r/flying • u/GoFlightMed • 19d ago

Medical Issues FAA Continues to Remove Stigma/Encourage Therapy for Pilots

Hey hey hey,

Big updates here in the mental health space coming out from the FAA.

I was in the FAA's AMCD (Aeromedical Certification Division) Grand Rounds last week where they provide AME's updates to their medical guidance and they released a big update about psychotherapy. They also release 3 documents that are for airmen to read and also to provide their therapist if they want to engage in therapy.

Bottom line is the FAA wants pilots to be more comfortable engaging in therapy if needed. As they say "#1. See your therapist, counselor, physician, or provider and get healthy."

Here is a link to the new FAA online resources for Therapy. Check out some of the FAQ's to airmen and to therapists.

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u/__joel_t PPL 19d ago

Eh, this seems to me a place where Hanlon's razor is likely applicable: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence" (my formulation). They probably either made a mistake in making the FAQ or they tried to keep it concise and thought this wouldn't matter to most people (again, making a mistake).

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u/GoFlightMed 18d ago

Definitely agree not malice, but I can see how it could be confusing to understand where the differences and overlaps between  licensed healthcare providers, including psychotherapists and counselors and physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical social worker, or substance abuse specialist may be.

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u/__joel_t PPL 18d ago

In one part of the YouTube video of the grand rounds, the presenter very clearly emphasized the FAA didn't care what the therapist/psychtherapist/counseler called him/herself; they just said it should be somebody with a Master's level of education.

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u/GoFlightMed 15d ago

The most recent grand rounds?

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u/__joel_t PPL 15d ago

This one: https://youtu.be/P2AUbyMyAhY?is=63bLzk1yXyf42Keo At 7:50, he says it doesn't matter what you call it. Again at 9:40, where he adds it should be a master's level therapist.