The Barefoot Doctor Era of Mental Health Care

The fields of psychological disorders and mental health are still in the era of barefoot doctors, or even quacks (with all sorts of self-styled schools and sects). Medical resources—hospitals and physicians, qualified counselors practicing in compliance with regulations, qualified supervisors, and so on—are scarce, and many counselors have substantial problems of their own.

The public lacks knowledge about mental health and even holds many misconceptions, remaining in a state of ignorance. People have little awareness of psychiatric care or psychological counseling, or cannot afford them.

I. The Positive Role of Psychology’s Barefoot Doctors

Many people use scraps of information learned online to treat their own complex psychological disorders and their deeply wounded minds.

Having more psychology bloggers of various kinds is a good thing, much like having more barefoot doctors, the vast majority of whom are not professionally qualified, licensed physicians. Many have not undergone rigorous training. They do not know that a client’s resistance, transference, and projection can trigger a counselor’s own unresolved issues and even a breakdown, or that counselors themselves also need self-awareness, supervision, and mental health professionals. They do not know that to save others, you must first save yourself.

Short videos offer very brief, one-way communication. Like a barefoot doctor’s tin medical kit, they confront one severe case after another and help many people. Open the kit and you find iodine tincture, paracetamol, and saline. Open a psychology account and you find the same few familiar remedies: love yourself, stop trying to please others, stop attacking yourself, separate your responsibilities from other people’s, stay away from toxic relationships, begin to recognize the influence of your “family of origin,” exercise more, get some sunshine, and spend time in nature.

These simple, basic medicines alone have saved countless lives.

II. The Placebo Effect

The good news is that the placebo effect is very strong in psychology. People’s innate wholeness provides sufficient resilience, and the deeper mind has sufficient inner resources. Often, just a little positive energy, tranquility, warmth, truth, goodness, and beauty can give a bewildered mind a much-needed boost. It is like giving a helping hand to someone drowning in shallow water.

On Xiaohongshu, one common source of comfort is seeing so many people in the comments who share the same suffering, and suddenly realizing: I’m not the only one who is ill; this world is ill. Another common source of comfort is that, after all, many psychological therapies are rooted in humanism and a belief in people’s innate wholeness.

III. Self-Help

Every ordinary person should learn a little more about psychology, Marx, and Zhuangzi. This is even more important than losing weight, controlling blood sugar, or correcting posture.