I read the book by Gloria's daughter, Living With the Gloria Films, which has a just a little information about the film and the daughter's speculation why her mother became involved. First, she was told they'd be strictly for training and had no idea the films would be available for general consumption.
I was struck though that Gloria sought help during a particularly difficult life transition, after a divorce when she found herself a single mother. The daughter describes a determined, intelligent, high spirited woman, who pulled herself up from waitress jobs, eventually becoming a nurse, who had a close relationship with her children and raised them well.
I too was struck by the richness of a person and life, in contrast to the the inferior and object I thought those lofty therapists treated her as in the film. She should have been giving them life lessons.