In other words, just because something is written in an authoritative style and is published in a best-selling book doesn't mean that it is true. Books such as The Courage to Heal are full of misinformation and have caused untold damage. Intelligent readers of such books should employ their own critical thinking skills and should also read books expressing contrary views. If you recalled traumatic events on your own, outside therapy, they are reliable because you could not have been led into them. They are led into this false belief system just as surely as in formal therapy.
All good therapy takes a long time and involves delving into the past.
The forms of therapy that have proven to be the most effective are cognitive and behavioral therapy that do not dwell on the past, but help clients cope with current life stressors, often by reframing the way they perceive their problems. Such therapy can often be short-term. Memories are always accurate. All memories are reconstructions of likely scenarios in which you fill in the gaps. Thus, all memories are somewhat inaccurate, though they serve us well enough under normal conditions.