Latest Episode:
Episode 133 - VBT Study Hall: Termination
Nothing lasts forever, including therapeutic relationships. Therapy can end in lots of different ways, but what constitutes a good goodbye? We dig into the research on termination and the related ethics codes and come away with a surprising conclusion: firing a client is almost always ethically acceptable.
Episode 124 - VBT Study Hall: Theoretical Orientations
There are over 600 types of psychotherapy. What are they, where did they come from, and what makes them important? We dive deep (too deep, probably) into a $900 textbook in an attempt to make sense of the spectacularly confusing topic of theoretical orientations. This is an integrative episode – we integrate a lot of information with even more information.
Episode 100 - Patreon Selects: Is Good Therapy Just the Absence of Bad Therapy?
Carrie and Ben are joined by Dr. Will Dobud to discuss two burning questions: is good therapy just the absence of bad therapy, and should we ban the use of cognitive behavioral therapy? We explore the importance of teaching people to think about psychotherapy models differently, the appeal of bringing therapy back to its pragmatist roots, and what the biased origins of personality tests can teach us about taking precautions when using theories of pathology. Plus, what can we learn from the wonderful history of smoke enemas?
Episode 51 - VBT in History (1990s): The Empirically Supported Treatment Debate Rages On
The American Psychological Association commissioned a task force in 1993 to determine how to scientifically evaluate psychotherapy treatments. A controversy immediately ensued. Carrie digs into the literature on the history and effectiveness of empirically supported treatments to figure out what this suggests about best clinical practices. Note: this is not an ad for CBT.
Episode 38 - VBT in History (1960s): The Gloria Tapes
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.
Episode 29 - VBT in History (1940s): Old-Timey Psychoanalysis Propaganda
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.
Episode 17 - The Thorny Terminator
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.