Podcasts by Very Bad Therapy

147. Termination Session from 2023-09-18T07:30

Thank you for listening!

146. Patreon Selects: Carrie-Ben Therapy (aka CBT 2.0) from 2023-09-04T07:30

Carrie and Ben create their own mod...

145. Patreon Selects: Book Review - All Therapy Books from 2023-08-21T07:30

All therapy books have an oddly sim...

143. Patreon Selects: Fun With the Psychology Today Profile Generator from 2023-07-24T07:30

Life can be hard at times. Do you w...

142. VBT Study Hall: Client Testimonials and Reviews from 2023-07-17T07:30

Social proof has become a crucial element of consumer decision making in the Internet era. So why don’t the vast majority of therapists ask their clients to give testimonials o...

141. “Not All Christians…” (with Josh Foster, LCPC) from 2023-07-03T07:30

What is religious trauma, and why do some therapists refuse to work with clients who use that language? In today’s episode, Jeremy speaks about his experiences with therapists ...

140. VBT Study Hall: What Does “Trauma-Informed” Mean? from 2023-06-19T07:30

Trauma-informed therapy is…what, exactly? And is trauma actually stored in the body, or is that just a clever narrative that a few enterprising gurus have used to sell books an...

139. Politics in the Therapy Room (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2023-06-05T07:30

Let’s get controversial! Is it a good idea for a therapist to project their own political views onto a client? For today’s guest Ruth, the answer is a resounding “no.” We hear ...

138. Patreon Selects: Is EMDR a Cultish Pyramid Scheme? from 2023-05-22T07:30

No, EMDR is not a cultish pyramid scheme. With that out of the way, why is EMDR training so expensive when its theoretical foundations are supported by dubious (at best) resear...

137. VBT Study Hall: Evaluating Research from 2023-05-15T07:30

How do we know which psychotherapy research is trustworthy? Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk help us search for evidence in all the logical places: the replication crisis...

136. Very Bad Group Therapy from 2023-05-01T07:30

What makes for effective group therapy? Cohesion, expectation setting, and as today’s guest Thomas can attest to, not having the therapist give the middle finger to a group mem...

135. VBT Study Hall: Treatment Planning from 2023-04-17T07:30

What exactly is treatment planning and why do some therapists dread having to do it on a regular basis? This episode is Carrie’s love letter to treatment plans – why they are u...

134. Neurodiversity and Diagnosis (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT) from 2023-04-03T07:30

What’s so important about a diagnosis? For neurodivergent clients, it can mean affirmation, community support, and access to much-needed services…if the diagnosis is correct. I...

133. VBT Study Hall: Termination from 2023-03-20T07:30

Nothing lasts forever, including therapeutic relationships. Therapy can end in lots of different ways, but what constitutes a good goodbye? We dig into the research on terminat...

132. Some Bad Parts (with Dr. Sheila Addison) from 2023-03-06T08:30

“No bad parts” is a common mantra in therapy – the various parts of ourselves are always working to serve some beneficial purpose. But what happens when a therapist communicate...

131. VBT Study Hall: First Sessions from 2023-02-20T08:30

What happens in the first session of therapy? More importantly, why do one-third of clients not come back for the second session? We look for answers in the research on client ...

130. Gambling Therapy from 2023-02-06T08:30

Is good therapy as simple as whatever activity makes a client feel better? What if that activity is a singular focus on sports betting strategy? In today’s episode, we talk with Christine to lea...

129. Patreon Selects: Will Carrie Ever Get Licensed? from 2023-01-23T08:30

Carrie hasn’t worked as a therapist in over a year. Will she ever get licensed, and how is her decision connected to the apparent reality that many therapists are actively trying to not...

128. VBT Study Hall: The Therapeutic Alliance from 2023-01-16T08:30

You’ve already heard that the therapeutic alliance is important to client outcomes, but does anyone actually know why? We dig into the research to figure out if ruptures can be a good thing (yes...

127. Enlightenment is Not a Treatment Goal (with Dr. Jim Jobin) from 2023-01-02T08:30

Many clients want a spiritual component to their therapy, but what happens when a therapist acts more like a theologian than a mental health professional? Today’s guest Kelsey describes her expe...

