Can Therapy Be Addictive? : The Power and Terror of Termination

Despite the disappointing experiences with therapy recently reported by PT blogger Carla Cantor, psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in most cases. This is especially true when psychotherapy is combined with psychiatric medication for treating more severe and debilitating mental disorders. Having said this, I would remind readers that there is, for me, especially today, really no such thing as “therapy” per se: only differently trained clinicians with different personalities, skills and different degrees and kinds of education and experience, providing what they believe to be the best therapeutic treatment for the patient’s problems. While according to some research, no one single theoretical approach to therapy is, in the final analysis, clearly superior to others, not all psychotherapists are created equal. Which is why the consumer of mental health services must be mindful that it is not just a generic matter of “going to therapy” as much as carefully finding the right therapist for you. One area of particular importance in my opinion pertains to how psychotherapists deal (or avoid dealing) with anger or rage, a topic I’ve posted about frequently. But another equally fundamental matter has to do with how therapists tackle the ticklish process of termination.

More >> Can Therapy Be Addictive? : The Power and Terror of Termination