Since When Did I become Ship's Counselor?

[ghosty]

This idea was spawned by a line in one of Peter David's New Frontiers books. Typically with David's irreverant style (or was he just joking?) everyone on the Excalibur went to the Vulcan science officer for advice on their relationships and she quipped about what was she, ship's counselor.

Anyway the question is can a Vulcan be a counselor?
Disdavntage, they don't believe in emotions so they can't give crewmen emotional counselling or can they.

Advantage, Vulcans supress their emotions, they don't lack them and I'm sure they understand emotions better then most. Also they are dispassionate and are detached enough to give advice on how to handle relationships. And whose to say that a Vulcan would not study emotions and how humans interact, just because I don't show mine doesn't mean I can't understand what others feel.


PREPARE TO BE FLAMED

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Greg Davis]

I can certainly see a Vulcan as a ship's counselor. I mean, wasn't that one of Spock's unofficial roles to Captain Kirk?

Maybe a Vulcan counselor might be a little more in touch with their feelings than a typical Vulcan (thus having Hides Emotions at -1, as opposed to -2).

Hell, if a Klingon can be counselor, then pretty much anybody can be a counselor...with, as Styro noted, the exceptions being Borg and Jem'hadar!


Greg

[Captain Zymmer]

My ship has a Vulcan counselor on board, to help the Vulcans (der) and also provide others with a calm and cool opinion

[ghosty]

So the consensus seems to be that Vulcan counselors are possible they just have a different point of view and different method of counselling. A more logical and reasoned rather than an emotional response. Could be interesting...

[Michael Barratt]

Actually, in some ways, they'd be superior counsellors. They'd have their facts straight on alien cultures for one. But on the other hand, I think they'd make awesome bio-psychologists and psychiatric diagnosticians (sp?).

Also, they'd not have to worry too much about that hole transferrence / counter-transferrence thing. They wouldn't be falling for their patients, and if their patients fell for them, who cares? Not the Vulcan shrink.

Then there's that whole Mind-Meld Surgery type thing. Head-shrinking is much easier when you can give the individual a little bit of a psychic band-aid for thier neurosis...

The Doc

[Robbert Raets]

What other races would make great counsellors?

- Risans? "You seem a bit tense Lt, but I know just the massage technique to relax you......"

- Trills? "Well, I had a previous host who died in a shuttle accident...."

- Bajorans? "You dreamth what?! You're crazy, get outta my office!! Next Patient!"

- Humans? "Zychologi is a Russian Inwention....."

You get the idea.... Flames, ideas, rants?

[Captain Zymmer]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Vulcan's would make superior counselors..There are schools of thought that think some level of empathy with the paitient allows yu to get to the core fo the problem, and I doubt Vulcan's can empathize that well

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by ghosty
This idea was spawned by a line in one of Peter David's New Frontiers books. Typically with David's irreverant style (or was he just joking?) everyone on the Excalibur went to the Vulcan science officer for advice on their relationships and she quipped about what was she, ship's counselor.

Nah, the typical irreverent Peter David style would be to have everyone then sleep with the Vulcan. Oh wait…

I think Vulcans (or pretty much any species for that matter) make perfectly good counselors. Every species has different strengths and viewpoints to bring to the position.

[Captain Zymmer]

Originally posted by Don Mappin
Nah, the typical irreverent Peter David style would be to have everyone then sleep with the Vulcan. Oh wait…

I think Vulcans (or pretty much any species for that matter) make perfectly good counselors. Every species has different strengths and viewpoints to bring to the position.

LGVs Don?