126. VBT Study Hall: Interventions from 2022-12-19T08:30

It seems odd that most therapists – us included – aren’t 100% certain about what constitutes an intervention. Are interventions scripted in-session activities? What about the theoretical orienta...

125. So You’ve Stereotyped Your Client (with Deanna Fierman, LPC) from 2022-12-05T08:30

Stereotypes aren’t always a bad thing. That may not be true in therapy, especially when a client is made to feel like they are representing an entire group of people. That’s what we explore with...

124. VBT Study Hall: Theoretical Orientations from 2022-11-21T08:30

There are over 600 types of psychotherapy. What are they, where did they come from, and what makes them important? We dive deep (too deep, probably) into a $900 textbook in an attempt to make se...

Bonus: Clinical Licensing Exams Don't Work (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2022-11-14T08:30

In the United States, mental health professionals must pass a clinical exam to become licensed in their field. These exams appear to do nothing to make psychotherapy more effective or safe. They...

123. Catching Feelings (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2022-11-07T17:58:55

It’s not unusual for clients to develop feelings for their therapist. It’s also not unusual for therapists to develop feelings for their clients. So why is it such a bad idea for a therapist to ...

122. Patreon Selects: Degrees of Confusion (Part II) from 2022-10-24T07:30

Justin Norris rejoins us to conclude our conversation about the perplexing maze that is the application process for grad school. We use the California State University (CSU) system as a case stu...

121. Patreon Selects: Degrees of Confusion (Part I) from 2022-10-17T07:30

Have you ever wondered why the process of applying to grad school is so unclear at times? In part one of two, we are joined by Justin Norris, an expert in systems of higher education, to talk ab...

120. Hard Conversations from 2022-10-03T07:30

What happens when a therapist doesn’t want to work with a client? What should happen? Tom shares his experience with a therapist who chose avoidance over honesty, and we discuss ten types of har...

119. Patreon Selects: The Intersections of Philosophy and Psychotherapy from 2022-09-19T07:30

Dr. Sally Gibbons is an Oxford-educated philosopher, professor of bioethics and philosophy at UCLA, and licensed professional clinical counselor. We discuss her academic background, what inspire...

118. Testing Patients (with Rachel Simon, LCSW) from 2022-09-05T07:30

Psychological testing can be complicated. It shouldn’t have to be hostile, even if the evaluation is not intended to be in a client’s best interest. In today’s episode, Jacob shares his experien...

117. Patreon Selects: The History of Expertise in Therapy (Part II) from 2022-08-22T07:30

The history of expertise in medicine and science led the field of psychotherapy to its beloved empirically supported treatments (ESTs). Psychiatrists were prescribing pills, and psychotherapists...

116. Patreon Selects: The History of Expertise in Therapy (Part I) from 2022-08-15T07:30

Therapists are considered mental health experts. How did this come to be, and is it necessary for the future of the field? Join us as we trace the surprising history of the medical model in ther...

115. What is Bad Therapy, and Who Gets to Provide It? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2022-08-01T07:30

Today’s guest Marie shares her thought-provoking story about a preoccupied telehealth therapist, and we drag Dr. Ben Caldwell into another one of our philosophical crises about what constitutes ...

114. Patreon Selects: An Actor, a Sommelier, and a Poker Player Walk Into a Bar from 2022-07-18T07:30

Carrie and Ben are joined by friend of the podcast Rachel Bennett to talk about how their past careers have shaped their identities as therapists. Topics include:

• How working in fin...
  Listen

113. Psychedelics and Therapy (with Ben Hearn, LPCC-S) from 2022-07-04T07:30

Consciousness-altering psychedelic drugs have shown tremendous promise in mental health treatment. The future of psychedelic-assisted therapy is uncertain, but one thing seems clear: the psyched...

112. Patreon Selects: Desperate Remedies for Mental Illness from 2022-06-20T07:30

Dr. Andrew Scull is the Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, at UCSD. He has written extensively about the history of psychiatry and the treatment of madness. We discuss why it seems ...

111. Talking About Antisemitism (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT) from 2022-06-06T07:30

The field of psychotherapy has increasingly prioritized discussions about issues of oppression and marginalization. This is, of course, a sign of progress. But who gets left out of these convers...

