Al Siebert

Psychotherapy does not cure mental illness and can cause further damage to a patient, argues Al Siebert in the following viewpoint. He asserts that psychotherapy is no more effective than placebo treatments, which soothe the patient but do not actually treat the disorder in question. In addition, Siebert maintains that psychiatrists and psychologists cause considerable damage to patients and families by misdiagnosing people as mentally ill, but that the doctors at fault rarely face legal repercussions. Siebert is a psychologist and the author of The Survivor Personality.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does Siebert cite as evidence that mental patients have been harmed in psychiatric facilities?
2. According to the author, why does psychotherapy carry a low risk for a malpractice lawsuit?
3. In Siebert’s view, what are two safety issues that must...