psychotherapy

Busting 7 Myths About the Practice of Psychotherapy

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All in all, it is not enough that public policy pundits push for greater access to mental health services. Alongside improving access, there needs to be renewed focus on the quantity and quality of psychotherapy the average American currently receives. Health insurers need to reexamine their false assumptions about the effectiveness of short-term, quick-fix therapies.

Despite the Evidence, Overprescription of Stimulants Continues

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A new study finds that stimulant prescribing rates to children continue to rise despite the well-established evidence documenting overdiagnosis of ADHD and overprescription of stimulants.

Massive Reforms for Pharmaceutical System Proposed

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The US/Canadian Pharmaceutical Policy Reform Working Group proposes universal drug coverage and ambitious reforms to the pharmaceutical system.
is psychosis natural?

Is Psychosis Natural?

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Much of the wild world is now a garden: a rational, controlled space. Yet if we step out of the garden and back into the old growth, I believe the process of psychosis belongs as part of Earth’s “will,” of her wild. The physiological process of psychosis—that of amplified senses—is ecologically purposeful. Not good nor bad, but part of what Nature does trying to grow. Here I share a talk I gave in Boulder, Colorado exploring these themes.

Psychologist Debunks Common Misconceptions of Maslow’s Hierarchy

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Utilizing Maslow’s published books and essays, psychologist William Compton delineates common myths and attempts to respond to them.

Are Students Benefiting From the Growth Mindset Model?

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Results from two meta-analyses reveal shortcomings with the growth mindset theory as applied in schools.

Antidepressants Are Not More Effective for Severe Depression, Study Finds

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A new study, published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, found that antidepressant efficacy was not dependent on severity.

Researchers Explore Sexuality and Gender in the Context of Psychosis

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Nev Jones and a team of researchers examine how sex, sexuality, and gender-related content are underexplored in contemporary research on psychosis.
Julia Rucklidge TED talk

TED Betrays Its Own Brand By Flagging Nutrition Talk

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Four years after Rucklidge gave her talk on using micronutrients for psychiatric disorders, why did TED suddenly decide to flag it as falling “outside TEDx’s curatorial guidelines?” And why did it do so when her talk—a review of published science, by a researcher who has conducted placebo-controlled studies on this topic—obviously met TED guidelines? Our guess is that they caved to outside pressure.

Psychotherapy is Less Effective and Less Accessible for Those in Poverty

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A special issue explores the connection between poverty, mental health, and psychotherapy.

Study of Online Antidepressant Forums Reveals Long Lasting Withdrawal Effects

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Effects of discontinuing SSRIs and SNRIs reported on an online forum indicate significant and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms.
Kelli as a child

The Forced Psychiatric Treatment of a Child

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This is my story of forced psychiatric treatment as an eight-year-old girl, from my perspective as an adult mental health professional. Being held down kicking and screaming to be injected with a benzodiazepine is a human rights violation no child should endure for saying no to a pharmaceutical. In hindsight, when I reflect on that day, it feels like a form of child abuse.

Review of Pediatric Antidepressant Studies Finds Evidence of Benefit Lacking

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Review of pediatric antidepressant studies finds the vast majority are negative on primary outcomes and an increased risk for suicidality.

Experts Question the Benefits of Brain Imaging Research for OCD

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Two experts—a leading neuroscientist studying OCD, and a psychiatrist specializing in OCD treatment—question whether expensive brain imaging research has added anything to the treatment of OCD.

Prominent Researcher and Psychotherapist Questions “Evidence-Based Therapy”

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Dr. Johnathan Shedler recently published a paper critiquing how the term “evidence-based” is being used in the field of psychotherapy.

High Job Strain Increases Risk of Mental Health Challenges

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High job demands, low job control, and high job strain are associated with the development of a mental health issue at age 50.

Time for a Paradigm Shift in School Psychology Interventions

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Why do ineffective classification and intervention processes linger in school psychology, and what’s the alternative?

Black Students Are Right to Want to See Black Therapists

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From The Guardian: At Cambridge University, black and ethnic minority students can now specifically request to see therapists of color. "At Cambridge, we’re now guaranteed to...

How to Talk to Somebody Who is Hearing Voices

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In this piece for MetroUK, Lucy Nichol explains how to best support people in "psychosis," emphasizing the need to believe individuals who hear voices and recognize...

We Need to Address the Socioeconomic Causes of Distress

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From The Independent: Over the past several years, mental health awareness has become a high priority. But in order to truly make a difference in people's...

More Evidence That Physical Activity Prevents Depression

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Higher levels of physical activity serve as a protective factor for the future development of depression.

Antidepressant Use Linked to Higher Risk of Premature Death

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From CTV News: A new study found that the risk of premature death increased by 33 percent in people who use antidepressants. Article →
neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is Not For Everyone: The Dangers of Neurology

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One thing I noticed, from the moment that I stepped out of my psychiatrist’s office, was how strangely blank and yet clear my mind was. I felt surprisingly calm and relaxed, and I decided to go back for another treatment the next week. What I couldn’t have known then was that after that next “treatment,” life would be completely destroyed for me.

Why Lifestyle Tips Won’t Cure the Mounting Stress People Face

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From The Independent: Mental health awareness campaigns inundate us with lifestyle tips for managing stress such as mindfulness, meditation, exercise, and nutrition. But these tips...

Intimate Partner Violence Doubles Risk for Postnatal Depression in Malaysian Women

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Women in Malaysia exposed to intimate partner violence are twice as likely to experience postnatal depression.