Very Bad Therapy

Therapist defensiveness is a recurring theme in stories of bad therapy. In this week's episode, Suzanne shares her experience with a therapist whose defensiveness was expressed in gratuitous displays of power and dismissive remarks. Plus, Dr. Nathan Castle rejoins the show to explore the topics of defensiveness, radical acceptance of clients, and the importance of transparency. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Nacoa Why do depressed people prefer sad music? Spotify - Deep Focus Playlist Dr. Nathan Castle's Website Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

This week's story from Ashley has all the markings of bad family therapy. But did the interventions work? Ashley shares her experience as a teenager in crisis being threatened with inpatient care and alarms on her door, and Angela Caldwell makes us question everything we know about what constitutes good therapy. Is it OK to trick clients if it leads to successful outcomes? Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to The Opal Center Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

A satanic panic in the early 1980s culminated in the McMartin Preschool abuse trial, the then-longest and most expensive criminal trial in American history. The trial centered around 359 allegations of ritualistic satanic child abuse and concluded with zero convictions and a new understanding of the unreliability of recovered memories. The satanic panic has subsided, but its indirect effects are still present today in how therapists work with childhood trauma. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Conviction of Things Not Seen: The Uniquely American Myth of Satanic Cults Michelle Remembers (Wikipedia) Proof Lacking for Ritual Abuse by Satanists The Dark Truth About the "Dark Tunnels of McMartin" Interviewer's Methods Seen as Key Issue in Preschool Case The Most Dangerous Idea in Mental Health Recovered Memories Interview with Dr. Loftus: Does Repressed Memory Happen? 'Some days I think I was molested, others I'm not sure': inside a case of repressed memory Ground Lost: The False Memory/Recovered Memory Therapy Debate Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

This week's story from Alison is a throwback to high school and all of Carrie and Ben's greatest fears around teenage embarrassment. We discuss interventions that are better left unsaid (telling an underage client to share romantic feelings with her softball coach) and others that have questionable validity (House-Tree-Person and Rorschach tests). Plus, what does modern science have to say about Instagram Face? Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Note: This episode was recorded in early March. Show Notes: New study finds women wearing heavy makeup are viewed as having less human-like traits House-Tree-Person test The Problem With The Rorschach: It Doesn't Work Rorschach test (Wikipedia) Collaborative Therapy Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Scott Miller and Daryl Chow return to the podcast to discuss their new book, Better Results: Using Deliberate Practice to Improve Therapeutic Effectiveness. Topics include the importance of targeting individual strengths and deficits in a system of learning, how to get out of the performance zone, the significance of a coach, and ideas for changing the ways in which psychotherapy is taught. VBT in Focus is a series of sporadic episodes in which Carrie and Ben have the privilege of chatting with their favorite thinkers in the field of psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Better Results: Using Deliberate Practice to Improve Therapeutic Effectiveness The Heart & Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

What should therapists know about working with individuals with disabilities? In this week's episode, Joy Wolf joins us to share her personal story about two therapists who responded to her disability in very different yet similarly problematic ways. We also discuss the impact of privilege, therapist uncertainty, and the limitations in how we are trained to work with clients with disabilities. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Shriners Hospitals Joy Wolf, LCSW | Psychology Today Frontiers of Psychotherapist Development Podcast Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

An urgent conversation about the role of therapists in doing the most public good during the coronavirus outbreak. Pat Wiita, MD and Farah Zerehi, MS explore the science, needed actions, and social justice implications of the pandemic, and Ben Caldwell, PsyD discusses what you need to know about shifting your practice to telehealth services. Please share this episode anywhere you feel it might make an impact. If you have expertise or information related to the pandemic that you feel is important to share with the psychotherapy community, email us at [email protected]. Note: A previous version of this episode contained information about Zoom being HIPAA compliant. This is only true for the Zoom for Healthcare option ($200/month), not the free and low-tier paid options.

