Bad Therapy

There’s a new fascinating book on the shelves: Bad Therapy, by Abigail Shrier. It’s a thought-provoking look at the effect of over-psychologizing society and in particular, children. Shrier isn’t a psychologist herself, but a reporter and best-selling author, a keen observer of what is happening to the current generation of children.

In her new book, she details, mocks, and shreds the philosophies underlying modern parenting. Her dripping sarcasm clearly conveys her disdain for what she considers not only wrongheaded but downright destructive parenting strategies advocated by today’s “experts.” Her belief is that therapists, parents, and teachers are destroying the young generation.

Shrier points out that in society at large, young adults are now notoriously childlike — terrified of making mistakes, taking risks, or even taking responsibility for themselves. They carry multiple mental health diagnoses, see therapists, take medication, prefer to hide out at home rather than move on to marriage and family life, and reject their parents in larger numbers than ever before.

For their part, parents of these young people worked exceptionally hard at raising their kids, reading dozens of parenting books, attending parenting classes, listening to parenting podcasts, following online parenting experts, and doing their very best to prevent any form of pain or suffering for their child. These parents have been careful to listen empathically, guide gently, abstain from retrograde strategies that involve threats and punishments, and in all ways cushion their youngsters from rejection, failure, and hardship. Shrier’s research shows that the outcome of all of this parenting diligence has been serious adult dysfunction.