110. Patreon Selects: The VBT Guide to Grad School (Part II) from 2022-05-23T07:30

We’re back with Dr. Ben Caldwell to conclude our thoughts on grad school and the surprising reality that it isn’t meant to make you a good therapist. We talk about starting supervision, avoiding...

109. Patreon Selects: The VBT Guide to Grad School (Part I) from 2022-05-16T07:30

Dr. Ben Caldwell joins us to discuss everything you need to know about going to school to become a therapist. His most important message? Treat grad school like a convenience store – get in and ...

108. The Inevitable CBT Episode (with Alyssa Davis, LMFT) from 2022-05-02T07:00

Of course we were going to end up doing an episode about CBT eventually. Emily describes visiting a CBT therapist who seemed uninterested in doing any real work, and Alyssa Davis joins us to cog...

Bonus: Introducing the Learn Psychotherapy Podcast from 2022-04-25T07:30

Ben and Carrie have a new podcast! It’s called Learn Psychotherapy, and we’re inviting you to listen and practice along to develop your therapy skills.

Learn Psychotherapy: Listen

107. Patreon Selects: Ask Us Anything! from 2022-04-18T07:30

We’re long overdue for a good old-fashioned Q&A episode. You’ve sent in your questions, and we’re here to opine about everything from the importance of therapists getting their own therapy to th...

106. Psycho, Education from 2022-04-04T07:30

What happens when a therapist and client have two very different conversational styles? Therapists can try to build rapport in many ways, which unfortunately is reflected in our guest Ben’s expe...

105. Patreon Selects: The Elephant in the Therapy Room from 2022-03-21T07:30

Dr. Robin Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and the coauthor of The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life. He joins us along with guest ho...

104. Crises in the Time of Intake (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2022-03-07T08:30

When does somebody officially become a client of therapy? And what happens if, before that distinction is made, crises occur and the therapeutic relationship unravels? Our guest Neith shares her...

103. Patreon Selects: The Therapists’ Side of the Story from 2022-02-21T08:30

On Very Bad Therapy, we seek to understand what it’s like for clients to have bad therapeutic experiences. Should we focus more on the therapists’ side of the story? Dr. Patrick Wiita joins us t...

102. The Good and Bad of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (with Fred Kutnick, LCSW) from 2022-02-07T08:30

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is considered the front-line treatment for borderline personality disorder. What exactly is DBT, and why is it nothing like the invalidating experience that Am...

101. Bonus: Hollywood and Mental Health (with Thomas Lennon) from 2022-01-31T08:30

Thomas Lennon is an acclaimed actor and screenwriter, best-selling novelist, and most importantly, Carrie’s long-time friend. We break from our usual format to chat with Tom about his good exper...

100. Patreon Selects: Is Good Therapy Just the Absence of Bad Therapy? from 2022-01-17T08:30

Carrie and Ben are joined by Dr. Will Dobud to discuss two burning questions: is good therapy just the absence of bad therapy, and should we ban the use of cognitive behavioral therapy? We explo...

99. Conversations With a Therapy Failure Expert from 2022-01-03T08:30

Beth is a self-described therapy failure expert. She joins us for the whole episode (and more!) as we discuss her personal bad therapy experiences, what therapists think of clients who disclose ...

98. Incurable Diseases Are Not Problems to Solve (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW) from 2021-12-20T08:30

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 su...

97. You Have to Hug Me Before You Leave from 2021-12-06T08:30

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...

96. New Therapist, Who Dis? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2021-11-22T08:30

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 Car...

95. Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology from 2021-11-08T08:30

95. Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology

The cause of psychological distress is often complex and unknowable. There are many helpful theories to explain depressio...

94. Trauma-Uninformed Therapy (with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik) from 2021-10-25T07:30

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 exper...

93. The Sociopath in the Therapy Room from 2021-10-11T07:30

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 t...

92. Crossing the Line (with Johannah Song, LPC) from 2021-09-27T07:30

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 treatmen...

91. Guilt, Ghosting, and General Unpleasantness from 2021-09-13T07:30

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 su...

90. VBT in Focus: New Ideas to Fix Old Problems from 2021-08-30T07:30

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 abou...

89. The Widow and the Miracle Question (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW) from 2021-08-16T07:30

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 therap...