This week's captivating story from Paloma brings together themes of postpartum depression and therapist specialization. Paloma offers insight into the harmful impact of societal narratives about motherhood and Curt Widhalm rejoins the podcast to explain what specialization actually means – and when it's just a marketing tool with dangerous consequences. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Project NATEEN Dog ownership might reduce loneliness Are You Sure You are a Specialist? Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Philip Zimbardo rode the impact of the Stanford Prison Experiment to international renown. Perhaps he forgot to mention that his famous research was more performance art than psychological experiment. In our eighth of twelve history episodes, we look at the common narratives and impact of the SPE, and then consider recently uncovered evidence to the contrary. Plus, Carrie makes sense of Zimbardo's 7,000 word response to the new criticisms. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment The Lifespan of a Lie Will the Stanford Prison Experiment Ever Die? Rationally Speaking: RS 241 - Thibault Le Texier on "Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment" The Stanford Prison Experiment was massively influential. We just learned it was a fraud. Beware the Epiphany-Industrial Complex Philip Zimbardo's Response to Recent Criticisms of the Stanford Prison Experiment Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

This week's story from Farah touches on many common themes of bad therapy: disempowerment, unsolicited advice, misrepresenting qualifications, and more. We explore how early-career therapists can be transparent about their lack of experience while still creating client buy-in, what research suggests about giving advice to clients, and the importance of feedback. Plus, Carrie reflects on the gender power dynamic on this podcast and between male therapists and female or non-binary clients. Stay tuned afterward for a teaser of the most recent VBT Patreon episode! Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Angel City Pit Bulls Do psychotherapists improve with time and experience? A longitudinal analysis of outcomes in a clinical setting. Advice Giving in Psychotherapy Solicited and Unsolicited Therapist Advice in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Is it Advised Where is the Evidence for "Evidence-Based" Therapy Dr. Nathan Castle's Wesbite and Data Visualization Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Today's guest Danny shares his outrageous experience of being told to urinate in a cup so his therapist could test if he was really gay. And that's just the beginning of the story. We also speak with Dr. Joe Kort to explore best practices for working with the LGBTQ+ community, the need for humility and curiosity in a time of rapidly changing relationships to identity, and the diagnoses that stigmatize and marginalize members of this population. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Teen Line Exploratory study on the role of emotion regulation in perceived valence, humour, and beneficial use of depressive internet memes in depression Conversion therapy (Wikipedia) Award-Winning Social Worker Caitlin Ryan Discusses Her Groundbreaking Research On Family Acceptance of LGBTQ Children Modern Sex Therapy Institutes LGBTQ Clients in Therapy: Clinical Issues and Treatment Strategies Dr. Joe Kort's website Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Today's guest Kat shares her experience with a therapist who was unnecessarily cruel in her approach to treatment. In trying to make sense of this behavior, Carrie and Ben consider the research on how and when therapeutic relationships get fractured as a result of divergent interpretations of the same significant events in therapy. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Save the Children Book Review: All Therapy Books Significant events in psychotherapy: An update of research findings The first sessions of psychotherapy: a qualitative meta-analysis of alliance formation processes Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

In 1964, Dr. Everett Shostrom had a brilliant idea: record short videos of the same person receiving therapy from three top psychologists. These videos are colloquially referred to as the Gloria tapes, and the story behind the therapy is astounding. Coercion, human ashtrays, lawsuits, Fritz Perls being a massive jerk, and more! This is episode seven in our monthly look at bad therapy through the decades. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: The March of Time (Wikipedia) Stuff You Should Know: How Conversion Therapy Doesn't Work Three approaches to psychotherapy. All three sessions (1965) The Gloria Films: Candid answers to questions therapists ask most Who was Gloria? Decoding Gloria: an application of Langs' Communicative Approach (Part 1) Living with the Gloria Films: A daughter's memory The Patient Gloria review: Revisiting therapy as an exorcising scream Is psychology a sexist discipline? Reflections on The Patient Gloria Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

In the UK, anyone with $16 can become a certified psychotherapist and begin seeing clients immediately. If this sounds surprising, imagine how clients feel when they have a bad experience and realize their therapist is not governed by any regulatory body. BBC presenter Jordan Dunbar joins us to share his own stories of bad therapy and his surprising findings from investigating the lack of regulation around UK mental health services. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Northern Ireland Hospice The Next Episode: Anyone Can Call Themselves A Therapist File on 4: The therapy business Psychotherapy Expertise Should Mean Superior Outcomes and Demonstrable Improvement Over Time Mind: for better mental health Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

In America, psychotherapist licensure requirements vary – often absurdly – from state to state. What does not vary is the need for periodic license renewal, an otherwise mundane fact that holds foreboding significance in our guest Dee's story. Join us for a surprisingly interesting exploration of licensure requirements and the consequences of practicing without authorization. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to a LGBTQ+ Charity Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans Survey Says Metalheads Least Likely to Have a Side Piece Licensure Requirements for Professional Counselors - 2010 Summary of License Requirements Understanding how counselors are regulated Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

