Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
147. Termination Session
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you for listening!
146. Patreon Selects: Carrie-Ben Therapy (aka CBT 2.0)
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie and Ben create their own model of therapy. Goal setting! Psychoeducation! Exploitation and w...
145. Patreon Selects: Book Review - All Therapy Books
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All therapy books have an oddly similar message: *This* form of therapy is the one that truly matte...
143. Patreon Selects: Fun With the Psychology Today Profile Generator
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Life can be hard at times. Do you want to feel more visible and important in your relationships? Ar...
142. VBT Study Hall: Client Testimonials and Reviews
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Social proof has become a crucial element of consumer decision making in the Internet era. So why do...
141. "Not All Christians…" (with Josh Foster, LCPC)
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is religious trauma, and why do some therapists refuse to work with clients who use that langua...
140. VBT Study Hall: What Does "Trauma-Informed" Mean?
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Trauma-informed therapy is…what, exactly? And is trauma actually stored in the body, or is that ju...
139. Politics in the Therapy Room (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let's get controversial! Is it a good idea for a therapist to project their own political views onto...
138. Patreon Selects: Is EMDR a Cultish Pyramid Scheme?
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No, EMDR is not a cultish pyramid scheme. With that out of the way, why is EMDR training so expensiv...
137. VBT Study Hall: Evaluating Research
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do we know which psychotherapy research is trustworthy? Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk h...
136. Very Bad Group Therapy
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes for effective group therapy? Cohesion, expectation setting, and as today's guest Thomas c...
135. VBT Study Hall: Treatment Planning
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is treatment planning and why do some therapists dread having to do it on a regular bas...
134. Neurodiversity and Diagnosis (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's so important about a diagnosis? For neurodivergent clients, it can mean affirmation, communit...
133. VBT Study Hall: Termination
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing lasts forever, including therapeutic relationships. Therapy can end in lots of different way...
132. Some Bad Parts (with Dr. Sheila Addison)
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"No bad parts" is a common mantra in therapy – the various parts of ourselves are always working t...
131. VBT Study Hall: First Sessions
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens in the first session of therapy? More importantly, why do one-third of clients not come...
130. Gambling Therapy
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is good therapy as simple as whatever activity makes a client feel better? What if that activity is ...
129. Patreon Selects: Will Carrie Ever Get Licensed?
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie hasn't worked as a therapist in over a year. Will she ever get licensed, and how is her decis...
128. VBT Study Hall: The Therapeutic Alliance
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've already heard that the therapeutic alliance is important to client outcomes, but does anyone ...
127. Enlightenment is Not a Treatment Goal (with Dr. Jim Jobin)
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many clients want a spiritual component to their therapy, but what happens when a therapist acts mor...
126. VBT Study Hall: Interventions
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It seems odd that most therapists – us included – aren't 100% certain about what constitutes an ...
125. So You've Stereotyped Your Client (with Deanna Fierman, LPC)
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stereotypes aren't always a bad thing. That may not be true in therapy, especially when a client is ...
124. VBT Study Hall: Theoretical Orientations
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are over 600 types of psychotherapy. What are they, where did they come from, and what makes t...
Bonus: Clinical Licensing Exams Don't Work (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the United States, mental health professionals must pass a clinical exam to become licensed in th...
123. Catching Feelings (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's not unusual for clients to develop feelings for their therapist. It's also not unusual for ther...
122. Patreon Selects: Degrees of Confusion (Part II)
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Norris rejoins us to conclude our conversation about the perplexing maze that is the applicat...
121. Patreon Selects: Degrees of Confusion (Part I)
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why the process of applying to grad school is so unclear at times? In part on...
120. Hard Conversations
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a therapist doesn't want to work with a client? What should happen? Tom shares his...
119. Patreon Selects: The Intersections of Philosophy and Psychotherapy
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Sally Gibbons is an Oxford-educated philosopher, professor of bioethics and philosophy at UCLA, ...
118. Testing Patients (with Rachel Simon, LCSW)
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Psychological testing can be complicated. It shouldn't have to be hostile, even if the evaluation is...
117. Patreon Selects: The History of Expertise in Therapy (Part II)
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The history of expertise in medicine and science led the field of psychotherapy to its beloved empir...
116. Patreon Selects: The History of Expertise in Therapy (Part I)
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapists are considered mental health experts. How did this come to be, and is it necessary for th...
115. What is Bad Therapy, and Who Gets to Provide It? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest Marie shares her thought-provoking story about a preoccupied telehealth therapist, and...
114. Patreon Selects: An Actor, a Sommelier, and a Poker Player Walk Into a Bar
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie and Ben are joined by friend of the podcast Rachel Bennett to talk about how their past caree...
