Stopdog posted this link on the sticky for articles, and it looks like it might be an interesting starter for discussion. If you go down the page a bit there is a yes/no questionnaire to evaluate the quality of your own therapy/therapist. Once you tally it up it takes you to a page that explains what level of concern a client might should have about their own therapy/therapist.

Have doubts about your therapy? Test it online!

Questions:
a. Are this person's criteria valid? (I can see widely varying opinions about some of them perhaps).

b. Does how it tallies up seem to match how you feel about the quality of your own therapy?

Personally, I was able to answer "no" to every question on the list which matched up very well with the level of confidence I have about my own therapy, but I also see where the criteria are rather skewed toward behavioral approaches and away from more psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approaches to a certain extent.

I didn't really read the top portion of the article as the website it comes from is a bit questionable and highly biased against therapy. It would be nice if this was on a bit more objective website, but this is what we have to work with from the link.

[stopdog]

I don't think the site is as highly biased against therapy as you state. The first paragraph is:
"Therapy grounded in controlled scientific research with a sane, well educated and trained, competent, responsible, licensed mental health provider can be a positive experience"

My posting it was not indicative of agreement or favoritism to the site. I just thought it an interesting and possibly useful tool for someone who was looking for some ways to check their situation out.

Some of the questions seem overly influenced by the author's subjective view of how therapy should be done, such as "Instead of planning how to influence the behavior of someone else in your life, does your therapist merely hope that those changes will transpire by themselves?".
My T doesn't plan how to influence the behaviour of others not present in the room, but I would think it wrong if he did. The session is mine and I'm of a view that you can't change others, they have to want to change.
The survey is an interesting concept but might be better with only more objective questions, such as exploitation, consistency, untherapeutic self disclosure, boundaries, billing, timekeeping etc.
Thanks for posting LG and SD.

[Out There]

I sometimes see things like " is your therapy very structured? ' and answering 'no ' brings up a flag. My therapy with my regular T is not that structured because there it is not what I need. However , I recently had some trauma therapy which I DID want to be structured specifically. It's definitely not one size fits all.

[nottrustin]

Not sure why having structured plan for a session is a negative thing. I mean she always has certain questions about my main relationships, work, etc. That is it. However, if I go in and just start talking about another issue that is what we discuss. If does ask about a topic and I am not comfortable talking about it then we don't. I decide what will be discussed...if I don't bring anything up then yes she will ask her "regular " questions

[atisketatasket]

Some of this is taste...I do not mind associating with remote, aloof people, professionals or therapists who have all the warmth of a computer, for instance. In fact I kind of like them.

[Salmon77]

A lot of the questions seem really subjective, like does your therapist seem or appear or act as if they're doing something? That's a matter of perception and some people will interpret their T's manner in different ways, possibly inaccurately... Similarly, lots of questions about whether your therapist assumes or expects this or that, are they committed to something--how do I know what my T assumes or expects or is committed to? I can't read his mind.

I was going to say that maybe it's an okay test of whether a client feels comfortable in therapy. But then I finished taking it and got the red "it is imperative you talk to your therapist about your concerns" response, when actually I'm quite happy with my therapy and the things I marked as "yes" didn't seem like problems to me. Like the one that Echosmyron mentioned:

Instead of planning how to influence the behavior of someone else in your life, does your therapist merely hope that those changes will transpire by themselves?

Why would I want my therapist to influence anyone's behavior?

[stopdog]

Therapy is subjective. I don't know how a client could do anything completely non-subjectively in terms of rating or figuring out if a therapist was helping or harming or being neutral

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Some of this is taste...I do not mind associating with remote, aloof people, professionals or therapists who have all the warmth of a computer, for instance. In fact I kind of like them.

Your a loof

[Suraya]

I'm actually curious if anyone actually can answer yes to these questions and the why behind an answer of yes. It seems to me quite clear that yes answers would indicate a poor therapist, but that's my own biased opinion coming from working with my own T. It would be an interesting discussion to hear others' viewpoints if yes are your answers to any of the questions.

