Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Is the Princess of Wales right about talking therapy?

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The Princess of Wales is in hot water for some remarks she made while visiting the Open Door charity in Birkenhead, which helps teenagers with their mental health problems through arts and dance. She is reported to have said: ‘Talking therapies don’t work for some people, they’re not for everybody. It’s so important to have a range of therapies.’ Her remarks have naturally been interpreted as being a veiled swipe at her estranged brother-in-law and his use of psychotherapists. I’m not sure whether it is more po-faced to do that or take her at face value, but she does have an interesting point if she’s not thinking about her privacy-loving family author.

As with all areas of mental illness treatment, talking therapies still don’t have enough research behind them to indicate which ones work best.

Isabel Hardman
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Isabel Hardman
Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

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