Exactly right. However, I am extremely doubtful about anyone who claims that all their patients are cured within a few sessions. That sounds very unlikely unless they screen out people with anything more than minor hang-ups. Sure, in many cases, the root cause of the psychological problem can be identified and the patient can learn a few techniques and then they no longer need further therapy. However, lots of people in therapy are dealing with negative mental processes that were baked into them by a difficult childhood or a traumatic experience. Those sorts of issues can require on-going therapy to keep the patient on track and in a positive mindspace. One quick tricks don’t work on someone with severe codependency or agoraphobia or anorexia. Maybe, with time, they can work through these issues and no longer need therapy, but this could take years.
The rapid cure stuff is mainly about depression and anxiety disorders, I guess agoraphobia should count (with the caveat that the patient has to be well enough to reach the therapist’s office). Certainly whether it “could take years” is the crux of the matter; David Burns very much denies it should ever take nearly that long.
Exactly right. However, I am extremely doubtful about anyone who claims that all their patients are cured within a few sessions. That sounds very unlikely unless they screen out people with anything more than minor hang-ups. Sure, in many cases, the root cause of the psychological problem can be identified and the patient can learn a few techniques and then they no longer need further therapy. However, lots of people in therapy are dealing with negative mental processes that were baked into them by a difficult childhood or a traumatic experience. Those sorts of issues can require on-going therapy to keep the patient on track and in a positive mindspace. One quick tricks don’t work on someone with severe codependency or agoraphobia or anorexia. Maybe, with time, they can work through these issues and no longer need therapy, but this could take years.
I think anorexia is in a different category because the patient often doesn’t want to get better. David Burns talks about it a little on https://feelinggood.com/2019/11/25/168-ask-david-the-blushing-cure-how-to-heal-a-broken-heart-treating-anorexia-and-more/, where he mentions that some sort of therapy with a 50% success rate is good.
The rapid cure stuff is mainly about depression and anxiety disorders, I guess agoraphobia should count (with the caveat that the patient has to be well enough to reach the therapist’s office). Certainly whether it “could take years” is the crux of the matter; David Burns very much denies it should ever take nearly that long.