History of Harm in Western Psychology
Western Psychoanalysis Has a Dark Past—Here’s Why Self-Advocacy Matters More Than Ever
Let’s be real—Western psychoanalysis has had a messy, harmful history. We owe a lot to the field of psychology, but we can’t ignore the fact that the foundations were built on some seriously unethical practices. Sigmund Freud (who, let’s not forget, was high on cocaine for much of his career) set the tone for a system that often pathologized normal human behavior, especially when it came to women, neurodivergent individuals, and people of color. And it wasn’t just bad theories—people were literally shackled in institutions, subjected to lobotomies, locked away for being “hysterical,” and forced into treatment they never consented to.
And honestly, we’re still dealing with the fallout of that today.
The psychiatric and medical fields have created a culture of worshipping the “expert” in the white coat—and that can be a huge problem. While expertise is important, we’ve been conditioned to doubt ourselves, to feel like we have to get permission from a doctor or therapist before we can trust our own experience. And that’s dangerous because the truth is: You are the expert on YOU.
Psychiatric Institutions: A History of Harm
It wasn’t that long ago that psychiatric hospitals looked more like dungeons than treatment centers. I’ve seen it firsthand. When I worked at Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services, I walked through the old wings of the facility—rooms with bolted-down metal beds, rusted chains still attached to the walls, it was chilling.
Women were institutionalized by their own husbands for everything from postpartum depression to simply not “obeying.” People of color and disabled individuals were disproportionately locked away in asylums and treated like second-class humans. Neurodivergent people, especially autistic individuals, were labeled as “insane” and forced into harmful therapies.
These systems weren’t designed to help people. They were designed to control them.
“Treatment” That Was Really Just Abuse
So much of what was considered “treatment” in the past was flat-out torture:
• Lobotomies: A fancy word for shoving an ice pick into someone’s brain to make them more “compliant.” Yes, this was real. Yes, it was done without consent to thousands of people, especially women and disabled individuals.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): While modern ECT can be helpful, in its early days, it was done without anesthesia, leaving patients traumatized and physically harmed.
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): Still widely used today, ABA has roots in the idea that autistic behaviors should be “trained out” of people. Many autistic adults are now speaking out about the lifelong trauma caused by being forced to suppress natural stims, endure food aversion training, and behave in ways that felt unnatural just to be “accepted.”
And let’s not forget gay conversion therapy, which was once considered “best practice” and is now recognized as a human rights violation.
History has shown us that mental health care has often done more harm than good—but the scary thing is, these harmful practices didn’t just disappear. They’ve evolved into more socially acceptable forms, wrapped up in medical language and insurance codes.
Why I Don’t Work With Insurance (And Why You Should Care)
This is one of the big reasons I refuse to work with insurance companies.
1️⃣ Insurance requires a diagnosis—and once that label is attached to you, it can follow you for life. This is especially concerning given the massive cyberattacks on healthcare data (like the UnitedHealthcare hack in 2024). Your private mental health history is not as protected as you think.
2️⃣ Insurance dictates treatment. If you need a certain type of therapy that actually works for you, but it’s not “approved”? Too bad. You either don’t get care, or you get forced into whatever the insurance company wants to pay for.
3️⃣ Insurance prioritizes pathology, not healing. The system makes money by keeping people dependent on therapy—not by helping them heal and move on. But real healing isn’t about being stuck in therapy forever. It’s about learning to trust yourself again.
Stop Worshipping the White Coat—You Are Your Own Best Advocate
One of the biggest problems in mental health (and medicine in general) is that we’ve been taught to hand over our power to people in authority.
But listen—if a doctor isn’t listening to you, find another doctor. If a therapist doesn’t feel like a good fit, trust your gut and move on. Get multiple opinions. Explore different modalities. Never let someone convince you that they know you better than you know yourself.
A good therapist (or doctor, or healer, or mentor) isn’t there to make you dependent on them. They’re there to help you heal yourself.
And this applies to everything—not just mental health. If something feels off, don’t ignore that feeling.
• Your doctor dismisses your pain? Find another doctor.
• Your therapist keeps pushing something that doesn’t resonate? You don’t have to stay.
• You’re being told you have to take a certain medication, but something feels wrong? Do your own research and get a second opinion.
Trusting experts is fine. But blind trust is dangerous.
Real Healing Comes from YOU
At the end of the day, the most powerful thing you can do is take control of your own healing.
💡 Learn about different therapeutic approaches.
💡 Explore healing methods from different cultures.
💡 Advocate for your needs, even if it means challenging authority.
💡 Most importantly—listen to yourself.
Yes, mental health professionals can be incredible guides. Yes, Western psychology has helped countless people. But it’s not perfect. And if we don’t question it, we’re doomed to keep repeating the same harmful patterns.
Maya Angelou said it best:
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Now that you know better, how will you do better for yourself?
That’s it. No fluff, no sugarcoating—just the truth. Now go take back your power! 💥
Need Help Finding the Right Support?
I’m here to help. Whether it’s working with me or pointing you toward resources that actually align with you, I want you to feel empowered in your healing.
🚀 Let’s find what works for YOU. Reach out, and let’s talk.
References (APA Format)
• NAMI (2020). Discrimination and racism in the history of mental health care. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org
• Talkspace (n.d.). The history of inhumane mental health treatments. Talkspace Blog. https://www.talkspace.com
• The Hastings Center (2023). Balancing a patient’s autonomy against misinformation. The Hastings Center. https://www.thehastingscenter.org