A Psychologist Says the Wrong Type of Therapy Could Cause More Problems for Prince Harry
Prince Harry says he received therapy years after the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He has mentioned the benefits of therapy and how it helped him navigate some difficult moments in his life. Although it’s great that Harry received therapy, Dr. Michael Acton, a psychologist and author, says the wrong type of therapy could cause more harm than good. Here’s what he said about Harry’s road to healing.
Prince Harry has created a ‘forever rift’ in the royal family says a psychologist
Harry expressed a desire to reconcile with his family. However, Dr. Michael Acton, author of Learning How to Leave, says it will be difficult to heal the family relationship because of some of the statements Harry made during his TV interviews and in his autobiography, Spare.
“Harry has created a forever rift in the family that’s not going to be reparable,” Acton tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “And that rift is in the public domain. When most people have a family argument, their argument is contained within the family and circle of friends. This is public knowledge in history books.”
Acton continues, “So, unfortunately, the rift doesn’t just stop with Harry and Meghan. They’ve got children that are growing up and their children are going to go through all the normal phases that children go through, which is rebellion, and arguments, and love, and care, etc. And they’re going to read about this. They’re going to see it and they’re going to then react to it. So, how can you retract all that has gone out into the world?”
The wrong type of therapy could cause more problems for Prince Harry says Michael Acton
Acton says the wrong therapy could be harmful to Prince Harry in the long run. According to him, Harry should seek professional help from someone with training in family systems therapy (if he isn’t already).
“Unfortunately, some types of therapy can endorse someone’s deranged position or even worsen their paranoid or angry position with others,” Acton tells us. “So, unless he’s with someone who is really trained in family systems therapy, like myself, they’re going to almost help Harry divide even further if he’s been manipulated and if he’s being endorsed in some way by a therapeutic model that’s not challenging his position.”
Michael Acton says Prince Harry must stop portraying himself as a ‘victim’
Acton also says Harry must stop portraying himself and Meghan as “victims.” He believes dwelling on all the things that went wrong will hold Harry back. Instead, he says Harry should focus on what is going well in his life and move toward the future.
“With this pity story, he really needs to stop being a victim, get some really supportive and effective help, and move forward with his life in a positive and loving and kind way,” says Acton. “And although he’s saying, ‘This happened and that happened,’ this isn’t positive and kind. It’s destructive, it’s disabling.”
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