In this episode, I speak with Lisa Kays, a practicing licensed therapist about how the harmful behaviors in learning and spiritual communities can show up in licensed mental health spaces.
This isn't an argument against therapy, but a fuller context about the field - from power imbalance of the therapist-client relationship, what it means when a therapist has the power to diagnose, and signs of an unhealthy group environments.
We cover
Why licensure doesn't guarantee safety
How the therapist-client hierarchy can undermine your trust in yourself
What it means when a therapist has the power to diagnose
How group therapy can create coercive attachment dynamics
Pathologizing departure — "I'm worried about you" as a tool of control
Bullying in a professional training space, and the silence that followed
Why so many therapists are trained never to apologize
What consent-based, accountable practice can look like
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Therapy & Enabling of Harm
03:51 Licensure Doesn't Mean Safety
06:33 Power Dynamics in Therapy
09:58 Experiences in Group Therapy
12:29 Signs of a Harmful Group
18:27 How Are Those Who Left Treated?
23:28 Coercion & Pathologizing Departure
32:34 When No One Intervenes
43:13 Empowerment & Liberation
45:16 Diverse Paths to Healing
About Lisa
Lisa Kays, LICSW, LCSW, LCSW-C, is a psychotherapist in private practice. She hosts the podcast "What If Nothing Is Wrong With You" and writes about power dynamics, consent, and accountability in mental health spaces.
Lisa's Website
Lisa's Podcast
Lisa's Blog
Lisa's Instagram
Go deeper with the reflection prompt and the themes of this episode on my Substack.
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