88. Couples Therapy Bullshit (with Sade Kammen) from 2021-08-02T07:30

What is the role of a couples therapist in deciding whether a couple stays together or separates? In this episode, Sade Kammen shares their experience trying to navigate the impact of racism in ...

87. When Your Therapist Seems Unwell (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT) from 2021-07-19T07:30

Halina Brooke rejoins us to share her story of bad therapy and resulting experience with the board complaint process. This episode is a bingo card of what not to do as a therapist: drink alcohol...

86. The Board Complaint Process (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT) from 2021-07-05T07:30

When things go very wrong in therapy, clients often have the option of filing a complaint with the therapist’s licensing board. In this episode, Rebecca shares her experience of bad therapy and ...

85. Talking About Race (with Farah Zerehi, AMFT) from 2021-06-21T07:30

What can therapists do to provide culturally humble services to clients? Being curious is a good start, and not asking for evidence of racial bias should be an easy next step. In this episode, G...

84. Are Therapists Substitute Parental Figures? from 2021-06-07T07:30

Attachment theory is one of the most credible areas in the field of psychotherapy. It is not, however, an excuse for a therapist to presume to be a substitute parental figure for a client. In th...

83. Drive-Thru DBT (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2021-05-24T07:30

In this episode, our guest Maryellen shares her bad experience with a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) specialist. But was it bad therapy? Was it therapy at all? Dr. Ben Caldwell joins us to s...

82. Predatory Therapists (with Dr. Diane Gehart) from 2021-05-10T07:30

A small percentage of therapists do bad things – not tiny ruptures in the therapeutic alliance or scheduling errors, but truly exploitative practices. This is a story about the latter. Courtney ...

81. Codependency In Therapy (with Marissa Esquibel, LMFT) from 2021-04-26T07:30

Marissa Esquibel, LMFT joins us to talk about codependency – the tendency to let another person’s behavior affect your own while obsessing over trying to control that person’s behavior. What hap...

80. The Troubled Teen Industry (with Kenneth R. Rosen) from 2021-04-12T07:30

Kenneth R. Rosen is an author and journalist with firsthand experience in what is colloquially called the Troubled Teen Industry. This industry – a dubious version of wilderness therapy – often ...

79. The Stigma of Severe Mental Illness from 2021-03-29T07:30

Having a severe and persistent mental illness is difficult – especially when the stigma of certain diagnoses negatively influences treatment. On today’s episode, Ann discusses her up and down ex...

78. Very Bad Couples Therapy (with Dr. Bonnie Kennan) from 2021-03-15T07:30

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 p...

77. Surviving Rehab from 2021-03-01T08:30

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 un...

76. VBT in Focus: Potentially Harmful Therapies (with Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk) from 2021-02-15T08:30

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 dis...

75. How Not To Handle Fee Increases from 2021-02-01T08:30

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 abo...

74. Very Bad Sex Therapy (with Danielle Kramer, LIMHP) from 2021-01-18T08:30

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 therapis...

73. Silence in Therapy: What's the Story? (with Dr. Gene Combs) from 2021-01-04T08:30

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 he...

72. All About Psychiatry (with Dr. Patrick Wiita) from 2020-12-21T08:30

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...

71. Very Bad Family Therapy (with Dr. Eli Karam) from 2020-12-07T08:30

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 a...

70. Missed Attunement (with Dave Segal, RCC) from 2020-11-23T08:30

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 att...

69. Culture, Stigma, and Very Bad Psychiatry from 2020-11-09T08:30

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 men...

68. Misdiagnosing Clients (with Dr. Christine King and Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2020-10-26T07:30

Dr. Christine King experienced three concussions when she was a child. The symptoms of her brain injury were misunderstood and later assumed to be the result of childhood sexual abuse, sending C...

67. VBT in Focus: Dr. Don Meichenbaum on CBT and Hype from 2020-10-12T07:30

Dr. Don Meichenbaum is credited with helping to develop cognitive behavioral therapy in the 1960s and 1970s. He has been named one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of the 20th centur...

66. Questioning Trans Identities (with Beck Gee-Cohen, CADC-II) from 2020-09-28T07:30

In today’s episode, Jonathan shares his story as a teenager working with a gender therapist who dismissed his preferences for treatment in favor of uncovering his “reasons” for being trans. We a...

