Dr. Todd Grande "Celebrity psychologist" diagnosing people he never met for likes& clicks

[deemah906]

Something I can't stand these days is people misusing their credentials for personal gains.. I am a Pharmacist and I never heard of a medical practitioner giving their opinions on people they never consulted or met in person.. I don't think psychology should be exempt from this.. So I went on to investigate Dr. Todd and here's what I found. Obviously Dr Todd is a only licensed as a Mental Health Counselor. They do not have the same level of knowledge as a licensed psychiatrist they do have knowledge on mental disorders but I do not think it's their specialty area and they do not have the authority to prescribe a pharmacological treatment.. I think It's even damaging to discuss people in this way

I honestly lost respect for him openly request people to support him on Patreon? https://www.patreon.com/drgrande


"Even psychiatrists don’t comment on the mental health of anyone they haven’t examined,” explains John Torous, a psychiatrist at a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School. This is the so-called Goldwater rule. The American Psychiatric Association created this rule — which prohibits members from publicly commenting on the mental health of someone they haven’t examined"

The armchair psychologist who ticked off YouTube

YouTube channel The Rewired Soul is meant to educate on important topics in psychology, but critics say it’s a gossip channel in the guise of mental health advocacy.

www.theverge.com

Quoting from Quora .."Dr. Grande is not a Licensed Psychologist, not a Licensed Psychiatrist, and not a Licensed Medical doctor. Dr. Grande received his Ph.D. in Philosophy, and not in medicine. Dr. Grande is Licensed by the state of Delaware as a Mental Health Counselor . Licensed Mental Health Counselors do not have the same scope of practice as a Licensed Psychologist, a Licensed Psychiatrist, or a Licensed Medical doctor. Licensed Mental Health Counselors have their own Licensing Regulation Board which is separate from the Licensed Psychology Board. Dr. Grande posts sensationalized videos on his YouTube channel that often gives diagnosis to people which is acting outside his scope of practice, in my opinion. In April of 2019, a Journalist wrote a news article entitled something like, “Armchair Psychologists Who Ticked Off YouTube,” where Dr. Grande is mentioned as being one of the armchair psychologists that gossips. The news story pointed out that, “Even Psychiatrists don’t comment on the mental health of anyone they haven’t examined.” If you feel that you would like to file a complaint against Dr. Grande, then you can file your complaint with the Delaware Licensing Board for Mental Health and Chemical Dependency, or you might try filing a complaint with the Delaware Licensing Board for Psychology because the Delaware Psychology Board has a checkbox for people that are operating without a License in Psychology. "

 

[NParker]

Ah, this is very interesting as I'm subscribed to him and raised an eyebrow when I saw his upload rate increase dramatically, alongside a growth of a weird cult-like fanbase. I feel that he is very egotistical and it is starting to become apparent in his videos (his forced 'jokes' for example). He certainly does market himself as if he is trained as a psychiatrist.

He peddles his Patreon during every upload, and encourages comments to increase viewer interaction although he never responds = more money.

I also feel that many of his videos are biased...and that he tends to lean towards a right-wing point of view, although it is subtle. I was also put off by his video in which he effectively called the accusers of Michael Jackson (Wade Robson & co.) liars and said their documentary they was 'boring'. I thought it was extremely odd to defend such public inappropriate behaviour from a grown man, celebrity or not.

 

[Crazy_chick]

I discovered him couple of months ago and watched few of his videos but I felt that something was off. Something just didn't feel right about him.

 

[fwooper]

I'm surprised he gets so much universal love, at least from what I've seen. Like you pointed out in your original post no decent medical professional would make YT commentary videos which go to the level of speculation that he does. Goes to show that if you're a man, speak with authority, and use complex terminology/jargon people will be convinced that you're an expert on the topic.

Like a lot of YT commentators he presents himself as unbiased and objective, but he has a clear political/ideological slant in a lot of his videos - the MJ video being a good example of that. What a disturbing and victim-blamey video.

 

[Vee6]

god i love him!!

