Book SummaryBad Therapy, by Abigail Shrier

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Bad Therapy

Can mental health treatments ever be harmful for children? In Bad Therapy, Abigail Shrier argues yes, stating that we’re too quick to medicalize youth mental health in today’s society. She says that while some children genuinely suffer from mental illnesses that require professional treatment, parents, teachers, and mental health experts often view normal struggles of growing up as problems that need to be treated with therapy or medication. This overtreatment prevents young people from developing the skills they need for adulthood. Shrier suggests that instead of rushing to therapy, parents should give their kids...

Bad Therapy Summary Gen Z’s Mental Health Crisis

To understand why overtreating mental health can be damaging, we must first understand how young people’s mental health today differs from that of older generations. According to Shrier, Generation Z children (those born 1995-2012) struggle with mental health more than previous generations. They experience unprecedented levels of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. She specifies that nearly half of this generation think their mental health is poor: 40% have sought professional care and 42% have a formal diagnosis. Let’s look at the reasons behind Gen Z’s poor mental health.

Could Poorer Mental Health Be a Natural Life Stage?

Some researchers suggest that Gen Z’s mental health challenges may reflect their life stage more so than a generational crisis. According to research, young adults in their 20s and 30s consistently report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to other age groups. That’s because this life stage brings challenges that have always been particularly difficult for young people like establishing careers, finding partners, and managing finances.

Additionally, studies show that...

Bad Therapy Summary Why Mental Health Treatments Can Be Harmful

Shrier argues that while mental health treatments aim to help children, treating them when it isn’t necessary can cause unintended harm. In this section, we’ll discuss five ways therapy can damage young people.

1) Children Might Accept Unhelpful Ideas Without Question

First, young people lack the life experience and self-awareness to challenge a therapist’s ideas like adults can. Because of this, they might accept inaccurate or unhelpful interpretations without question, leading to confusion about their feelings or experiences. For example, if a therapist tells a teen that their parents’ strict rule about chores is overly controlling, the teenager might start viewing their parents as unfair or oppressive.

(Shortform note: This tendency to trust what authority figures say without question isn’t unique to young people—it’s hardwired into all of us. As Robert Cialdini explains in Influence, humans have a psychological instinct to defer to authority figures, whether they’re doctors, teachers, or other experts. We’re so prone to this that even just symbols...

Bad Therapy Summary The Overemphasis on Mental Health in Schools

Now that we’ve discussed how unnecessary mental health treatment can harm children, let’s look more specifically at how schools can contribute to these issues. According to Shrier, schools focus too much on student mental health. Despite lacking proper training or guidelines, teachers and staff routinely encourage students to share personal feelings in class, suggest mental health diagnoses like ADHD, and provide excessive accommodations. In the following sections, we’ll discuss the effects of these interventions in school on student mental health.

(Shortform note: The Covid-19 pandemic, which worsened children’s mental health, prompted 38 states to pass nearly 100 laws for improving mental health services in schools. These laws aim to ensure that school mental health programs are properly implemented. For example, Virginia now requires school counselors to receive specific training in mental health disorders, depression, trauma, and youth suicide before they can be licensed. Other states like Connecticut and Florida have created protocols for how schools should respond to student mental...

Bad Therapy Summary How Parents Can Nurture Resilient Children

To raise more resilient children, Shrier encourages parents to trust their instincts instead of relying on expert opinions. She says modern parenting has become too dependent on experts and interventions, with parents turning to therapy and medication to handle their child’s behavioral issues instead of using parenting strategies like setting boundaries and consequences. Depending so heavily on outside help prevents children from developing life skills and forming strong relationships with their parents.

Instead of relying on mental health treatments, Shrier recommends parents be more authoritative instead of coddling their children and let their children be more independent.

(Shortform note: The idea that parents should follow expert advice to raise their children is called scientific motherhood— the belief that mothering should be guided by scientific supervision and principles. This parenting model gained momentum in the late 19th century when major scientific discoveries, like germ theory, were...

Shortform Exercise: Assess Your Parenting Style

Shrier argues that modern parents have become too permissive and therapeutic in their approach, often discussing feelings with their children instead of giving consequences. In this exercise, you’ll examine your typical responses to your child’s behavior and reflect on ways you can adjust your parenting style.

Think about a recent situation where your child misbehaved or challenged your authority. How did you respond in the moment? Be specific about what you said and did, including whether you discussed feelings or imposed immediate consequences.

Shortform Exercise: Evaluate Your Child’s Independence

According to Shrier, today’s children are too overscheduled and lack sufficient independence and unstructured time. Evaluate your child’s current schedule and identify opportunities to reduce adult supervision and increase their free time.

Briefly describe your child’s typical daily schedule, including school, extracurricular activities, family time, chores, and any other structured time. About how many total hours per week are unaccounted for?