65. When Treatment Fails (with Henk Spierings) from 2020-09-14T07:30

Henk Spierings has had a wide range of experiences in therapy – most of them unhelpful, if not outright harmful. He joins us to discuss his new book, Becoming Compliant, and share the lessons he...

64. Is Bad Therapy Unethical Therapy? (with Dr. Christopher Taylor) from 2020-08-31T07:30

What’s the difference between very bad therapy and very unethical therapy? Today’s guest Lisa shares her experience with a logotherapist that was many things – insulting, disturbing, oddly proph...

63. Therapy in Prison (with Kenneth E. Hartman) from 2020-08-17T07:30

Kenneth E. Hartman is a prison reform activist who served 38 years in the California prison system. He discusses his advocacy work, what mental health care looks like in prison, and his personal...

62. Overcoming Systemic Transphobia in Mental Health (with Rachel Bennett and Dr. David Nylund) from 2020-08-03T07:30

Rachel Bennett shares her experience navigating the historically misguided gatekeeping requirements for gender reassignment surgery. She discusses how therapists can better advocate for trans-af...

61. What Heals Trauma? (with Chrissy Gillmore, MCoun) from 2020-07-20T07:30

An interview with Chrissy Gillmore about the primacy of client strengths, resilience, and culture in healing trauma, and how a pathology-focused approach can result in bad therapy.  Plus, Carrie...

A Short Progress Note from 2020-07-13T07:30

Very Bad Therapy is switching to biweekly episodes, but we’re not quite ready to miss a week of podcasting yet.  We discuss the new format, check in on our quarantine adventures, talk about some...

60. VBT in History (2010s): The Replication Crisis Comes for Us All from 2020-07-06T07:30

There is an ongoing replication crisis in science; many of the studies that frame our scientific knowledge, especially in psychology, likely have incorrect conclusions.  This has huge ramificati...

59. Don't Be Weird (with Bronwen Clark) from 2020-06-29T07:30

Bronwen Clark is the author of Don’t Be Weird: A Memoir of Food and Feelings. She joins us to share experiences of bad therapy from her healing journey that include being kicked out of eating di...

58. VBT in Focus: Paul Gilmartin on Mental Health and Therapy from 2020-06-22T15:12:16

Paul Gilmartin is a former stand-up comedian and host of the widely popular Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. We speak with him about his journey with clinical depression, insights on mental he...

57. Addressing Cultural Complexities (with Dr. Pamela Hays) from 2020-06-15T07:30

In today’s episode, our guest J shares two experiences that highlight the difficulties therapists can have in intercultural therapeutic relationships. We also speak with Dr. Pamela Hays about th...

56. Very Bad Therapy and Anti-Racism from 2020-06-08T07:30

Ben and Carrie discuss their commitment to making this podcast an antiracist space.

Show Notes:

• Listen

55. VBT in History (2000s): Rebirthing Therapy from 2020-06-01T07:30

Candace Newmaker was a 10-year-girl who tragically died in the process of rebirthing therapy, a variation of a pseudoscientific treatment of childhood trauma known as attachment therapy. This ep...

54. How Much Therapy is Necessary? from 2020-05-25T07:30

This week’s guest Adam shares his experience of seeing a therapist for five years without any noticeable benefit. When should clients – or therapists – start to wonder if it’s time to end the th...

53. VBT in Focus: How to Do Deliberate Practice (with Dr. Tony Rousmaniere and Dr. Alexandre Vaz) from 2020-05-18T07:30

Deliberate practice is an emerging (and sometimes abstract) concept of psychotherapist development. Tony Rousmaniere and Alex Vaz are working to transform these ideas into concrete practices. Th...

52. On Grief and Loss (with Dr. Michael Morad-McCoy) from 2020-05-11T07:30

Conversations about death, dying, and bereavement can be difficult, but they are often an important part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Michael Morad-McCoy joins us to share his experiences wit...

51. VBT in History (1990s): The Empirically Supported Treatment Debate Rages On from 2020-05-04T07:30

The American Psychological Association commissioned a task force in 1993 to determine how to scientifically evaluate psychotherapy treatments. A controversy immediately ensued. Carrie digs into ...