[Pennster]

Originally Posted by Suraya

I'm actually curious if anyone actually can answer yes to these questions and the why behind an answer of yes. It seems to me quite clear that yes answers would indicate a poor therapist, but that's my own biased opinion coming from working with my own T. It would be an interesting discussion to hear others' viewpoints if yes are your answers to any of the questions.

I said yes to this one:

Instead of planning how to influence the behavior of someone else in your life, does your therapist merely hope that those changes will transpire by themselves?

I actually had no idea what the question really meant, however! Why would my therapist plan to influence the behavior of anyone else in my life? I found this question baffling. I would be telling him to get lost if he were to intrude with other people in my life. And I'm not in therapy to manipulate other people's behavior. This issue has no relevance to me at all.

But I am curious why they included it as a question. It seems so jarringly out of place.

[CeCe333]

I answered yes to:
Does a great deal of your therapy seem to focus on issues that are trivial or obscure?
Because I'm a bit obsessive about some minor issues that are not worth our session time. I feel a little silly when we're discussing them, but I'm the one who keeps wanting to continue the discussion.

And
Does your therapist rely on sympathetic platitudes advising you to 'trust yourself' and/or 'be kind to yourself?'
I don't see what's wrong with this. I've always had very low self-confidence and it helps when he reassures me that it's ok to trust my instincts. I've spent countless hours agonizing over minor decisions and I've see a great reduction in that with a weekly reminder of "you have good instincts"

Sometimes he even says "I wouldn't say this most of my clients, but you're well-calibrated. Your first instinct is better than what you come up with after obsessing too much"

[stopdog]

I have represent d clients who were harmed by false memory planting by the professionals-they were injured by the professional who got them to belief things they could not remember were real. It does happen. Certainly not every therapist does it with every client, but when it does happen, it is quite bad for the client.

Originally Posted by stopdog

Therapy is subjective. I don't know how a client could do anything completely non-subjectively in terms of rating or figuring out if a therapist was helping or harming or being neutral

I would think questions about sexual exploitation, chronic lateness, spending large portions of the session talking about T's personal life etc might be fairly objective questions. They are unlikely to give complete affirmation that a person has a 'good' therapist, but they would at least flag up some horrendous ones.
The problems with the survey just highlight the issues with quantative data for such a complex and subjective subject as therapy.

[iheartjacques]

I got 6 out of 40. Some concern. Perhaps because he is a psychiatrist not a psychologist and I'm his patient, plus no major decisions within a couple of weeks of starting new meds or weaning off meds. That's my reasoning for the yes answers.

I have some questions of my own ...

1. Who owns this site?
2. What are their credentials?
3. Why should I take some test given by an anonymous entity?

I'm kinda wary of someone (or something) that keeps their identity and credentials hidden while freely utilizing some shabby looking website they've created to do nothing more than attempt to trash, skewer and "debunk" people that are not afraid to be open about who they are and what they do!

Of course, that's just me ... But, to each their own ...

Originally Posted by Pfrog

I have some questions of my own ...

1. Who owns this site?
2. What are their credentials?
3. Why should I take some test given by an anonymous entity?

I'm kinda wary of someone (or something) that keeps their identity and credentials hidden while freely utilizing some shabby looking website they've created to do nothing more than attempt to trash, skewer and "debunk" people that are not afraid to be open about who they are and what they do!

Of course, that's just me ... But, to each their own ...

The creator of the test is Dr. Terence C. Campbell. I found this biography:

"Dr. Campbell completed his doctoral degree in Human Development and Clinical Psychology at the University of Maryland in 1970. He also did post-doctoral training in family psychology and family therapy at the University of Rochester, School of Medicine. Dr. Campbell was a co-founder of the Psychodiagnostic and Family Services Clinic of the Macomb County (Michigan) Circuit Court in 1972.

