Latest Episode:
Episode 67 - VBT in Focus: Dr. Don Meichenbaum on CBT and Hype
Dr. Don Meichenbaum is credited with helping to develop cognitive behavioral therapy in the 1960s and 1970s. He has been named one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of the 20th century. He also believes that the field of psychotherapy is full of bullshit and hype. Dr. Meichenbaum joins us to talk about delivering what actually works in therapy, how to spot hype, and challenging the status quo.
Episode 66 - Questioning Trans Identities (with Beck Gee-Cohen, CADC-II)
In today’s episode, Jonathan shares his story as a teenager working with a gender therapist who dismissed his preferences for treatment in favor of uncovering his “reasons” for being trans. We also speak with Beck Gee-Cohen about best practices in working with trans kids and how many modalities of psychotherapy exclude trans narratives.
Episode 65 - When Treatment Fails (with Henk Spierings)
Henk Spierings has had a wide range of experiences in therapy – most of them unhelpful, if not outright harmful. He joins us to discuss his new book, Becoming Compliant, and share the lessons he’s learned from decades of bad therapy. Plus, Ben and Carrie get on their soapbox to explain why it’s necessary to talk with clients about how therapy works and the risks of treatment failure.
Episode 64 - Is Bad Therapy Unethical Therapy? (with Dr. Christopher Taylor)
What’s the difference between very bad therapy and very unethical therapy? Today’s guest Lisa shares her experience with a logotherapist that was many things – insulting, disturbing, oddly prophetic – but did any of it constitute an ethical violation? Dr. Christopher Taylor joins us to answer these questions and more about the surprisingly interesting world of ethics in psychotherapy.
Episode 63 - Therapy in Prison (with Kenneth E. Hartman)
Kenneth E. Hartman is a prison reform activist who served 38 years of a life sentence in the California prison system. He discusses his advocacy work, what mental health care looks like in prison, and his personal experiences of therapy – both good and bad. He also shares his thoughts on how therapists can play a role in the necessary social change at the heart of effective prison reform. Plus, Carrie discusses if it is ever justified to warn clients about using insurance.
Episode 62 - Overcoming Systemic Transphobia in Mental Health (with Rachel Bennett and Dr. David Nylund)
Rachel Bennett shares her experience navigating the historically misguided gatekeeping requirements for gender reassignment surgery. She discusses how therapists can better advocate for trans-affirmative care, and we speak with Dr. David Nylund to explore a paradigm that challenges the oppressive notion that transitioning is a psychiatric issue. Plus, how can feedback-informed treatment be used as a tool of social justice?
Episode 61 - What Heals Trauma? (with Chrissy Gillmore, MCoun)
An interview with Chrissy Gillmore about the primacy of client strengths, resilience, and culture in healing trauma, and how a pathology-focused approach can result in bad therapy. Plus, Carrie and Ben explore the controversy behind the APA Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD and discuss whether being trauma-informed is an ethical requirement, clever marketing, or both.
A Short Progress Note
Very Bad Therapy is switching to biweekly episodes, but we’re not quite ready to miss a week of podcasting yet. We discuss the new format, check in on our quarantine adventures, talk about some episodes in the queue, and Carrie gushes about the upcoming Therapy Reimagined conference.
Episode 60 - VBT in History (2010s): The Replication Crisis Comes for Us All
There is an ongoing replication crisis in science; many of the studies that frame our scientific knowledge, especially in psychology, likely have incorrect conclusions. This has huge ramifications for clinical psychology. How can clinicians be effective if the research that supports accepted practices is largely a mirage? Join us as we explore the false positives of psychotherapy and gaze into the existential void.
Episode 59 - Don't Be Weird (with Bronwen Clark)
Bronwen Clark is the author of Don’t Be Weird: A Memoir of Food and Feelings. She joins us to share experiences of bad therapy from her healing journey that include being kicked out of eating disorder treatment for being too depressed – only to almost be kicked out of mood disorder treatment for being too eating disordered. This is a compelling story of trauma and resilience.
Episode 58 - VBT in Focus: Paul Gilmartin on Mental Health and Therapy
Paul Gilmartin is a former stand-up comedian and host of the widely popular Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. We speak with him about his journey with clinical depression, insights on mental health and psychotherapy from ten years of hearing others’ personal stories, and his own experiences of very bad therapy. Plus, Paul shares his thoughts on self-obsession and the quest for fame.
Episode 57 - Addressing Cultural Complexities (with Dr. Pamela Hays)
In today’s episode, our guest J shares two experiences that highlight the difficulties therapists can have in intercultural therapeutic relationships. We also speak with Dr. Pamela Hays about the ADDRESSING model and other strategies therapists can use to mitigate the impact of their cultural biases in session with clients.
Episode 56 - Very Bad Therapy and Anti-Racism
Ben and Carrie discuss their commitment to making this podcast an antiracist space.
Episode 55 - VBT in History (2000s): Rebirthing Therapy
andace Newmaker was a 10-year-girl who tragically died in the process of rebirthing therapy, a variation of a pseudoscientific treatment of childhood trauma known as attachment therapy. This episode comes with a big trigger warning. If you were in a room where a child was being suffocated, would you do anything to stop her death?
Episode 54 - How Much Therapy is Necessary?
This week’s guest Adam shares his experience of seeing a therapist for five years without any noticeable benefit. When should clients – or therapists – start to wonder if it’s time to end the therapeutic relationship? As it turns out, there’s a lot of research suggesting that therapists need to do much more than simply wait for their approach to start working…including accepting the likelihood of treatment failure.
Episode 53 - VBT in Focus: How to Do Deliberate Practice (with Dr. Tony Rousmaniere and Dr. Alexandre Vaz)
Deliberate practice is an emerging (and sometimes abstract) concept of psychotherapist development. Tony Rousmaniere and Alex Vaz are working to transform these ideas into concrete practices. This episode is an exploration of the theory, adaptability, and future of deliberate practice. Plus, Alex leads Carrie in a live demonstration of a deliberate practice exercise with Ben playing the role of a challenging client.
Episode 52 - On Grief and Loss (with Dr. Michael Morad-McCoy)
Conversations about death, dying, and bereavement can be difficult, but they are often an important part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Michael Morad-McCoy joins us to share his experiences with “not very helpful” clinicians who were unable or unwilling to explore dark areas, and we discuss how therapists can best support their clients in a time of ubiquitous grief and loss.
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 50 - A Story of Strength
In this week’s episode, Samuel discusses his experiences with conversion therapy in Provo, Utah. This is a beautiful story of resilience, compassion, and thriving. Thanks to our listeners, experts, and most of all the inspiring guests who have shared their stories with us for 50 episodes. It is a privilege for us to be a part of this growing community.
Episode 49 - Radical Acceptance of Clients (with Dr. Nathan Castle)
Therapist defensiveness is a recurring theme in stories of bad therapy. In this week’s episode, Suzanne shares her experience with a therapist whose defensiveness was expressed in gratuitous displays of power and dismissive remarks. Plus, Dr. Nathan Castle rejoins the show to explore the topics of defensiveness, radical acceptance of clients, and the importance of transparency.