50. A Story of Strength from 2020-04-27T07:30

In this week’s episode, Samuel discusses his experiences with conversion therapy in Provo, Utah. This is a beautiful story of resilience, compassion, and thriving. Thanks to our listeners, exper...

49. Radical Acceptance of Clients (with Dr. Nathan Castle) from 2020-04-20T07:30

Therapist defensiveness is a recurring theme in stories of bad therapy. In this week’s episode, Suzanne shares her experience with a therapist whose defensiveness was expressed in gratuitous dis...

48. In Defense of Bad Therapy (with Angela Caldwell, LMFT) from 2020-04-13T07:30

This week’s story from Ashley has all the markings of bad family therapy. But did the interventions work? Ashley shares her experience as a teenager in crisis being threatened with inpatient car...

47. VBT in History (1980s): Satanic Panic and Recovered Memory Therapy from 2020-04-06T07:30

A satanic panic in the early 1980s culminated in the McMartin Preschool abuse trial, the then-longest and most expensive criminal trial in American history. The trial centered around 359 allegat...

46. Curious Interventions from 2020-03-30T07:30

This week’s story from Alison is a throwback to high school and all of Carrie and Ben’s greatest fears around teenage embarrassment. We discuss interventions that are better left unsaid (telling...

45. VBT in Focus: Dr. Scott Miller and Dr. Daryl Chow on Deliberate Practice from 2020-03-23T07:30

Scott Miller and Daryl Chow return to the podcast to discuss their new book, Better Results: Using Deliberate Practice to Improve Therapeutic Effectiveness.  Topics include the importance of tar...

44. Supporting Clients with Disabilities (with Joy Wolf, LCSW) from 2020-03-16T07:30

What should therapists know about working with individuals with disabilities? In this week’s episode, Joy Wolf joins us to share her personal story about two therapists who responded to her disa...

How Should Therapists Respond to Coronavirus? from 2020-03-13T08:19:09

An urgent conversation about the role of therapists in doing the most public good during the coronavirus outbreak. Pat Wiita, MD and Farah Zerehi, MS explore the science, needed actions, and soc...

43. Specialization and Ethical Responsibility (with Curt Widhalm, LMFT) from 2020-03-09T07:30

This week’s captivating story from Paloma brings together themes of postpartum depression and therapist specialization. Paloma offers insight into the harmful impact of societal narratives about...

42. VBT in History (1970s): Was the Stanford Prison Experiment a Sham? from 2020-03-02T08:30

Philip Zimbardo rode the impact of the Stanford Prison Experiment to international renown. Perhaps he forgot to mention that his famous research was more performance art than psychological exper...

41. Less Advice, More Transparency from 2020-02-24T08:30

This week’s story from Farah touches on many common themes of bad therapy: disempowerment, unsolicited advice, misrepresenting qualifications, and more. We explore how early-career therapists ca...

40. Exploring Bad LGBTQ+ Therapy (with Dr. Joe Kort) from 2020-02-17T08:30

Today’s guest Danny shares his outrageous experience of being told to urinate in a cup so his therapist could test if he was really gay. And that’s just the beginning of the story. We also speak...

39. Making Sense of Mean Therapy from 2020-02-10T08:30

Today’s guest Kat shares her experience with a therapist who was unnecessarily cruel in her approach to treatment. In trying to make sense of this behavior, Carrie and Ben consider the research ...

38. VBT in History (1960s): The Gloria Tapes from 2020-02-03T08:30

In 1964, Dr. Everett Shostrom had a brilliant idea: record short videos of the same person receiving therapy from three top psychologists. These videos are colloquially referred to as the Gloria...

37. You Can Be a Therapist for $16 (with Jordan Dunbar) from 2020-01-27T08:30

In the UK, anyone with $16 can become a certified psychotherapist and begin seeing clients immediately. If this sounds surprising, imagine how clients feel when they have a bad experience and re...

36. Please Renew Your License from 2020-01-20T08:30

In America, psychotherapist licensure requirements vary – often absurdly – from state to state. What does not vary is the need for periodic license renewal, an otherwise mundane fact that holds ...

