Very Bad Therapy

Building a good therapeutic alliance in couples therapy can be tricky with multiple people in the counseling room. This is especially challenging when the therapist is consistently late or not present at all. Today’s guest Maria shares her frustrating experience with an absentee therapist, and Dr. Bonnie Kennan joins us to talk about using feedback-informed treatment to provide very good couples therapy.   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 – 11:53 Part One: 11:53 – 38:20 Part Two: 38:20 – 1:12:41 Part Three: 1:12:41 – 1:15:38   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling (Ben Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Camp Sunshine Embracing the Podcast Era: Trends, Opportunities, & Implications for Counselors Dr. Bonnie Kennan’s Website Deliberate Practice Institute

Rehab facilities can be life saving for many people. This is a different kind of story. Jen shares her experience of 2.5 years in inpatient and outpatient treatment centers trying to overcome unhelpful therapy and victim blaming before leaving against medical advice and reclaiming her life. Plus, Carrie and Ben take some time to discuss the philosophy of Very Bad Therapy and interviewing guests.   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 – 6:05 Part One: 6:05 – 45:31 Part Two: 45:31 – 1:08:23   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling (Ben Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Feeding America and Surfrider Does my professor think my ability can change? Students’ perceptions of their STEM professors’ mindset beliefs predict their psychological vulnerability, engagement, and performance in class.

The more you learn about psychotherapy research, the less it all seems to make sense. Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk are working to change that by researching the research itself. We discuss two of their latest papers on empirically supported treatments and potentially harmful therapies. Which modalities can we be confident about? Which psychological interventions appear to cause harm? What do we know about EMDR and exposure therapy?   VBT in Focus is a series of sporadic episodes in which Carrie and Ben have the privilege of chatting with their favorite thinkers in the field of psychotherapy. 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 – 11:20 Part One: 11:20 – 1:58:23 Part Two: 1:58:20 – 2:00:02   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: APA Division 12 List of Empirically Supported Treatments The evidence for evidence-based therapy is not as clear as we thought Evaluating the evidential value of empirically supported psychological treatments (ESTs): A meta-scientific review Potentially harmful therapies: A meta-scientific review of evidential value Dr. Alex Williams: Twitter / Email: alexwilliams@ku.edu Dr. John Sakaluk: Twitter The Most Ridiculous Guy From John Mulaney’s Latest Stand-Up Special Is 100% Real And 100% Weird Scared Straight: Bullying with Betty White – SNL

The cost of therapy, like most everything else, increases over time. This can lead to some difficult conversations about money and rate changes. How should therapists talk with their clients about fee increases? In today’s episode, Marwa shares her experience of very good therapy that ended very poorly when her therapist used Hunger Games logic to determine her new sliding scale availability.   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 – 9:14 Part One: 9:14 – 43:35 Part Two: 43:35 – 1:21:34   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Khesed Wellness Therapy That Works LIVE - (Use code VERYBADTHERAPY for a $100 discount) How to Increase Rates for Clients in Private Practice (Pollen Magazine) Is therapy more effective when people pay a fee for it?

Conversations about sex – even in therapy – are often constrained by harmful cultural narratives. In today’s episode, Leah describes her experience of being shamed and blamed by her sex therapist, and Danielle Kramer provides an expert perspective on how therapists can prevent their sexual biases from negatively influencing clients. Plus, Carrie passionately revisits the topic of silence in therapy.   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 – 18:28 Part One: 18:28 – 48:53 Part Two: 48:53 – 1:27:29 Part Three: 1:27:29 – 1:29:54   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to MAPS Danielle Kramer's Website and Instagram Modern Sex Therapy Institutes American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)

Silence in therapy can feel awkward, helpful, expansive, or even punitive. There is no consensus on its usefulness, but it can certainly contribute to very bad therapy. Ella joins us to share her experience of feeling punished by her therapists’ use of silence, and Dr. Gene Combs provides a narrative perspective on silence, sanctity, and power in the therapeutic relationship.   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 – 7:46 Part One: 7:46 – 40:30 Part Two: 40:30 – 1:15:38 Part Three: 1:15:38 – 1:24:09   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to FareShare Evanston Family Therapy Center ShrinkRants Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities What is narrative therapy?: An easy-to-read introduction Ben Caldwell Labs Exam Prep

It’s not a secret that rapport contributes to outcomes in all types of healthcare. How, then, to make sense of our guest C’s story about a psychiatrist who ranted about Christmas, laughed at her suicide plan, and gave terrible marital advice? Dr. Patrick Wiita joins the show to talk about education, training, and ethics in the field of psychiatry and how to make the most out of every session with your patients.   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 – 6:50 Part One: 6:50 – 31:16 Part Two: 31:16 – 1:15:36 Part Three: 1:15:36 – 1:19:54   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Estimated car cost as a predictor of driver yielding behaviors for pedestrians Multicultural Orientation Deliberate Practice Online Training

In this week’s episode, Amy shares her childhood experience as a sexual abuse survivor being told by a therapist that her behavior was the problem and needed to be called out by her family. We also speak with Dr. Eli Karam about the importance of thinking systemically, the practice of family therapy, and how to help traumatized children feel supported instead of stigmatized as the identified patient (IP).   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 – 6:00 Part One: 6:00 – 31:03 Part Two: 31:03 – 1:11:04 Part Three: 1:11:04 – 1:15:07   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Brave Step Join the Very Bad Therapy Operation Santa Team Dr. Eli Karam's Website Northstar Learning Lab Multicultural Orientation Deliberate Practice Online Training

Dave Segal is a nature-based therapist and the executive director of Human-Nature Counselling in Victoria, British Columbia. He discusses his own experience of bad therapy, the importance of attunement and attachment, and how being with nature can bring about healing. Plus, Carrie and Ben give each other empirically supported Thanksgiving compliments.   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 – 5:32 Part One: 5:32 – 55:19 Part Two: 55:19 – 1:03:28   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Human-Nature Counselling Human-Nature Counselling Society Workshops Why a Simple Act of Kindness is Not as Simple as it Seems: Understanding the Positive Impact of Our Compliments on Others Nature-Based Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working Outdoors with Children, Youth, and Families Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives Multicultural Orientation Deliberate Practice Online Training

Today’s guest Cherry shares her experience being prescribed benzodiazepines and God instead of receiving the emotional support she was seeking. We explore the impact of culture and stigma on mental health services, the heroism of clients, and what we can learn from the remarkable conclusions of antidepressant outcome studies.   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 – 6:21 Part One: 6:21 – 33:01 Part Two: 33:01 – 1:10:42   Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Tell Us Your Story   Ben Fineman Counseling – Therapy for Young Professionals (Benjamin Michael Fineman - Registered Associate MFT #119754 - Supervised by Curt Widhalm, LMFT #47333)   Show Notes: Donate to Women for Women International The Heart & Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy Listening to Prozac but hearing placebo: A meta-analysis of antidepressant medication Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect Psychiatrist effects in the psychopharmacological treatment of depression Common psychosocial factors in psychiatric drug therapy Subject Expectations of Treatment Effectiveness and Outcome of Treatment With an Experimental Antidepressant Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change