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Psychotherapy

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Psychotherapy

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Think someone should see a therapist? Here’s how to bring it up

Your suggestion could be invaluable, and it doesn’t need to be perfect. These steps will help you get a caring message across

by Kathryn Gordon

Black and white photo of a man smoking at a desk as a woman with glasses looks at papers beside him in an office setting.

Personality disorders

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Popular views of narcissism are distorted and too pessimistic

As therapists, we’ve treated people with narcissistic personality disorder. We have a more hopeful story to tell about them

by Giancarlo Dimaggio & Igor Weinberg

Gallery walls with a projection of a vibrant wheat field painting and a person observing the immersive scene.

The self

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Boost your self-understanding with a navigational approach

Physical and mental navigation involve overlapping brain processes, casting new light on the notion of an ‘inner journey’

by Nick Kabrél

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Freedom and choice

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Recognise free will is an illusion and reap the emotional benefits

The idea that all our choices are determined by past events may seem dispiriting – but it can be emotionally liberating

by Francis Merson

Photo of a woman leaning over a baby lying on a bed, holding the baby’s hand in a softly lit room.

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

Miniature garden diorama with sand paths, small rocks, and a hand adjusting elements, captured in a photo.

Psychotherapy

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Sand-tray therapy can reach feelings at the ‘edge of awareness’

Originally developed for use in child therapy, sand trays are now helping adults with their difficult thoughts and emotions

by Doreen Fleet

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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

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Psychotherapy

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What does it mean to be an expert in psychodynamic therapy?

In a field with no easy answers or quick fixes, what does it mean to say that you have the expertise your patients need?

by Darren Haber

Impressionist painting of a figure standing by the sea, observing a distant boat. The scene is enveloped in blue tones with a serene, misty atmosphere.

Cognitive and behavioural therapies

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The philosophical roots of CBT help explain its limitations

Not all psychological problems are thinking problems. Trying to solve them purely cognitively, with CBT, won’t help us mature

by Bradley Murray

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Group therapy

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Behind the scenes at an ‘exposure’ flight for flying phobia

A single-session, exposure-based treatment for large groups could help bring evidence-based psychotherapy to the masses

by André Wannemüller

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The self

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The question therapy doesn’t answer: who are we really, really?

Therapy is a valuable tool for self-understanding. But spiritual practices can unlock a more expansive view of the self

by Eric Jannazzo

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Therapeutic relationships

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Life coaching is unregulated and growing rapidly. Should it be reined in?

Anybody can call themselves a life coach, and then offer what amounts to serious therapy. Should life coaching be regulated?

by Elias Aboujaoude