Over the past 100 years clinicians and researchers have worked hard to improve what we call psychotherapy. Many of those improvements have led to standardization and improved outcomes. Nowadays, everything is “evidenced based” which is, of course, a good thing. Yet there remains a huge problem in mental health, and it isn’t the hundreds of models of therapy that are now available. Rather, it’s the large proportion of people delivering these interventions that suck at their job.
Now, to be fair, there are many talented people providing mental health services. Many of these men and women work tirelessly for the benefit of their clients. They seek to improve their craft and truly seek to be useful and help people when they are at their most vulnerable. On the other hand, there is a disproportionate number of therapists that are flat out bad. I know because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it as a consumer. I’ve seen it as a student. And I’ve seen it as a provider. And every time I witness bad therapy it makes me cringe. It also makes me angry. Because when someone brings their deepest, darkest secrets and a bad therapist says the wrong thing, or says nothing at all, it can cause harm.
What’s crazy is that many of these bad therapists don’t know that they’re doing a bad job. They simply keep providing the same bad service year after year. This happens for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is that you can’t teach compassion. How do you make someone care? There’s also the issue of bad training, poor execution, and a complete disconnect between theory and practice. There is, indeed, more to it than that, but those are just a few of the bigger issues. So, because I don’t possess the power to change any of this, I will at least tell you the key to spotting a crappy therapist. This will save you time, money, and more importantly, steer you towards a therapist that can actually help you.
So, listen now.
In this episode of The Anxiety Guru Show you’ll hear about:
- How to spot a bad therapist
- The key to finding a good therapist
- How to deal with fear of natural disasters
- How to cope with health phobia
To listen, you can click the play button below or visit the AG iTunes page.
Want to support the show? Learn more here.
Yes, Paul. Great topic.
I’ve seen three “pro’s” in the last 6 months. One really helped, but even he did some harm along w/ the good. The other two gave me no confidence at all –in them or myself.
For folks w/ anxiety (I’m of the GAD variety), I think good “bed side manner” is super important. Someone positive, someone that can help you feel hopeful, someone that can help normalize your experience.
This is one of the things that Claire Weekes does so well. She is CERTAIN you’ll get better, uses hopeful language, and make you feel like your symptoms are normal. I really needed that… it’s helping me get better. I haven’t seen any of that in any of the pros I’ve seen (4 total, now, in my life).
A bad experience with a therapist is more hopelessness in a already tough situation.
Hi Paul, I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I appreciated your blog on “bad therapists”. I’ve never heard anyone else in your profession talk about this issue as openly and honestly as you have.
I have learned so much from your website and podcasts. I feel like I am finally making progress in dealing with my anxiety in therapy. I hope you continue to share your knowledge, experience and insight with others like me who use your podcasts and blogs as a tool in our recovery.
Deborah
Hey Deborah,
You have a good point. It is a shame that our field doesn’t do more to improve quality.
Wonderful.
It’s great to hear you.
Please continue podcasts.
Thankyou
Liti DeMane NYC
Thank you! As always enjoyed your podcast. Love the work you are doing in the mental health field. I have had a small setback with some health concerns and your last letter you read reminds me of the important key factor of bringing our thoughts back to the front of the brain and being rational. You always have a gem for me. Thanks!!
Hi Paul,
I was unlucky enough to have the worst possibly therapist for my anxiety.
I’m sure she was trying her best to help but her misguided approach to my issues made the problems a lot worse.
I found our sessions were confrontational and instead of helping me it seemed she was actively working against me and even arguing!
In some ways I guess therapy did work in a roundabout way because quitting my psychologist was the first step I needed to take to recovery.
It was the first time I made a decision for myself in the whole time I had anxiety and gave me the little boost of confidence I needed to get well.
I’m sure a good therapist would have helped not hindered the situation, but I have to say my experience did put me off psychologists…I’m sure there are good ones out there though.
Thanks for your site and keep up the great work,
– Luke
Hey Luke, thanks for sharing your story. I agree that there are good therapists out there, but sadly there are many that are not very good. But if a person can find a good fit it can make a huge difference.
Hey
Re the comment about bad therapists..I agree there is a lot out there and I also want to point out that short term therapy is appropriate for some but not all situations and issues. I am from the old school of counsellng – that is, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist who was trained for long term therapy. My clients would be seen regularly for 10 to 24 months. The core issue of each person’s individual anxiety would be explored. The goal was for the person to gain insight and have support in minimizing or eliminating the core issue, thus allowing the person to function at a higher level. This may not be for all, but it is certainly to be explored – it’s not the classical Freud method anymore and can be part of a multi-system approach to the presenting and core issues. The biggest problem is that most insurance companies wont cover costs, and therefore most agencies and therapists migrate toward short term therapy primarily to keep the business going – at least the client can get some help even if it isn’t a permanent solution.
So I suggest that – first see if your health insurance covers this, and if not, then try searching for a psychoanalytic psychotherapist who offers sessions on a sliding scale based on your income, etc.
Hope this helps!