Abigail Shrier: How Therapy is Ruining Our Kids (And What We HAVE to Do About It) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Therapy and the overemphasis on feelings in parenting and education has led to a generation of emotionally disregulated children.

Key Insights

• 👪 Therapy can undermine parental authority and make children question their parents' capabilities.
• 👶 Bad therapy introduces new symptoms or exacerbates existing ones, leading to emotionally disregulated children.
• 👶 The overemphasis on feelings in parenting and education prevents children from developing responsibility and resilience.

Transcript

when you drop your kid off to a therapy very often it will undermine your Authority with your kids because now you have someone who's an adult who seems to be above the parent who sits around with the child basically judging your interactions with the kid telling the kids all the time here the suicide hight lines we put them around the school const... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How has therapy undermined parental authority?

Therapy introduces an adult figure that seems to be above parents, judging their interactions with their kids. This undermines the parents' authority and can make the child question their parents' capabilities.

Q: What are the negative effects of the overemphasis on feelings in parenting and education?

The constant focus on feelings teaches children that their emotions are the most important thing and that their actions have no consequences. It also pathologizes normal behaviors and prevents children from developing agency and resilience.

Q: How has bad therapy contributed to the current state of children's mental health?

Bad therapy introduces new symptoms or exacerbates existing ones. It teaches children that their struggles are due to brain problems instead of teaching them responsibility and coping skills. This can lead to a generation of emotionally disregulated children.

Q: Is the focus on happiness and wellness in parenting and education counterproductive?

Yes, constantly focusing on happiness and wellness can actually make children unhappy. Most of life is not filled with constant happiness, and by making happiness the goal, children are set up for constant disappointment.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The overuse of therapy and focus on feelings in parenting and education has undermined parental authority and led to emotionally disregulated children.

• Bad therapy that introduces new symptoms or exacerbates existing ones is prevalent and harmful.

• Parents should focus on raising strong, independent children by teaching responsibility and resilience instead of obsessing over their emotions.