Latest
Therapy’s Psychedelic Renaissance
A Different Kind of Healing JourneyIt’s been nearly 30 years since SSRIs came on the scene, but despite their ubiquity and pairing with a variety of talk- and body-centered treatments, the... Read more
Between Two Worlds
Trauma Treatment on the EdgeA clinician accustomed to treating trauma in her private practice is also an investigator of an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research project. From this dual... Read more
Learning to Bear the Unbearable - September/October 2018
How MDMA WorksAs a researcher and outspoken advocate for therapeutic innovation, Bessel van der Kolk has been as influential as anyone in shaping the landscape of trauma... Read more
The Ayahuasca Experience
Is There a Place for Shamanic Wisdom in Western Psychology?A world-renowned trauma expert shares his personal experience with the power of ayahuasca ceremonies to heal addiction, PTSD, and ingrained patterns that... Read more
The Challenge of Psychedelic Therapy
How It Could Change Your PracticeWith his latest book, How to Change Your Mind, noted author Michael Pollan has drawn a comprehensive portrait of the growing psychedelic therapy movement. In... Read more
Chronic Pain Reconsidered
A New Role for TherapistsOnly one percent of patients suffering from acute back pain have a significant structural abnormality in their back, and a remarkably low percentage of back... Read more
Police and Therapists
A New AllianceInnovative co-responder programs around the country are bringing about a shift in how police and clinicians define the boundaries of their work. Read more
End-of-Session Bombshells
Handling Doorknob MomentsHow to handle end-of-session bombshells therapeutically—and still wrap up on time. Read more
A Playful Path to Attachment
A Mother and Adopted Daughter Learn to BondThrough games that encourage small moments of laughter, a struggling mother and her adopted daughter learn a different way to bond. Read more
The Suicide Epidemic
What Can We Do?Author and therapist Kay Redfield Jamison explores what we can do to address the suicide epidemic. Read more
The U-Curve of Happiness
Should Big Data Be Believed?A new book claims that even if you find yourself suffering through a gloomy midlife slog, you’re likely to experience a brighter landscape in your 50s and... Read more
Comfort Me
Embracing Grief in a LaundromatConfronting grief in a laundromat. Read more
VIDEO: When is It Trauma? Bessel van der Kolk Explains
Is Your Client Traumatized? For the Answer, Look to the BodyOften we hear things from clients like “My relationship ending was so traumatic for me,” or “When my uncle passed away, I was totally traumatized.”... Read more
When Doing Nothing is Everything
Especially with Kids, Learning to Slow Down Is a Precious GiftWhen I got sick, something amazing happened: I let go of my agenda. Poof—just like that. In the process, I learned there’s nothing more important than... Read more
VIDEO: What to Do When Your Client Cries
Making Tears Your Therapeutic AllyMany times, when clients cry, clinicians feel an urge to rush in and “fix things” that aren’t broken, which can actually make things worse. Watch as Jay... Read more
VIDEO: How Symptoms Reveal the Path to Growth
IFS Developer Richard Schwartz on Befriending the Inner "Protector"Often, our attitudes toward anxiety symptoms are misguided, says Richard Schwartz, the originator of Internal Family Systems. By understanding responses... Read more
My Client Uses Me in Inappropriate Hypothetical Examples
Six Clinicians Give Their Take on This Tricky Clinical ScenarioA male client uses his therapist in hypothetical examples, which the therapist finds inappropriate. Recently, when they were discussing healthy dating habits... Read more
VIDEO: Why Not All Mental Health Problems Are Psychological
Minding the Body Means More Than Just Taking a PillMost therapists recognize that physiological processes hugely influence emotion and behavior. But according to psychiatrist Robert Hedaya, too many tend to... Read more
3 Concerning Messages about the Netflix series “Insatiable”
…And 3 Ways to Talk about Them with Your ClientsThere’s been a lot of outcry from mental health professionals, doctors, parents, and people who’ve suffered from eating disorders about the trailer for the... Read more
VIDEO: Why We Need to Talk with Psychiatrists
How Being “On Call” Keeps Kids from Falling through the CracksAccording to therapist Ron Taffel, author of Breaking Through to Teens, kids who need the extra boost from medication need their therapists to go the extra... Read more
The Girl in the Railroad Pajamas
Lost Children and the Failure of EmpathyAs a psychologist and a mother, I’m haunted by the children of immigrants we’ve all been reading about, stolen from their parents and callously detained... Read more
VIDEO: How to Talk to Your Kids About Love
...And The 60-Second "Truth Bomb" Exercise to Get You StartedWhen 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
We may look back on June 2018 as a tide-turning moment in public awareness of severe depression for reasons virtually all of us hate. In this issue, we... Read more
In the Shadow of Depression
How Can We Manage to Stay Well?Most clinicians know that if a person has suffered one bout of serious depression, he or she is much more vulnerable to another one. But most therapists still... Read more
A Journey Through Fire
Surviving When Your Self Is in AshesAt its worst, depression extinguishes your inner pilot light, depriving you of the substrate that makes you feel real. Sufferers complain of living in a fog... Read more
The New Psychiatry
The Rise of Natural Mental HealthIncreasingly, psychiatrists are recognizing that offering medications as the primary treatment of depression for years and years is simply not working... Read more
Translating Coaching Into Therapy
The Benefits and the BoundariesClinicians interested in applying coaching skills in psychotherapy believe that working more from a collaborative partnership position—like a personal... Read more
New policies are deepening the trauma of many immigrants, and heightening challenges for the therapists trying to help them. Read more
Becoming a Therapist for Each Other
How to Deepen Couples TherapyHow to address one partner’s long-term issues in couples therapy without derailing work on the current relationship. Read more
The Challenge of Helping the People Pleaser
Setting Boundaries Can Be RiskyHelping clients set boundaries can be a risky business, especially when people pleasing has been a lifelong strategy. * Commentary by Courtney Armstrong Read more