Iatrogenic

I just got a call from my psychologist wife. "Bob, have you ever heard of the word iatrogenic?" It sounded faintly familiar, but I couldn't recall specifically, so I went to the dictionary and read the definition to her: "Caused by medical treatment: said especially of symptoms, ailments or disorders induced by drugs or surgery." "Yes!" she said, "and add the word therapy to that list of inducers."

Then she explained that increasingly she is finding she can be of most help to her clients by undoing what they have been taught by therapists! For example, today a mom told her that the best thing that ever happened to her family was when Colleen told them to ask their school to take off one of the goals of their child's "Individualized Educational Plan." You see, their son had become a narcissistic little brat. One of the goals of the plan had been to increase his self esteem. The mother requested that be taken off the plan.

Narcissism now almost gone. No longer a "child-centered" family. Parents, not the child, now in charge.