35. What is Pastoral Counseling? (with The Reverend Meredith Harber) from 2020-01-13T08:30

The exploitation of uneven power and emotional vulnerability is, of course, not limited to the field of psychotherapy. Today’s guest Megan shares her experience of very bad pastoral counseling, ...

34. VBT in History (1950s): The DSM-I and Thou from 2020-01-06T08:30

The first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I) was published with the intention of creating standardized language for mental abnormalities. It was also basically a war d...

33. Boundary Entanglements from 2019-12-30T08:30

Today’s story from T is a cautionary tale about a therapist causing harm by blurring boundaries around texting, personal space, and self-disclosure. Carrie and Ben attempt to hold space for T’s ...

32. When No Therapy is Bad Therapy from 2019-12-23T08:30

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In today's episode, the absence of bad therapy is indeed evidence of bad therapy as our guest Eric joins us to discuss the impact of showing u...

31. How Important is Therapist Attachment Style? (with Jon Hook) from 2019-12-16T08:30

Jon Hook, PhD student at Western Michigan University, is contributing to research on how the coding of session transcripts to determine therapist attachment styles can be used to facilitate bett...

30. The Money Episode from 2019-12-09T08:30

Do client fees impact therapy outcomes? How should therapists talk with their clients about money? Should mental health care be a basic human right? We have lots of questions and few answers as ...

29. VBT in History (1940s): Old-Timey Psychoanalysis Propaganda from 2019-12-02T08:30

In the 1940s, a new ad campaign appeared on the silver screen to promote psychotherapy. Yes, the extant videos are as spectacular as you imagine. In this month's journey through the decades, Car...

28. VBT in Focus: Dr. Chris Hoff on Curiosity, Knowing, and Failure from 2019-11-25T08:30

Dr. Chris Hoff hosts The Radical Therapist podcast and YouTube channel. He joins us to discuss postmodern assumptions in therapy, how a strict focus on social justice can lead to familiar diagno...

27. The Negative Effects of Therapy (with Jørgen A. Flor) from 2019-11-18T08:30

A small percentage of clients experience negative effects from therapy. Why is it so difficult for therapists to identify this phenomenon when reflecting on past or present work? Norwegian psych...

26. "If You Say Yes to This..." from 2019-11-11T08:30

"If you say yes to this, we'll have to end our therapeutic relationship." The context of this quote is explained in this week's episode about therapist self-disclosure, dual relationships, and a...

25. VBT in History (1930s): Were Lobotomies Ever a Good Idea? from 2019-11-04T08:30

In the 1930s, a handful of aspiring medical luminaries imagined that mental illness could be fixed by cutting into the brain. In this month's history exploration, Carrie and Ben seek to understa...

24. Misadventure Therapy (with Will Dobud, MSW) from 2019-10-28T07:30

Adventure therapy: nature, healing, strength, and camaraderie. And sometimes emotional abuse, strip searches, forced compliance, and more. What is happening in this niche of psychotherapy where ...

23. Very Bad Graduate School from 2019-10-21T07:30

On today's episode, our guest Ashley recalls her experience as a graduate psychology student looking for therapy in part to process feelings of disappointment with her education. We take this op...

22. A Clinic On Unprofessionalism (with Katie Vernoy, LMFT) from 2019-10-14T07:30

Professionalism in psychotherapy is often hard to define, but it probably doesn't include being twenty minutes late to a client's first session and sharing unwanted Bible passages. Katie Vernoy ...

21. VBT in History (1920s): Very Bad Supervision from 2019-10-07T07:30

Dr. Ben "Manfred" Caldwell joins us in make-believe 1920s Berlin to discuss Max Eitingon and the surprising origins of psychotherapy supervision. We also explore examples of bad supervision, why...

20. When Therapists Need Therapy from 2019-09-30T07:30

Your therapist is having a bad day. Will this impact the quality of counseling? If you ask the therapist, probably not. But what does the research suggest about clients' perceptions of therapist...

19. How Military Mental Health Care Works (with Julie Payne, LMFT) from 2019-09-23T07:30

Tricare is government managed health insurance given to United States military personnel and their dependents. It is also very confusing to understand, even for many of the providers themselves....

18. VBT in Focus: Dr. Scott Miller on Better Results from 2019-09-16T07:30

What is at the root of very bad therapy? The common feeling that something is lacking in the education, training, development, and services provided by psychotherapists is backed by a wealth of ...

