What percent of people get worse from therapy?

Even in studies where carefully selected therapists who receive copious amounts of training, support, and supervision, and treat clients with a single diagnosis or problem, between 5 and 10\% get worse and 35-40\% experience no benefit whatsoever! That’s half, or more.

Is it possible for therapy to make you feel worse?

It is actually normal to occasionally feel bad or worse after therapy, especially during the beginning of your work with a therapist. It can be a sign of progress. As counterintuitive as it may sound, feeling bad during therapy can be good.

Is your therapist bad at their job?

Unfortunately, some therapists are bad at their job. They may be unethical, unmotivated, or insufficiently trained. As you are likely to be investing a lot of time, energy, and money in your therapy, you may want to make sure that your therapist is trustworthy, well-trained, and experienced enough to be helpful to you.

Can therapy be harmful?

In fact, therapy can be harmful, with research showing that, on average, approximately 10 per cent of clients actually get worse after starting therapy. Yet belief in the innocuousness of psychotherapy remains persistent and prevalent.

Are there any bad psychotherapists?

When I think of the bad psychotherapists I have encountered, I find that most of them can be loosely grouped into three categories: These are generally male therapists, but not always. This is a greater risk when you are doing some of the more intimate types of bodywork that involve the therapist touching the client.

Why do so many people not go to therapy?

Many people do not actually want to do the work to change what they are struggling with, but merely want to go to therapy to vent every week, without wanting to develop more self-awareness and/or apply this to their life. Therapists are not magicians, and therefore cannot help a person change anyone else besides the client.