Thank you for listening!

Carrie and Ben create their own model of therapy. Goal setting! Psychoeducation! Exploitation and worrisome sales tactics! What does it say about psychotherapy when our progressively cynical efforts to develop a modality end up mirroring some of the norms in our field? This episode is evidence-based and supported by neuroscience.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community.

Introduction: 0:00 – 5:13

Part One: 5:13 – 1:08:54

Part Two: 1:08:54 – 1:11:44

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Mental health clinical exams’ evident adherence to industry standards for testing
• How to Spot Hype in the Field of Psychotherapy
• The efficacy of non-directive supportive therapy for adult depression: a meta-analysis
• Insight Exchange: Guide to Selecting a Counsellor
• The Radical Therapist #094 – Response-Based Practice w/ Dr. Allan Wade
• Organized Abandonment and Systemic Harm: A Conversation with Therapist & Educator Kimberly Chiswell

All therapy books have an oddly similar message: *This* form of therapy is the one that truly matters, and *this* science/philosophy/whatever is the key to understanding how human psychology actually works. These narratives can’t all be true, so are they all simply bullshit instead? We read through Scott Alexander’s legendary blog post, Book Review: All Therapy Books, and discuss whether therapy gurus really believe the answers they are selling.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community.

Introduction: 0:00 – 10:36

Part One: 10:36 – 1:29:35

Part Two: 1:29:35 – 1:31:55

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ offers uncertain science in the name of self-help. It’s not alone.
• Book Review: All Therapy Books 
• Astral Codex Ten 
• Slate Star Codex 
• An Investigation of Self-Assessment Bias in Mental Health Providers 

Life can be hard at times. Do you want to feel more visible and important in your relationships? Are you curious about why every Psychology Today profile looks the same? We get silly with the incredible Therapist Generator and learn all about treating sunroof addition with truckload therapy and registered turtleneck therapy. The therapist profiles are fake, but our desire to meet you where you are on your journey is very real.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 26:05

Part One: 26:05 – 1:14:55

Part Two: 1:14:55 – 1:17:35

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Therapist Generator
• Kaylen Dwyer: Twitter
• This Person Does Not Exist
• Go open: A plea for transparency in psychotherapy
• Talking more about talking cures: cognitive behavioural therapy and informed counsent
• Informed Consent in Psychotherapy: Implications of Evidence-Based Practice
• Evidence-Based Practice and Psychological Treatments: The Imperatives of Informed Consent
• Informed consent for psychotherapy: still not routine

Social proof has become a crucial element of consumer decision making in the Internet era. So why don’t the vast majority of therapists ask their clients to give testimonials or leave reviews? We ponder the frustrating tension between psychotherapy ethics codes and literature on marketing in the 21st century, and we do our best to advise therapists about what to do in response to a bad online review.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Work and Identity in an Era of Precarious Employment: How Workers Respond to “Personal Branding” Discourse
• To Solicit or Not to Solicit? Key Issues to Consider Before Soliciting Testimonials and Reviews from Patients
• How Did It Go? A Comparison of Experience and Outcome-Focused Online Reviews on Treatment Expectations
• Change My Mind: The Impact of Online Client Ratings and Reviews on Perceptions of Therapists
• Yelped: Psychotherapy in the time of online consumer reviews.
• Digital Marketing Excellence: Planning, Optimizing, and Integrating Online Marketing
• The Truth About Using Testimonials to Market Your Practice
• Scope and Ethics of Psychologists’ Use of Client Testimonials on Professional Websites
• Navigating the ethics of soliciting reviews for mental health professionals
• Responding to a Yelp review can cost you
• Psychotherapists in danger: The ethics of responding to client threats, stalking, and harassment.
• New Orleans psychologist sues over negative Angie’s List comments

What is religious trauma, and why do some therapists refuse to work with clients who use that language? In today’s episode, Jeremy speaks about his experiences with therapists who felt the need to defend their faith in session, and we are joined by Josh Foster, LCPC to discuss the complicated intersection between evangelical Christianity and ethical psychotherapy.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Ben Caldwell Labs – training, advocacy, books, and additional resources for counselors and therapists. Today’s episode is also sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 11:11

Part One: 11:11 – 50:09

Part Two: 50:09 – 1:28:44

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Support the Secular Therapy Project
• Jeremy Magin: Website
• Josh Foster: Website / Email
• Religious Trauma Syndrome

Let’s get controversial! Is it a good idea for a therapist to project their own political views onto a client? For today’s guest Ruth, the answer is a resounding “no.” We hear her story of a therapist who took her political advocacy too far, and Dr. Ben Caldwell rejoins us to explore the ethics of discussing politics in therapy. Plus, how can therapists know if they are trauma-informed enough for their clients?

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Journal Party.

Introduction: 0:00 – 8:55

Part One: 8:55 – 44:33

Part Two: 44:33 – 1:24:21

Part Three: 1:24:21 – 1:27:42

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Donate to Samaritan’s Purse (Ethiopia Projects)
• Ben Caldwell Labs
• Think Like the Test Podcast
• Marketing of professional counselors: A Q-Sort study of best practices.
• Da Poetry Lounge