“The Psychologists Take Power”
Tamsin Shaw, writing in the New York Review of Books, summarizes the most recent trends in psychology and moral judgement. From Skinner’s behaviorism to...
Majority of Youth Prescribed Antipsychotics Have No Psychiatric Diagnosis
The majority of children, adolescents and young adults prescribed antipsychotic medications have not been diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
The Silence: The Legacy of Childhood Trauma
In this piece for The New Yorker, Junot Diaz reflects on the impact of his experience of childhood sexual abuse and the ways that therapy...
“New Course on ‘Making Sense’ of Trauma, Creating a Coherent Narrative”
PsychAlive is releasing a new blog and e-course on “Making Sense of Your Life,” with psychologists Lisa Firestone and Dan Siegel. They draw upon the...
Why I See a Black Queer Therapist
In this essay for them, Steven W. Thrasher describes how seeking treatment from a black queer therapist has helped him heal from the emotional distress and trauma...
New Findings Suggest Masculinity is a Risk Factor for Suicidal Thinking
Men who report being self-reliant may be at greater risk of suicidal thinking.
On Whose Authority?
The problem with authoritarianism is that it shuts down the possibility of ordinary people (that’s all of us) creating anything new. Can therapists give up our addiction to knowing what’s “the right path,” what’s the “smart” answer, what’s the solution to the problem, in favor of supporting our clients to create new ways of building their lives?
More to Happiness Than Feeling Good, Study Finds
Cross-cultural data suggest that happiness involves feeling the emotions one deems as right, in accordance with personal and cultural values.
Music Therapy Interventions Reduce Depression Symptoms in Dementia
Therapists can use music to meet the emotional and social needs of individuals with dementia.
Therapists Collaborate with Clients through Metatherapeutic Communication
Researchers develop an initial framework for understanding metatherapeutic communication practices that may inform future integration of collaboration in psychotherapy.
Prolonged Exposure Reduces Dropout Rates and Symptoms for Individuals with Complex Trauma
New study finds that intensive prolonged exposure is a promising treatment option for individuals with multiple trauma experiences.
Do Psychological Therapies for Schizophrenia and Psychosis Work? – A Debate
-A debate between one of the co-authors of the Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia report, and two authors whose meta-analysis of cognitive behavioral therapy was cited in that report.
LGBT Pride and the Soul: An Essay by Edward Santana
From Routledge: In his recent book Jung and Sex, Edward Santana explores the role that therapists can play in illuminating and deepening human complexities as well as addressing the...
Rejecting Illness as Chronic Contributes to Better Outcomes
Swiss researchers investigated the paradox that both low and high levels of "insight" are a risk factor for poor outcomes such as depression, hopelessness,...
The Alternative to Drugs: The Real Treatment for Human Suffering
My opposition to psychiatric drugs is not just that they are harmful, dangerous, and destructive. That would be plenty motivation enough. And it is. But in addition, my profession, which I love and value, has been hijacked by the APA and Big Pharma. It is my goal to return psychiatry to its proper place - where good psychotherapy is understood to be the treatment for human suffering.
Industry Funded Trials Favor Drugs Over Psychotherapy
The researchers conclude that industry funding appears to bias studies towards pharmacotherapy over psychotherapy for the treatment of depression.
Not Your Great-Grandfather’s Psychoanalysis
From the Monitor on Psychology: One of the greatest misconceptions about psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy is that it has remained unchanged since Freud introduced it. In...
“What Are Delusions – And How Best Can We Treat Them?”
For The Conversation, psychologist John Done, from the University of Hertfordshire, explains his approach to discussing delusions with his patients. Done recommends more qualitative...
How Does Mindfulness Work?
A new study explores how mindfulness impacts self-compassion and meaning in life to increase mental health and wellbeing.
The Psychedelic Renaissance is Here. Will it Last This Time?
From Massive: Increasing evidence suggests that psychedelics may revolutionize mental health care. In order for this "psychedelic renaissance" to last, scientists and citizens will need...
“Terror Management Theory and our Response to the Paris Attacks”
In this short audio clip, psychologist Sheldon Solomon discusses what research on our unconscious fears about death can tell us about terrorism, intolerance, and radicalism. “In the wake of the Paris attacks, we examine the worm that some people think is eating away at our core — our fear of death.”
Mindfulness Pain Relief Distinct from Placebo Effect
A new study demonstrates that the practice of mindfulness may ease pain in a way that is mechanistically distinct from the placebo effect. Research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that mindfulness meditation not only outperformed placebo and fake meditation for pain relief but that it also activated different brain regions than the placebo treatments.
Chemical Imbalances and Other Black Unicorns
“What do you think caused your problems?,” I asked.
“I have a chemical imbalance, a chemical imbalance, an imbalance in the brain that makes me ill.”
Psychologists To Livestream Summit on Global Interdisciplinary Health Care
The American Psychological Association is hosting a two and half day interdisciplinary summit on November 3rd through 5th entitled Global Approaches to Integrated Care: Translating Science And Best Practices Into Patient-Centered Health Care Delivery. The summit features presentations and discussions on social determinants of health, demographics, culture and health disparities, and patients’ perspectives, among others. It can be livestreamed here.
Cognitive Remediation with Functional Skills Training Effective in Schizophrenia
Researchers from Canada and the U.S. report, in findings published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, that cognitive remediation robustly improved neurocognition after 12...
