In her essay Less TikTok, More Screaming, Persinette writes that these e-therapists have turned healing into āa religion, a lifestyle, and above all, a brandā while promoting a culture of isolation and individual optimization. In this ecosystem, ā...therapy has become a litmus test for social belonging and inherent goodness, a sign that one is aware of and has adapted to the newest standards of how to behave.āĀ
The social standard this culture offers is one of controlled, placated solitude. Its narrative often insists that youāre surrounded by toxic people who are trying to hurt you, and the only way to ever become the person youāre meant to be is to cut them all off, retreat into a high-gloss cocoon of talk therapy and Notion templates, and emerge a non-emotive butterfly who will surely attract the relationships youāve always deserved ā relationships with other āhealedā people, who donāt hurt you or depend on you or force you to feel difficult, taxing emotions. And finally, your life will be as frictionless and shiny as you, alone, have always deserved for it to be.
