New England Psychologist
Treating Long COVID mental health symptoms requires coordination
By Beth Negus Viveiros
Communication between mental health professionals and primary care providers (PCPs) is key to proper diagnosis and treatment of Long COVID mental health issues. Because Long COVID is a broad condition, providers must collect a full patient history to address other potential causes of symptoms, noted Molly Sanborn, public health analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This makes multidisciplinary care vital. “PCPs are the first link many people have to the healthcare systems,” said Sanborn. “There… Read more »
Leading Stories
Program helps with transition back to school for students with mental health issues
Psychological tool measures how trauma impacts religious beliefs
Postpartum psychosis: A complex mix of serious symptoms
Research highlights health care inequity in Massachusetts
Kids’ mental health getting a boost in Connecticut
Practical Practice
Should I accept this referral?
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
Not long ago, I received a call from a woman requesting an intake appointment. I don’t use a scheduler and prefer to pre-screen clients myself. She was unclear about her referral source. Something seemed vaguely familiar and following a gut feeling, I pressed her for more information. It became apparent that she was the mother of an adult client whom I was currently treating. Moreover, the toxicity of the parent-child relationship had been the focus of many sessions. Yikes! I… Read more »
The pros and cons of accepting health insurance
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
Solo practitioners face challenges Have you considered joining or leaving an insurance panel? More than one out of four psychologists are self-employed and nearly half (45 percent) work in private practice settings. Psychologists in independent practice often do not accept health insurance, citing low reimbursement rates and difficulties getting paid. I think of myself as a woman in my “pre-retirement” years and as such, I no longer have the burden of student loans, my kids’ college tuition, or other wallet-draining… Read more »
Practical Practice: How will Artificial Intelligence disrupt the therapy industry?
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
I’m a late adopter of technology. I had a flip phone for an embarrassingly long time, resisted Facebook and kept a paper calendar well into the digital age. Despite this, curiosity about the open-source ChatGPT motivated me to watch a quick YouTube video and within minutes, create an online free account. With breathtaking speed, ChatGPT revised my awkwardly worded email and provided me with quotes about psychotherapy, such as, the following from Carl Rogers, “The curious paradox is that when… Read more »
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Interview of the Month
Sarah Schwartz, Ph.D. focuses on intersection between climate change and psychology
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Young people show more anxiety From the tragic fires in Maui to the flash floods in Vermont, the media has been filled with news of the devastating effects of climate-related disasters. As these types of events increase in frequency, so do concerns about the future of our planet. According to a study done by the American Psychological Association, 56 percent of U.S. adults point to climate change as “the most important issue facing society today.” For many reasons, including a… Read more »
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Publisher's Note by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
Changing times require adaptation
Changing times require flexibility and resilience in clinical practice. The old ways of doing things are not always going to be keeping with the times and the needs of clients. Take, for instance, the rising expectations of patients to be able to communicate with you in-between sessions, whether it is through texting, a messaging app, Facetime, or email. Psychologists are taught that such between-session communications are generally frowned upon. Yet increasingly, more and more patients expect them. Rather than an… Read more »
Protect your data: Electronic health records
We’re living in digital times, but some things never change — such as the interest criminals have in making some easy money. Efficient criminals no longer rob banks – too many things that could go wrong for an unknown payout. Instead, they turn to the endless supply of opportunities available online. While that includes the obvious places – online banking and your online credit card account – some lesser known places are increasingly at risk. One of those places is… Read more »
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In Person with Alan Bodnar, Ph.D.
Whose story is it anyway?
Psychologists are story people, especially when we are trying to help people make more satisfying stories of their lives. Because I am a story person, I am still mulling over the story of a book about the immigrant experience that has been the subject of media attention since its publication in January. The book, “American Dirt” is a fictional account of the journey of an undocumented Mexican mother and daughter fleeing from a drug cartel in Mexico to expected sanctuary… Read more »
Writing a spiritual autobiography
There will be eight of us, nine if you count me, the workshop leader, lighting up those little Zoom squares like stars blinking onto a twilight sky, one here, a cluster there, a straggler or two until the screen is filled. This has become a familiar routine since the start of the COVID pandemic. We are here to begin writing what traditionally has been called a “spiritual autobiography,” the story of our personal journeys to discover the guiding principles that… Read more »