The recent history of “science” in psychotherapy

Summary

Leah Benson, a licensed psychotherapist, discusses the marketing challenges faced by therapists and her journey from embracing outdated pseudoscience to discovering more accurate, modern theories. She admits to initially using the polyvagal theory and 'The Body Keeps the Score' to market her services, but later realizes their inaccuracy. Benson now advocates for the importance of understanding 21st-century brain science to empower clients and improve therapy outcomes, warning against therapists who cling to outdated beliefs.

Takeaways

• 📚 Leah Benson is a licensed body-based psychotherapist, coach, and psychedelic guide who discusses the marketing challenges faced by therapists.
• 🎯 Therapists often use outdated pseudo-science to legitimize and market their services, which Leah herself admits to having done in the past.
• 🧠 Leah acknowledges the shift in therapy trends from long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy to evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
• 📈 The popularity of CBT is attributed to its structured, repeatable protocols and shorter treatment duration, which are seen as more marketable.
• 💡 Leah discusses the pressure on therapists to market themselves effectively, especially in the digital age where potential clients search for services online.
• 🔍 She highlights the importance of using keywords and scientific jargon to rank higher in search results and attract clients.
• 🌟 Leah found bioenergetic analysis as a therapy modality that aligns with her desire to integrate the body into therapy and has a scientific basis.
• 📚 The release of 'The Body Keeps the Score' by Bessel van der Kolk further legitimized body-based psychotherapy and helped Leah in her marketing efforts.
• 😔 However, Leah later discovered that some of the scientific theories she used for marketing, such as the polyvagal theory, were outdated and not supported by current neuroscience.
• 🚫 She now warns against therapists who continue to promote outdated theories and encourages clients to seek therapists with a modern understanding of brain function.
• 🛑 Leah emphasizes the importance of using contemporary neuroscience, such as predictive processing, as a framework for understanding mental health and therapy.

Q & A

Who is Leah Benson and what is her profession?

Leah Benson is a licensed body-based psychotherapist, coach, and psychedelic guide based in Tampa Bay.

What does Leah Benson discuss in the video script about the marketing of therapy services?

Leah Benson discusses the challenges and ethical dilemmas therapists face in marketing their services, including the use of outdated pseudo-science to legitimize and sell their services.

What is psychodynamic psychotherapy and why did it fall out of favor?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a long-term therapy that explores unconscious processes and early life experiences. It fell out of favor starting in the 1970s due to the rise of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is considered evidence-based and quicker in delivering results.

What is the significance of being evidence-based in therapy and how did it affect marketing?

Being evidence-based means that a therapy follows a protocol that is scientifically tested and can be repeated by any therapist. This became a key selling point for therapists in marketing themselves, even if they did not strictly follow the protocols.

Why did Leah Benson initially find the polyvagal theory appealing for her marketing?

Leah Benson found the polyvagal theory appealing because it provided her with scientific language to market her services, despite the therapy she practiced not strictly following an evidence-based protocol.

What is bioenergetic analysis and how did it fit into Leah's therapeutic approach?

Bioenergetic analysis is a therapy modality that integrates the body into the therapeutic process. It fit into Leah's approach as she wanted to bring awareness of the body and its energetic processes into the work of the talking cure.

What book helped to legitimize body-based psychotherapy and destigmatize therapy?

The book 'The Body Keeps the Score' by a Harvard professor helped legitimize body-based psychotherapy and destigmatize the idea of going to therapy.

Why did Leah Benson feel betrayed by the educators in the field of body-based therapy?

Leah Benson felt betrayed because the educators promoted outdated pseudo-science, which was known to be falsified in certain neuroscience circles, without updating their teachings with the latest scientific understanding of brain function.

What does Leah Benson believe is a better framework for understanding mental health and therapy?

Leah Benson believes that the 21st-century science of brain function, particularly the concept of predictive processing, is a better framework for understanding mental health and how therapy helps.

What advice does Leah Benson give to those seeking therapy to avoid outdated beliefs?

Leah Benson advises people to find therapists who understand predictive processing or to seek out traditional psychoanalysts, as they do not usually rely on outdated scientific theories.