Is common sense the best therapy?

LAST week’s main reply to ‘Jason’ drew praise from readers for its bluntness — but made Dr JG furious. An ‘accredited EMDR therapist’, she is qualified to attack the lack of expertise I admitted.

She points out that ‘eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a therapy which has been widely researched for approximately 30 years now...one of only two treatments proven to be effective for the treatment of trauma in the UK . . . recommended by NICE guidelines and the World Health Organisation’.

She says: ‘Your ill-informed comments not only rubbish a whole group of highly trained and dedicated professionals, but also give the message that this is some sort of “hocus pocus” treatment which is not valid.’ Well, I did say: ‘I am prepared to be shot down’!

But I wish Dr JG had looked at the bigger picture. Jason seemed to have become obsessed with therapy, because of the ‘trauma’ of his wife’s single act of ‘infidelity’ 14 years ago, before they married and while she was drunk and incapable. (One reader suggested that situation was tantamount to rape.)

I often counsel readers to seek a ‘talking cure’, whether with Relate or another charity, or by consulting the list on the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy’s website.

But when I looked this time, I was flummoxed to see there were 30 therapies to choose from and can’t help being concerned that if the wrong one was selected, it could do harm.

That, Dr JG, is a perfectly valid concern. And do therapists ever tell people that maybe they don’t need further to stoke their alleged ‘trauma’, but put it in perspective?

Twice, I sought therapy for acute stress. Both times it was useless. Dr JG seeks an apology and I do regret she felt her work devalued. But I will not apologise for questioning a culture of therapy which sometimes leaves common sense out of the equation and should always be held up to scrutiny.

Bel answers readers’ questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Scottish Daily Mail, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. A pseudonym will be used if you wish. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence.