Assessment & Treatment
Focused on the critical aspects of assessment and treatment in psychotherapy, this section offers resources, guidelines, and discussions on effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve client outcomes.
280 articles found
Best Practices in Psychedelic-Assisted Group Psychotherapy
Psychedelic-assisted group psychotherapy (PAGP) is an emerging therapeutic approach that harnesses the neurophysiological effects of psychedelic substances within a group setting to address various mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance-use disorders, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. Rooted in centuries-old indigenous practices where they were used as sacred tools for healing, community […]
Gabriella Rodriguez, B.A. + 1 more
February 5, 2025
Associations Between Generalized Shame and Emotional Processing Difficulties Among Individuals Seeking Mental Health Care
Clinicians interested in supporting individuals with emotional processing difficulties play a critical role in fostering wellbeing, as emotional experiences deeply influence cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning. For those in psychotherapy, understanding the mechanisms of emotional processing is essential as it involves integrating unpleasant or disturbing emotions to maintain focus, adapt to varying experiences, and uphold […]
Alicia Spidel, PhD + 1 more
January 20, 2025
Making Space for Spirituality While Treating Substance Use Disorders
As a graduate student new to addiction treatment, I have felt a growing curiosity about the degree to which spirituality is brought into psychotherapy. I attend a private religious university, thus my first therapy patients routinely spoke of God, recited scripture, or wrestled with interpretations of morality. This simultaneously became a sublime and perilous feature […]
Aileen Rands, MS
January 4, 2025
Shame and Other Self-Devaluing Schemas in Suicidal Persons
Those who treat suicidal patients are often startled by the depth and intensity of the anger patients express toward themselves. When asked to list their reasons for wanting to die, many respondents listed negative self-appraisals, such as “I’m worthless, “I’m a piece of crap,” or “I don’t deserve to live” (Madsen & Harris, 2021, p. […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
December 18, 2024
Treatment of Suicidality in Adolescents with a History of Concussions
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents 15-19 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024a). A concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a risk factor for suicide in adolescents as this type of injury can increase depressive […]
Kayela Malewitz, BA + 1 more
December 18, 2024
A Dissertation Study on Prolonged Grief Disorder and Mourning via Social Media
I grew up in a time when social media was gaining popularity and spreading into several different platforms. As a doctoral student in a PsyD program at California Northstate University, I have gained an appreciation for research seeking to understand the intersection of social media and mental health. My dissertation chair, Dr. Craig Wetterer, and […]
Sarah Bondy, MA + 1 more
December 18, 2024
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Across Types of Therapy: Individual, Couple, and Group
Why is there so much talk about narcissism lately? Is it a trend, baseless hysteria, or even a problem at all? Narcissism itself is a singular personality trait; it can be protective and even beneficial, especially in Western society (Ronningstam, 2005). This may be due to the individualistic virtues and increased achievement-dependent self-esteem rates in […]
Bethany Palmer, MSW, SWLC
December 5, 2024
Disordered Eating in Asian Americans: Background and Clinical Implications
Eating disorders are diagnosable mental illnesses as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association’s (2022) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 TR), which can originate from disordered eating (DE) behaviors (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006). In contrast to a diagnosable eating disorder, DE refers to problematic eating behaviors and attitudes that an individual may experience, […]
Yashvi Aware, MS, MPH
November 17, 2024
Fostering Global Collaboration in Psychotherapy: The Development of Two Regional Consortia
Utilizing Practice-Based Evidence for Tailored Approaches Reducing the gap between therapists and researchers is crucial to advancing mental health care. One effective strategy is generating practice-based evidence across various contexts. This approach involves systematically collecting data from real-world clinical settings, thereby allowing researchers to analyze treatment outcomes and therapeutic processes that are most directly relevant […]
Clara Paz, Ph.D. + 5 more
October 15, 2024
The Psychotherapeutic Benefits of Informed Consent with Suicidal Patients
Informed consent has three dimensions: legal, ethical, and psychotherapeutic, and it is often considered a precursor to the intervention. However, there is no clear break between when the informed consent process ends and when psychotherapy begins because the informed consent process can also contain psychotherapeutic elements. By giving more attention to the psychotherapeutic aspects of […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
September 15, 2024
Dealing with Bias in Artificial Intelligence Driven Psychotherapy Tools Among Cultural and Racial Populations
Psychotherapy as a tool for treating various mental and physical health disorders has long been established as an effective treatment modality for mental disorders in Western populations, demonstrating efficacy and long-term efficiency (Kim et al., 2019). However, some authors argue that Western approaches and models in psychotherapy may not be suitable for Black Africans (Shatte […]
Caleb Onah, MS
September 13, 2024
A Brief Synopsis of The Third Part of the Suicide Prevention Triangle: Detailed Documentation
Effective patient suicide prevention is composed of three interrelated facets: assessment, intervention, and documentation. Examples of free assessments include the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS; available at http://cssrs.columbia.edu/) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SAFE-T Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (available at https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma09-4432.pdf). Two examples of suicide intervention programs are […]
Stewart E. Cooper, Ph.D., ABPP
September 13, 2024