The Dark Side of Therapy

[Mary S]

I just came across the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDlaSt0E3GM, which discusses bad therapy. I haven't looked it over very thoroughly so far, but what I have looked at   on it so far seems to be written from the therapist's perspective -- there does seem to be some self-criticism on the part of the therapists (so far I haven't found any comments by clients). It also seems to involve a lot of "theoretical orientation" type discussion, which tends to  shut out client participation. What the therapists have said in what I have looked at so far seems to suggest that they might  be open to new perspectives from clients. I don't think I'm up to challenging them at this point, but maybe I'll get up the gumption to do it at some point, and maybe  some of the  people on TTCS may be more up to "challenging" them than I am at this point.

[Mary S]

I looked at this a little more today. One thing that seems spot-on is a post saying that therapists-in-training get "taught to pass the test", rather than taught the so many important things that are not on the test.

[Happynow]

On 6/27/2022 at 11:25 PM, Mary S said:

I looked at this a little more today. One thing that seems spot-on is a post saying that therapists-in-training get "taught to pass the test", rather than taught the so many important things that are not on the test.

Then I'm guessing we are at the mercy of their life experience which is hugely variable.

[Mary S]

12 hours ago, Happynow said:

Then I'm guessing we are at the mercy of their life experience which is hugely variable.

Yes, that does seem to be the case -- and my experience is that most of them have life experiences that have very little if any overlap with the life experiences that are most important to me in the therapy context -- e.g., often when I try to talk about something important to me, they change the subject, perhaps by saying, "That's not what I'm interested in," or "Why do you keep bringing that up?". I might as well not be there; the old saying, "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts" seems to describe what they do so often. (And then there are the times when they laugh or give me a scornful look when I bring up something important to me.)

 

[Happynow]

20 hours ago, Mary S said:

Yes, that does seem to be the case -- and my experience is that most of them have life experiences that have very little if any overlap with the life experiences that are most important to me in the therapy context -- e.g., often when I try to talk about something important to me, they change the subject, perhaps by saying, "That's not what I'm interested in," or "Why do you keep bringing that up?". I might as well not be there; the old saying, "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts" seems to describe what they do so often. (And then there are the times when they laugh or give me a scornful look when I bring up something important to me.)

 

To actually not listen is both rude and shows very poor social skills in everyday life yet alone in therapy. I really find that quite incredible. A mind already made up is a very narrow one. I can't see where the therapist can grow as a person so therefore cannot possibly help their clients.

[Mary S]

An article I haven't seen before but that appears to say some worthwhile things about bad therapy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifespan-perspectives/202106/can-therapy-be-harmful . The middle reference was one I have read before, but the other two are new to me.

[disequilibrium1]

Thanks for the article link Mary. While I'm always happy to read any therapist who dare dip her toe into the subject of therapeutic harm, I feel she approaches it with the same long-pole detachment they typically approach the subject. Just the framework, the contrived structure, the therapist as authority, the removal from real interaction, the role role play, the emphasis on flaws and wounds, the self-absorption, the labeling, particularly of others, is but a start of what I consider an examination. It's interesting these researchers fail to do more qualitative research with harmed clients and even discredit authors who write of their experiences.

[Eve B]

This statement from the article link makes sense to me: "Since some of the benefits of therapy come from the positive expectancy that it will help, therapists don’t like to publicize potential downsides or risks."

What I didn't appreciate was this assumption: "While there are times where therapists knowingly exploit or harm their patients, such cases are thankfully quite rare." How can she accurately claim that harm is rare when there aren't any witnesses to the sessions? Harmed clients are more likely under-reported because that would also be bad PR for therapists.

And this comment confirms to me that clients should expect therapists to show frightening degrees of incompetence: "The therapist may lack the needed skill or expertise to notice and repair the damage caused in such moments, further worsening and complicating the harm."

[Mary S]

Here's a site I find very interesting -- especially the idea of authenticity, and especially the idea that authenticity can make one less vulnerable to narcissists.