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Psychotherapy as a Religion
A week or so ago, I read an advice column, I think by Carolyn Hax. A woman had written in about what was wrong with her adult daughter; the woman’s now adult son had molested her when they were children, and so the daughter didn’t want to have much to do with her brother, and was not notably cordial to him, which the writer saw as a problem for the family.
The columnist was quite firm with the letter writer, telling her not to blame the victim, and I agree about that. The columnist also wrote that if the brother had not been to therapy, he should get it, about which I am skeptical. He is not (one hopes!) sexually assaulting people now, so he does not have a current condition to be cured. Before “therapy” became popular, people would likely have said that he ought to humbly apologize to his sister, and do whatever he could to make amends. He might well have been directed to go on a pilgrimage, or do something else mandated by his religion; today, a professional dispenser of advice says that he should go to therapy.
What would therapy do for him? It would not cause his wrongdoing not to have happened, and would not necessarily satisfy his sister. It might help him deal with guilt feelings, if he has any, but then, it could be said that someone who has done grave wrong ought to bear the burden of feeling guilt, which may perhaps keep him from committing further offenses.
Therapy, however, has become the quasi-religion of many people today, and so it is apt to be recommended whether effective or apt in a particular case or not.
The columnist was quite firm with the letter writer, telling her not to blame the victim, and I agree about that. The columnist also wrote that if the brother had not been to therapy, he should get it, about which I am skeptical. He is not (one hopes!) sexually assaulting people now, so he does not have a current condition to be cured. Before “therapy” became popular, people would likely have said that he ought to humbly apologize to his sister, and do whatever he could to make amends. He might well have been directed to go on a pilgrimage, or do something else mandated by his religion; today, a professional dispenser of advice says that he should go to therapy.
What would therapy do for him? It would not cause his wrongdoing not to have happened, and would not necessarily satisfy his sister. It might help him deal with guilt feelings, if he has any, but then, it could be said that someone who has done grave wrong ought to bear the burden of feeling guilt, which may perhaps keep him from committing further offenses.
Therapy, however, has become the quasi-religion of many people today, and so it is apt to be recommended whether effective or apt in a particular case or not.