" Crazy" therapies

by Margaret Thaler Singer

While it is true that millions of people are greatly helped by psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, group, and other types of legitimate therapies, each year thousands of vulnerable and unsuspecting individuals go to and trust practitioners who persuade clients to accept various unfounded and fanciful methods. Generally these enthusiastic - and perhaps ill-trained - therapists are themselves convinced of the healing powers of an array of techniques, some dating back far into time, that range from hilarious to hazardous. Some clients are helped - most likely as a result of a placebo effect; some lose precious time and money; and yet others are psychologically damaged by some rather offbeat and irrational procedures. Past-life therapy, alien-abduction therapy, rebirthing, and skull bone adjustments, to name a few, might be laughable if the results of some of these bizarre practices weren't so potentially wasteful and at times harmful. Written by Margaret Thaler Singer and Janja Lalich,