In never rains in California, but…
In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state — about 4.9 million people — said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem…
The Los Angeles Times looks at phone therapy (it works).
The therapist-patient relationship is crucial to people battling depression, addiction, weight gain and diabetes. But that relationship might not always have to be in person to be effective…
From TED2004–an oldie–Positive Psychology founder, Martin Seligman, talking his talk.
What happens in therapy? Good question. Couch Fiction, a book-length comic by British psychotherapist, Philippa Perry, offers some answers.
Based on a case study of Pat (our sandal-wearing, cat-loving psychotherapist) and her new client, James (an ambitious barrister with a potentially harmful habit he can’t stop), this graphic novel follows the anxieties, frustrations, mind-wanderings and break-throughs of each, through a year of therapy sessions together.
On the page: What he says, what she says…what he’s thinking, what she’s thinking. At page bottom, explanations about the theory behind various therapeutic interventions, missteps made, etc.
See a (very positive) review here…and an author interview here.
(Also at WTCI)
David Carlat talks to NPR about his book, Unhinged: The Trouble With Psychiatry. Article, audio, and excerpt all on the site.
“And this is a good therapist who I often work with. I recommend that you give her a call and set up an appointment. The medication works better when you are also seeing a counselor.”
She looked confused. “Aren’t you my therapist?”
Judith Beck’s debut at the Huffington Post: The How and Why of Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
[N]ot all psychotherapy is the same. Some modalities have a strong evidence base that demonstrates their effectiveness. Other modalities have never been shown to be effective. Yet they continue to be practiced by psychotherapists who consider an evidence base to be unimportant.
Her collected posts are here (a second went up yesterday).
Stand-outs this morning from around the web…
ScienceDaily: Combining sex and drugs reduces rock and roll
WebMD: Getting Pregnant: Easy Ways To Encourage Fertility
PsychCentral: Therapist Competency Important for Treatment Success
ScienceDaily: Antidepressants make shrimps see the light
Results from a giant Consumer Reports mental health survey, reported earlier, have been posted. Here are the bullet points they came up with:
Talk therapy helps
Some drugs have an edge
Anxiety rises [is on the rise, that is, since 2004]
Side effects shift
Type of therapist doesn’t matter
Details on the site.
PsychCentral looks at ways to get the most out of depression treatment during tough economic times. Suggestions include:
Ordered the couch yesterday for new therapy offices in Los Feliz. I’ll post pictures once it’s all set up. In the meantime, help with anxiety, depression, relationships, stress-related chronic pain, and addiction recovery ongoing at offices in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and Beverly Hills. Call me at (323) 610-0112 to talk about what you’re going through and arrange a first appointment.
