I don't disagree that some controlled substances have shown promise in treating mental illness (psilocybin, LSD, mescaline etc.), and that their Schedule I status inhibits further research and drug trials, but they are simply a tool in psychotherapy, not a miracle cure. If they're not followed very closely with CBT and other forms of psychotherapy, they could do more harm than good.
What Masha does is insanely unethical and illegal. She's exposing herself to all kinds of lawsuits, civil and criminal.
First of all, even if Masha, Delilah, Yao and Glory were licensed therapists (for which I have my doubts), Masha doesn't have a medical license nor a drug trial permit to prescribe and administer illegal drugs for therapeutic purposes (nor her employees who handle the drugs).
Constructive consent doesn't work like Masha thinks it does. Just because the guests imply constructive consent for future doses by staying, that doesn't change the fact that she dosed them without their informed consent in the first place. Also, she can't just change their drug regimen (in dosage or choice of drug) whenever she wants without their knowledge and consent. Every modification is a separate event and decision-making process, requiring informed consent anew.
Also also, Carmel's kendo scene was all kinds of wrong. Delilah and Masha reading aloud Carmel's journal in front of all the others without her consent was very unethical and a major breach in privacy and confidentiality, which could (and probably did) re-traumatize Carmel in some degree. The point of journaling and exposure therapy is to expose yourself to your traumas in a safe and controlled manner with the help of your therapist, in order to desensitize yourself and not be re-traumatized every time you revisit those memories.
P.S. I'm not writing all this because I hate the show. I very much like it, but I don't want people watching it to walk away from it with misconceptions about what is good therapy and what isn't. Whoever is watching, feeling like they relate to the characters and think they may also need help, please get help from trained and licensed clinicians. Everyone deserves therapy.
Review by ErebosBlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-25T16:37:07Z— updated 2021-08-27T01:18:47Z
I don't disagree that some controlled substances have shown promise in treating mental illness (psilocybin, LSD, mescaline etc.), and that their Schedule I status inhibits further research and drug trials, but they are simply a tool in psychotherapy, not a miracle cure. If they're not followed very closely with CBT and other forms of psychotherapy, they could do more harm than good.
What Masha does is insanely unethical and illegal. She's exposing herself to all kinds of lawsuits, civil and criminal.
First of all, even if Masha, Delilah, Yao and Glory were licensed therapists (for which I have my doubts), Masha doesn't have a medical license nor a drug trial permit to prescribe and administer illegal drugs for therapeutic purposes (nor her employees who handle the drugs).
Constructive consent doesn't work like Masha thinks it does. Just because the guests imply constructive consent for future doses by staying, that doesn't change the fact that she dosed them without their informed consent in the first place. Also, she can't just change their drug regimen (in dosage or choice of drug) whenever she wants without their knowledge and consent. Every modification is a separate event and decision-making process, requiring informed consent anew.
Also also, Carmel's kendo scene was all kinds of wrong. Delilah and Masha reading aloud Carmel's journal in front of all the others without her consent was very unethical and a major breach in privacy and confidentiality, which could (and probably did) re-traumatize Carmel in some degree. The point of journaling and exposure therapy is to expose yourself to your traumas in a safe and controlled manner with the help of your therapist, in order to desensitize yourself and not be re-traumatized every time you revisit those memories.
P.S. I'm not writing all this because I hate the show. I very much like it, but I don't want people watching it to walk away from it with misconceptions about what is good therapy and what isn't. Whoever is watching, feeling like they relate to the characters and think they may also need help, please get help from trained and licensed clinicians. Everyone deserves therapy.