The Cost of Short Term Therapy

The rise in quick fix therapy intervention since the Covid-19 pandemic can cause further harm to individuals who present with complex, historical issues. The quick relief promised by these new therapy interventions may reduce symptoms at first only to return when the individual leaves therapy. Insurance companies are hideously responsible for pushing people into “short-term” therapy due to the pressure placed on the clinician to show measurable results in a limited time.

JAMA, (Journal of American Medical Association), notes that the pandemic caused 57% more clinicians to conduct tele-mental health. With that rise, the use of short term interventions focused more on the management of Covid related symptoms. Trauma was now Covid related as was anxiety and PTSD, while the identification of historical roots were no longer at issue. Longterm effectiveness of analytic psychotherapy where the origins of the pain and distress could be identified was replaced by bandaids. This is a possible ethical issue proliferated by some mental health therapists who may mislead individuals with false promises of immediate relief.

Can long term coping skills be developed in 6 sessions?