The exploitation of uneven power and emotional vulnerability is, of course, not limited to the field of psychotherapy. Today's guest Megan shares her experience of very bad pastoral counseling, and we speak with the Reverend Meredith Harber to explore the nuances of Megan's story and what proper pastoral care looks like with a contemporary understanding of power dynamics, boundaries, and gender norms. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to Solid Ground Better Results: Using Deliberate Practice to Improve Therapeutic Effectiveness Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

The first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I) was published with the intention of creating standardized language for mental abnormalities. It was also basically a war department bulletin. The controversial compendium is responsible for many important contributions to the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy, but it also legitimized new forms of oppression and stigmatization in the name of normalizing judgments. This is part six of twelve monthly episodes revisiting bad therapy through the decades. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Mental Disorders (DSM-I) A brief historicity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Issues and implications for the future of psychiatric canon and practice Sexual Sunday School: The DSM and the Gatekeeping of Morality Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Today's story from T is a cautionary tale about a therapist causing harm by blurring boundaries around texting, personal space, and self-disclosure. Carrie and Ben attempt to hold space for T's experience while seeking a middle ground in their differing perspectives about her therapist's behavior. One thing is certain: if a therapist has a sexual dream about a client, the therapeutic relationship is not the place for processing. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In today's episode, the absence of bad therapy is indeed evidence of bad therapy as our guest Eric joins us to discuss the impact of showing up for multiple sessions only to discover that the therapist is nowhere to be found. Plus, we talk about therapists going to prison, cars exploding, and Ben unveils the six-word joke that will single-handedly change the future of psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. Support the show by becoming a monthly subscriber on Patreon to receive access to bonus episodes or by making a one-time contribution via PayPal. Show Notes: Donate to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Humor Associated With Positive Outcomes in Individual Psychotherapy Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Jon Hook, PhD student at Western Michigan University, is contributing to research on how the coding of session transcripts to determine therapist attachment styles can be used to facilitate better client outcomes. He joins us to discuss the significance of therapist attachment and shares his story as a client of two therapeutic alliances that were anything but securely attached. Show Notes: Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Donate to Sojourner Truth House Therapist Attachment-Related Behaviors and Their Effects on Psychotherapy Process and Outcome ResearchGate: Alessandro Talia / Eric Sauer / Jon Hook Division 29: Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy Jon Hook on Twitter Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Do client fees impact therapy outcomes? How should therapists talk with their clients about money? Should mental health care be a basic human right? We have lots of questions and few answers as today's guest Arianne joins us to share her story of money tension in therapy. Plus, Carrie and Ben read listener mail, gripe about therapist Facebook groups, and debate the ethics of prioritizing income maximization over all else as a mental health professional. VBT Copenhagen meetup: Ruby, tirsdag 17. december kl. 16:30 Show Notes: Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Donate to Karsh Center The Money Taboo: Its Effects in Everyday Life and in the Practice of Psychotherapy Treatment Effectiveness and Its Correlates in a Marriage and Family Therapy Training Clinic Does paying a fee for psychotherapy alter the effectiveness of treatment? Quid pro quo: fee for services delivered in a psychology training clinic Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

In the 1940s, a new ad campaign appeared on the silver screen to promote psychotherapy. Yes, the extant videos are as spectacular as you imagine. In this month's journey through the decades, Carrie and Ben break down archival footage to laugh, marvel, and look curiously at how the American public was sold on psychoanalysis. Now tell me about your mother. Show Notes: Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Popular Depiction of Psychoanalysis in Late 1940s Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Dr. Chris Hoff hosts The Radical Therapist podcast and YouTube channel. He joins us to discuss postmodern assumptions in therapy, how a strict focus on social justice can lead to familiar diagnostic pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining curiosity to combat confirmation bias. Plus, we explore the benefits of creating a culture where failure is valued and Chris shares his advice for early-career clinicians. VBT in Focus is a series of sporadic episodes in which Carrie and Ben have the privilege of chatting with their favorite thinkers in the field of psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. Show Notes: Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon The Radical Therapist podcast and YouTube channel Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam? An Attempt at a "Compositionist Manifesto" Cheerleading in Therapy? What Can't Be Fixed (The Moth) 4 Ways of Knowing in Counseling & Therapy Transformation Now!: Toward a Post-Oppositional Politics of Change The Queer Art of Failure Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair The Politics of Forgiveness Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

