“The ordinary response to atrocities is to banish them from consciousness. Certain violations of the social compact are too terrible to utter out loud: this is the meaning of the word unspeakable. Trauma survivors want to forget, observers want to forget, and society as a whole wants to forget. It is too painful to do otherwise. We push trauma away and it rears up in other ways: Atrocities, however, …
Why we deny trauma and blame survivors
As a practicing (“licensed”) psychologist, this issue comes up frequently. What are the differences among the myriad of mental-health professionals and does it even matter? As a researcher, as well as a clinician, my first inclination is always to look at the literature when seeking answers. What have others written on whatever topic it is that I am trying to better understand? Did someone else already answer my question? So, …
Why psychologist training takes years
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a talking process between a patient and a psychotherapist. Psychotherapy makes connections among feelings, thoughts, impulses, and behaviors to understand what works and what gets in the way of meeting life’s goals, reaching one’s fullest potential, feeling successful, and being fulfilled. This is accomplished by self-reflection. By examining life patterns, changing, improving, and unlearning emotional and behavioral habits that get in the way and are no …
Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails
What is the purpose of psychotherapy? What are the goals?
Psychotherapy is a talking process between a patient and a psychotherapist that involves looking at feelings, behaviors, impulses, and thoughts through a process of self-reflection. The purpose of psychotherapy is to explore life patterns and to learn what works and what gets in the way of feeling successful and fulfilled. The goals are to reach one’s fullest potential. This is done …
Why real growth in psychotherapy takes time, courage, and teamwork
I spent years researching and writing about the health care crisis. It was depressing and isolating — traumatizing. When I met someone with more reach, it was a relief to be able to stop.
Early on, it was obvious to me that our medical health care crisis is actually a mental health crisis. It is about disconnectedness and devaluation of relationships, a basic need. Evidence abounds. The Read more…
How trauma, health care, and kindness are the keys to contagious change
Rationale: Sometimes it helps to talk about trauma; sometimes it helps to just listen. Having a safe, supportive, confidential, affirming environment to do both or either is important.
Background: I have been offering workshops on “managing stress and avoiding burnout” for years. I have always acknowledged the importance of yoga and other complimentary, often behavioral, strategies for stress management. Exercise, hobbies, socializing, pets, good diet, and anything else that works for …
Trying to bury trauma does not work
I recently experienced, up close and personal, yet another injury to our doctors and our health care system.
I have an undiagnosed, undiagnosable, autoimmune disease. I am rarely, if ever, without any physical symptoms. I have learned about them and how to manage them. Annoying? Sometimes. But no longer frightening, once my doctors and I understand and incorporate them into my health care plan.
A few weekends ago, I suddenly had a …
Yet another injury to our doctors and our health care system
We are all traumatized by the unfathomable devastation caused by the coronavirus. What can we expect as a result of this national and worldwide trauma?
The trauma approach uses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a frame to understand trauma. PTSD is a normal reaction to abnormal situations, which can be ongoing, according to the American Psychological Association. It is normal, not abnormal or pathological, to feel emotions, even extreme ones, from …
We must care about our doctors. Especially now.
One of my graduate school professors proclaimed that what is wrong with our society is that most people have not reached formal operations or have not been in psychotherapy.
Formal operations is the stage of development, described by French researcher Jean Piaget, where we learn to take the perspectives of others, to disagree while maintaining a relationship, and to understand that we are not the center of the universe.
Psychotherapy is where …
Margaret Mead was right about health care
What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, unstable moods; impulsive and reckless behavior, and unstable or volatile relationships may be indicative of BPD. People with BPD often have high rates of co-occurring disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders, along with self-harm, suicidal behaviors, and completed suicides. They often make poor life choices and take unwise risks. Thus, adults with …
Borderline personality disorder in medical practice
Because I wrote my book, I was recently asked to summarize the health care crisis. I have focused almost 25 years of research and writing about health care on what is happening on the ground, every day, with doctors and patients. I’m not an economist or financing expert or technology geek, so I can’t offer anything there. I am a practicing psychologist with advanced training in health care research …
Those who try to solve health care don’t know the reality on the ground
The interviewees in my book talked about declining quality of health care. Do people even know or remember what it is like to get quality health care? Doctor visits are often too short to be adequately through. Psychotherapy is too often too brief, with a focus on “quick fix.” Psychotherapy isn’t just about talking. It involves careful, thorough study and application of knowledge to the issues that patients bring with them. …
Answering your questions about the mental health benefits of psychotherapy
As part of the interview for my book, I asked why it is difficult to be a doctor. Some of it has to do with integrating information and making decisions.
“The public thinks that we know more or can do more than we can. Ultrasounds don’t mean it’s a perfect baby. All of the tests and technology moves so fast that we don’t know what we see.” A doctor explained, “You cannot know …
Why is it difficult to be a doctor?
As part of the interview for my book, I asked about the role that mental health plays in healthcare. Responses were unequivocal: It plays a vital role. All of these doctors have patients who are depressed, anxious, traumatized, or otherwise in need of mental health services. My doctor interviewees frequently added comments about lack of access to mental health services and insurance interference.
Refusal to pay is a big problem, according …
A consistent and clear picture of significant barriers to mental health care
According to the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians, well over half of patient visits to primary care physicians are for mental health issues. So, as part of my book, I Have Been Talking with Your Doctor: Fifty doctors talk about the healthcare crisis and the doctor-patient relationship, I asked about mental health.
None of the doctor interviewees disagreed with the important role that …
You can’t separate mind and body in medicine
When interviewing for my book, I asked about insurance, but the topic came up even when I didn’t specifically ask about it. It was never positive in relation to practice.
A doctor said, “I expected to be around tough and hard cases. I expected it to be hard. I did not expect to have to think if the insurance company will not pay for it.”Another one said, “This completely changes the …
Insurance and the destruction of our health care system
While doing my doctoral dissertation research at a clinic for kids with diabetes, I observed the attachment that some of them had to the physician faculty member who directed the clinic. I particularly remember one teenager who complained that this doctor “did not care” about her, as he sent “fake doctors” (residents) to take care of her, not coming himself. She was refusing to cooperate. When I suggested to the …
The doctor-patient relationship is everything
I love my doctors.
I have an undiagnosable autoimmune disease. It’s mostly manageable, my lab work is perfect, and I rarely get sick. I get allergy shots and take blood pressure medication. I always have at least low level, mostly familiar, physical symptoms. Occasionally a new one appears. Sometimes it is scary.
I could have sued any or all of my doctors over the last decade-plus. I could be “livin’ large.” They …
No one cares about the doctors
I have been doing health care research and advocacy for over 20 years. I’ve seen a lot of passion, anger, and rhetoric around the issues. The health care crisis is simple in that everyone needs health care. The question is what to do about it and who should pay for it.
It’s not an easy answer. For starters, we have turned into a culture of entitlement. This includes health care. It …
Reduce parallel play to provide decent health care for all
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
