Article: Psychotherapy as a Cult

I would think a group would have even more potential for abuse. Groups of therapists can gang up and group mentality can be quite off the charts towards any member they see or perceive as an outsider or different etc.

I had two therapists gang up on me when I told one privately that therapy was unhelpful and I wanted to leave. The several-week battle following took place in front of the other clients, with both sides playing to the gallery for support and sympathy. The witnesses remained silent.

Well, this sounds pretty abusive, but I think it depends on the nature of the group's purpose and how it is set up. I find "process" groups with little focus can tend to fragment. I also think a weak leader, and co-leader can affect group dynamics, but once again, are these professionals in a professional setting? Are they not monitored in some fashion? What you describe sounds pretty savage, and I cannot imagine why it would be allowed. I have no idea why it would be okay that your right to terminate therapy (for whatever reason) would not be honored, and you would be harassed in this fashion. The description of events here sounds insane.

More potential? I don't get the reasoning behind this statement. I don't know why "groups of therapist" would turn into gangs. A group handled properly and professionally would never allow such things as exclusion, marginalization or fragmenting to occur.

Is being completely free of the legacy of childhood a realistic goal? I can see integration, understanding, and management of original life issues, but since when did therapy become magik?

I believe the therapists would band together against the clients. Us versus them mentality. I do not believe therapists manage to handle groups properly and professionally such as to prevent exclusion, marginalization, or fragmenting with any regularity. I see therapists more as the boys of Lord of the Flies.

If individual therapy can be conducted improperly and unprofessionally, often with impunity, group therapy and/or multiple therapists at once could certainly do the same. I would not think therapists immune to the herd mentality, under the influence of which they could well tolerate exclusion etc. Lord of the Flies etc.

I hope your experience with a "toxic group with a charismatic leader with insufficient oversight" was an isolated incident, because it indeed sounds extreme, and to use this as an example as to why groups are potentially traumatizing seems a bit irrational. Where was this group? Was it in a professional setting with adequate monitoring? There are groups everywhere led by people, and all one needs is a fee to get in. Participate at your own risk, I would say, if they are not affiliated with a reputable host institution.

Group dynamics can be very powerful, and they present their own problems. I am not sure how allowing them to operate in groups would solve any of the issues that people are worried about. I believe problems could be compounded, and as an individual I would much rather deal with one person I'm having a problem with than two, six or a dozen people.

I did a little research when I was involved in my own group experience (it wasn't therapy, it was a crazy class run by a well-respected narcissist) - people who have experiences with trauma in their background can be at serious risk of retraumatization by groups. If you want to feel trapped and powerless, getting yourself involved in an unhealthy group situation is a great way to go about it.

And there was a tremendous amount of defensiveness and deflection at the heart of the group situation I was involved in. There was no introspection, no oversight by authorities (at one of the top universities in the country), and many/most of the people loved the class and the experience, while a few unfortunates completely freaked out and suffered terrible emotional damage.

Seriously, if you think individual situations have the potential for harm, you should take a look at what groups can do.

He was an internationally known expert at one of the country's top universities. It was a graduate level class. You needed a lot more than a fee to get in. I am unwilling to say any more as I value my privacy.

I don't know why it's irrational to point to my own experience of being traumatized in a group setting an an example of why groups are potentially traumatizing, but I'm not willing to argue the point.

I've already forgotten. How insensitive I am.

Thanks. I have gotten a bit of relief in telling my story, but more so in being an outspoken critic of what I perceive to be a dangerously flawed and rigged system. I found therapy profoundly disempowering. Speaking out against it in forums, blogs, etc is a way to take power back.

There is data that shows just that -- exposure to antidepressants is a risk factor for developing bipolar. The investigative journalist Robert Whitaker talks about this in his book on psych drugs. Glad you were able to get informed and protect yourself. I reserve a special place in hell for psychiatrists who dish out psych drugs like candy following 10 minute drive-thru consultations.

I did do that a while back, more so on another forum. Can be problematic. I've found that if you share a story about harmful therapy, some people become hostile and attacking. Or adopt the role of deputy therapist and offer advice or interpretation, sometimes aggressively. Initially I found this very distressing because I knew nothing and got yanked around like crazy. It mirrored bad therapy -- blaming, invalidating, gaslighting. At this point there is little anyone can say to knock me off center with regard to therapy. I've done my own work, research, self assessment. And networking with others who got burned has been huge. It's also hard to capture all the subtlety and detail of a long therapy experience in a forum like this, where people are moving around quickly, looking for easily digestible bits of info.