 

[Grey_x]

I really dislike him and his content. Plus he gives me some major bad vibes and makes me feel really uncomfortable watching him.

 

[Clara88]

Glad to see this thread. I would never go to see him for therapy because he seems arrogant, creepy, awkward and low empathy to me. I think that what he does on youtube is unprofessional and inappropriate and most reasonable therapists would be disgusted to see his videos. I especially found it appalling when, as others have mentioned here, he cast doubt on Michael Jackson's accusers for instance, and it seemed like being a fan of MJ was influencing his gross, irresponsible takes.

I think that he's mainly risen to popularity because of his snarky deadpan delivery which has become popular on youtube as of late, given how obsessed everyone is with hating on certain youtubers and loving when people shade them. Again, not really appropriate delivery for someone who's supposed to be a professional.

I also find it obnoxious how he calls himself a "Dr" because it means that most of his fanbase assume he's a psychologist & lends a kind of credibility to him that he doesn't really deserve. He got a BA from some crappy, barely accredited college in 1 year, an MA from a school that appears to accept anyone in 2 years, and a PhD in "community counseling" from a low-level school in 3 years. For some context, a PhD in psychology (which he does NOT have) usually takes between 4-7 years to complete.

The first post in this thread references a quora answer by someone who said that Grande received a PhD in Philosophy. That person was confused. To clarify things, a PhD is an abbreviation of "Doctor of Philosophy." That doesn't mean that the PhD is IN Philosophy. Grande's PhD, as I said, is in "community counseling." Maybe I should get a 3-year PhD in bread baking and call myself a Dr.

 

[Casablanca]

A couple of things. I find his affect really strange and troubling. He comments quite a bit without his subject being a patient and last, does he really have his own practice? His videos occur simultaneously with news like Hilaria Baldwin. He’s like a decaf Dr. Phil without a personality.

 

[a.t.u]

It's weird because if you look at him in his videos from two years ago and his videos now you see that quite a lot has changed about him. He used to seem more humble but now he just comes off as arrogant. Also, some of his content is really about petty and trivial matters and sounds like plain gossip like analyzing Jefree Star's apology video or some mukbang Youtuber's channel. I don't know why anyone who calls himself a professional would care about stuff like this but I guess he's going with anything that gets more clicks at this point.
‌
He is currently making +$3000 a month on his Patreon with more than 600 people paying. On his Patreon page he says that he created his Patreon because due to the sensitive nature of his topics some of his content gets little revenue on Youtube but he uploads videos about what he got for Christmas and his puppy Bella on his Patreon. It just sounds opportunistic to have people paying to you for stuff like this.

 

[smw]

“Dr. Grande is a Licensed Professional Counsellor of Mental Health (LPCMH), Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional (LCDP), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the State of Delaware. He holds a Master’s of Science in Community Counseling from Wilmington University and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University”.

I hope that clears up any confusion about his credentials.

As stated in the attached link, his YouTube channel is decided to counselling education and supervision. At the beginning of his videos, Dr. Grande states that he is “not diagnosing anyone, only speculating about what could be going on in a situation like this”. His channel is for educational purposes and as a counsellor in training myself, it has been an extremely helpful source of information.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But let’s not ignore the facts here.

https://www.ofcourse.co.uk/user/todd-grande

 

[fwooper]

“Dr. Grande is a Licensed Professional Counsellor of Mental Health (LPCMH), Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional (LCDP), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the State of Delaware. He holds a Master’s of Science in Community Counseling from Wilmington University and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University”.

I hope that clears up any confusion about his credentials.

As stated in the attached link, his YouTube channel is decided to counselling education and supervision. At the beginning of his videos, Dr. Grande states that he is “not diagnosing anyone, only speculating about what could be going on in a situation like this”. His channel is for educational purposes and as a counsellor in training myself, it has been an extremely helpful source of information.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But let’s not ignore the facts here.

https://www.ofcourse.co.uk/user/todd-grande

You created an account here just to post this? Dr Todd is that you?

