From the noted autobiographical novel I Never Promised You a Rose Garden: (a) Deborah, the young girl suffering from schizophrenia, recalls how much she hated being lied to as a child by her doctors....

From the noted autobiographical novel I Never Promised You a Rose Garden: (a) Deborah, the young girl suffering from schizophrenia, recalls how much she hated being lied to as a child by her doctors. They promised her that she would feel nothing when they treated her vaginal ailment (“this won’t hurt a bit”), yet she experienced searing pain (“the hardest, longest burning of that secret place she could imagine”). Her therapist replied: “Those damn fools! When will they learn not to lie to children! Pah!” This genuine expression and sharing of justifi ed anger did much to encourage Deborah’s trust. (b) The therapist understood, intellectually and emotionally, how traumatic it was for Deborah to be lied to. (c) When Deborah had a serious relapse and deliberately scarred herself, the therapist criticized only this behavior and continued to express caring and respect for Deborah’s self-concept and feelings.