Wow. Therapists as thugs? This thread just gets more and more interesting.

No one said "completely" free; no one said "magik". I think your idea of understanding and management and yes, being pretty darned free from that legacy of what an abusive childhood leaves a person with is a very realistic goal. If that legacy is shame and low esteem, depression and anxiety, etc., it is quite possible to heal from that legacy and be free from it. It isn't magic; it can very well be the end result of much difficult work.

I'm really amazed at how my formerly positive opinion of therapy has changed after reading this thread! Wow! The power of the stories told is incredible. I read all 13 pages and have to say that I'm scared to go back to my therapist. I'm even more scared of whichever cult she is networked with. is there a name of the cult so I can beware in case they gang up on me when I tell her I am cancelling?

Also, for those that had the dependency encouraged and told your stories of emotional abuse by therapists, where do you go now? You finally broke away, but now what? I'm not gonna allow them to get their hooks into me, but I need somewhere to go that can be trusted because I'm not clear in terms of my reality testing. Where to go exactly that is safe? Or do I deal with this alone like I did before?

I stand corrected. My childhood issues revolve around dependency (for reasons it is not necessary to go into here) and I found that therapy actually strengthens traits of dependency. It would take a very special, highly skilled therapist to support me in resolving adult issues of dependency that originated in childhood. I thought if I found a good CBT therapist it might do the trick, but I ended up knowing more about CBT than the therapist who advertised themselves as a CBT therapist. I am sorry if I came off as snarky in my response. I am just very disappointed in my therapy experiences, and am now working very hard on my issues, but solo. Luckily there are workbooks and stuff out there, and I am am using them. Best of luck to you.

I agree - it would be amazing to let a bunch of anonymous strangers on the internet completely change your mind. Perhaps there is a more middle ground approach - mere caution rather than rejection.

OR if what you post is sarcasm - then perhaps compassion and understanding for those who have been harmed.

I can't quite tell if this is a serious reply or a sarcastic reply. I'm hoping it is sarcastic because I would hate to think that a thread like this could damage a person's trust in their own therapy if it is working for them. That is my fear about these kinds of threads and their potential to be confusing and create fear of therapy in people who are vulnerable.

godog, if your therapy seems to be working for you, please, please don't allow the stories here create fear for you. Continue your work. You don't have to go it alone.

Anytime I see exclamation points in something that purports to be serious, I assume it is sarcasm.

Not really the right tone to strike here.

It is the last sentence or two that creates confusion about whether this was actually sarcasm or not. Hopefully godog will clarify.

I attended graduate school, and had a class run by a world-renowned author and expert in his field who was also a narcissist. He did a few crazy things, but managed to tone them down, but the next semester he didn't manage so well, and he was reported. When you pay tuition you have hired the professors or leaders of the classes you attend. In this instance there are professional checks and balances, and there is no need to be traumatized in any school anywhere. But, hey, it happens.

It was definitely sarcastic.

Exactly. No magic here. I've worked my *** off in therapy. I continue to.work very very hard. And while my T and I have had discussions about what is realistic in regards to my eating disorder ( chronic eating disorders are nearly impossible to cure completely) recovery, I certainly believe that I can overcome at least the most destructive aspects of my childhood., if not emerge more or less healed. I'll carry the scars but I don't want to forget my past
I just want to learn how to stop.living like the past is still happening.
Therapy while nor successful for everyone is certainly seeming successful for me. I try to respect that other people have bad therapy experiences. I'd appreciate the same respect for my good experiences

Well, I definitely think it was sarcastic. The last two lines are probably the poster's way of saying that the people on this thread have trust issues, and that going to a therapist doesn't guarantee trust will be established. The confusion lies in the use of sarcasm instead of just contributing to the discussion in a clearly stated manner. It seems like the poster thinks they are "above it all" and they think this discussion is moronic. Or something. The point is that it was sarcastic and it just proves that the poster is a poor communicator, and too scared to just outright state their opinion.

Absolutely agree with everything you've said here.

I will await clarification from the person who wrote the post.