Opponents claim that at best, it is an unnecessary ritual, and that at worst, it is an operation that proves detrimental to the physical and psychological health of the patient.

CNN: Health

Giving every patient who seeks psychological help a brain scan first would be prohibitively expensive and likely yield many confusing results.

WSJ: Confusing Medical Ailments With Mental Illness

Then there are the psychological effects, not only for the patient but also for her siblings and offspring.

CNN: What Angelina Jolie forgot to mention

Sean's continuous mourning of his dead wife puts the doctor and his patient in equally-tenuous psychological territory, and, if you've ever seen "Ordinary People, " you've seen most of this relationship before.

CNN: Review: Genius is as genius does in 'Good Will Hunting'