Worry and rumination
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Should you confront your worries or try to banish them?
Psychotherapists have long believed it’s a bad idea to suppress worrisome thoughts, but new research is prompting a rethink
by Shayla Love
Psychosis and schizophrenia
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Rubber hand illusions shed new light on our bodily sense of self
Testing the illusions on those who have entered altered states offers clues about the experience of being in control
by Shayla Love
Neurodiversity
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Essentialism is insidious – but it might also be helpful
Stereotypes are obviously bad, but believing you share an essence with others could help people who feel marginalised
by Ariana Orvell & Alexa Lebrón-Cruz
Mental health across cultures
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Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful
In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress
by Bhrigupati Singh
Stigma and taboo
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The families of people who commit sex crimes need care and support
While they deal with a kind of grief, the relatives of those who harm others sexually are subject to blame and judgment
by Azadeh Nematy
Mental health
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Why we’re hopeful about mental health videos on TikTok
People are broadcasting their psychological self-diagnoses on TikTok. Some experts are worried, but we see an opportunity
by Elliot Jurist & Julia Jurist
Psychotherapy
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Getting what we think we want can reveal just how complex desire is
Helping my clients probe their unspoken wants creates a space of freedom to express the possibilities that lie dormant
by Charlotte Fox Weber
Cognitive and behavioural therapies
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CBT is the ‘gold standard’, but is that just for white people?
CBT is supported by a strong evidence base. However, effective cultural adaptation of the therapy is a work in progress
by Shayla Love
Mind-body interactions
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Can a perfectionist personality put you at risk of migraines?
The hunt for a ‘migraine personality’ dates back over a hundred years and still it goes on. Why is the idea so alluring?
by Shayla Love
Self-harm and suicide
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The violence of suicide reverberates in, and through, us all
A psychodynamic perspective on suicide can help us all reckon more honestly with the interconnectedness of psychic pain
by Kyle Boyd
Personality disorders
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There’s a growing case for renaming ‘personality disorders’
The concept of personality disorders has been around for centuries but it’s flawed and needs both a rethink and a new name
by Matt Huston
Psychotherapy
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Psychotherapy under the microscope: how exactly does it work?
To improve psychotherapy, researchers are looking beyond what happens in a session to learn exactly how change is achieved
by Ciarán O’Driscoll