A small percentage of clients experience negative effects from therapy. Why is it so difficult for therapists to identify this phenomenon when reflecting on past or present work? Norwegian psychologist and author Jørgen A. Flor joins us to explore the myth of side-effect free therapy and discuss a moving story from today's guest Jamie about unambiguously harmful treatment. Show Notes: Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Donate to NARAL Skadelige samtaler - myten om bivirkningsfri terapi Jørgen A. Flor's Website Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

"If you say yes to this, we'll have to end our therapeutic relationship." The context of this quote is explained in this week's episode about therapist self-disclosure, dual relationships, and a much-deserved misconduct report. Seriously y'all, be aware of how your social and political identities have the potential to impact clients and don't burst through boundaries like the Kool-Aid Man. Even Woebot gets sad when therapists act on self-interest. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Donate to Mental Health America Woebot Therapy robots are already here The Truth About The Codes Of Ethics: Dispelling the Rumors that Dual Relationships are Unethical Opening Up: Therapist Self-Disclosure in Theory, Research, and Practice The role of therapist self-disclosure in psychotherapy: A qualitative review Self-Disclosure Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

In the 1930s, a handful of aspiring medical luminaries imagined that mental illness could be fixed by cutting into the brain. In this month's history exploration, Carrie and Ben seek to understand why this seemed like a good idea at the time and what led to the procedure being banned a few decades later. When the awarding of a Nobel Prize is subsequently considered "an astounding error of judgment," bad things probably happened. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Violence, mental illness, and the brain - A brief history of psychosurgery: Part 1 - From trephination to lobotomy Frontal leukotomy and related psychosurgical procedures in the era before antipsychotics (1935-1954): A historical overview. The Extraction of the Stone of Madness Open Dialogue: A New Approach to Mental Healthcare A Systematic Review of the Soteria Paradigm for the Treatment of People Diagnosed With Schizophrenia NPR: My Lobotomy (Podcast) Lobotomy (Wikipedia) Trepanning (Wikipedia) Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Adventure therapy: nature, healing, strength, and camaraderie. And sometimes emotional abuse, strip searches, forced compliance, and more. What is happening in this niche of psychotherapy where our guest Will's story is simultaneously shocking to us and not at all surprising to those within the field? Join us and our expert guest Will Dobud on a truly compelling trek through the wilderness of adventure therapy. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Donate to Friends of the Rainforest Based on a True Story (Podcast) International Adventure Therapy International Adventure Therapy Group (Facebook) Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group (TAPG) (Facebook) Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

On today's episode, our guest Ashley recalls her experience as a graduate psychology student looking for therapy in part to process feelings of disappointment with her education. We take this opportunity to get intimate with the research on graduate psychology programs and confront the elephant in the room: these programs don't seem to work. If you have ever doubted the usefulness of your graduate education, this episode is for you. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Donate to Global Empowerment Mission How Cognitive Biases Impact Therapist Development: The Importance of Self-Awareness in Graduate Psychology Education (Ben's Thesis) Specific vs Nonspecific Factors in Psychotherapy: A Controlled Study of Outcome Outcome and Process Differences Between Professional and Nonprofessional Therapists in Time-Limited Group Psychotherapy Does Psychotherapy Supervision Contribute to Patient Outcomes? Considering Thirty Years of Research Perceived Impact on Client Outcomes: The Perspectives of Practicing Supervisors and Supervisees Inside the Practicum in Professional Psychology: A Survey of Practicum Site Coordinators Graduate Study in Psychology: 1971-2004 Administering Practicum Training: A Survey of Graduate Programs' Policies and Procedures Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Professionalism in psychotherapy is often hard to define, but it probably doesn't include being twenty minutes late to a client's first session and sharing unwanted Bible passages. Katie Vernoy joins us in advance of the Therapy Reimagined Conference to share her knowledge and make sense of all the confusing therapist behavior we hear in today's interview with Ofra. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Donate to the ACLU Katie Vernoy's Website Therapy Reimagined Conference 2019 Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Dr. Ben "Manfred" Caldwell joins us in make-believe 1920s Berlin to discuss Max Eitingon and the surprising origins of psychotherapy supervision. We also explore examples of bad supervision, why contemporary supervision appears to have no impact on client outcomes, and what supervisors and supervisees can actually do to make our field better. This is episode three of twelve in our monthly series exploring very bad therapy through the decades. Support Very Bad Therapy on Patreon Show Notes: Does Psychotherapy Supervision Contribute to Patient Outcomes? Considering Thirty Years of Research The Ingredients of Supervisor Failure The Beginnings of Psychoanalytic Supervision: The Crucial Role of Max Eitingon When bad supervision is good Deliberate Practice for Psychotherapists Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story

