The clinical exception.

KEISHA-GAYE ANDERSON'S ARTICLE IN THE AUGUST 2004 ISSUE ON depression in African Americans ["Not Just Singing the Blues"] was, first, an important one in the mental health field's overall effort to educate the public on this often misunderstood illness. With emphasis on African Americans, it was also extremely important toward assisting our community in becoming more conscientious and willing to seek help when needed.

However, the assertion that black people with depression are more likely to seek treatment from "a primary care physician or social worker or minister," and that this represents a "lower quality treatment," could be misleading. As a clinical social worker with more than 10 years experience in providing psychotherapy to people with a variety of emotional issues, I assure you that a clinically trained social worker is a member of the "specialty mental health sector" refrenced in the article.

As clarification for your readers, the specialty sector includes psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists. The last three categories are practitioners [with a master's degree]; psychologists traditionally have a Ph.D. or a Psy.D,; and psychiatrists are M.D.s with specialty training in psychiatric illnesses and their treatment.

Above all, readers who consider seeking counseling should take into account a given provider's experience, specialty populations, and clinical training. Particularly with social workers--whose training may bare been more administrative, clinical, or a combination of both--consumers should ask whether the practitioner is capable of providing the care the consumer seeks.

Vaughn P. O'Neal, LCSW 

Owner/Psychotherapist

CentrePath Counseling

Stafford, TX

[e-mail]