Resisting Therapy Culture, with Matthew Loftus

Jonathan Shedler critiques the way modern mental-health institutions frame psychological distress and define effective treatment. He draws attention to tensions between clinical experience, research evidence, professional incentives, and popular therapeutic claims. The book is presented as part of a broader effort to reform therapy culture from within rather than dismiss therapy altogether. Shedler emphasizes the importance of trustworthy expertise, careful diagnosis, and therapies that genuinely help patients. Matthew Loftus mentions it as an example of professionals challenging influential but potentially misleading approaches in the field.

In this book, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma reshapes both the body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores various treatments, including neurofeedback, meditation, sports, drama, and yoga, which activate the brain’s natural neuroplasticity to aid in recovery. The book emphasizes the power of relationships in both causing and healing trauma and offers hope through descriptions of novel approaches to treatment. It is based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists in the field.

Abigail Shrier's "Bad Therapy" delves into the increasing trend of pathologizing normal childhood behaviors. The book examines how the therapeutic landscape has shifted, leading to the overdiagnosis and treatment of children for conditions that may simply be part of typical development. Shrier critiques certain therapeutic approaches and their potential negative consequences, sparking debate about the appropriate use of therapy for children. The book challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries between normal childhood experiences and diagnosable conditions, prompting a critical examination of current therapeutic practices. It encourages a more nuanced understanding of child development and the potential pitfalls of overmedicalization.

Matthew Loftus examines how therapeutic language and frameworks have reshaped culture and the church, arguing that confusion between clinical care and congregational life shortchanges both. He traces historical and cultural developments that led to the dominance of therapeutic thinking and explains how legitimate clinical diagnoses differ from everyday struggles. Loftus offers practical guidance for churches to welcome suffering, foster belonging, and collaborate with clinicians without becoming de facto therapy centers. He emphasizes preserving agency, resisting overmedicalization, and restoring the church’s distinct mission to worship and disciple rather than replace clinical care. The book blends medical experience, pastoral concern, and cultural critique to propose a middle way for Christians responding to mental health issues.