One of your friends recently lost a close family member in a tragic car accident, and he is devastated. He is not been attending classes, and when you check up on him, you learn that he is not sleeping well or eating regularly. You want to help him but feel a little out of your depth, so you suggest he visit the campus counselling centre and talk to a therapist. “Only crazy people go to therapy,” he says. What could you tell your friend to dispel his assumption?

While you are talking to your bereaved friend, his roommate comes in. The roommate agrees with your suggestion about therapy but takes it further. “I’ll give you the name of my therapist. He helped me quit smoking—he’ll be able to cure your depression in no time.” Why is it dangerous to assume that a good therapist can cure anyone and anything?

In the Methods in Psychology chapter you read about Louise Hay, whose best-selling book, You Can Heal Your Life, promotes a kind of psychotherapy: teaching readers how to change their thoughts and thereby improve not only their inner lives but also their physical health. The chapter quotes Hay as saying that scientific evidence is unnecessary to validate her claims. Is there a scientific basis for the major types of psychotherapy described in this chapter? How is scientific experimentation used to assess their effectiveness?

In June 2009, pop icon Michael Jackson died after receiving a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which is sometimes used off-label as an anti-anxiety drug; autopsy confirmed that his body contained a cocktail of prescription drugs, including the benzodiazepines lorazepam, and diazepam. (Jackson’s cardiologist, Dr. Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the fatal dose.) Other celebrities whose deaths have been attributed to medications commonly prescribed for anxiety and depression include Heath Ledger in 2008 and Amy Winehouse in 2011. “These drugs are dangerous,” your roommate notes. “People who have psychological problems should seek out talk therapy for their problems and stay away from the medications, even if they’re prescribed by a responsible doctor.” You agree that medications can be dangerous if misused, but how would you justify the use of drug treatment for serious mental disorders?