In the hands of false psychologists
The first time I heard the mandate that every health professional commits to was in my first experimental psychology class, in the words of the much-loved and missed Professor Ramón Bayés. “Primum non nocere,” he said with the solemnity of the most sacred. First, do no harm. In my youthful naivety, I thought this ethical principle was indelibly etched in everyone who dedicated themselves to psychology and medicine. Later, unfortunately, I have found that this is not the case.
I have remembered this these days in the face of the lack of scruples of the supposed therapist who was attending the Andic family. Nothing she did has anything to do with scientific psychology, but furthermore, the harm she has done will be difficult to measure and only those who have suffered it will know. Intrusion, in psychology, is not just any administrative offense: it is a public health problem. When a person seeks help, they usually do so at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Entrusting oneself to someone without the necessary training and qualification can have much more serious consequences than losing money: one can lose their health and, often, hope itself.
When someone is suffering, they are willing to cling to any promise of relief. Intrusion turns this suffering into a business. It is a particularly serious form of abuse, because it is based on the trust and hope of those seeking help. In my opinion, the deepest damage is invisible. A person who comes asking for help usually performs an act of great bravery. If that trust is betrayed, not only does their discomfort worsen: they may also stop believing that they deserve to be helped or that there is a way out.
The Barcelona Court of Appeal issued the first historic sentence against professional intrusion, condemning Vicente Lapiedra, founder of the Centre Esotèric d’Investigacions (Ceis), to prison. This case thus marked one of the most important judicial precedents regarding the use of false psychological therapies for manipulation and sectarian recruitment. He used the offer of psychological help and personality tests to recruit his victims (many of them minors). The sentence confirmed that psychological activities cannot be disguised under mystical or esoteric labels to evade professional laws.
In 2023, a court in Valladolid issued one of the most forceful rulings, criminally convicting for professional intrusion a woman who assisted a minor by pretending to be a psychologist when she only had knowledge as a coach. The young man suffered from serious emotional problems, and she treated him continuously while boasting of being a corporate, business, family mediator, Gestalt therapist... Doesn't it enormously remind you of the claims of the alleged therapist of the Andic family?
Depression, anxiety disorder, trauma, or suicidal behavior can be masked behind simplistic advice or pseudotherapies. Each lost month aggravates the problem and hinders recovery. According to research, delaying access to evidence-based psychological interventions can lead to chronic mental disorders. Furthermore, false professionals exacerbate suffering because they tend to attribute the distress to a lack of will, a negative attitude, or blockages, without scientific basis. When the person does not improve, they end up thinking that the problem is themselves. This increases guilt, shame, and hopelessness. Promises like "eliminating any trauma" or "transforming your life" create an illusion that often ends in deep frustration. The disappointment is twofold: for the failure of the treatment and for the loss of trust in psychology.
The College of Psychology of Catalonia is investigating the alleged therapist of the Andic family for intrusion and malpractice. It is essential to root out these behaviors because taking advantage of emotional fragility without the required training and ethical guarantees is not only fraud but also a crime that endangers collective health.
Therefore, intrusion in psychology is not simply a corporate problem or a dispute between professionals. It is a matter of citizen protection. Just as no one would accept being operated on by someone who has only read surgery books or would board a plane piloted by an unlicensed person, we should not leave mental health in the hands of those who cannot prove they are prepared to care for it.