Dr. Campbell’s publications have appeared in various scientific and professional journals including the American Journal of Forensic Psychology, American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences and the Law, Issues in Child Abuse Accusations, Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, Journal of Systemic Therapies, Michigan Bar Journal, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, and Psychotherapy. His work has also been reprinted in the Norwegian journal, Fokus Pas Familien.

Dr. Campbell’s first book – Beware The Talking Cure: Psychotherapy May Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health – published by Upton Books, an imprint of SIRS Publishing, was released in September of 1994. His second book – Smoke and Mirrors: The Devastating Effect of False Sexual Abuse Claims – was released by Insight Books, a division of Plenum Publishing, in September of 1998. His third book – Cross-Examining Experts in the Behavioral Sciences – (co-authored with D.A. Lorandos, Ph.D., J.D.) – was released by the West Group in September 2001 with annual updates for every year beginning in 2003. Dr. Campbell’s fourth book – Assessing Sex Offenders: Problems and Pitfalls – was published by Charles C. Thomas in July 2004 as part of its American Series in the Behavioral Sciences and Law. His fifth book – Benchbook in the Behavioral Sciences: Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work – (co-authored with D.A. Lorandos, Ph.D., J.D.) was released by Carolina Academic Press in April 2005. His sixth book – Assessing Sex Offenders: Problems and Pitfalls-2nd Edition – was published by Charles C. Thomas in November 2007.

Dr. Campbell has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Systemic Therapies. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sexual Offender Civil Commitment: Science and the Law. He is a member of the Scientific and Professional Advisory Board of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation of Philadelphia. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Association for Consumer Protection in Mental Health Practices. He has been designated a Fellow of the American Psychological Society in recognition of “a distinguished contribution to psychological science.” He is also board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Campbell has also been listed in Who’s Who in America since the 56th edition in 2002.

Dr. Campbell frequently assists attorneys in matters related to appropriate standards of practice, evidentiary reliability in forensic psychology, eyewitness identifications, coerced confessions, child custody and visitation evaluations, allegations of child sexual abuse, and claims of repressed memories. He has testified as an expert witness in numerous states and the Dominion of Canada."

The website itself if not own or run by him. The website creator says:

"How would you feel if one day, out of the blue, your sister sent you a letter saying that both sets of your grandparents had headed satanic cults and that both you and she were the victims as children of satanic rituals including human sacrifice of babies, children, and adolescents, cannibalism, animal sacrifice, being shut in coffins with dead bodies, and marriages to Satan and high priests of the cults?

How would you feel if she went on to accuse you of the most unthinkable crimes, saying you had physically and sexually abused her during childhood, torturing and beating her, being careful to leave no physical evidence?

How would you feel if your sister then announced in the letter that she would never speak to you again, then cut off all contact and disappeared?

How would you feel if you were accused, tried, convicted, and sentenced in absentia, without your knowledge, without due process, without the chance to face your accuser or refute the charges, in the kangaroo court of an incompetent therapist's office?

Welcome to the world of the "Memory Recovery Movement."

I don't have to wonder how this feels. I know how it feels because it has happened to me." and

"www.StopBadTherapy.com will:
support actual victims of abuse and neglect by educating the public about these very real problems and distinguishing them from false allegations by 'manufactured victims.'
raise awareness of the risks of therapy techniques that have not been tested for safety and effectiveness.
immunize people against bad therapy by enabling them to recognize it and to protect themselves and their families from it.
assist those who have been harmed to bring the responsible parties to justice and to prevent future tragedies.
reform the mental health industry into a true, ethical profession that is founded on the principles of controlled scientific research, testing for safety and effectiveness, and informed consent for all procedures.
reconcile families that have been split by the influence of unsafe therapy, pop psychology, and pseudoscience."

Those were kind of my questions also and why I brought up questions about the test and website. The questions seems legit enough. My question was more about the website itself. I'm don't really know the validity of any of it; I agree with SD that false memory syndrome is/was a real problem. I simply feel recognizing the background sources of a source is important.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by Suraya

I'm actually curious if anyone actually can answer yes to these questions and the why behind an answer of yes. It seems to me quite clear that yes answers would indicate a poor therapist, but that's my own biased opinion coming from working with my own T. It would be an interesting discussion to hear others' viewpoints if yes are your answers to any of the questions.