113. Psychedelics and Therapy (with Ben Hearn, LPCC-S)
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Consciousness-altering psychedelic drugs have shown tremendous promise in mental health treatment. T...
112. Patreon Selects: Desperate Remedies for Mental Illness
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Andrew Scull is the Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, at UCSD. He has written exte...
111. Talking About Antisemitism (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The field of psychotherapy has increasingly prioritized discussions about issues of oppression and m...
110. Patreon Selects: The VBT Guide to Grad School (Part II)
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with Dr. Ben Caldwell to conclude our thoughts on grad school and the surprising reality ...
109. Patreon Selects: The VBT Guide to Grad School (Part I)
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ben Caldwell joins us to discuss everything you need to know about going to school to become a t...
108. The Inevitable CBT Episode (with Alyssa Davis, LMFT)
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of course we were going to end up doing an episode about CBT eventually. Emily describes visiting a ...
Bonus: Introducing the Learn Psychotherapy Podcast
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carrie have a new podcast! It's called Learn Psychotherapy, and we're inviting you to listen...
107. Patreon Selects: Ask Us Anything!
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're long overdue for a good old-fashioned Q&A episode. You've sent in your questions, and we're he...
106. Psycho, Education
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a therapist and client have two very different conversational styles? Therapists c...
105. Patreon Selects: The Elephant in the Therapy Room
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Robin Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and the coauthor ...
104. Crises in the Time of Intake (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When does somebody officially become a client of therapy? And what happens if, before that distincti...
103. Patreon Selects: The Therapists' Side of the Story
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Very Bad Therapy, we seek to understand what it's like for clients to have bad therapeutic experi...
102. The Good and Bad of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (with Fred Kutnick, LCSW)
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is considered the front-line treatment for borderline personality...
101. Bonus: Hollywood and Mental Health (with Thomas Lennon)
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Lennon is an acclaimed actor and screenwriter, best-selling novelist, and most importantly, C...
100. Patreon Selects: Is Good Therapy Just the Absence of Bad Therapy?
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie and Ben are joined by Dr. Will Dobud to discuss two burning questions: is good therapy just t...
99. Conversations With a Therapy Failure Expert
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beth is a self-described therapy failure expert. She joins us for the whole episode (and more!) as w...
98. Incurable Diseases Are Not Problems to Solve (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW)
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A therapist's job is to help their clients. But what does "help" mean when a client has been diagnos...
97. You Have to Hug Me Before You Leave
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dual relationships can be perfectly fine in therapy. But imagine if your therapist was also working ...
96. New Therapist, Who Dis? (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean if a therapist suddenly changes their behavior? In this episode, Katie shares her ...
95. Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Post-Traumatic Stress Demonology The cause of psychological distress is often complex and unkno...
94. Trauma-Uninformed Therapy (with Dr. Chelsea Kilimnik)
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of therapists describe themselves as "trauma-informed." Very few fail to live up to that title ...
93. The Sociopath in the Therapy Room
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Therapists have a lot of power. This episode is about a therapist who leveraged that power to abuse ...
92. Crossing the Line (with Johannah Song, LPC)
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can wearing a cross be considered a type of bad therapy? This episode features a conversation with J...
91. Guilt, Ghosting, and General Unpleasantness
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode's interview with Sara is about two therapists – one who was too friendly, and another...
90. VBT in Focus: New Ideas to Fix Old Problems
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who should we talk to next about how to break the decades-long plateau of client outcomes in psychot...
89. The Widow and the Miracle Question (with Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW)
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jill Johnson-Young is an expert in the areas of dying, death, and grief. She also has the personal e...
88. Couples Therapy Bullshit (with Sade Kammen)
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the role of a couples therapist in deciding whether a couple stays together or separates? In...
87. When Your Therapist Seems Unwell (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Halina Brooke rejoins us to share her story of bad therapy and resulting experience with the board c...
86. The Board Complaint Process (with Halina Brooke, LAMFT)
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When things go very wrong in therapy, clients often have the option of filing a complaint with the t...
85. Talking About Race (with Farah Zerehi, AMFT)
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What can therapists do to provide culturally humble services to clients? Being curious is a good sta...
84. Are Therapists Substitute Parental Figures?
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Attachment theory is one of the most credible areas in the field of psychotherapy. It is not, howeve...
83. Drive-Thru DBT (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our guest Maryellen shares her bad experience with a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (...
82. Predatory Therapists (with Dr. Diane Gehart)
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A small percentage of therapists do bad things – not tiny ruptures in the therapeutic alliance or ...
81. Codependency In Therapy (with Marissa Esquibel, LMFT)
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Marissa Esquibel, LMFT joins us to talk about codependency – the tendency to let another person's ...
80. The Troubled Teen Industry (with Kenneth R. Rosen)
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kenneth R. Rosen is an author and journalist with firsthand experience in what is colloquially calle...