Your therapist is having a bad day. Will this impact the quality of counseling? If you ask the therapist, probably not. But what does the research suggest about clients' perceptions of therapists who are riding the struggle bus? Today's guest Allison describes her increasingly bizarre experience with a clinician who wasn't quite able to bring her 'A' game to the counseling room. Do you have a story of very bad therapy? Send us a message to share it on the show! Show Notes: Donate to International Rescue Committee Blog post: 4 Lessons from 20 Weeks of Very Bad Therapy The Contribution of the Quality of Therapists' Personal Lives to the Development of the Working Alliance Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Tricare is government managed health insurance given to United States military personnel and their dependents. It is also very confusing to understand, even for many of the providers themselves. As we learn from our guest Anna, this can lead to a frustrating search for helpful counseling. To make sense of the mystifying details of Anna's story - as well as all the acronyms - Julie Payne joins us to discuss everything you ever wanted to know about military mental health care. Show Notes: Donate to Wounded Warrior Project What does losing your keys have in common with the treatment of trauma? Adoption by VA Residential Programs of Two Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for PTSD: Effect on Patient Outcomes Julie Payne's Website / Peninsula Family Therapy for Children & Adults Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

What is at the root of very bad therapy? The common feeling that something is lacking in the education, training, development, and services provided by psychotherapists is backed by a wealth of research supporting the notion that a paradigm shift is sorely needed. Dr. Scott Miller is leading this movement with his work in the areas of routine outcome monitoring and deliberate practice. VBT in Focus is a series of sporadic episodes in which Carrie and Ben have the privilege of chatting with their favorite thinkers in the field of psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. Show Notes: Dr. Scott Miller's Website International Center for Clinical Excellence Scott Miller, PhD - The Evolution of Psychotherapy: An Oxymoron (2013) The Heart & Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy Beyond Measures and Monitoring: Realizing the Potential of Feedback-Informed Treatment Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

What constitutes bad termination? In the words of Justice Potter Stewart, "I shall not today attempt to further define [it]... But I know it when I see it." In today's episode, R shares their story of termination that we can clearly know to be bad. But is it unethical? Ben and Carrie search for answers and discuss a pantheoretical framework for good termination. Thank you for listening. All reviews, ratings, Facebook likes, and feedback to soothe Ben's anxiety are greatly appreciated. Show Notes: Donate to Project Reunify Codes of Ethics on Termination in Psychotherapy and Counseling Comparing therapist and client perspectives on reasons for psychotherapy termination Do all therapists do that when saying goodbye? A study of commonalities in termination behaviors The Termination Checklist (International Center for Clinical Excellence) Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Lewis Terman was one of the most influential innovators in educational psychology and IQ testing. He also believed that segregating and sterilizing "feebleminded" individuals - as determined by a biased paradigm of general intelligence - was the necessary path toward a better society. This is the second installment in our monthly series on very bad therapy through the decades. Show Notes: The Uses of Intelligence Tests (Terman, 1916) The Vexing Legacy of Lewis Terman The Kallikak Family (Wikipedia) Reconstruction: America After the Civil War (PBS) Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Young children need play - not interrogation - to help them learn and form relationships. Today's guest PJ recalls his experience as an eight-year-old with a therapist who chose not to use play therapy in favor of a more investigative approach. Next, child therapy expert Megan Costello discusses the nuance of play therapy and what went wrong in PJ's story. And for some reason, we introduce our new sure-to-fail concept: The Richard Spencer Matrix for Therapists. Show Notes: Donate to Kidspace Children's Museum Megan Costello's Website Therapy Reimagined Conference 2019 Free Licenses for the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS), Child ORS, and Young Child ORS Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

