How the cult of trauma took over mental health

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cara susanna said:
Mainstream media portrayal of therapy really loves these insight oriented approaches. They seem to think that's what therapy is, just pointing things out to people.
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Yeah...I was thinking, 'I'd love to give that guy my VA caseload for a week and film it. It would be hilarious.'
 
cara susanna said:
Mainstream media portrayal of therapy really loves these insight oriented approaches. They seem to think that's what therapy is, just pointing things out to people.
Click to expand...
The aha moments make for good stories I guess. It’s kind of similar to finding out who the killer is in a crime show. I am trying to think of an actual therapy case in my 20 years experience where this happened. In retrospect, there are lots of moments of insight, after all increasing awareness of patterns of behavior that are maladaptive is part of therapy, but as I am fond of saying insight alone is insufficient.
 
Fan_of_Meehl said:
Yeah...I was thinking, 'I'd love to give that guy my VA caseload for a week and film it. It would be hilarious.'
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"Sir, do you really think it is fair to collect disability pension when you are capable of going out and working? I will take no payment from you because this is blood money!"

"I thought VA services were free, you're going to charge me for this? I served my country (in Kansas during peace time)!"
 
I do think it makes for more compelling tv to see insight-based therapy. The EBP video clips are so dry to watch during training, but I will go hunt down stuff from Carl Rogers on YouTube.
 
cara susanna said:
Mainstream media portrayal of therapy really loves these insight oriented approaches. They seem to think that's what therapy is, just pointing things out to people.
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To be fair in the context of the show this scene was meant to be less insightful therapy and more of an indictment by the show's creators of both the main characters and the show's audience, who at the time gobbled up and rationalized all of the horrible things the characters did cause they wanted to see cool mob guy kill people. Which pissed the creators off. Another thing is one of the main themes of the show is how the talk therapy didn't solve any of tony's problems but only seeked to embolden him and better justify himself the horrible things he was doing (by mostly blaming his mother and childhood)
 
smalltownpsych said:
The aha moments make for good stories I guess. It’s kind of similar to finding out who the killer is in a crime show. I am trying to think of an actual therapy case in my 20 years experience where this happened. In retrospect, there are lots of moments of insight, after all increasing awareness of patterns of behavior that are maladaptive is part of therapy, but as I am fond of saying insight alone is insufficient.
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You get moments like that during PTSD therapy, but they don't always stick and definitely aren't enough by themselves!

Shiori said:
I do think it makes for more compelling tv to see insight-based therapy. The EBP video clips are so dry to watch during training, but I will go hunt down stuff from Carl Rogers on YouTube.
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Have you seen CPT training clips? I think they're super entertaining (especially the session 4 one), but then I also love CPT
 
It's been a minute since I have seen CPT clips. I love CPT too. My last training was CBT-D and now I'm scarred.
 
MateoGM416 said:
To be fair in the context of the show this scene was meant to be less insightful therapy and more of an indictment by the show's creators of both the main characters and the show's audience, who at the time gobbled up and rationalized all of the horrible things the characters did cause they wanted to see cool mob guy kill people. Which pissed the creators off. Another thing is one of the main themes of the show is how the talk therapy didn't solve any of tony's problems but only seeked to embolden him and better justify himself the horrible things he was doing (by mostly blaming his mother and childhood)
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So, you're saying that psychotherapy helped him to improve his job performance. Sounds like goal met!
 
cara susanna said:
Mainstream media portrayal of therapy really loves these insight oriented approaches. They seem to think that's what therapy is, just pointing things out to people.
Click to expand...
Yes, and also it's pretty irritating because the media have shown that they can take input and direction from people with field-specific experience to create reasonably accurate and also entertaining portrayals of specialized knowledge fields. Cf. Scrubs and Big Bang Theory.

Somehow they seem constitutionally incapable of doing this with psychotherapy. In Treatment for example was unwatchable.
I guess they don't use any actual therapists as consultants? Just make up what they imagine would be the content of a therapy session?
 
tr said:
Yes, and also it's pretty irritating because the media have shown that they can take input and direction from people with field-specific experience to create reasonably accurate and also entertaining portrayals of specialized knowledge fields. Cf. Scrubs and Big Bang Theory.

Somehow they seem constitutionally incapable of doing this with psychotherapy. In Treatment for example was unwatchable.
I guess they don't use any actual therapists as consultants? Just make up what they imagine would be the content of a therapy session?
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They did for a bit, one of yours.

Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research

The Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research is a clinical education and research program created to train excellent clinicians, educators, and researchers.
www.psychoanalysis.columbia.edu www.psychoanalysis.columbia.edu
 
tr said:
Somehow they seem constitutionally incapable of doing this with psychotherapy. In Treatment for example was unwatchable.
I guess they don't use any actual therapists as consultants? Just make up what they imagine would be the content of a therapy session?
Click to expand...

Anyone watch couple's therapy on Showtime? That's 'real' therapy, supposedly.
 
WisNeuro said:
They did for a bit, one of yours.

Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research

The Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research is a clinical education and research program created to train excellent clinicians, educators, and researchers.
www.psychoanalysis.columbia.edu www.psychoanalysis.columbia.edu
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One of *mine*? I am not now and have never been affiliated with the CU Psychoanalytic Center 😡

But, so then do you think that Sopranos clip up above reflects what the analyst people are actually doing?

Come to think of it I had a supervisor in residency who used to function a bit like that. I would get through a whole session trying my hardest to use reflective listening to get the patient to find their own insights, and she used to swirl in at the end for supervision and make some imperative pronouncement like, "Look honey, you need a divorce!" (picture a thick Russian accent), and then swirl out again. I don't think she was at all analytically trained though.
 
tr said:
One of *mine*? I am not now and have never been affiliated with the CU Psychoanalytic Center 😡

But, so then do you think that Sopranos clip up above reflects what the analyst people are actually doing?

Come to think of it I had a supervisor in residency who used to function a bit like that. I would get through a whole session trying my hardest to use reflective listening to get the patient to find their own insights, and she used to swirl in at the end for supervision and make some imperative pronouncement like, "Look honey, you need a divorce!" (picture a thick Russian accent), and then swirl out again. I don't think she was at all analytically trained though.
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🙂 I meant MD/Psychiatrist when referring to one of yours.
 
psycho1391 said:
Honestly, I think Albert Ellis clips would make for compelling TV.
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I would watch him too!

I honestly would love to just watch real psychologists doing their thing. It's so interesting to see different styles. My favorite part of consultation training is listening to the other therapists' recordings.
 
Shiori said:
I would watch him too!

I honestly would love to just watch real psychologists doing their thing. It's so interesting to see different styles. My favorite part of consultation training is listening to the other therapists' recordings.
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Jesse Wright and company have some decent vids on CBT in action here:



Of course, these focus much more on the techniques than the theoretical foundations but they're good quality.
 
Sanman said:


Is this not how you are supposed to do it?
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Never thought I'd see the day Harrison Ford slacked on the discipline....

I think there is something about the older movie guys like Costner and Ford....when they get that old-man gravel voice, ya know? Makes them more kick ass!
 
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cara susanna said:
Tbh that's why I can't watch Shrinking, even though I love Scrubs.
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Ignore that stuff. It's not like the "Bones" series nonsense or anything. It's just a therapist with a terrible grief and identity crisis (not sure if he is supposed to be a Ph.D.)?

Harrison Ford and the neighbor lady character (Christa Miller) really make the whole series for me, to be honest.
 
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erg923 said:
Ignore that stuff. It's not like the "Bones" series nonsense or anything. It's just a therapist with a terrible grief and identity crisis (not sure if he is supposed to be a Ph.D.)?

Harrison Ford and the neighbor lady character (Christa Miller) really make the whole series for me, to be honest.
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And Gaby!
 
erg923 said:
Ignore that stuff. It's not like the "Bones" series nonsense or anything. It's just a therapist with a terrible grief and identity crisis (not sure if he is supposed to be a Ph.D.)?

Harrison Ford and the neighbor lady character (Christa Miller) really make the whole series for me, to be honest.
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Pragma said:
And Gaby!
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I love Ted McGinley on there as well. But that may just be my 'Married with Children' nostalgia speaking.
 
erg923 said:
Ignore that stuff. It's not like the "Bones" series nonsense or anything. It's just a therapist with a terrible grief and identity crisis (not sure if he is supposed to be a Ph.D.)?

Harrison Ford and the neighbor lady character (Christa Miller) really make the whole series for me, to be honest.
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Oh God, the therapy stuff in Bones almost ruined the series for me (until the Gravedigger reveal actually did ruin it).
 
cara susanna said:
Oh God, the therapy stuff in Bones almost ruined the series for me (until the Gravedigger reveal actually did ruin it).
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You know what's hilarious? In my opinion, the closest any movie/tv therapist that I've seen come to doing a realistic portrayal of therapy (at least with respect to overall tone/approach) is the Robin Williams character in Good Will Hunting. At least he didn't try to seduce or sleep with his client. There were cringy moments, to be sure ('It's not your fault x3'[but at least this rang somewhat true vis-a-vis self-blame in trauma and assimilated stuck points])...but the appropriate psychological intimacy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, not giving up on the client, self-disclosure to promote bonding, liberal use of humor to build the therapeutic relationship, 'no BS' approach (without being idiotic about it)...it was at least a decent portrayal.

Edit: I just remember he grabbed the client by the throat and threatened to kill him if he 'disrespected' his wife again. Okay...that's a bit cringy, unprofessional, and inappropriate to say the least. But it was a movie and the intention was to entertain, I suppose. I just see that as an over dramatization of setting limits with clients and not being intimidated...though it would appropriately be expressed by ending the therapy session on time even if they were late or something like that, lol.
 
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DynamicDidactic said:
The thread has officially been hijacked 🙂
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Sexy Jack Black GIF by Tenacious D
 
I think I know why it seems like there are more male than female psychologists posting on here. Damn nerds are scaring the ladies away. In real life, I learned to hide my nerdiness. Sometimes I think my wife feels it was false advertising. lol
Also we are probably more geeks than nerds. Definitely psychology geeks and stat geeks and research geeks. Way too interested in that stuff.
 
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