Save It For Therapy

A safe space for mind, body, and soul...

Gabriel Byrne as Paul Weston in “In Treatment”

“Therapy!!!” I yell at the TV as I hear a participant in the odd show “B&B de Liefde” lamely explain why his attempts at romantic relationships fail. Everyone needs therapy. Including therapists. In this new weekly section Save It For Therapy I am aiming for a no holds barred approach to mental health and all that is associated with it. I have been in and out of therapy since I was fifteen. In this time I have explored everything from Jung, to cognitive behavioral therapy, holistic therapy and I have had the support of a death doula.

Loneliness and depression are rife, as are the self proclaimed self help gurus dominating the digital sphere. My Instagram feed is full of motivational speakers, mini therapy sessions acted out, and short quotes meant to inspire. I know it is all in response to my searches into education and qualifications needed to become a therapist. While the Cut gives lessons in how to break up with your therapist and suggests we may need less therapy, not more in the series “Overanalyzed”, I look into becoming a therapist. At the moment I would like to get my basic certification in Psycho social knowledge. Then I would like to do these: Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College and Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry. These come with a hefty price tag. Are they worth it?

I am also curious how our view of therapy is framed through TV shows like In Treatment, the Sopranos and Suits. Or what about Stutz?

I tend to be both curious and critical. Still, I was shocked to read that the Dutch psychologist Ingeborg Bos has been under fire for a while. In my late twenties I benefitted greatly from sessions with a therapist who applied Bos’s Past Reality Integration therapy. I read two of her books and back then it made a lot of sense. Now she is being accused of cultish behaviour and a bad business model through expensive licensing.

I have recently observed an increase in suicide prevention campaigns. Just two weeks ago there was a trauma helicopter landing in the field next to our block. I asked one of the bystanders if they knew what had happened. I thought maybe a jogger had had a heart attack. I was informed that it was to offer aid to someone after a failed suicide attempt.

There is a lot going on these days, when it comes to the end of life. Teal Swan is still under scrutiny for her approach to suicidal ideation. A Dutch psychologist, Wim van Dijk, is currently on trial for assisting suicide by providing medication illegally.

The Australian inventor of Sarco, the death capsule, Philip Nitschke, is also in trouble after the use of the capsule to end a life in Switzerland.

When Zoraya van der Beek requested suicide assistance, a Romanian friend asked me for my opinion. I don’t have one. I do have an urge to explore the ethical, legal, and human ramifications of assisted suicide, which when it comes to mental suffering still lives separately from euthanasia in for example terminal cancer cases.

I want to talk about (in no specific order):

Enlightened or Insane? The Role of Spirituality in Therapy

Inspired by my own therapeutic experiences and the work of Bruce Greyson.

Cult or Consciousness? The Rise of Teal Swan, Bentinho Massaro, and the New Age Leaders of Costa Rica

For a while now I have noticed that Teal Swan, Access Consciousness and many of the Mind Valley crew operate in Costa Rica. Which also happens to be home to many retreats, and a few cults. Why are they all gravitating towards this specific place?

Bots, Gurus, and Hashtags: The Strange New World of AI and Social Media Therapy

Here I don’t even know where to start yet, as there is so much out there. It ties in with the success and the criticism of the above mentioned crowd. There are also many globally respected and renowned psychologists offering help online. Has the COVID pandemic encouraged this shift, of the sofa into the digital sphere?

Can Psychedelics Heal Trauma? The Renaissance of Psychedelic Therapy

I know 0 about this from experience. The first thing that comes to mind is the controlled use of LSD. From ayuasca ceremonies to mushrooms, can our mental burdens be relieved by nature?

The Role of Reddit and Quora: Are These Forums Helping or Harming Mental Health?

When a friend got romantically involved with someone who appeared to be dealing with Borderline Personality Disorder she became the online specialist in this area. All through internet forums like these. Now my friend has quit going to therapy herself and her partner refuses treatment I am questioning this.

The Loneliness Pandemic: Understanding Its Impact on Mental Health

Dutch TV campaigns encourage us to connect more. Invite a new neighbour to a football game. Help an elderly neighbour with their shopping. We have to reach out more. But loneliness has many faces.

Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands: Navigating the Ethics and Mental Health Implications

The title for now speaks for itself. This one in particularly says HANDLE WITH CARE.

Therapy on the Screen: When Fictional Therapists Shape Real-World Views

I have a huge woman-crush on Gillian Anderson ever since her role as Dr. Jean Milburn in Sex Education. I also have a weak spot for the way Louis clings to his psychiatrist in Suits, and how I cringed when Harvey Spectre started dating his.

Do We Need Labels? The Push Against Diagnostic Categories in Mental Health

Years ago the Saturday weekend magazine of de Volkskrant was all about mental health. The title was: Everyone is Crazy. There were multiple articles in this edition talking about DSM and diagnoses. A good starting point for further exploration I reckon is the work of Allen Frances, the American psychiatrist used to work for DSM.

The Mind-Body Connection: How Trauma Manifests in Physical Health

For decades I suffered from debilitating migraines. My GP in high school stated that it was all between my ears. Duhhh… where else does a headache live?! What he meant was that it was due to stress. He also meant that he wasn’t going to examen it any further or offer any help, other than: You need to relax more. Louise Hay already advocated it a long time ago. Now Bessel van der Kolk and Gabor Mate remind us.

Etc.

This and so much more has been screaming for my attention. Like the Care in the Community crisis in the UK, that rendered many mental health patients homeless and without treatment. Or my neighbour in Amsterdam, Madame Rocco, who told me the wildest stories while I massaged her achy feet and then said: ‘You mustn’t believe everything I say. I have schizofrenia and I don’t even know what is true or not!’

Are we doing all we can to remove taboos and take care of each other…?