Dr. Linda Benson, a renowned therapist who has spent years helping others navigate their emotional baggage, was recently court-mandated to attend therapy after a series of unethical conduct complaints were filed against her. But instead of complying, Dr. Benson has boldly refused to get the very treatment she prescribes, openly calling therapy a "con" and a "money-grab."
“I mean, it’s all a scam,” Benson declared to the court during her first mandated session, which she walked into wearing a bright yellow T-shirt reading ‘Therapy is for the Weak.’ “Look, if therapy worked, I wouldn’t have a job anymore, right? So what's the deal with me needing it now? It’s all just a bunch of talk and no results.”
Her stance has caused shockwaves through the therapy community, with some praising her honesty, while others are questioning how she ever received her license in the first place.
The ‘Con’ of Therapy
Benson, who has spent over a decade treating clients with various issues ranging from anxiety to family conflicts, went on to elaborate on her position. “Therapy is like a pyramid scheme,” she said during her impromptu press conference. “The therapist gets paid, the client feels better for, like, five minutes, then they’re back for another session. Repeat until someone realizes they've spent a fortune on their emotions with no actual results.”
According to Benson, the therapy industry is “nothing but a big circle of self-congratulation where therapists are just pretending they have all the answers.” She made it clear that her reluctance to take part in therapy is based on her belief that it's a profession built on “intellectual laziness” and “emotional manipulation.”
“Everyone’s just talking in circles,” Benson continued, clearly enjoying the attention. “You can’t solve someone’s problems by listening to them complain about their childhood for 50 minutes. How many times can you say, ‘Tell me how that makes you feel’ before it just becomes nonsense?”
Client Reactions: A Mixed Bag
Clients of Dr. Benson have had varied reactions to her bold statements. “I mean, she was great for me,” said Jane McAllister, a former client who worked with Benson for several years. “But now that I think about it, she never actually gave me any actionable advice. She just agreed with everything I said, and somehow that made me feel better for a bit. I guess she’s right. Therapy is a bit of a con.”
Others, however, are taking a different view. “I don’t know what to think,” said John Harrison, another one of Benson’s former patients. “I always thought I was just unloading all my problems and never really moving forward. I guess she was just playing along with the whole thing.”
A New Therapy Paradigm?
Despite her refusal to comply with her court-mandated therapy, Benson’s views on the profession are gaining traction with a small, but vocal, group of former clients and some therapists who share her skepticism.
“I’m not saying therapy doesn’t work for some people,” Benson clarified in a follow-up interview. “But let’s be honest—most people don’t need to spend thousands of dollars just to talk to someone who nods and repeats their issues back to them. The real issue is that people just need to take responsibility for their own actions.”
Rather than continue traditional therapy, Benson has announced plans to launch a new “therapy-free” practice where clients can come in, vent for 15 minutes, and leave with a list of personal responsibility mantras to repeat to themselves. “No couch, no tissues, just you and the mirror,” she explained. “Maybe this will finally help people realize they’ve been selling themselves short.”
The Court’s Response
The court, unimpressed with Benson’s argument, has yet to rule on whether she’ll be required to undergo therapy in the future. Some legal experts believe that her refusal to follow the court order could lead to her professional disbarment. Others predict that this saga could just be the beginning of a larger conversation about the role and effectiveness of therapy in modern society.
“I don’t care if I lose my license,” Benson said defiantly. “At least I’ll still have my clients, who are smart enough to see through the whole charade.”
While it remains to be seen what will happen next in Dr. Benson’s case, one thing is certain: her therapy-free revolution is only just beginning.