Kate Middleton has claimed that talking therapy doesn’t work for everyone, just two days after Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, was released.
The Princess of Wales commented that conventional types of therapy may not be beneficial to all in her first royal engagement since the Duke of Sussex’s tell-all memoir arrived in bookshops.
In it, Harry references his own therapy sessions, uses psychotherapy language including “trauma” and details his experiences with PTSI (Post Traumatic Stress Injury). Harry even thanks therapists who helped him in the book’s acknowledgements.
Visiting various locations in Merseyside, William and Kate met several young adults at the Birkenhead-based Open Door charity on Thursday (12 January), which provides access to arts-based therapeutic support.
They spent time with Open Door’s volunteers, mentors and staff to hear about the progressive arts-based therapeutic models that have been developed to help young adults cope with mental health issues including anxiety and depression.
During the visit, Kate asked: “Has producing music and taking part in those workshops helped? Has it helped with your personal lives?”
One young person replied that using music as a tool helped him express his emotions.
He said: “Producing music and letting out what you’re feeling is better than saying it in a clinical atmosphere.”
According to The Sun, Kate replied: “Talking therapies don’t work for some people, they’re not for everybody. It’s so important to have a range of therapies.”
She added: “Everyone is talking a lot more about mental health.
“There have often been negative connotations around it. But if we get across that there are these more positive spaces and experiences out there, then we are changing how we talk about it.”
The King, William and Kate were greeted by members of the public as they carried out royal duties for the first time since Harry’s explosive memoir was released on Tuesday (10 January).
The monarch met with local support groups in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, where he also toured a number of facilities.
The King’s, William’s and Kate’s royal appearances come as Spare sold more than 1.4 million copies on its release day, with the Duke of Sussex also making a number of high-profile TV appearances in recent days.
