Gaslighting: How Pathological Labels Can Harm Psychotherapy Clients

Abstract

Gaslighting is a conscious or unconscious form of psychological abuse that occurs when a perpetrator distorts information to confuse a victim, triggering the victim to doubt their memory and sanity. Gaslighting can contaminate a psychotherapy relationship when clinicians rely on pathological labels to direct the therapeutic process. When psychotherapists use pathological labels, the treatment focus is often directed toward problems that lie within the client, which can be counterproductive, particularly when the client is recovering from interpersonal abuse. This article summarizes how the application of pathological labels in combination with the principles of social constructivism influenced a group of mental health professionals to gaslight the author. Illustrative narrative that depicts the author’s experience of having been gaslit by her psychology professor and then by her psychotherapist is included. The author describes how these harmful relationships caused the author to endure double-binds and betrayal during her healing process. Last, a brief discussion about posttraumatic growth and recommendations related to potential alternatives to the current diagnostic process are offered. This article was written to raise awareness of how the use of pathological labels can result in harm to psychotherapy clients.