“”This therapist almost spoiled my life“, Judge today Marie (assumed first name). Suffering from psychological blockages affecting her sexuality, the 25 -year -old is led by her physiotherapist towards a practitioner who “Help women to reclaim their bodies“.
This one, sophrologist, practices hypnosis. During the second session, Marie has a flash: she is two years old and her grandfather seems to make her touch.
“”I was completely upset, I ask her what it means and she answers me: +you were the victim of incest, there is no doubt +”.
After another session where this sophrologist lends him “medium donations”, Marie cuts the bridges and remains alone “with this diagnosis”.
Eight months later, completely lost, she consults a psychologist. “”Immediately, she gets angry and says to me: +hypnosis is not a real science! Your brain can send you false memories, you have to be very careful “.
After a thorough follow -up, Marie now thinks she was the victim of an induced memory. Complex concept, false memories induced are a consequence of therapies “which can be unsuitable or truly deviant“, alerts in its latest activity report the interministerial mission to combat sectarian aberrations (Miviludes), which has received several similar reports in recent years.
“”I blame him very much. She should have warned me“, Acts Marie.
Support at 3,900 euros
Miviludes thus reports “growing concerns in the unregulated field“Mental health.
According to the organization – attached to the Ministry of the Interior -, mental health has become “An expanding market with a wide use of practitioners or coaches adept at uncontrolled psychotherapeutic practices, which can cause serious psychological damage“.
Mental health has become an Eldorado for pseudosciences from the Pandemic of Covid-19.
“”On professional or entertainment networks, a lot of people claim to be able to treat mental health problems by offering treatments such as structured psychotherapy, without having any training“, worries Mickaël Worms-Ehrminger, doctor of public health, specializing in mental disorders.
Some claim to cure anxiety disorders and attention disorders, when others attack autism, schizophrenia or bipolarity.
Miviludes thus observes “a doubling of the reports received for ten years in the field of autism“, around alternative proposals for care, via”dietary supplements, cannabis or chélation protocols“(which claims” detoxify “the body by extracting heavy metals from the organism), details the leader of the organism, Donatien Le Vaillant to AFP.
Health and well-being are the subject of the greatest number of reports received by MIVILUDES between 2022 and 2024 (37%), and concern in 80% of the cases of non-professional health.
More recently, a new business has been created around maternal burn-out, targeting young mothers exhausted.
The Miviludes reports the case of a “pseudo-coach” which hammers the “fragile and depressed” mothers which it diagnoses “hypersensitive”, before offering them online support … for 3,900 euros.
“Lots of confusion”
These self -proclaimed therapists thrive thanks to the lack of regulation around the titles recognized by the State: only the titles of Psychologist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist are protected.
“”We can say ourselves +Psy-Coach +, +Psy-Conseil +… It does not fall under the law, but creates a lot of confusion“, estimates Mr. Le Vaillant.
Because these names “suggest that there is a legitimate relationship to psychology“Says Mickaël Worms-Ehrminger.
For Frank Bellivier, ministerial delegate for mental health and psychiatry, health authorities must continue to “communicate“To fight against”ignorance“which pushes to these practices.
“”We must get rid of the folk image of the guru“, pleads Catherine Katz, ex-magistrate and president of the National Union for the Defense of Families and the individual victims of sects: the” guru “of today has” a golden plaque “, an” limitless imagination “.
Medical desertification can also benefit “Coaches of all kinds“, while “waiting times“can be”monstrous“To access psychiatric care”expensive“, notes Mickaël Worms-Ehrminger.