New England Psychologist
New England Psychologist is home to independent journalism focused on psychologists and psychotherapists in the New England region. We publish new content every month. Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to receive updates, or sign-up for a one-year paid subscription now in order to access all of our great content.
Federal government tries again to ensure insurers pay for mental health care
By New England Psychologist Staff
Rule will take effect 60 days after announcement The Biden administration announced in early September 2024 the finalization of a significant new regulation aimed at ensuring that health insurers cover and pay for mental health care on equal footing with physical health conditions. The move is part of a broader federal effort to address long-standing issues of inadequate mental health coverage for millions of Americans, despite existing laws that mandate parity – or equality – between mental and physical health… Read more »
Leading Stories
Federal government tries again to ensure insurers pay for mental health care
Study: College students feel anxious about presidential election
Examining the relationship between politics and psychology
Mass. debuts country’s first social prescribing program: Arts and culture participation is focus
Maine to expand crisis centers
Behavioral health care funds to be released in Mass.
Maine launches state’s first Child ACT program
Is Massachusetts getting closer to an AOT law?
Fake news: Misinformation has its own psychology
Killingly, CT students will finally get much-needed mental health services
Medication treatment for opioid disorders limited at outpatient facilities
‘Man Therapy’ comes to Vermont
Disparities between mental, medical use reimbursements highlighted
Is telehealth here to stay?
Practical Practice
The DSM: Is it time to evolve?
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
Clinicians rely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) every day and many people refer to it as the “bible” of psychiatry. Upon searching the internet for the current price of the DSM V-TR, I unexpectedly encountered some humorous reviews on Goodreads. Some examples, “Terrible plot, no character development” as well as, “I was able to successfully diagnose my mom, dad, sister, and chihuahua. The latter being the most difficult to manage when it comes to behaviors and psychological needs.”… Read more »
Niche specialization: Is finding your niche important?
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
Is it necessary for independent practitioners to have an area of specialty practice? A quick review of popular sites such as the Psychology Today Therapist Directory gives the impression that most psychologists have one or more niche areas of practice. The range of specialty areas of focus is seemingly limitless and includes diagnoses such as OCD, ADHD, PTSD; symptoms such as self-harm, insomnia or sexual dysfunction or therapy; modalities such as individual, couples or family therapy; specific patient populations defined… Read more »
Is student loan debt worth it?
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
“I’m trying to decide whether I should become a licensed professional counselor or a psychologist. Do you have any advice?” I wasn’t surprised to hear this question from my client, a 21-year-old psychology major. He sought out therapy and found the process of self-discovery helpful. He had been accepted into both psychology doctoral programs and counseling master’s programs, both of which would make him eligible for licensure. We talked about his motivations and the differences in the curriculum between a… Read more »
Older Practical Practice Columns...
Interview of the Month
Q&A: Machine learning, mathematical modeling used as tools to predict suicide ideation
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Modern psychology may be about to experience a sea change. While the practice has certainly evolved over the past 100 years, the introduction of machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that uses large data sets to look at human behavior, may vastly alter the way mental illness is understood and treated. At Yale University, Shirley Wang, Ph.D., who joined the psychology department in July as an assistant professor, is using machine learning and mathematical modeling to attempt to predict… Read more »
Older Interviews...
Publisher's Note by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
The end of an era
This is the last print issue of New England Psychologist. It’s been a long time coming. Since purchasing New England Psychologist at the end of 2017, I’ve struggled with the same issues every print publication has faced in the past decade: rising printing and mailing costs, and declining revenue from sponsors who no longer want to advertise in print. We’ve tried various strategies to increase interest in our 31-year-old publication. We changed formats, making it easier to read and more… Read more »
Revisiting AI
Just a year ago, I wrote about the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and its potential to help in mental health treatment. The field continues to suffer from a shortage of therapists, especially those trained in specific types of treatments to help with specific disorders (specialists). Artificial intelligence won’t be a cure-all and it’s not going to replace your job anytime soon. What it can do, however, is help in increasing access to care by patients, reduce certain mind-numbing… Read more »
Older Publisher's Notes...
In Person with Alan Bodnar, Ph.D.
Why Words Matter in Life and Politics
If ever there were any doubt that words matter, the July assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the killing of an innocent bystander as well as the shooter provide more tragic evidence that they do. Even as the event was being reported, commentators were focusing on the connection between violent political rhetoric and violent behavior. Even before the motives of the shooter were known, some were suggesting that the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life was orchestrated by the radical left… Read more »
When we learned to listen: The legacy of Elvin Semrad
Over more than three decades of writing this column, from time to time, I have quoted Dr. Elvin Semrad whom I briefly described as “the late Boston psychoanalyst.” I supposed he needed no further introduction because of his legendary stature in the psychoanalytic community that was synonymous with psychiatric and psychological teaching and practice in twentieth century Boston. As a product of that educational system, I assumed my readers were familiar with the same luminaries who guided my own development… Read more »