79. The Stigma of Severe Mental Illness
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having a severe and persistent mental illness is difficult – especially when the stigma of certain...
78. Very Bad Couples Therapy (with Dr. Bonnie Kennan)
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Building a good therapeutic alliance in couples therapy can be tricky with multiple people in the co...
77. Surviving Rehab
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rehab facilities can be life saving for many people. This is a different kind of story. Jen shares h...
76. VBT in Focus: Potentially Harmful Therapies (with Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk)
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The more you learn about psychotherapy research, the less it all seems to make sense. Dr. Alex Willi...
75. How Not To Handle Fee Increases
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The cost of therapy, like most everything else, increases over time. This can lead to some difficult...
74. Very Bad Sex Therapy (with Danielle Kramer, LIMHP)
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Conversations about sex – even in therapy – are often constrained by harmful cultural narratives...
73. Silence in Therapy: What's the Story? (with Dr. Gene Combs)
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Silence in therapy can feel awkward, helpful, expansive, or even punitive. There is no consensus on ...
72. All About Psychiatry (with Dr. Patrick Wiita)
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's not a secret that rapport contributes to outcomes in all types of healthcare. How, then, to mak...
71. Very Bad Family Therapy (with Dr. Eli Karam)
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Amy shares her childhood experience as a sexual abuse survivor being told by...
70. Missed Attunement (with Dave Segal, RCC)
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Segal is a nature-based therapist and the executive director of Human-Nature Counselling in Vic...
69. Culture, Stigma, and Very Bad Psychiatry
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest Cherry shares her experience being prescribed benzodiazepines and God instead of recei...
68. Misdiagnosing Clients (with Dr. Christine King and Dr. Ben Caldwell)
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christine King experienced three concussions when she was a child. The symptoms of her brain inj...
67. VBT in Focus: Dr. Don Meichenbaum on CBT and Hype
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Don Meichenbaum is credited with helping to develop cognitive behavioral therapy in the 1960s an...
66. Questioning Trans Identities (with Beck Gee-Cohen, CADC-II)
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Jonathan shares his story as a teenager working with a gender therapist who dism...
65. When Treatment Fails (with Henk Spierings)
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Henk Spierings has had a wide range of experiences in therapy – most of them unhelpful, if not out...
64. Is Bad Therapy Unethical Therapy? (with Dr. Christopher Taylor)
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between very bad therapy and very unethical therapy? Today's guest Lisa shares...
63. Therapy in Prison (with Kenneth E. Hartman)
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kenneth E. Hartman is a prison reform activist who served 38 years in the California prison system. ...
62. Overcoming Systemic Transphobia in Mental Health (with Rachel Bennett and Dr. David Nylund)
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Bennett shares her experience navigating the historically misguided gatekeeping requirements ...
61. What Heals Trauma? (with Chrissy Gillmore, MCoun)
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Chrissy Gillmore about the primacy of client strengths, resilience, and culture in...
A Short Progress Note
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Very Bad Therapy is switching to biweekly episodes, but we're not quite ready to miss a week of podc...
60. VBT in History (2010s): The Replication Crisis Comes for Us All
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is an ongoing replication crisis in science; many of the studies that frame our scientific kno...
59. Don't Be Weird (with Bronwen Clark)
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bronwen Clark is the author of Don't Be Weird: A Memoir of Food and Feelings. She joins us to share ...
58. VBT in Focus: Paul Gilmartin on Mental Health and Therapy
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Gilmartin is a former stand-up comedian and host of the widely popular Mental Illness Happy Hou...
57. Addressing Cultural Complexities (with Dr. Pamela Hays)
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, our guest J shares two experiences that highlight the difficulties therapists ca...
56. Very Bad Therapy and Anti-Racism
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carrie discuss their commitment to making this podcast an antiracist space. Show Notes: ...
55. VBT in History (2000s): Rebirthing Therapy
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Candace Newmaker was a 10-year-girl who tragically died in the process of rebirthing therapy, a vari...
54. How Much Therapy is Necessary?
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week's guest Adam shares his experience of seeing a therapist for five years without any notice...
53. VBT in Focus: How to Do Deliberate Practice (with Dr. Tony Rousmaniere and Dr. Alexandre Vaz)
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Deliberate practice is an emerging (and sometimes abstract) concept of psychotherapist development. ...
52. On Grief and Loss (with Dr. Michael Morad-McCoy)
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conversations about death, dying, and bereavement can be difficult, but they are often an important ...
51. VBT in History (1990s): The Empirically Supported Treatment Debate Rages On
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The American Psychological Association commissioned a task force in 1993 to determine how to scienti...
50. A Story of Strength
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Samuel discusses his experiences with conversion therapy in Provo, Utah. Thi...