Kerrie Sakura

Derek Draper is a dick. It's more than a fun bit of illiteration; he really is. Quite apart from the spin doctor stuff, what really bugs me is the fact that a) he lied about his qualifications and b) he thinks it's absolutely brilliant to spread lies about people based on their mental health. This is a man who works in the public eye and passes himself off as a psychotherapist. Well done! You're a dick.

For more, see this, or just type in "draper psychology regulation" into Google. Because, you see, while clinical psychologist for example is a protected title, psychotherapist is not. Like nutritionist. Anybody can do it, regardless of proper accredited qualification or suitability.

The University of Pretend makes me angry anyway, but their psychology department makes me angriest of all. And there's nothing I can bloody do about it.

Or: I could shut the fuck up and put my money where my mouth is. Be the change I want to see in the world, and all that. So I've decided I'm going to be a psychologist and help people PROPERLY.

OH THE HUBRIS. I do Have A Plan, though, and it is thus: complete introductory course on psychology. Take undergrad degree in psychology. Hopefully achieve suitable grade to do Masters. Do all the other stuff needed for accreditation. Leave YEARS to do all this. Learn lots. Don't go mad and get ill. Don't fuck it up.

Via the Open University.

So that's nice. The only problem is the wee voice at the back of my head says "you're being too ambitious." I put this in an email, and it still sums it up best: It's a very British/Irish thing this, in saying "I want to be a doctor" I might as well have said "hello I'm a dick :D" because that's Getting Ideas Above Your Station and that Won't Do. Frankly it'd be more sane to say "I want to be Doctor Who", although people would still change your name to Doctor Whodoes Shethinksheis.

I've wanted to study psychology for ages though, just every time I thought about applying for the OU degree life exploded in my face. I think I'm ready now though. Three reasons:

1) I got my course materials in the post for the introductory course. I wanted to start reading the textbook immediately. I have held off for now but, dammit, I'm going to start it this evening after swimming I don't care, nerdfaced nerd.
2) I went through the modules and things I need to cover and went AAAAH I GET TO DO HUMAN BIOLOGY. I GET TO DO SCIENCE! which to be fair, isn't the usual reaction. I swear, there was actual squee.
3) I want to I want to I want to.

I've been hammering on for YEARS about how I want to help people and do something worthwhile, and I always wanted it to be in this field, and I cannot and will not do that without being qualified. So isn't it about time - I'm 27 next month - I get ON with it?

For the first time in a long time - perhaps the first time ever - I'm looking forward to the future. That can't be bad, can it?

(Derek Draper is a former Labour spin doctor and current psychotherapist. He is married to Kate Thing Off GMTV. He has been involved in an email scandal of late and has disgraced himself twice and really, we should've known that someone who hangs out with Peter Mandelson wouldn't really be a very nice person. He has written the worst self-help book I have EVER SEEN, and I've seen a lot of those things - for a self-help book, an awful fucking lot of it is about himself. Basically if you're not from the UK you have no reason to know who he is, and y'all should count yourself lucky. Malcolm Tucker is less of a bastard, and he isn't even real.)