Latest Episode:
Episode 103 - Patreon Selects: The Therapists’ Side of the Story
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 to continue our conversation from the end of episode #72 to discuss some very interesting questions:
Are we doing a disservice to our listeners by not considering the “bad” therapists’ point of view?
What are we suggesting by being unquestionably validating of our guests’ stories?
Is it even possible to have this podcast if we challenge our guests’ perspectives?
Plus, Carrie finds deep meaning in a breakfast sandwich.
Episode 73 - Silence in Therapy: What's the Story? (with Dr. Gene Combs)
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 her experience of feeling punished by her therapists’ use of silence, and Dr. Gene Combs provides a narrative perspective on silence, sanctity, and power in the therapeutic relationship.
Episode 72 - All About Psychiatry (with Dr. Patrick Wiita)
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 suicide plan, and gave terrible marital advice? Dr. Patrick Wiita joins the show to talk about education, training, and ethics in the field of psychiatry and how to make the most out of every session with your patients.
Episode 47 - VBT in History (1980s): Satanic Panic and Recovered Memory Therapy
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 allegations of ritualistic satanic child abuse and concluded with zero convictions and a new understanding of the unreliability of recovered memories. The satanic panic has subsided, but its indirect effects are still present today in how therapists work with childhood trauma.
How Should Therapists Respond to Coronavirus?
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 social justice implications of the pandemic, and Ben Caldwell, PsyD discusses what you need to know about shifting your practice to telehealth services. Please share this episode anywhere you feel it might make an impact.