If you are interested in learning more about the current trend of turning our K12 schools into therapy centers, I highly recommend @A Legal Process. He is the Substack writer who coined the term, “therapeutic education.”
I had something like this at my school. Everyone had to meet regularly with a school social worker.
It's scary to feel trapped in a theraputic environment. It feels like you're stuck in serious treatment, and it's hard for life to feel fun and normal if everything feels like it's "treatment." I know therapistis tried to reccomend things like D&D games or board game nights, but hosted at therapy centers, thinking I'd enjoy it. I said no, ruined the experience for me.
These excercises definitely cause people to focus more on negative thoughts. I remember feeling like each time I felt moderately annoyed I'd have to "catch" the "anxiety" and then run through a whole acronym in my mind... Sometimes, people can just stay upset.
I do see that awareness can help people identify if something is going on, but the degree of how often you hear about it makes you think the world is some dystopia where everyone is depressed, and awareness FAILS to clarify how rare some of these conditions are and inform anyone of what symptoms are normal.
It seems like every generation - there is a new "program" that is peddled to US public schools for a big contract. The winners are the ones selling it or supporting their jobs as consultants, and the losers are the students.
This type of "therapy" program seems like hard-wiring kids from a young age to look at the negatives first and focus inward all the time which is the exact opposite one should do to combat anxiety and depression. Almost as if they are setting kids up to be customers for life for therapy. hmmm.
Kids need to be practicing on looking outwards, serving others and their community, and work for a greater good, and not focus on their inner self.
I saw these risks closeup when my teen was a HS freshman in 2018. It clicked suddenly when I met with the behavioral health person who was stationed at the school about my child. The overall approach to child mental health in this country is horrifying. Given my experience, I would tell parents to stay far away unless there is an acute situation and you can find the needle in a haystack therapist. Bad therapy wrecked my child and her relationship with us.
My wife is a teacher at a high school and sees this all the time. Kids go in feeling great, get a useless barrage of suicidal ideation questions and next thing you know they’re questioning the validity of their existence. Abigail Shrier laid this out well in her book “Bad Therapy.”
When did we start with the assumption that every negative feeling or sadness or nervousness(now called anxiety) is indicative of a mental health condition? How many sail through life without any emotional responses? Especially adolescents. My college developmental psychology professor said jokingly that adolescence is a period of psychosis. Yet the majority come out the other side without permanent damage.
Oh my. I think back to all of the ‘wonderful mindfulness sessions’ that our all girls school was so excited to introduce to us parents. They even showed us examples of mindfulness practices in the classroom. Like English. Advisory. Omg. My now terribly distressed COVID senior ate it up when she was in 8th grade. My other daughter has always said it makes her super ANXIOUS and hates it. That child was right all along. I can’t believe I never spoke up about how I thought it was all ridiculous. But I didn’t have the language to express what my ‘spicy’ sense was telling me. I TRUSTED THE PROFESSIONALS. And now my family is living in the upside down. Please continue highlighting this disaster.
I plan to. I have a HS senior, too. The therapeutic education model has been a disaster for Gen Z, as we have seen in the Coddling movie. Thank you so much for your comment.
If you are interested in learning more about the current trend of turning our K12 schools into therapy centers, I highly recommend @A Legal Process. He is the Substack writer who coined the term, “therapeutic education.”
I had something like this at my school. Everyone had to meet regularly with a school social worker.
It's scary to feel trapped in a theraputic environment. It feels like you're stuck in serious treatment, and it's hard for life to feel fun and normal if everything feels like it's "treatment." I know therapistis tried to reccomend things like D&D games or board game nights, but hosted at therapy centers, thinking I'd enjoy it. I said no, ruined the experience for me.
These excercises definitely cause people to focus more on negative thoughts. I remember feeling like each time I felt moderately annoyed I'd have to "catch" the "anxiety" and then run through a whole acronym in my mind... Sometimes, people can just stay upset.
I do see that awareness can help people identify if something is going on, but the degree of how often you hear about it makes you think the world is some dystopia where everyone is depressed, and awareness FAILS to clarify how rare some of these conditions are and inform anyone of what symptoms are normal.
Yikes! "Everyone had to meet regularly with a school social worker."
It seems like every generation - there is a new "program" that is peddled to US public schools for a big contract. The winners are the ones selling it or supporting their jobs as consultants, and the losers are the students.
This type of "therapy" program seems like hard-wiring kids from a young age to look at the negatives first and focus inward all the time which is the exact opposite one should do to combat anxiety and depression. Almost as if they are setting kids up to be customers for life for therapy. hmmm.
Kids need to be practicing on looking outwards, serving others and their community, and work for a greater good, and not focus on their inner self.
So right and so scary.
Agree 100%
I saw these risks closeup when my teen was a HS freshman in 2018. It clicked suddenly when I met with the behavioral health person who was stationed at the school about my child. The overall approach to child mental health in this country is horrifying. Given my experience, I would tell parents to stay far away unless there is an acute situation and you can find the needle in a haystack therapist. Bad therapy wrecked my child and her relationship with us.
That’s just awful. I’m hopeful that increased awareness about the harms will lead to a dramatic decrease of stories like yours.
My goodness. I'm so sorry.
Same. Started in school. I fell for it.
My wife is a teacher at a high school and sees this all the time. Kids go in feeling great, get a useless barrage of suicidal ideation questions and next thing you know they’re questioning the validity of their existence. Abigail Shrier laid this out well in her book “Bad Therapy.”
Shrier’s Bad Therapy is genius. EVERYONE should read it. So spot on.
When did we start with the assumption that every negative feeling or sadness or nervousness(now called anxiety) is indicative of a mental health condition? How many sail through life without any emotional responses? Especially adolescents. My college developmental psychology professor said jokingly that adolescence is a period of psychosis. Yet the majority come out the other side without permanent damage.
Good question, Lizzie. The groupthink is astounding.
Oh my. I think back to all of the ‘wonderful mindfulness sessions’ that our all girls school was so excited to introduce to us parents. They even showed us examples of mindfulness practices in the classroom. Like English. Advisory. Omg. My now terribly distressed COVID senior ate it up when she was in 8th grade. My other daughter has always said it makes her super ANXIOUS and hates it. That child was right all along. I can’t believe I never spoke up about how I thought it was all ridiculous. But I didn’t have the language to express what my ‘spicy’ sense was telling me. I TRUSTED THE PROFESSIONALS. And now my family is living in the upside down. Please continue highlighting this disaster.
"Please continue highlighting this disaster." We're working on it, SC. Thanks for sharing your story.
I plan to. I have a HS senior, too. The therapeutic education model has been a disaster for Gen Z, as we have seen in the Coddling movie. Thank you so much for your comment.