How about "Does your therapist seek to determine where some feeling or emotion is located in your body?". There was a thread on here sometime recently that demonstrated that it was a fairly common question among therapists.

Clients just starting therapy might answer yes to the first question: "Has your therapy limited itself to giving you a better understanding of the difficult situations in your life?". Because sometimes it takes a while to get to doing anything about your problems.

And there is poor phrasing that can lead to a yes answer: "Do you feel more worried and discouraged since you began therapy?". I do, but not because of therapy. Yet the way it's phrased I had to answer yes.

I also don't get the planning sessions question. I plan the sessions, they don't. They follow my lead.

There's a big missing question, too: something like "has your therapist ev touched you inappropriately?" There's a question about physical ordeal but nothing about sex.

[Suraya]

Instead of planning how to influence the behavior of someone else in your life, does your therapist merely hope that those changes will transpire by themselves?

I agree - that's an odd question. I think I answered no because I didn't get it and was reading it quick. Now, reading it again I think it's wrong to want to influence other's behavior. That is being manipulative.

"Does your therapist seek to determine where some feeling or emotion is located in your body?".

My T does this in a way. She'll ask me if I can feel a certain feeling in my body and where.

[dolphingirl]

I've been with my T for a little over 4 years, so I took into consideration overall. I answered "yes" to 9 the first time I took it considering those 4 years, but if I just consider the past couple I think there are only about 5 "yes" answers. I do not think I should run away or T is incompetent. A lot of those yes answers are from my initial couple of years in therapy when I thought I was tricked into coming or didn't want to believe the truth. I have been thinking over the past couple of months that T and I should have a talk about our sessions/style though.

Is your therapist so preoccupied with your insight that he neglects to outline specific courses of action for you to undertake?- This one could go either way sometimes I wish T would give me specific steps to take to fix my life instead of relating my emotions <-> actions <-> childhood. I think part of my "yes" answer was because the steps T suggest are things that I don't like, ex. have xyz discussion with your boss/mother/sister.

Despite a situation where you have felt ready to terminate therapy, has your therapist repeatedly advised you not to? I answered yes thinking about my first couple years, but in reality even though I felt ready, looking back I wasn't ready. I would try to quit, be advised not to, skip a few sessions, have problems with sui thoughts, and go back. Sometimes during session T would talk with me about my choice to try to get me to come back and sometimes I'd try and she'd simply tell me she would see me in two weeks at the same time.

When differences of opinion exist between you and your therapist, does he almost always insist that you are mistaken? Yes, and T is probably most likely right. Sometimes there are things I don't want to accept as a possible correlation.

Does your therapist insist that you postpone important decisions in your life (marriage, job change, educational plans), pending his permission for you to make those decisions? It isn't because T is controlling it's because those wouldn't be in my best interest. Examples: Quit college & move home to a tough family situation without a job; quit job because a couple co-workers said somethings I disagreed with that made me upset.

Does your therapist act as if he provides you with a uniquely important relationship that is unavailable to you in other sectors of your life? We have had this discussion a few times and it has came up on the forum several times. Ts or mine any way is in a weird spot where they are more than a professional because of the level they know you but they can't be a friend d/t boundaries. I haven't ever thought of a relationship that is the same.

Does your therapist seek to determine where some feeling or emotion is located in your body? I think this is because sometimes emotions/feelings manifest physically instead of emotionally for me. That's something we're working on- controlling the somatic manifestations.

Instead of planning a therapy session, does your therapist merely react to whatever direction a session spontaneously takes? This is one that bugs me because it feels like I haven't learned/grown much and I'm having some of the same difficulties I've been having. Some people might be okay with that approach with limited structure- go with the flow, but I'm more of a concrete thinker and want to see how things relate and how I can "fix" things.