Bad Therapy

This narration explores a modern paradox: as access to mental-health care expands and conversations about feelings become more common, anxiety and distress—especially among the young—often seem to rise rather than fall. With warmth and care, it examines how certain approaches to therapy and school-based support can unintentionally teach hypervigilance, rumination, and helplessness.

At the same time, the message is not anti-therapy. It’s pro-good-therapy. You’ll hear what harmful patterns can look like, why children may be especially vulnerable to them, and how supportive, skilled therapy can help people grow sturdier—not by avoiding challenge, but by learning how to move through it and come out stronger.

• Parents and caregivers who want to support children’s mental health while still encouraging resilience, responsibility, and confidence.
• Young adults who feel anxious or stuck in overthinking and want a healthier, more empowering approach to healing.
• Educators and anyone working with students who wants to help without accidentally increasing fear, dependence, or fragility.

Abigail Shrier is an American journalist and author known for writing about culture, mental health, and contemporary social trends. She has contributed to major publications and is recognized for her critical, investigative approach to questions about how institutions and ideas shape young people’s wellbeing.