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Therapist

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 09:52
by Bryan66
Hello

Does anyone think a therapist specialising in addictions, depression,stress and enticement would get any business in the area. I know I would not be able to charge much and I would be aiming at the ex-pat community.

Regards

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 11:38
by Gus Morris
If your research shews that there is a viable market for the services you propose then I would strongly advise that you explore the legal implications of what of you are considering. You need to get up to speed on French employment law and also the rules covering the provision of quasi-medical services. Whether you charge for them or not

With luck one of our resident legal eagles will be able to offer some concrete advice. If you want to move forward you could do worse than contact your local mediator. His/her services are free and they will be able to point you in the right direction. I assume you have an adequate command of French.


Gus

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 13:06
by martyn94
[quote="Gus Morris"]If your research shews that there is a viable market for the services you propose then I would strongly advise that you explore the legal implications of what of you are considering. You need to get up to speed on French employment law and also the rules covering the provision of quasi-medical services. Whether you charge for them or not

With luck one of our resident legal eagles will be able to offer some concrete advice. If you want to move forward you could do worse than contact your local mediator. His/her services are free and they will be able to point you in the right direction. I assume you have an adequate command of French.


Gus[/quote]

I nearly posted something a bit like this, but then thought sod it. If he’s essentially doing it at as a hobby, and only for expats, and cheaply, he’d probably fly under the radar. Until one of his clients injured or killed themselves in a noticeable way, in which event social security contributions, and accreditation, would be the least of his problems.

Two questions, one for each
- the mediateurs locaux no longer seem to exist - see here

http://www.service-civique.gouv.fr/miss ... teur-local

- even if they did, you would need some current dispute which needed to be mediated, which Bryan66 doesn’t seem to have, and would be well advised to avoid.

I suppose that it’s unkind to ask what your credentials are as a therapist (whatever exactly they might be, without more said about what they plan to do).. And what the hell is “enticementâ€￾ meant to mean in our context: is the problem that we’re doing it, and want to stop, or having it done to us and want others to stop doing it to us? We’re mostly just plump middle-class retirees: I wouldn’t rule anything out, but helping stop people losing points for speeding might give you a more useful living.

Therapist

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 13:43
by Bryan66
I work in as a fully qualified therapist and fully insured and indeed would as a priority make sure that I am insured. Let me assure you that depression and stress is not a class divider! In fact most of my clients tend to be from the upper echelons of society! And when it comes down to alcohol addiction! Who knows anyone that hasn't got a problem?

Re: Therapist

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 14:48
by martyn94
Bryan66 wrote:I work in as a fully qualified therapist and fully insured and indeed would as a priority make sure that I am insured. Let me assure you that depression and stress is not a class divider! In fact most of my clients tend to be from the upper echelons of society! And when it comes down to alcohol addiction! Who knows anyone that hasn't got a problem?


That’s the sort of response I had hoped to provoke. If you are fully qualified (somewhere, as something), then you might manage to get accredited here. But on the whole I wouldn’t bother, if your ambitions and potential market are as limited as they seem to be. There are other alternative therapists here: I won’t name them, because I wouldn’t want to encourage them, but I have not discovered them to have been jailed. A search might find them, if they have experience to share. Though they seem to be a bit more at the crystals-and-incense end of the market.

Alcohol addiction is a big issue: if you have cracked it, you have a much more serious mission to do than you should restrict to Prades.

Re: Therapist

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 14:57
by Allan
Bryan66 wrote:I work in as a fully qualified therapist and fully insured and indeed would as a priority make sure that I am insured. Let me assure you that depression and stress is not a class divider! In fact most of my clients tend to be from the upper echelons of society! And when it comes down to alcohol addiction! Who knows anyone that hasn't got a problem?
Bryan, if you have clients, insurance etc then presumably you already have a business elsewhere.

So why not transform your business to offer on-line therapy rather than focusing on the tiny ex-pat market here.

Over the years I have seen many businesses targeting ex-pats. With the exception of a few tradesmen, most have failed miserably.

Like Martyn, I am intrigued as to what ‘enticement’ is in your context?

By the way, I know lots of people that don’t have an alcohol problem, unless of course you include the price.

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 15:18
by Webdoc

Therapist

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 16:09
by Bryan66
Thanks for all your responses.
I can do some skype with existing clients, however, not my favoured form of intervention as I find it hard to really tune into people this way.
I only enquired as I have other main avenues of income in France and thought this would be a nice viable way of doing some work to help people in the community. I am thinking of a very minimal charge and even pro bono work. I must stress that this is a very small part of my overall plans. I don't want to enter into a lengthy dialogue of the law in France as I would employ someone to do this for me. Interestingly there are a few websites out there advertising such work.
Once again thanks go out your responses
Regards
Bryan

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 19:07
by Kate
Wishing you the very best of luck Bryan. You’ll always get the full list of negatives on this forum but that is not such a bad thing really as it’s usually the worst case scenario! As you can see, there are already quite a few people here that could probably do with some help! LOL
Seriously, my philosophy is that if you don’t give it a try, you’ll never know. Go for it.

Posted: Sun 15 Oct 2017 19:19
by Webdoc
Kate - you know I don't drink too much. With my shakes I spill most of it!

Therapist

Posted: Mon 16 Oct 2017 04:11
by Bryan66
Thank Kate

As a practitioner I have to undergo my own therapy and it's no bad thing being able to find someone you trust to be able to talk with.

I will give it a go for a few hours a week, just to see how it goes.

Take care everyone.

Bryan

Posted: Mon 16 Oct 2017 09:15
by Gus Morris
I’ve no inclination to prolong this discussion but nevertheless wish to make three quick points.

Despite what the internet may suggest, the Mediateur service is alive and well and living in France. One of my friends has just been accepted to fill a vacancy. He is certainly my “go toâ€￾ of choice when I want general advice on legal matters.

I object to the perception that we have widespread problems with alcohol addiction.

There is a difference between British ex-pats and the local anglophones. There are rather more of the latter.

Gus

Posted: Mon 16 Oct 2017 10:07
by martyn94


Posted: Mon 16 Oct 2017 14:28
by Gus Morris
How do you stop being an expat, and become a “local anglophoneâ€￾? Is there an exam

Please re-read what I wrote. Let me explain. There are many more English speakers than Britis ex-pats because the former group includes the Irish, Americans, Canadians, Aussies etc who are present in some numbers. Might as well include the Scandinavians too as many of them speak better English than do I!

Gus

Posted: Mon 16 Oct 2017 17:22
by martyn94


Therapist

Posted: Tue 17 Oct 2017 22:25
by Bryan66
Certainly I would not suggest one group of people are more or less susceptible to the illness. I have managed two residential rehabs in London for many years and worked with clients who are very famous to people who don't even have the fortune of a roof over their heads.
It is a terrible unless and takes many lives. There is nearly always an underlying issue and I always address this rather than a person's drinking. Please do not think that the PO has more of a problem, than anywhere else! That's simply not true. Today is another sad day for me as a client died!
I certainly don't want to continue in this profession full time! I just thought there might be an opening for a few hours a week, whilst we do something else that we enjoy and appreciate this wonderful area.