In this excerpt from his best-selling exposé, The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry, psychotherapist Gary Greenberg pulls back the curtain on the DSM's surprising evolution and deconstructs the very notion of "diagnosing" our clients.
Gary Greenberg on the DSM and Its Woes
Psychotherapist and muckraking author, Gary Greenberg, shares the critical insights—and skepticism—that formed the basis of his two best-selling books, Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease and The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry.
In Search of the Perfect Private Practitioner
It all began in my undergraduate abnormal psychology class after I made the curious observation that our faithful professor was absent for each and every one of our exams. The professor’s pattern of behavior struck me as odd. I leaned over and asked a fellow student who worked as a teacher’s aide what he knew about this since I figured he might just have the inside scoop. My cohort whispered, “You really don’t know. The guy is in private practice and…
Why Some Therapists Always Get Their Books Published
It’s a shame for you not to write a book when many therapists do it so easily. The problem: Most psychotherapists know about as much about the publishing business as they do about building a nuclear power plant. When I listen to therapists talk about writing their first book I generally hear something like, “Gee, I’d like to write a general, counseling, psychotherapy, or self-help book.” Let me assure you that the general counseling, psychotherapy, or self-improvement books are some of the…
Bad Therapy: Lets Talk About Torture…Wait, What????!!!
Well, this blog got awfully serious quick. I was going to write this one about addiction and alcoholism—not the lightest topic either—but with the release of the Torture Report, also known as the Senate’s highly-redacted executive summary from the Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agencys Detention and Interrogation Program, I realized it would be morally remiss of me not to take this brief hot minute when the public eye is trained on this issue to share some information with…
Psychotherapy and the Care of Souls
Famed Care of the Soul author, Thomas Moore, offers insights into what makes a good therapist. Hint: You can't learn it from a manual.
Lynn Ponton on the Challenges and Joys of Working with Teens
Teen expert Lynn Ponton, MD, shares wisdom from over three decades of working with children and adolescents, and describes how technology has changed the life of teenagers and those who work with them.
Bad Therapy: What You Didn’t Learn in Grad School
Psychologist Deb Kory pulls no punches in critiquing what is missing from our training programs, and calls for more authenticity, humor and humility in the ways we teach and learn to practice therapy.
Francine Shapiro on the Evolution of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy originator Francine Shapiro describes the components of the psychotherapy and the latest research supporting its efficacy for a wide range of mental health issues.
When the Therapist Loves and Hates
Psychotherapist Chris Peterson makes a strong case for welcoming all of our intense feelings—both loving and hateful—into the therapy process with clients to deepen the therapy relationship and its healing potential.