Child sex abuse hysteria and the Ellis case
	Focus on People - Hall of Fame > The wisdom of Gordon Waugh
	NZ Herald June 1 2006 Talk therapy Letter to the Editor by Gordon Waugh, Whenuapai Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Margaret Bowater's justification of psychotherapy (May 25, refer below) is seriously misleading. A few years ago there were no talk therapists. Now their Associations claim 3,000 psychotherapist and counsellor members. There are many others. Any citizen may offer talk therapy to the public for payment and profit. However, their Emperor never had any clothes. They claim expertise in "healing minds" by talking. Healing of minds and bodies requires the cause of the problem to be thoroughly investigated and clearly defined. Treatments must have demonstrable scientific proof of efficacy. Talk therapy escapes both those requirements. Basic and fatal flaws of psychotherapy and counselling are their naïve, uncritical acceptance of clients' narratives, a profound failure to externally investigate or corroborate the validity or veracity of such narratives, and the lack of proof that their panaceas and talk therapy actually work. The "talking cure" they offer can therefore only be based on assumption and belief, not fact or evidence. Treatment based on those flaws is unacceptable [Final paragraph not published by NZ Herald] NZ Herald May 25 2006 Psychotherapists' status Letter to the Editor by Margaret Bowater, Northcote Your correspondent Gordon Waugh dismisses counselling and psychotherapy on the grounds that they lack "scientific validity". The Association of Counsellors and the Association of Psychotherpists are, however, growing professional bodies with rigorous entry standards, ethical codes and practice requirements. Together, they number 3000 members. Their training is done mainly through specialised academic courses up to masters' level at universities, and diplomas at tertiary institutes, accompanied by personal therapy. Many practitioners also do international studies. Also, the word "psychotherapy" means healing of the mind, which is not simply a matter of external behaviour but of internal beliefs, emotions and memories that lead to that behaviaour. Persistent self-defeating patterns usually have their origins in neglect, abuse or trauma in early life, and are often indicated by painful memories or recurring nightmares. When brought to awareness in a therapeutic relationship they can be healed. There has been solid evidence since the 1950s that the quality of relationship is the key factor in healing. There is potential for inadequately trained people to harm others through lack of sensitivity, knowledge or self-awareness. Hence the move in both professions to seek registration.