Kate Middleton raised eyebrows in her first public appearance since the release of Prince Harry’s memoir by commenting that therapy doesn’t work for everyone
The Prince and Princess of Wales were in Merseyside yesterday to visit mental health charity Open Door when Kate said: “Talk therapy doesn’t work for some.”
In Prince Harry’s shocking autobiography, Spare, he makes several references to therapy, even thanking a number of therapists in his acknowledgments.
In the book, he claims his older brother William believed he was “brainwashed” by the therapist he was seeing.
The Duke of Sussex says his sibling was so concerned about what he was exposed to at his confidential sessions that he even asked to come along to one.
The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, where Kate told several teenagers that talk therapy “doesn’t work for everyone”.
The Princess of Wales chats with medical professionals and visits the Open Door charity – which uses art and dance to promote well-being
Prince Harry, pictured here exercising in a therapy session, claims he called his therapist after having a physical breakdown with his brother William
Will and Kate met several teenagers at the Open Door charity who are using art and dance to improve their mental health.
The Sun reported that Kate asked, “Did producing music and attending these workshops help? Has it helped you personally?’
One boy replied that using music as a tool helps him express his feelings through something he enjoys.
He said: “Producing music and letting out what you feel is better than saying it in a clinical atmosphere. I can put it into words. That was hard to explain!’
Kate said: “Talk therapies don’t work for some people, they’re not for everyone. It’s so important to have a range of therapies.”
She added: “Everyone’s talking a lot more about mental health.
“There were often negative connotations. But if we convey that there are these more positive spaces and experiences out there, then we change how we talk about them.”
A smiling Kate smiles for the cameras during this afternoon’s visit
Prince Harry wrote in his book that he called his therapist after being physically assaulted by his brother William after a heated argument.
The Duke of Sussex claims his older brother left him with visible injuries after a furious argument over his wife Meghan Markle.
In one section of the book, Harry claims that he called his therapist instead of his wife immediately after the argument.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have so far avoided commenting on the outlandish claims made against them in the book.
At the Liverpool Royal Hospital, a journalist asked: “Have you had a chance to read your brother’s book?”
William, who was at the center of his younger sibling’s attacks, ignored the question, prompting Mr Rashid to ask again: “Have you had a chance to read your brother’s again, Your Royal Highness?”
A smiling William and Kate continued walking past the reporter without answering his question.
Harry has previously spoken of going into therapy to work through the trauma of his childhood, which included the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke praised EMDR – which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – for helping him deal with his past.
It is based on the principle that the mind can heal from trauma using external stimuli to help the brain process traumatic experiences and facilitate healing.
Prince Harry, 36, previously shared a video of him closing his eyes and patting his chest during a therapy session via video link with Sanja Oakley, a UK-based psychotherapist, which aired on his Apple TV+ show.
Appearing on The Me You Can’t See, Harry “processed his negative thoughts” by crossing his arms and taking deep breaths before closing his eyes and slowly patting each side of his chest.
The Duke of Sussex closes his eyes during a therapy session featured in an Apple TV documentary series
He told Oprah, “EMDR has always been something I’ve wanted to try, and that was one of the flavors of different forms of healing or healing that I was willing to experiment with.
“And I never would have been open to that if I hadn’t put in the work and therapy that I’ve done over the years.”
Adherents say that simply moving your eyes from left to right between 25 and 30 times can reduce negative memories and, in turn, their impact on your well-being.
When done repeatedly with a trained psychologist — up to 40 times in an hour’s session — it can immeasurably change your life for the better, experts claim.
While critics have dismissed it as pseudoscience, EMDR has backed a body of scientific research proving its effectiveness in treating severe trauma.
Not only is it available on the NHS, but the training is mandatory for frontline mental health staff at the Department of Defense.