Bad Therapy

[ndrosen]

There is a Reason podcast and transcribed interview with Abigail Shrier, criticizing much of what passes for psychological therapy, especially as applied to children, and as forced on them in the schools as “social-emotional learning.” She is not opposed to therapy of any kind under any circumstances, but does think that great harm is done by, inter alia, pressuring children to think of themselves as traumatized and incapable, and to obsess over their own emotional states, instead of pulling up their socks and accomplishing things. Real accomplishments, such as learning math or excelling in athletics, would not only contribute to their education, but give them a sense of self-efficacy, which is different from the unearned “self-esteem” that pop psychology claims is good for them.

I was impressed enough to go to Barnes & Noble, and buy a copy of her book, Bad Therapy. Whether or not I would agree with her in every particular, I think she makes a number of excellent points, and her book deserves to be widely read.

The Gentle Reader may wish to look up what I wrote under the tag “Mental Health” back on May 21, 2020.