This week, XOJane featured an article called “How to Tell If Your Shrink Sucks (And Then Fire Them)“. The piece chronicled writer and self-proclaimed WallStreet Stripper Randi Newton‘s experience with the myriad of therapists she turned to in order to overcome her alcoholism, as well as her concomitant mental health issues. The article explains how you can’t settle for the first therapist you see, and how sometimes therapists can be toxic, and exacerbate the very problems you seek to solve.
While Randi Newton is a fascinating chick that vibes with many of the principles of Naked Therapy, what is most interesting about this article is the emphasis that therapists are tools on the road to recovery–they are not the recovery themselves.
I think a lot of the time people turn to therapy as an instant solution, a quick-fix. And, when problems don’t disappear right away, many assume it’s at the fault of the patient, not the therapist. But finding the right therapist is difficult, and what works for some people may not work for others. Newton describes a soft-spoken, sensitive therapist whom she loved personally, but couldn’t make any progress with mentally or emotionally. Ultimately, she had to let her go.Similarly, sterile and clinical psychiatrists may not be as effective for patients with pyscho-sexual concerns while a naked therapist…well, we might get somewhere 
This article empowers the patient to peruse their own personal path in therapy; if something doesn’t feel right, do not feel obligated to continue. There is no set formula for mental health or personal recovery, and as Newton puts herself:
The most important thing to realize about working with any therapist? They are working for YOU on your dime! And if something doesn’t feel kosher about your situation with them, it’s your right to cut the cord and find help elsewhere. After all, it’s your life.
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