professor (who is a licensed psychologist from Marquette Univeristy) and he agreed with my thinking that it was unethical.

I have a problem with Mexico being unethical--not only in its educational practices--but in basically all practices. So, me calling this particular instance unethical is quite logical. Not only do I know comparative politics quite well, but I also have family in Mexico and have been there many, many times and have seen this type of corruption first-hand.

I don't get jealous of other people--I'm kind of weird like that. I am happy for her, actually. And my issue isn't with her--it's with Mexico.

a reply to: olaru12

Right, but that's all conjecture. The point is, Mexico isn't exactly known for its ethics. The whole system there is unethical and corrupt to the core. And licensing a 13-year-old violates a number of ethics and compromises the interest of the girl in question, her potential clients, and the industry as a whole. No where besides Mexico would her license be legitimate. A bachelors degree does not a professional make. You need to take a bar exam and get approved by a board in order to do that--and not everyone who gets a four year degree gets that. If anything, she'd have to wait until she's of age. Four years is enough time to become a social worker. Psychologists need to do quite a bit more than four years to get licensed.

a reply to: TrueBrit

That's not my issue--what you said could very well be true. My issue is that it's unethical for a 13-year-old to be a licensed psychologist. That's it. And I'm not just pulling this out of my rear end--I am speaking solely about the ethics of this (which, you can check out at the APA's website).

And the APA is recognized worldwide. You use the DSM-V in Great Britain, don't you?

Regardless, if you familiarize yourself with their ethical code, I think you'll find that it's quite legitimate.

You're right that Mexico doesn't follow it--and that's my point exactly. Whatever ethical code (or lack thereof) they follow sure must not be very ethical.

She's too young, she doesn't have the life experience, period. So how is she supposed to help? There are things you can't learn in a BOOK, regardless of your intentions/compassion.

Once again the beat down of common sense vs. emotionalism rears its ugly head.

originally posted by: rukia
a reply to: olaru12

Right, but that's all conjecture. The point is, Mexico isn't exactly known for its ethics. The whole system there is unethical and corrupt to the core. And licensing a 13-year-old violates a number of ethics and compromises the interest of the girl in question, her potential clients, and the industry as a whole. No where besides Mexico would her license be legitimate. A bachelors degree does not a professional make. You need to take a bar exam and get approved by a board in order to do that--and not everyone who gets a four year degree gets that. If anything, she'd have to wait until she's of age. Four years is enough time to become a social worker. Psychologists need to do quite a bit more than four years to get licensed.

I know what you mean and I know what you are saying about ethics. I too have an undergraduate degree [BS, appropriate] in psychology and counseling and perhaps I don't have the academic credentials to be as critical of the field as I am, but I still feel that most therapist, clinicians, social workers, Phd psychologists and even MD psychoanalyst are working from unproven models, shooting in the dark and hoping for the best; all the while charging people money.
Is that ethical?

I know many people show positive results in therapy but is that a cause and effect result or.....?

Mexican ethics is a cultural and perhaps religious problem; pervasive through out the whole society. That's an anthropology/sociology question...two other disciplines that I have my academic doubts about.

a reply to: rukia

Psychiatry is an industry, psychology not so much depends what discipline your getting into.
I would find it unethical if she were to just open up a private practice, not sure if that's what her intention is in the future. If she were to become a research psychologist I don't see anything unethical there, do you?

If she were to get into clinical psychology,definitely unethical it deals with diagnosing people who suffer a whole range of behavioral, mental and personality disorders that require more effort than what the textbooks can explain
Take it from me I've been currently studying/training to be a clinical psychologist and worked alongside those who suffer severe mental disorders(i.e schizophrenia,severe cases of autism, sometimes mild cases of Alzheimer's) sadly what they teach you in any university or college does not fully prep you for this occupation.

I've also volunteered for some work at a local psyche ward, there was a gentlemen there who was misdiagnosed on four separate occasions by several young grad students. He was first diagnosed by a doctor for a mild case of schizophrenia,than was moved into the psyche ward I was at. Here he was misdiagnosed with; Anxiety, shcizo-affective and currently depression. This kind of stuff happens, I'm sure this young girl could more than competently do her job depending on where she's headed. I more or less agree with what your saying, your position just isn't nuanced enough is all.