17. The Thorny Terminator from 2019-09-09T07:30

What constitutes bad termination? In the words of Justice Potter Stewart, "I shall not today attempt to further define [it]... But I know it when I see it." In today's episode, R shares their st...

16. VBT in History (1910s): Too Many Eugenicists from 2019-09-02T07:30

Lewis Terman was one of the most influential innovators in educational psychology and IQ testing. He also believed that segregating and sterilizing "feebleminded" individuals - as determined by ...

15. Child's Play (with Megan Costello, LMFT) from 2019-08-26T07:30

Young children need play - not interrogation - to help them learn and form relationships. Today's guest PJ recalls his experience as an eight-year-old with a therapist who chose not to use play ...

14. Women Don't Want to Work from 2019-08-19T07:30

In 2019, there somehow exists at least one psychotherapist who feels that it is helpful to tell a female client that her entire gender is biologically predisposed to prefer domestic life to a pr...

13. Cuddle Therapy from 2019-08-12T07:30

Imagine a spectrum of unethical therapist conduct. Far, far toward the most extreme end, just before sexual coercion, are activities like grooming behavior and inappropriate physical touch. Our ...

12. VBT in History (1900s): Some A+ Oppression Right There from 2019-08-05T07:30

Adolescent girls should be sent to the country to prepare for housewifery and motherhood. So writes G. Stanley Hall, first president of the American Psychological Association, in 1904. This is t...

11. The Intake Process is a Mess (with Dr. Daryl Chow) from 2019-07-29T07:30

Gathering client information: good. Transcribing client responses into a computer while facing a wall: not good. It is estimated that 34% of clients don’t return after their first session, a str...

10. On Harm Reduction Therapy (with Lauren Cohn-Frankel, AMFT) from 2019-07-22T07:30

Today's episode is a deep dive into the nuances of harm reduction therapy. How does stigmatization, politicization, and cultural bias regarding substance use influence the way mental health prof...

9. Empathy First, Paperwork Later from 2019-07-15T07:30

The quality of the therapeutic alliance is one of the largest predictors of successful therapy. What doesn't help with building rapport? 25 minutes of paperwork to begin every session. Today's g...

8. Projections of Body Image Bias (with Rachel Coleman, LMFT, CEDS) from 2019-07-08T07:30

Societal messages around health, beauty, and body image can contribute to problems that lead individuals to seek out therapy. But what happens when the therapist herself is unaware of how these ...

7. Boundaries and Institutional Power from 2019-07-01T07:30

Today's episode features a story about a therapist who pleaded with her client to help with research for her Master's thesis. We discuss why this is objectively problematic and look at the diffe...

6. Zimbabwean Granny Wisdom from 2019-06-24T07:30

In Zimbabwe, hastily trained "Grannies" were found to be significantly better at treating depression than the standard of care that best resembles Western psychotherapy. Ben and Carrie put on th...

5. Please Don't Tackle Your Clients (with Dr. Ben Caldwell) from 2019-06-17T07:30

Therapists are not supposed to tackle their clients*. But what are the ethical limitations in trying to prevent a potential suicide attempt? Today's guest Katherine recounts her experience with ...

4. Race, Rupture, and Repair (with Dr. Dana Stone) from 2019-06-10T07:30

Dr. Dana Stone joins us to unpack our guest Carol's experience with a therapist who chose a stance of defensiveness following a rather shocking microaggression. How can we become not just better...

2. Doubting a Client's Gayness from 2019-05-27T08:00

If a person claims to be gay, should you ever doubt them? Ben shares his story about winning $50 betting on his own sexual orientation, our guest Shaw tells us what it's like to debate your ther...

1. EMDR for Dummies (with Curt Widhalm, LMFT) from 2019-05-27T07:30

EMDR is a groundbreaking, controversial, and maybe not-that-special psychotherapy treatment. We explore the research on its mechanisms and effectiveness before hearing from our guest Justin abou...

Ep. 0: An Ultra-Brief Intro from 2019-05-20T17:24:57

Carrie and Ben share why they decided to start a podcast about bad therapy. What can be learned from our guests' varied experiences in the counseling room? How will this podcast be helpful to li...