Psychobabble

Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free

Joe Nucci, LPCC, Joe Nucci, LPC

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9780063424654
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Communication & Public Speaking
• Index: Psychology

Psychotherapist Joe Nucci dispels common mental health myths and replaces them with no-nonsense truths and accessible guidance for real healing.

The popularization of mental health content on social media has led to an epidemic of mental health misinformation. In Psychobabble, licensed psychotherapist Joe Nucci argues that too many of us are self-diagnosing, improperly deploying therapy-speak, and even coaching others to engage in harmful activities under the guise of “self-care.”

Nucci dismantles 40 popular misconceptions, such as:

• Everyone needs to go to therapy.
• Your feelings are credible.
• People gaslight you when they disagree.
• Mindfulness is good for everyone.
• Everyone has trauma.
• The reason you can’t focus is ADHD.

This dangerous misinformation encourages well-meaning individuals to make consequential life decisions based on false beliefs, half-truths, and the advice of unlicensed armchair experts. It is time for a professional to call this out. Nucci replaces these myths with liberating truths that can help readers avoid misinformation, navigate important philosophical debates, and better maneuver their own mental health journeys. He shares client examples and evidence-based psychological theory, and draws from reputable studies and research.

TikTok influencers and “life coaches” create viral videos telling people to cut off their problematic parents, and are cheered on by millions of followers. Recent divorcees proudly declare on Instagram that they are finally healing from their “narcissistic” ex-partner, even though you get the sense they can’t actually define that word. Teenage “mental health advocates” lament the struggles of living with autism, but then subtly add that their condition is “self-diagnosed.” It is time for a professional to call out the misinformation and absurdity.

Psychobabble is a must-read book for anyone who values mental health and cares about others. 

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction: The Tower of Psychobabble
• Part I: Freudian Fantasies:
• Myth #1: “Everyone Should Go to Therapy”
• Myth #2: “Analyzing Your Thoughts Is Always Good for You”
• Myth #3: “Expressing Your Feelings Is Valid”
• Myth #4: “You Were Totally Projecting When That Happened”
• Myth #5: “Personality Frameworks Are Reductive, Inaccurate, and Not Helpful”
• Myth #6: “Hurt People Hurt People”
• Part II: DSM Mayhem:
• Myth #7: “Receiving a Diagnosis Is Terrible”
• Myth #8: “Mental Health Diagnoses Are Just Made-Up”
• Myth #9: “Your Diagnosis Is Your Identity”
• Myth #10: “You Can Diagnose Yourself”
• Part III: Clinical Cacophony:
• Myth #11: “Everyone Gets Depressed and Anxious”
• Myth #12: “The Reason You Can’t Focus Is ADHD”
• Myth #13: “Mindfulness Is Good for Everyone”
• Myth #14: “Your Awkward Friend Is Neurodivergent”
• Myth #15: “That Person Is a Psychopath”
• Myth #16: “Boundaries Are Just Preferences”
• Myth #17: “People Gaslight You When They Disagree”
• Myth #18: “Your Ex Is Definitely a Narcissist”
• Myth #19: “I Am a People Pleaser Because I Defer to You”
• Part IV: Trauma Drama:
• Myth #20: “Everyone Has Trauma”
• Myth #21: “Trauma Is the Same Thing as Grief”
• Myth #22: “Disciplining Your Child Will Cause Trauma”
• Myth #23: “Your Trauma Made You an Empath”
• Myth #24: “Questioning Trauma Discourse Harms Survivors”
• Part V: Social Schisms:
• Myth #25: “Your Mental Illness Is a Systemic Problem”
• Myth #26: “People Aren’t Evil, They’re Just Mentally Ill”
• Myth #27: “Mental Health Education Is Always Beneficial”
• Myth #28: “Psychotherapy Is the Only Way to Improve Your Mental Well-Being”
• Myth #29: “Party Animals Have Issues”
• Myth #30: “Therapy Is Not Political”
• Part VI: Shrink Secrets:
• Myth #31: “Therapists Treat Clients, Not Patients”
• Myth #32: “Therapists Should Never Give Advice”
• Myth #33: “Therapists Psychoanalyze Everyone They Meet”
• Myth #34: “Shrinks Are Crazier than Their Patients”
• Myth #35: “Therapists Never Talk About Themselves with Patients”
• Part VII: Relational Ruckus:
• Myth #36: “Your Date Is Love-Bombing You”
• Myth #37: “Freak in the Head, Freak in the Bed”
• Myth #38: “The More Emotional Intimacy, the Better”
• Myth #39: “Therapy Will Make You Ready for a Relationship”
• Myth #40: “Using Therapeutic Language Makes You Emotionally Intelligent”
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher