Contributed by Chris Lyford

77 Results

Navigating the Male Friendship Recession

A Conversation with Mark Greene

Watch this interview with Mark Greene about why male friendships seem so difficult for men to get and how therapists can help. Read more

Open Book March 1, 2024

A Comedy about Breaking the Rules of Therapy

'Shrinking' is Sweet and Unrealistic—and That's Okay

For therapists, the TV comedy Shrinking is a low-impact escape that still contains echoes of the messy, wrenching work they do. Read more

In Search of The Great Male Friend

One Man’s Quest for Intimacy

Grown men don’t say things like “I’ve got nobody to play with.” Or do they? A journalist explores what therapists are seeing across the country: the... Read more

The Therapy Beat January 3, 2024

Turning the Spotlight on Brainspotting

Did an Unexpected Discovery Reveal a Quicker Path to Healing?

A look at the rise, mysteries, and controversies of Brainspotting, David Grand’s popular trauma-processing technique. Read more

The Therapy Beat November 3, 2023

Let's Talk About Death—and Pass the Cookies

How Death Cafés Can Enrich Our Lives

What is a death café? And why do so many people find them therapeutic? Read more

The Future of Diagnosis

Traveling Beyond the Limits of the DSM

Take a magical journey beyond the DSM’s pathologizing legacy to a place where therapists can name and categorize suffering, while still taking into account... Read more

The Therapy Beat July 1, 2023

Hypnosis Revisited

Harnessing Therapy’s Most Versatile Tool

Clinical hypnosis has a rich history, broad applications, and sound research behind it—so why aren’t more therapists using it? Read more

Boys' Friendships

The Clash of Intimacy and Masculinity

Are we undermining boys' longing for soft, loving friendships? Read more

The Therapy Beat April 28, 2023

Getting Individualized Education Plans Right

How Are IEPs Missing the Mark?

How can Individualized Education Plans, which often involve therapists, better ensure that students with disabilities get a fair and proper education? Read more

The Therapy Beat March 1, 2023

Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors and MFTs

The Legislation Finally Passes

After more than three decades of advocacy, counselors and MFTs are finally celebrating a landmark piece of legislation permitting them to receive Medicare... Read more

The Therapy Beat January 4, 2023

The New Premarital Counseling

A Good Match for Therapists?

Premarital counseling is growing in popularity, and research indicates it has numerous benefits. So why aren't more therapists offering it? Read more

A Reimbursement Dream Realized

With New Law, 33 Years of Advocacy Finally Pays Off

The passage of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act—the product of more than three decades of advocacy—is a historic moment that removes a significant... Read more

The Therapy Beat November 29, 2022

Are Licensing Exams Failing Clinicians?

Reevaluating Our Gatekeeping

Despite the need to assess competency, some say licensing exams risk leaving good clinicians behind. Read more

The Love Prescription

An Interview with John and Julie Gottman

In this Networker Live event, senior editor Chris Lyford speaks with authors and relationship experts John and Julie Gottman about their latest book, The Love... Read more

Changing How We Think about Youth Suicide

An Interview with David Jobes

In this Networker Live event, senior editor Chris Lyford speaks with suicidologist Dr. David Jobes about the impact of ideation. Read more

Family Matters September 14, 2022

Unhappy Campers

When a Guys’ Weekend Goes South

A nightmare camping trip exposes the limits—and possibilities—of male bonding. Read more

The Therapy Beat September 14, 2022

The Ideation Factor

Changing How We Think about Youth Suicide

Suicidal ideation among teens is overlooked, understudied, and sometimes even willfully ignored. Read more

Cultivating Positive Age Beliefs

The Impact of Ageism on Our Bodies and Minds

Yale researcher Becca Levy discusses how our beliefs about aging affect our wellbeing, regardless of age. Read more

The Therapy Beat July 14, 2022

Therapy Card Decks

A Session in the Palm of Your Hand?

Are therapy card decks a clinical tool, a branding exercise, or something else entirely? Read more

The Avatar Will See You Now

An Interview on the Virtual Reality, the Metaverse, and Therapy

Networker talks with the co-founders and clinicians of Virgils, a virtual reality platform for therapists and clients. Read more

The Therapy Beat May 22, 2022

Therapy Meets the Metaverse

A New Approach to Treating Young Clients

A firsthand look at how a new virtual reality program is taking therapy to new places. Read more

Taking Play Therapy Seriously

The Surprising Journey to Widespread Acceptance

Many play therapists still find themselves having to explain what they do and why it works. But after more than a century, play therapy has finally come into... Read more

VIDEO: Rethinking the Policy of Seclusion and Restraint

A Discussion with Mona Delahooke and Guy Stephens

Join Mona Delahooke, therapist and author of Beyond Behaviors, and Guy Stephens, founder and director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, for a... Read more

The Therapy Beat March 22, 2022

Agitated Kids, Dangerous Punishment

Rethinking the Policy of Seclusion and Restraint

Seclusion and restraint is a rare but extreme response to students deemed unruly. One parent, backed by some clinical allies, is drawing attention to its... Read more

The Therapy Beat January 7, 2022

Is Meditation as Safe as We Think?

The Risks We Don’t Talk About

Meditation is generally considered one of the safest practices for our clients. But one organization says that’s not always the case. Read more

The Therapy Beat November 11, 2021

Rage Rooms

Stress Relief’s New Darlings?

Are rage rooms a passing fad? Or a symptom of a larger issue? Read more

The Therapy Beat September 15, 2021

Surrogate Partner Therapy

Crossing Lines or Expanding Boundaries?

The debate around surrogate partner therapy. Read more

This week, the Networker's assistant editor, Chris Lyford, sat down for a live conversation and Q&A with hip hop artist and therapist, J.C. Hall. Read more

The Therapy Beat July 15, 2021

The TikTok Therapist

Goodbye, Blank Slate

For some therapists, using TikTok isn’t a marketing tactic, but a public service. Read more

The Therapy Beat May 19, 2021

Psychedelic Therapy and Racial Trauma

Offering Clients a Deeper Experience of Healing

Can psychedelic therapy offer a faster, deeper way to heal the intergenerational effects of racial injustice? Read more

Hip Hop Therapy

The Healing Power of Giving Kids the Mic

The process of creating beats and lyrics is rooted in therapeutic practices. At one South Bronx high school, a school social worker has traded the therapy room... Read more

The Therapy Beat December 30, 2020

“Therapy robots” have been touted as an answer to loneliness and a new way to build social skills. But will they change the way therapists work? Read more

The Therapy Beat November 3, 2020

The pandemic continues to strain small addiction clinics and their struggling clients. Read more

The Therapy Beat June 30, 2020

The movement to offer more free therapy and expand access to treatment gains momentum. Read more

The Therapy Beat May 1, 2020

Left Behind

Counselors Seek Medicare Reimbursement

The long, hard fight to fix a legislative gap. Read more

The Warm Handoff

Therapists’ Expanding Role in Healthcare

In a country where one in five primary care patients has a diagnosable behavioral health issue, setting up doctors and therapists to work hand in hand may be... Read more

VIDEO: Doing Mindfulness Work with Kids

Two Techniques You Can Try Out Today

Mindfulness specialist Chris Willard explains the difference between mindfulness work with kids and adults, and shares two techniques you can use today with... Read more

VIDEO: Doing Your Best Work with LGBTQ Clients

The Myth of Sex Addiction, Common Mistakes, and More

Is the sex addiction model doing more harm than good? What's the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity? And what are the most common... Read more

The Therapy Beat December 27, 2019

Couples Therapy Goes Public

A New TV Series Pulls Back the Curtain

A bold new TV series captures the raw reality of couples therapy—for both clients and therapists. Read more

VIDEO: The Self-Compassion Approach to Trauma Treatment

Creative Strategies That Dig Deeper

It’s important to honor all of your client’s inner parts in therapy. But accessing them to fully engage in healing work isn’t always easy. Here, trauma... Read more

The Therapy Beat October 28, 2019

A new documentary on comedian Darrell Hammond’s life spotlights the legacy of childhood trauma. Read more

A Bridge to Recovery

A Grassroots Approach to the Opioid Crisis

Years into the opioid epidemic, a journalist travels to the hardest-hit state to get an up-close look at addiction treatment and the “radically... Read more

Beating Back-to-School Anxiety

Three Therapists Share Stories and Tips

If you work with kids and adolescents, you’re probably no stranger to what these first weeks of school bode for your practice. Back-to-school season can be... Read more

VIDEO: Bringing Parents into Therapy with Kids

Why Anxiety is a Family Problem

When it comes to treating anxious kids, the same rules for treating anxious adults don’t apply. According to therapist Lynn Lyons, you might not only... Read more

Has anything changed in the way we classify trauma? Does anything need to change in terms of how we treat it? According to therapist Mary Jo Barrett, yes... Read more

The Therapy Beat July 3, 2019

In response to the ever-growing incidences of gun violence targeting students, many schools have instituted active-shooter drills. How are therapists... Read more

VIDEO: Helping Clients Envision Personal Transformation

...While Still Validating Their Pain

How do you help clients access resourceful states when they’re feeling hopeless and helpless? In this short video, trauma specialist Courtney Armstrong... Read more

VIDEO: What Therapists Need to Know About Working with LGBTQ+ Clients

How We Think About Gender and Sexuality is Changing at "Warp Speed"

Today’s LGBTQ+ community has exploded in size, and therapists working in progressive, urban communities will likely see clients whose approach to sex... Read more

The Therapy Beat May 6, 2019

Even as ketamine’s popularity continues to rise for depression treatment, it’s still fighting an uphill battle for clinical acceptance. Read more

Getting "Ghosted" by Clients

Four Stories from Therapists, and What They Learned from Their Experience

We’ve all seen it happen. Maybe some of us are even guilty of it ourselves. When you get an email from that pesky neighbor, a text message from the boring... Read more

VIDEO: Using Play with Adults in Therapy

Dafna Lender Demonstrates Three Proven Techniques

Any therapist who works with kids will tell you that incorporating play in therapy is a great way to break the ice, reduce anxiety, and strengthen the... Read more

The Therapy Beat March 7, 2019

ASMR Videos

A New Tool for Therapists?

Videos designed to elicit ASMR, a physiological state some people find soothing, get millions of views online. Now clinicians are debating whether they could... Read more

Creating a Web of Connection

Therapists in Search of Community

Therapists are always on the lookout for new approaches and techniques. But in a profession with alarming rates of burnout and professional isolation, the best... Read more

VIDEO: Doing Self-Care Right

Sabrina N'Diaye on Tapping Into Your Innate Wisdom

Increasingly, therapists are looking for alternatives to the office-bound rigidity of traditional private practice. In the following interview, The Center for... Read more

The Therapy Beat November 9, 2018

The Podcast Boom

Is It for You?

Podcasts have exploded in numbers and popularity. What do mental health professionals need to know about this way of expanding their audience and their... Read more

The Therapy Beat September 5, 2018

Police and Therapists

A New Alliance

Innovative co-responder programs around the country are bringing about a shift in how police and clinicians define the boundaries of their work. Read more

VIDEO: How to Talk to Your Kids About Love

...And The 60-Second "Truth Bomb" Exercise to Get You Started

When it comes to talking about love and relationships with young adult children, too many parents are silent. But research shows that the vast majority of... Read more

The Therapy Beat July 6, 2018

New policies are deepening the trauma of many immigrants, and heightening challenges for the therapists trying to help them. Read more

The Therapy Beat May 9, 2018

How to give boys more choices about the kind of men they want to be. Read more

The Therapy Beat March 9, 2018

A push to make mindfulness practices more racially sensitive. Read more

The Therapy Beat January 8, 2018

Nearly a decade ago, England embarked on one of the largest expansions of mental health care in modern history. What can be said of the outcome of this bold... Read more

The Therapy Beat November 1, 2017

In the 12 years since Hurricane Katrina, what have mental health professionals learned about being helpful in the wake of natural disasters? Read more

The Therapy Beat September 7, 2017

The rise of text therapy is raising ethical questions for its practitioners. Read more

The Therapy Beat July 12, 2017

Is teen suicide contagious? Clinicians weigh in on the controversy around 13 Reasons Why. Read more

The Therapy Beat May 1, 2017

How have the practitioners in rural communities been responding to America’s opioid epidemic? Read more

The Therapy Beat March 13, 2017

Therapists respond to the increasingly popular notion that we have a Millennial crisis on our hands. Read more

The Therapy Beat January 1, 2017

Healing after the Election

What Therapists and Their Minority Clients Are Saying

What minority clients are saying to their therapists after the election, and how therapists are responding. Read more

The 6 Most-Read Networker Articles of 2016

A Look Back at This Year's Popular Reads, Chosen by You

By Chris Lyford - As 2017 approaches, we're taking stock of the past year. Join us in looking back at the most-read online Networker articles of 2016, chosen... Read more

Six Things Therapists Are Saying After the Election

. . . And Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Call Out the Chicken Littles

By Chris Lyford - Regardless of where you stand politically, it’s hard to deny that the 2016 presidential election was one of the most stress-inducing in... Read more

The Therapy Beat November 3, 2016

Therapists wade into the controversy about trigger warnings for potentially disturbing college course material. Read more

The Therapy Beat August 30, 2016

It used to be an axiom for clinicians that therapeutic conversation and politics don’t mix. But in this high-stakes presidential election, some therapists... Read more

The Therapy Beat June 30, 2016

Has pornography become a public health crisis? Read more

The Therapy Beat May 9, 2016

A grassroots effort to serve the mental health needs of veterans enables therapists to extend to their impact. Read more

The Therapy Beat March 8, 2016

Therapists reflect on the terror attack in Paris. Read more

The Therapy Beat November 18, 2015

Questions have been raised about whether the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, the field’s most researched treatment model, has been overstated. Read more

The Therapy Beat July 1, 2015

Fifteen years ago, psychotherapist Jeffrey Kottler never imagined he’d be stuffing nine duffel bags full of antibiotics and suture kits for a return trip to... Read more

The Therapy Beat May 1, 2015

Since it was introduced as an anesthetic in the 1970s, ketamine has occupied an uncertain pharmacological status. It’s been used as both a Vietnam-era... Read more

Chris Lyford

Chris Lyford is the Senior Editor at Psychotherapy Networker. Previously, he was Assistant Director and Editor of the The Atlantic Post, where he wrote and edited news pieces on the Middle East and Africa. He also formerly worked at The Washington Post, where he wrote local feature pieces for the Metro, Sports, and Style sections. Contact: clyford@psychnetworker.org.