Therapy Nation

How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It's Left Us More Anxious and Divided

By: Jonathan Alpert

Narrated by: Joe Scalora

A provocative look at how therapy culture has reshaped the way we live, speak, and relate to one another, and how it’s changing the fabric of American life, by acclaimed psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert.

In today’s America, therapy is everywhere. Seeing a therapist is no longer taboo, and mental-health resources are more accessible than ever. Yet despite this progress, anxiety and depression among Americans are now at record highs, and the country feels even more divided. It's time to consider the possibility that we've become over-therapized, and examine how this practice, while intended to heal, may be making us weaker instead of stronger.

After twenty years as a practicing therapist and frequent commentator on mental health in national media, Alpert has come to an unsettling conclusion: his own profession is part of the problem. Concepts and buzzwords once confined to therapy sessions have infiltrated public discourse, where their meaning and purpose become distorted and weaponized, sometimes intentionally.

Therapy-speak terms like "toxic" and "narcissist" are now a feature of daily conversations, and feeling good has replaced getting better. A subtle but dangerous shift among therapy professionals in recent years has led many to trade accountability for affirmation, leaving patients stuck in cycles of self-focus and avoidance. In many cases, too much therapy, or the wrong kind, can have painful effects on individuals, families, communities and the nation.

Drawing from case studies and widening the lens to consider the social forces beyond the therapist's office, Alpert examines how therapy culture is feeding the anxieties dividing America today. He makes the urgent case for his profession to heal itself so it can get back to healing us.