Very Bad Therapy

Latest Episodes:

98. Incurable Diseases Are Not Problems to Solve (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW) Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

A therapist's job is to help their clients. But what does "help" mean when a client has been diagnosed with an incurable disease? In this episode, Cassie shares her story of seeking emotional support for her diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer only to receive unhelpful fixes instead. Plus, Jill Johnson-Young returns to talk about supporting clients who are experiencing the grief of having to say goodbye.

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 – 6:37

Part One: 6:37 – 36:43

Part Two: 36:43 – 1:11:28

Part Three: 1:11:28 – 1:17:01

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Show Notes:

97. You Have to Hug Me Before You Leave Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Dual relationships can be perfectly fine in therapy. But imagine if your therapist was also working with your good friend… and that friend's girlfriend… and the therapist hired your friend to be her dog walker… and everyone's private information was shared in session with no concern for confidentiality. That's the first ten minutes of Anna's story, and it gets worse from there. So, so much worse.

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 – 2:34

Part One: 2:34 – 55:03

Part Two: 55:03 – 1:10:55

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Show Notes:

Donate to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa)

96. New Therapist, Who Dis? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

What does it mean if a therapist suddenly changes their behavior? In this episode, Katie shares her experiences with two therapists who made significant adjustments and left her (and Ben and Carrie) confused about what happened. Plus, Dr. Ben Caldwell returns with fantastic metaphors about ethical gray areas and how therapists can adjust their boundaries and clinical style in a compassionate way.

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 – 5:43

Part One: 5:43 – 42:32

Part Two: 42:32 – 1:25:40

Part Three: 1:25:40 – 1:30:33

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Show Notes:

95. Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology

The cause of psychological distress is often complex and unknowable. There are many helpful theories to explain depression, anxiety, and trauma, but in this episode, Maria shares her bewildering experience with a therapist who had some less conventional ideas. This story features many different examples of bad therapy with a freaking exorcism included as an iatrogenic exclamation point.

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 – 5:54

Part One: 5:54 – 44:12

Part Two: 44:12 – 1:12:04

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Show Notes:

Donate to The Trevor Project
EMDR: Taking a Closer Look

94. Trauma-Uninformed Therapy (with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik) Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Lots of therapists describe themselves as "trauma-informed." Very few fail to live up to that title as inexplicably as what we hear in this episode, as Sarah shares her unfortunate therapy experience following a sexual assault. We also talk with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik to learn more about how therapists can actually be trauma-informed when supporting survivors of sexual trauma.

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 – 7:03

Part One: 7:03 – 39:17

Part Two: 39:17 – 1:15:32

Part Three: 1:15:32 – 1:19:32

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

Donate to Lifeline Australia
Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik: Email / CU / Practice
Some Psychological Interventions Are More Harmful Than Helpful

93. The Sociopath in the Therapy Room Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Therapists have a lot of power. This episode is about a therapist who leveraged that power to abuse his clients.

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 – 3:40

Part One: 3:40 – 1:03:16

Part Two: 1:03:16 – 1:18:18

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Show Notes:

92. Crossing the Line (with Johannah Song, LPC) Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

Can wearing a cross be considered a type of bad therapy? This episode features a conversation with Johannah Song, LPC about the positive and negative ways therapists of faith can impact treatment by disclosing their religion. Plus, we talk about the right balance between expertise and curiosity, and why seeking consultation from a specialist is like baking a quiche.

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 – 9:15

Part One: 9:15 – 55:46

Part Two: 55:46 – 1:29:38

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Show Notes:

91. Guilt, Ghosting, and General Unpleasantness Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

This episode's interview with Sara is about two therapists – one who was too friendly, and another who wasn't friendly enough. What should therapists consider before using risky interventions such as guilt, self-disclosure, or icy behavior? We try to answer these questions and more as we go back down the rabbit hole of using service-dominant logic to make therapy more effective.

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 – 9:23

Part One: 9:23 – 47:16

Part Two: 47:16 – 1:25:00

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Show Notes:

90. VBT in Focus: New Ideas to Fix Old Problems Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Who should we talk to next about how to break the decades-long plateau of client outcomes in psychotherapy? Short on ideas, we take it upon ourselves to try and crack the 45-year-old riddle about how to make therapy more effective. Ben has another existential crisis, Carrie converts to the religion of customer service, and we (eventually!) explore why the path to better outcomes might go directly through Starbucks and the hospitality industry. We want to hear your feedback on this one!

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.

Part One: 0:00 – 1:01:28

Part Two: 1:01:28 – 1:50:27

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Show Notes:

89. The Widow and the Miracle Question (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW) Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

Jill Johnson-Young is an expert in the areas of dying, death, and grief. She also has the personal experiences that come with having been widowed twice, including stories of the bad grief therapy that followed. In this episode, Jill shares what therapists and clients should know about working with grief and all the reasons why the conventional wisdom about grief therapy is often counterproductive.

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 – 10:59

Part One: 10:59 – 1:14:34

Part Two: 1:14:34 – 1:25:50

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes: