Society & Culture

After wading through the controversies and contradictions in the research literature on SSRIs, a critic of Big Pharma explains why he thinks these drugs may... Read more

For therapists, giving a TED talk is the new professional milestone. Read more

Pioneering trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk shares his thoughts on the differences between public and private trauma. Read more

A new book investigates the worldview of a range of fanatics who’ve dedicated their lives to holding onto to their antiscientific and antihistorical claims. Read more

Over the last 150 years, we’ve seen waves of mass infatuations with psychotropic drugs—antidepressants being the latest. While all these drugs are... Read more

A middle-aged man explores his troubled relationship with the body his genetics have saddled him with. Read more

Labeling clients with DSM diagnoses is a ritual most of us perform to get reimbursed and pay our mortgages, but few of us actually believe in. Has the time... Read more

Therapists’ Perspectives on the Woody Allen Allegations Read more

Therapists should not only be aware of their prejudices toward higher-weight clients, but should commit themselves to challenge those attitudes as well. Read more

The era of unchallenged male entitlement has come to an end, and many men are mad as hell. A new book provides context to help us deal with this anger in the... Read more

More than any other positive emotion, love resides within connections. It extends beyond personal boundaries to characterize the vibe that pulsates between and... Read more

With his enormous success, Malcolm Gladwell has morphed from a darling underdog to a publishing juggernaut at whom it’s now trendy to sling insults. Read more

Raising the issue of race in therapy can help African American clients connect their personal struggles to an enduring cultural legacy that many insist isn’t... Read more

A new book exposes the story of the corporate competition for our taste buds and ever-expanding tummies. Read more

Anthropologist and author Tanya Luhrmann explains how many evangelicals experience the kind of support in their connection with God that others find in their... Read more

Jared Diamond’s new book explores the many lessons modern cultures can draw from the wisdom of small-scale, preindustrial societies. Read more

Kenneth Hardy believes that the experience of trauma is too often unacknowledged by therapists struggling to help troubled minority youth. Read more

Tens of thousands of miles away from his practice, a therapist accidentally discovers a new sense of purpose, unable to distinguish the act of giving from the... Read more

Social psychologist Jonathon Haidt offers a perspective on why we vote the way we do that you’re unlikely to have read about in the deluge of mainstream... Read more

We live in a culture of denial, especially about the grim reality of climate change. Sure, we want to savor the occasional shrimp cocktail without having to... Read more

A new book about the power of keeping your mouth shut provides a much-needed corrective to our cultural enchantment with extroversion. Read more

Bestselling author and retired psychotherapist Mary Pipher makes a case for therapists’ having the know-how to become effective social activists---and for... Read more

Over the years, our front-of-the-book department has not only given readers plenty of tasty factoids to chew on, but also revealed how the seasons of the... Read more

- Mental health systems under stress - The timing of trauma treatment - The revolt against DSM-5 Read more

Plumbing the eternal question: Why are there bad people? Read more

In today’s multicultural world, no one is immune to the emotional fallout of discrimination. Read more

Those gritty TV depictions of kids scratching out an existence on the streets aren’t just a sensationalistic fabrication. Read more

As the writers in this issue powerfully demonstrate, medical science has made extended dying and its impact on relatives and loved ones—what psychologist... Read more

A perverse set of financial incentives within the medical system too often leads to the promotion of maximum treatment, no matter what. When this happens... Read more

The work of linguist George Lakoff on the psychology of political rhetoric has become must reading for anyone who wants to understand how candidates get... Read more