In 2019, there somehow exists at least one psychotherapist who feels that it is helpful to tell a female client that her entire gender is biologically predisposed to prefer domestic life to a professional career. We cringe-laugh our way through an engaging interview with Aviva before diving into the research on societal biases, gender norms, and gender matching in the therapeutic relationship. Climate change is real. Show Notes: Donate to March of Dimes and/or RAICES Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps Race Bias, Social Class Bias, and Gender Bias in Clinical Judgment Physicians' attitudes toward preventative therapy for coronary artery disease: Is there a gender bias? Therapists' Approaches to the Normative Challenges of Dual-Earner Couples Does Client-Therapist Gender Matching Influence Therapy Course or Outcome in Psychotherapy? Effect of Patient-Therapist Gender Match on Psychotherapy Retention Among United States Veterans with Postttraumatic Stress Disorder Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Imagine a spectrum of unethical therapist conduct. Far, far toward the most extreme end, just before sexual coercion, are activities like grooming behavior and inappropriate physical touch. Our guest Jessica shares her dread-inducing story of working with a therapist who abused his power in ways that mental health professionals should only experience when reading ethics textbooks. Show Notes: Donate to Renewed APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct AAMFT Code of Ethics Recognizing and Managing Erotic and Eroticized Transferences Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Adolescent girls should be sent to the country to prepare for housewifery and motherhood. So writes G. Stanley Hall, first president of the American Psychological Association, in 1904. This is the first in a series of monthly episodes exploring very bad therapy in the decades preceding the stories of today. Floating uteruses not included. Show Notes: Chapter XVII: Adolescent Girls and Their Education (Hall, 1904) Wherein Should the Education of a Woman Differ from That of a Man (Gordon, 1905) G. Stanley Hall (Wikipedia) Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Gathering client information: good. Transcribing client responses into a computer while facing a wall: not good. It is estimated that 34% of clients don't return after their first session, a strong indication that the traditional intake model is in need of repair. Dr. Daryl Chow joins us to discuss our guest Bryan's bad intake experience, the importance of focusing intakes on giving rather than taking, and we explore how psychotherapists can achieve better outcomes over the long-term future. Show Notes: Is Dropout After a First Psychotherapy Visit Always a Bad Outcome? The First Kiss: Undoing the Intake Model and Igniting First Sessions in Psychotherapy Beyond Measures and Monitoring: Realizing the Potential of Feedback-Informed Treatment Daryl's Website Daryl's Blog: Frontiers of Psychotherapist Development Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook

Today's episode is a deep dive into the nuances of harm reduction therapy. How does stigmatization, politicization, and cultural bias regarding substance use influence the way mental health professionals view and work with their clients? What happens when abstinence is not a client's preferred option? Also, Ben and Carrie say hello to Sweden! Show Notes: Donate to Harm Reduction Coalition What Does Recovery Mean in Practice? A Qualitative Analysis of International Recovery-Oriented Practice Guidance The Antidote To The Opioid Crisis: Harm Reduction As A Pathway To Autonomy, Connection, And Hope Harm Reduction Therapy: A Practice-Friendly Review of Research Lauren's Website Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

The quality of the therapeutic alliance is one of the largest predictors of successful therapy. What doesn't help with building rapport? 25 minutes of paperwork to begin every session. Today's guest Meredith shares her challenges in working with a therapist who failed to convey appropriate messages of empathy but felt very strongly about the positive impact of collecting sticks from the ground. Show Notes: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Give a Gift The Harmful Effects of Psychotherapy: When the Therapeutic Alliance Fails Therapist shortage, or saturation? Depends on who (and how) you ask Synchronous Telehealth Technologies in Psychotherapy for Depression: A Meta-analysis Best Practices in the Online Practice of Couple and Family Therapy Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

Societal messages around health, beauty, and body image can contribute to problems that lead individuals to seek out therapy. But what happens when the therapist herself is unaware of how these cultural influences impact how treatment is provided? Our guest Holly shares her story about working with a therapist who reinforced unhealthy disordered eating behaviors under the guise of helpful therapy. Show Notes: Performing a Project Premortem Health at Every Size Intuitive Eating: The Diet That Tells You to Quit Dieting Psychotherapy for eating disorders: A metaanalysis of direct comparisons Rachel Coleman's website Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

