March 27th, 2017
Affirmation: I move beyond old limitations.
Word of the Day: mumpsimus (n):
_____
The Side-Effects of Therapy
Therapy can be life-changing and transformative. It is unfortunate that seeking counseling still holds so much stigma in our society, and it is my hope that this stigma continue to dissipate as people acknowledge the bravery and vulnerability is takes to seek help and support. It is so critical that we all have a safe place to go where we can express ourselves free from judgment and feel heard and seen. It is equally important to have somebody who we can count on to give us honest, well-intentioned feedback that will help us grow and evolve in the direction of our best selves.
Still, just like medication, I believe that therapy has the risk for potential side effects that can range from counterproductive to downright dangerous. Here are some of those risks (thanks to Thom Rutlege for inspiration!):
1. Pathological Fairness:
When someone becomes so fixated on "owning her stuff" that she ceases to hold others accountable and responsible for their choices and behavior.
2. Therapist Dependency:
When a person seeks their therapist's advice and/or approval/validation on all important decisions. This side effect can also play out when an individual finds himself always asking, "What would my therapist do?"
3. The New-and-Improved Blame:
When somebody avoids or deflects other people's confrontations or attempts to hold her accountable by saying (or thinking), "That's their issue."
4. The All-Purpose Excuse:
When an individual justifies his irresponsible choices or actions using what he has learned about himself in therapy as justification. For example, thinking or saying things such as, "I can't help it. That's simply the way I am."
5. Hyper-Jargon:
When someone speaks in overly clinical or psychological terminology ("psychobabble") in a way that alienates those around her.
6. The 50-50 Delusion:
When a person thinks that relationship problems always have a 50-50 responsibility split. In other words, the person refuses to ever take full responsibility for a situation.
7. Process Dependency:
When somebody takes the aphorism, "Life is a journey, not a destination" to an extreme. In other words, this person stops seeking to arrive anywhere. As a result, he neither expects nor strives for results or progress.
8. Excessive Analysis:
When an individual has a need to understand, explain, and justify the meaning of everything. This person may also believe that everything has a deeper meaning.
____
- Are there any other potentially negative side effects that you can think of resulting from therapy? Do you relate to any of the items in the above list?
- Are you currently in therapy or have you even been in therapy? If so, in what ways is it helpful or not helpful? If not, are you interested in seeking counseling services?
- What does a supportive, helpful therapeutic relationship look like for you?
- Do you have any other thoughts concerning counseling and therapy that you would like to share?
Affirmation: I move beyond old limitations.
Word of the Day: mumpsimus (n):
1. adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief, etc., out of habit or obstinacy (opposed to sumpsimus).
2. a person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice (opposed to sumpsimus).
A Wished-For Song
You are song, a wished-for song.
Go through the ear to the center,
where sky is, where wind,
where silent knowing.
Put seeds and cover them.
Blades will sprout
where you do your work.
You are song, a wished-for song.
Go through the ear to the center,
where sky is, where wind,
where silent knowing.
Put seeds and cover them.
Blades will sprout
where you do your work.
_____
The Side-Effects of Therapy
Therapy can be life-changing and transformative. It is unfortunate that seeking counseling still holds so much stigma in our society, and it is my hope that this stigma continue to dissipate as people acknowledge the bravery and vulnerability is takes to seek help and support. It is so critical that we all have a safe place to go where we can express ourselves free from judgment and feel heard and seen. It is equally important to have somebody who we can count on to give us honest, well-intentioned feedback that will help us grow and evolve in the direction of our best selves.
Still, just like medication, I believe that therapy has the risk for potential side effects that can range from counterproductive to downright dangerous. Here are some of those risks (thanks to Thom Rutlege for inspiration!):
1. Pathological Fairness:
When someone becomes so fixated on "owning her stuff" that she ceases to hold others accountable and responsible for their choices and behavior.
2. Therapist Dependency:
When a person seeks their therapist's advice and/or approval/validation on all important decisions. This side effect can also play out when an individual finds himself always asking, "What would my therapist do?"
3. The New-and-Improved Blame:
When somebody avoids or deflects other people's confrontations or attempts to hold her accountable by saying (or thinking), "That's their issue."
4. The All-Purpose Excuse:
When an individual justifies his irresponsible choices or actions using what he has learned about himself in therapy as justification. For example, thinking or saying things such as, "I can't help it. That's simply the way I am."
5. Hyper-Jargon:
When someone speaks in overly clinical or psychological terminology ("psychobabble") in a way that alienates those around her.
6. The 50-50 Delusion:
When a person thinks that relationship problems always have a 50-50 responsibility split. In other words, the person refuses to ever take full responsibility for a situation.
7. Process Dependency:
When somebody takes the aphorism, "Life is a journey, not a destination" to an extreme. In other words, this person stops seeking to arrive anywhere. As a result, he neither expects nor strives for results or progress.
8. Excessive Analysis:
When an individual has a need to understand, explain, and justify the meaning of everything. This person may also believe that everything has a deeper meaning.
____
- Are there any other potentially negative side effects that you can think of resulting from therapy? Do you relate to any of the items in the above list?
- Are you currently in therapy or have you even been in therapy? If so, in what ways is it helpful or not helpful? If not, are you interested in seeking counseling services?
- What does a supportive, helpful therapeutic relationship look like for you?
- Do you have any other thoughts concerning counseling and therapy that you would like to share?
Lol to the cartoons - all of them in your various blogs.
ReplyDeleteLol ;-)
Delete