Sure, you can copy & paste his credentials from his own profile which makes it seem impressive, but for added context just from digging around:

• He got his BS in the space of one year from Excelsior College, an online university which is famously scoffed at because it's essentially just a way to pay a lot of money to be able to stick BSc/BA on your CV.
• His Master's is, again, from a degree mill university.
• He completed his PhD in the space of 3 years (unheard of in the US), probably because he did at a weird Christian university where everything is taught through he lens of Christianity. See here how actual professors feel about PhD students from this institution.

He might have some knowledge/exp in counselling, but he is certainly not qualified as a psychologist or psychiatrist. I understand he doesn't claim to be one, but many of his viewers mistakenly think he is - which is not a surprise considering he speaks authoritatively on mental illness and although he claims he isn't diagnosing people, he comes pretty damn close to it.

And, genuine question: do you think it is sound for any mental health professional to make videos about people they have never met, commenting on their potential mental disorders? Do decent mental heath professionals weigh in on petty internet drama?

 

[NParker]

You created an account here just to post this? Dr Todd is that you?

Sure, you can copy & paste his credentials from his own profile which makes it seem impressive, but for added context just from digging around:

• He got his BS in the space of one year from Excelsior College, an online university which is famously scoffed at because it's essentially just a way to pay a lot of money to be able to stick BSc/BA on your CV.
• His Master's is, again, from a degree mill university.
• He completed his PhD in the space of 3 years (unheard of in the US), probably because he did at a weird Christian university where everything is taught through he lens of Christianity. See here how actual professors feel about PhD students from this institution.

He might have some knowledge/exp in counselling, but he is certainly not qualified as a psychologist or psychiatrist. I understand he doesn't claim to be one, but many of his viewers mistakenly think he is - which is not a surprise considering he speaks authoritatively on mental illness and although he claims he isn't diagnosing people, he comes pretty damn close to it.

And, genuine question: do you think it is sound for any mental health professional to make videos about people they have never met, commenting on their potential mental disorders? Do decent mental heath professionals weigh in on petty internet drama?

Thank you!

If that's not Dr Grande himself, it's both comedic and outrageous that a 'counsellor in training' would claim to be 'learning' from him.

His uploads are growing more unprofessional by the day (literally). His sole purpose is to make money under the guise of psychiatry. And you're right, he claims he is not diagnosing anyone. But let's call a spade a spade. That is exactly what he is doing. Don't get me started on his obvious bias in certain videos.

 

[fwooper]

Thank you!

If that's not Dr Grande himself, it's both comedic and outrageous that a 'counsellor in training' would claim to be 'learning' from him.

His uploads are growing more unprofessional by the day (literally). His sole purpose is to make money under the guise of psychiatry. And you're right, he claims he is not diagnosing anyone. But let's call a spade a spade. That is exactly what he is doing. Don't get me started on his obvious bias in certain videos.

Right? It sounds very bizarre - if you're learning to be counsellor, surely you would be consulting actual academic research and learning this stuff on an accredited course, not watching Dr Grande's videos about Trisha Paytas.

 

[Vee6]

I just love him. I think it's because he has a relaxing voice, even when he's talking about murderers his voice is lulling me off to sleep.
He always uses the OCEAN model, that gets annoying

 

[Clara88]

“Dr. Grande is a Licensed Professional Counsellor of Mental Health (LPCMH), Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional (LCDP), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the State of Delaware. He holds a Master’s of Science in Community Counseling from Wilmington University and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University”.

I hope that clears up any confusion about his credentials.

As stated in the attached link, his YouTube channel is decided to counselling education and supervision. At the beginning of his videos, Dr. Grande states that he is “not diagnosing anyone, only speculating about what could be going on in a situation like this”. His channel is for educational purposes and as a counsellor in training myself, it has been an extremely helpful source of information.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But let’s not ignore the facts here.

https://www.ofcourse.co.uk/user/todd-grande

Ah, you're right, I must have mistaken one bullshit 3-year PhD from a crappy university for another bullshit 3-year PhD from a crappy university.