Today's episode features a story about a therapist who pleaded with her client to help with research for her Master's thesis. We discuss why this is objectively problematic and look at the difference between boundary crossing and boundary violation in the context of inherent power dynamics within the therapeutic relationship. Plus, Carrie and Ben share their own absurd experiences of very bad therapy. Show Links: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Calm the F*ck Down: An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book Patient-Therapist Boundary Issues To Cross Or Not To Cross: Do Boundaries In Therapy Protect Or Harm? Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

In Zimbabwe, hastily trained "Grannies" were found to be significantly better at treating depression than the standard of care that best resembles Western psychotherapy. Ben and Carrie put on their researcher hats to explore how lessons from Friendship Benches in Africa reflect the need for a mental health paradigm shift around the world. Ben says thank you for taking care of his feelings. Show Notes: Busting the myth that depression doesn't affect people in poor countries Effect of a Primary Care-Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe Practicing Psychotherapy in Constructed Reality: Ritual, Charisma, and Enhanced Client Outcomes The Heart and Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work Beyond Measures and Monitoring: Realizing the Potential of Feedback-Informed Treatment The Question of Expertise in Psychotherapy Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

Therapists are not supposed to tackle their clients*. But what are the ethical limitations in trying to prevent a potential suicide attempt? Today's guest Katherine recounts her experience with a caring clinician who went to extreme lengths to protect her safety, and Dr. Ben Caldwell shares his expertise to help us understand how therapists should manage delicate yet ambiguous situations with clients. *Unless perhaps the client is attempting to physically harm someone else in the room. Perhaps. Show Notes: Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder) Bellah v. Greenson Dr. Ben Caldwell's Website Saving Psychotherapy: How Therapists Can Bring the Talking Cure Back from the Brink SimplePractice Learning Suicide Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention (6 hours CE) Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

Dr. Dana Stone joins us to unpack our guest Carol's experience with a therapist who chose a stance of defensiveness following a rather shocking microaggression. How can we become not just better clinicians, but better human beings as well? Any why might some therapeutic ruptures ultimately serve to benefit the client? Show Notes: Cultural Humility: Measuring Openness to Culturally Diverse Clients The Session Rating Scale: Preliminary Psychometric Properties of a "Working" Alliance Measure The working alliance in treatment of military adolescents. What is the essential quality of effective feedback? New research points the way The Secret of Supershrinks: Pathways to Clinical Excellence Finding Your Voice as a Beginning Marriage and Family Therapist Black people aren't making things up: The science behind 'racial battle fatigue' Privilege: A Reader White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Racial microaggressions in every day life: implications for clinical practice. Broaching the Subjects of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture During the Counseling Process White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack So You Want to Talk About Race Very Bad Website / Facebook / Instagram

If a person claims to be gay, should you ever doubt them? Ben shares his story about winning $50 betting on his own sexual orientation, our guest Shaw tells us what it's like to debate your therapist about same-sex attraction not being a symptom of sexual assault, and we look at research that links sexual trauma to sexual identity. Show Links: Does Maltreatment in Childhood Affect Sexual Orientation in Adulthood? Impact of Sexual Trauma on Gender Identity and Sexual Object Choice Does Incest Cause Homosexuality? https://www.verybadtherapy.com https://www.facebook.com/vbtpodcast https://www.instagram.com/vbtpodcast https://twitter.com/vbtpodcast

EMDR is a groundbreaking, controversial, and maybe not-that-special psychotherapy treatment. We explore the research on its mechanisms and effectiveness before hearing from our guest Justin about his EMDR experience with an overeager therapist. Then, Curt Widhalm, LMFT, EMDR certified, and cohost of The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide sits down with us to answer our questions about EMDR and highlight what went wrong in Justin's therapy. Show Links: How Does Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Work? A Systematic Review on Suggested Mechanisms of Action EMDR: Taking a Closer Look Curt's Website https://www.verybadtherapy.com https://www.facebook.com/vbtpodcast https://www.instagram.com/vbtpodcast https://twitter.com/vbtpodcast

Carrie and Ben share why they decided to start a podcast about bad therapy. What can be learned from our guests' varied experiences in the counseling room? How will this podcast be helpful to listeners with an interest in therapy? These are conversations that are rarely held within the field of psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. Show Links: https://www.verybadtherapy.com https://www.facebook.com/vbtpodcast https://www.instagram.com/vbtpodcast https://twitter.com/vbtpodcast