Category: Therapy Harm
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The Forensic Shield
My brain never stops. It’s a 24/7 information-processing factory and it exhausts me. I can’t honestly say I hate it, though. Being autistic means my pattern recognition and attention to detail are a force to be reckoned with. Somewhat amusingly, given everything that’s happened, my former therapist often said how much she ‘loved’ my brain.…
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The Yorkshire Tea Illusion
I can’t drink Yorkshire Tea anymore. I haven’t gone off the taste. It’s just that, thanks to my former therapist, every sip tastes like betrayal. Every session, she’d make me a cup of ‘Proper Strong Yorkshire Tea’, the only tea worth drinking, according to her. It started after I brought my own tea bags to…
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PDA Awareness: Coercion in Pyjamas?
‘PDA aware’ has become a bit of a buzzword in neuroaffirming circles over the last few years. It’s supposed to mean more than just being neuroaffirming: understanding how a nervous system might react to perceived demands. Clinicians who call themselves PDA aware talk about being low demand, respecting autonomy, using declarative language, reducing pressure and…
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When Therapeutic Harm Is Disguised as Care
When I say therapeutic harm, most people think of sex, money, or someone crossing a physical line. That stuff is real and serious, and at least it’s easy to spot. What nobody talks about is the quieter kind. The kind that happens when boundaries are inconsistent, the relationship isn’t managed well, and a therapist and…