He's still not a psychologist and still is definitely an underqualified, unprofessional douchebag.

 

[NParker]

More victim-blaming on his 'Snow Shoveling Murder-Suicide' video, where he discusses the ways the victims may have been responsible for their own deaths.

Content like this really should have an ENTERTAINMENT tag. It's clear he's in this for the money, not to share knowledge or spread awareness. His little in jokes are just cringe now, he has to force a couple into every upload now.

 

[Tuesdayisms]

I'm surprised he gets so much universal love, at least from what I've seen. Like you pointed out in your original post no decent medical professional would make YT commentary videos which go to the level of speculation that he does. Goes to show that if you're a man, speak with authority, and use complex terminology/jargon people will be convinced that you're an expert on the topic.

Like a lot of YT commentators he presents himself as unbiased and objective, but he has a clear political/ideological slant in a lot of his videos - the MJ video being a good example of that. What a disturbing and victim-blamey video.

Lately he's been receiving more flack. I personally unsubscribed after his poorly made, rushed out video on Claudia Conway. I swear I saw someone recommend it to him and he posted it the next day. (Unlike literally any other video I've seen on the subject)Todd straight up glosses over the abuse, cracks insensitive jokes, and blames Claudia for her mother distributing inappropriate images of her. He rightfully received a ton of criticism, but I only ever saw him interacting with the praise he gets. He says to comment to encourage dialogue, but refuses to acknowledge the criticism he gets. I even commented that he should take a break from covering trending topics and make a video actually engaging with the dialogue he claims to want to encourage...but I doubt he's going to stop milking popular topics for money.

Based on how much he talks about narcissists and whatnot, I thought he was an actual licensed professional. Of course, he's just about as qualified to speak on these subjects as Kati Morton is to talk about ASPD. :|

 

[pookerella]

Hmmm. I majored in psychology (he got his Bachelors in Psychology) and he is extremely well-educated on the subject. If you looked closer, you would’ve noticed he teaches psychology at the University of Wilmington and has done so for over 7 years. As he delivers his info, he sounds to me more like a professor teaching a class. You do not have to be a psychologist to teach psychology and know a great deal about it. To be a counselor of any kind you have to have hundreds of hours in a counseling situation, (if you ever watched the TV show “Mad About You,” both versions of it, Jamie is a similar type of counselor). Just because someone has a psych degree doesn’t mean they are good at being able to help you. A lot of people become MSWs and are as comparable in technical knowledge, but better at helping you solve your problems than some psychologists. Also, a lot of people do not want to do the 2 years of Freudian analysis, many psychologists today do not believe in Freudian analysis, so they opt for a different route.

 

[pookerella]

I just love him. I think it's because he has a relaxing voice, even when he's talking about murderers his voice is lulling me off to sleep.
He always uses the OCEAN model, that gets annoying

I fall asleep to his videos!

 

[fwooper]

Hmmm. I majored in psychology (he got his Bachelors in Psychology) and he is extremely well-educated on the subject. If you looked closer, you would’ve noticed he teaches psychology at the University of Wilmington and has done so for over 7 years. As he delivers his info, he sounds to me more like a professor teaching a class. You do not have to be a psychologist to teach psychology and know a great deal about it. To be a counselor of any kind you have to have hundreds of hours in a counseling situation, (if you ever watched the TV show “Mad About You,” both versions of it, Jamie is a similar type of counselor). Just because someone has a psych degree doesn’t mean they are good at being able to help you. A lot of people become MSWs and are as comparable in technical knowledge, but better at helping you solve your problems than some psychologists. Also, a lot of people do not want to do the 2 years of Freudian analysis, many psychologists today do not believe in Freudian analysis, so they opt for a different route.

Strange how it's always brand new accounts with no post history that come here to defend him. If you "looked closer" (as you put it), you'd know that the University of Wilmington is a bottom of the barrel university. Teaching there for 7 years isn't really something to brag about.