497: Why Isn't TEAM More Popular?

In this episode of the Feeling Good Podcast, Dr. David Burns and co-hosts Dr. Rhonda Barovsky and Matt May explore why TEAM-CBT, a highly effective and evidence-backed therapeutic model, has not achieved widespread popularity despite its proven success in rapidly reducing depression and anxiety. Dr. Burns shares his personal frustration at seeing the therapy—developed over decades and now enhanced by AI-powered tools like the Feeling Great app—underutilized by the therapeutic community. He attributes this resistance to a complex mix of factors: therapists' fear of change, financial incentives tied to less effective models like psychopharmacology and empathy-based therapy, institutional peer pressure, and a cultural reluctance to adopt new ideas, echoing Schopenhauer’s theory of how new truths are first ridiculed, then opposed, and finally claimed as obvious. The hosts also highlight the model’s demanding nature—requiring therapists to embrace feedback, accountability, and personal growth—which many are unwilling to do. Despite these barriers, they emphasize the transformative power of firsthand experience with TEAM-CBT, noting that therapists who undergo the training often become passionate advocates. The episode ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that the key to spreading the model lies in offering accessible, emotionally impactful experiences that demonstrate rapid recovery, even in short bursts.