Prof. Steven Sandage Published in The Conversation
The following is an excerpt from the article “Think therapy is navel-gazing? Think again” by Albert and Jessie Danielsen Professor of Psychology of Religion and Theology Steven Sandage, published on February 22, 2022 by The Conversation US. Click here to read the full article.
Midway through a recent lecture about my psychology research, a bright graduate student voiced a familiar question.
“I have heard psychotherapy makes people more self-absorbed,” they said. “So how can you encourage a practice that has such a negative social impact?”
I am often struck by these negative stereotypes, despite growing demand for counseling – particularly amid the pandemic. The well-entrenched image seems to be that psychotherapy is an indulgent, narcissistic cocoon where therapists enable patients to “navel-gaze” and blame others for their problems.