Columnists, Articles
Public still confused about memories of sexual assault
By John Grohol, Psy.D.
If the U.S. Senate hearings of now-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh taught us anything, it’s that the public has a very poor understanding of the science behind trauma and memory.
Republican senators convinced themselves that the victim – Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault back in high school – must have mixed up Kavanaugh’s face with her actual attacker.
Of course, psychologists know that such a belief flies in the face of all the science, research, and thousands of victims’ stories that have been documented over more than the past five decades.…
The dilemma: to join a group practice or go solo
By Catherine Robertson Souter
It is perhaps the most important question to answer for anyone just starting out in a clinical practice. Does it make sense to take a “safe” position in a group practice or would it be wiser in the long run to set out on your own, rent an office, and start building your brand?
There is, of course, no “right” answer, only many factors to consider. Among them, the administrative benefits of each option, the financial impact, the social impact and the market itself must each be considered before deciding which path to follow.…
500 million, but the need still grows
By John Grohol, Psy.D.
Psych Central just reached an amazing milestone in our 23 years online. We’ve just passed 500 million visitors who’ve come to our site to learn more about mental illness symptoms and treatments, psychology, personality, parenting, or a relationship issue.
We’re proud of this achievement, but we also realize we have a much longer road to travel.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the annual suicide rate in the United States has increased 24 percent since 1999. During this same time period, the availability of mental health information and support online has increased dramatically.…
To overcome the mental health bias, clinicians must serve as examples
By New England Psychologist Staff
In the middle of labor with my second child, I had a panic attack. It happened when my epidural kicked in and I realized I couldn’t feel my body. I panicked. After spending hours in excruciating pain of back labor and feeling the sweet sensation of the pain subsiding, I realized I couldn’t move.
I felt the wave of panic washing over me as the nurse repeatedly asked me to move my legs and I could not. “I can’t feel my body” I said, “I’m going to have a panic attack!”…
Embracing the fall
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
As much as I would like embrace the beauty of autumn with its colorful foliage and bright, clear days, I can never seem to ignore the melancholy chord that this season strikes in my soul and the bittersweet taste of joy diluted by sorrow.
This year I might have made it through, gliding into the season on the wings of anticipated good times with family and friends. But this fall, reminders of losses endured in autumns past and others yet to come were intensified by the widely reported deaths of national figures, most notably, Senator John McCain at the end of August and by more revelations of abuse in the church I love.…
What’s in a name?
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
You’re sitting in your doctor’s waiting room when the receptionist calls the name of the next patient. No one responds, she calls the name again, and prompted by curiosity, you look up from your magazine to meet her puzzled gaze.
She repeats the name, this time adding the surname, and you wonder why she is calling your father. No, wait, Dad is long gone, and then you realize the receptionist is calling you. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, then, like me, you were given a name at birth that no one ever used.…
Emphasizing psychosocial treatments for ADHD
By John Grohol, Psy.D.
It’s difficult to keep focused on outcomes that are likely to result in the greatest long-term success for your clients. One such example is in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
It’s becoming increasingly less common for clinicians to even see children who present with ADHD, because of the emphasis of medication treatment – stimulants – for this concern.
According to 2016 U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention data, 62 percent of children receive medication for treatment, while only 47 percent received a behavioral intervention.
The number of children who receive behavioral interventions decreases significantly with age – from 60 percent in ages two to five, to 51 percent in ages six to 11, down to a measly 42 percent in ages 12-17.…
The upholstered clock
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
“Will you miss it?” I asked my wife as we stood at opposite ends of the couch in the middle of the floor, aimed at the sliding doors of our family room. “Miss what?” she replied. “Me neither,” I answered.
And so, one day after the Salvation Army rejected our offer because of some fraying of the upholstery, the junk man came and carted the old couch away.
The piece was one of two that we bought on a single visit to the furniture store 16 years ago as soon the builders had finished our new family room.…
The power of hard stories
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
As I sat listening to a discussion on the topic of writing hard stories at the recent Newburyport literary festival, I thought of my colleagues in psychology and wished you could hear the message the panel came to deliver. Perhaps some of you were in the audience and heard what the presenters had to say, but for those of you who had better things to do on a springtime Saturday, this one is for you.
Psychologists, like writers, are all about the story. When we listen to our patients telling us about the challenges in their lives, we are listening to their stories and trying to understand how they make sense of their particular situations.…
Striking a Digital Balance
By John Grohol, Psy.D.
Technology is only going to keep invading the nooks and crannies of our life. We can help ourselves and our clients by treating it like a tool that needs our active guidance, instead of welcoming it passively into our lives as the enemy.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter – these are all services designed not only to gain your attention and brain cycles, but to keep it for as long as possible. They are designed from a neurocognitive perspective to take advantage of the stimulus-reward system – and they work wonderfully in keeping you captive.…