Drew Barrymore’s therapist responds after she said he quit over her ‘self-destructive’ drinking
After Drew Barrymore revealed that her therapist quit on her after she struggled with excessive drinking in the wake of her 2016 divorce from Will Kopelman, the mental health provider has addressed the matter in a statement to EW.
“Occasionally a therapist has to suspend treatment until a patient is willing to stop certain chronic self-destructive behaviors that are impeding the therapy,” Barry Michels said in an email statement.
Barrymore previously told the Los Angeles Times that Michels — known for treating Gwyneth Paltrow and for co-authoring the book The Tools with Phil Stutz — halted their sessions after her depression worsened and her drinking intensified following her divorce.
“He just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,'” Barrymore said. “It was really about my drinking. I said, ‘I get it. I’ve never respected you more. You see I’m not getting better. And I hope, one day, that I can earn your trust back.'”
Michels elaborated in his statement, noting that he was able to reconvene with Barrymore after she stopped drinking.
“Fortunately, in this case, I was dealing with Drew Barrymore — one of the strongest and most stalwart people I’ve ever met,” he said. “She did the right thing for herself, and we were able to resume our treatment together.”
Drew Barrymore’s therapist responds after she said he quit over her ‘self-destructive’ drinking. Drew Barrymore’s therapist responds after she said he quit over her ‘self-destructive’ drinking
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