I don’t have too many people to celebrate with so I thought I would share here! I am beyond happy right now, I nearly rescheduled due to low confidence three days before but I’m glad I stuck it out! A very nerve wracking experience though. Happy to answer any questions anyone might have!
Interesting title, I cant tell if this is a legitimate criticism of CBT as i dont follow the logic that the author talks about. She says in her comment that "from a perspective of cultural humility CBT is not safe for everyone"
Im Tony, i will be your guide here. I was fortunate enough to talk to a great psychologist and have learned quite a bit about human behavior. Some of this will seem quite obvious but there is a reason for everything I tell u. Feel free to ask a question if u disagree with anything i say. I paid good money to see the best psychologist in my city so if u hear something better u better let me know. My guys name was Keith McFarlane PhD. His resume is extensive and impressive. Hes dead now but he was honestly so into this stuff..that if he is here in spirit it would not surprise me. https://ottawacitizen.remembering.ca/obituary/keith-mcfarlane-1078282913
" He was provincial consultant for the Critical Incident Stress Management Program; Crisis Program Evaluator for the Program Effectiveness, Statistics and Applied Research Unit; Eastern Region Team Leader for the Critical Incident Stress Program; Associate Trainer at the Ontario Correctional Services College; Crisis Negotiator and Associate Trainer for the Crisis Negotiation Program; Internship and Practicum Coordinator for Psychology at the Ottawa Correctional Detention Centre; and Chairman of the Working Group on Change for the Department of Psychology at the Rideau Correctional and Treatment Centre where he also served as Quality Assurance Coordinator. He was Clinical Adjunct Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa from 1999 to 2013 and within his work for the Ministry of the Solicitor General Ontario, he trained and mentored many doctoral students in psychology".
Preface - What is this? What is cbt?
What is cbt?..otherwise known as cognitive behavioral therapy. I call it "thinking wat ur doing" therapy. Cognitive means thinking and behavior means doing. CBT has proven itself to be the best mechanism we know for reducing recidivism among inmates. Anyone with a desire to change a behavior they are doing can benefit from this. Calling it "thinking what ur doing " is my own expression. Technically, CBT involves understanding that all behaviors are results of thoughts. If u find urself reaching for a glass of water ..ur likely thinking "im thirsty". Did u punch someone or lash out verbally at someone again or it can be anything. Any behavior u want u change. Cutting , obsessive compulsive behaviors..ect. Using "lashing out" as an example.. ..Its cause we were having thoughts like "ill show them!", "Ill teach this person a lesson!" right b4 we did it. Now..if we want better results out of our life.. it will mean looking at what behaviors we are doing thats creating this unwanted result. Altering these unwanted behaviors will mean addressing and developing some understanding of the thoughts that are leading to the behavior. Ok? Our natural tendency as humans is to be somewhat impulsive with our actions. We simply think "ill teach them" and the next thing we know we are saying something we later regret. Becoming just slightly conscious of our thoughts and will go a long way to getting u the better result ur seeking in life. "Know Thyself" is wat Aristotle said.
Lesson 1 -- Thoughts, Behavior / and Outside Cues
We control only our thoughts and behavior. Anything beyond ourselves..we dont control. We will call these things "outside cues" as they happen outside of our mind. Everything u see..ur pet lizard..ur uncle jim..the sky , the stars...these are all outside cues. We can try to influence uncle Jim to do something but we dont directly control his behavior. Not like we control of our own minds. Someone who experiences intrusive thoughts may not feel like they are in control of their own minds. But if its not you choosing these thoughts then who is doing it? I would argue that most folks simply get trapped in negative thinking patterns that come from a deeply flawed self concelf..and its always the result of a negative emotional experience during ones upbringing. We will come back to this soon.
Lesson 2 -- Internal Consequences and External Consequences.
Behaviors have consequences im sure you've heard but this is slightly different. They have both external consequences ( which is the obvious one) and internal consequences. For example someone 4got her purse once at a restaurant and I immediately ran the purse to her b4 her car left the lot. My behavior affects her as she has her purse again. This of course is an external consequence of my behavior. Something else happens though. There is a sense of satisfaction that I felt as I complete the purse hand off. I was having good thoughts in that moment. That's what feelings are. They are essentially thoughts. Someone who is smiling is having good thoughts. Someone who is crying is having bad thoughts.
Lesson 3 How the child brain works and how it may become twisted.
So...the way human behavior generally works is.. we come into this world as blank slates. Like a blank piece of paper that gets painted on with red paint everytime we experience anything. Experts agree that by the time we are 8 years old..our personality is set like stone. The adult we become is decided by the time we are 8 or 9 years old. Infact a childs brain is a completely different animal than the adult brain. Its maluable like a soft clay but will harden at 8 years old. The adult brain is still maluable...but nowhere near the level of neural plasticity that a child brain has. Anyway this delicate age of 0 to 8 years..its called "crucial growth development" phase. Unfortunately the lessons I learned during this time was that I was bad and a nuisance basically. I was always getting yelled at. It was painful as a kid but I had no idea of the real damage occurring. This would be "the gift that keeps giving" 4 lack of a better term. But this is how it works. We experience a negative emotional experience or many and since it is usually the primary caregiver who is doing the abuse it can really create self image issues. We are genetically dispositiond to admire , look up too our parents. A child will be faithful to a parent even to the death and often are. The point is.. being put down by someone we look up so much..like a god.. can cause a child to personalize the abuse or put downs or slap in the head or kick in butt. When a child is yelled at..all the kid really hears is that they are bad. Not good enough , lacking, falling short of expectation. Raising children takes a great deal of patience and many simply are not up to the task. There are also very good reasons people behave the way they do. In terms of abuse...often the parent is self hating and they see themselves reflected in their child. Often the abuser will target the child that resembles them the most. A single mom may target the child that looks most like the father than ran out.
Lesson 4 - Taking responsibility
Taking responsibility are two huge words. That s the difference between a boy and a man. Institutions are full of "man children " who say . "My wife MAKES me hit her" . Someone who takes responsibility says.. "I hit my wife cause I was angry WHEN she did that". Those are 2 very different statements. Infact u will never hear the latter..cause anyone with such insight no longer beats his wife. "Its not the thing that bothers u but how u see the thing" Stoic philosopher Epictetus said this. Acknowledging our own free will is crucial cause a habit we are going to try to cultivate here is something likely pretty alien to u. Its giving urself a pat on the back. Its called positive reinforcement. For example.. ur here reading this so it means ur trying to better urself...u want to encourage this same behavior in the future so positive reinforcement is useful here. It means giving urself a pat on the back. Giving someone a reward when they do what u want will increase the likelihood they will do it again. This is called basic learning theory. A negative result decreases the likelyhood the same behavior will happen again. Picture a lab rat with a buzzer and we want it to keep hitting the buzzer... should u shock it after it hits the buzzer or reward it with a treat? Of course we want reward it with a treat..let it experience positive reinforcement. U kick urself when u screw up...but here u are doing something to help urself so why not reward urself? U could..but likely ur not in a habit of doing this at all. And neither was I by the way..infact giving myself a pat on the back is something im still working on too. This is why taking responsibility is crucial though. "The only just cause one has to praise or blame oneself lies in the proper use of their freewill." This is what Rene Descartes said. Can we be praised or blamed for anything that's not our own doing? We cannot. I remember when I first heard the term "white guilt". I thought hmm im not sure if I should feel guilty or not. That was years ago. I know better now. How can I be guilty of something thats not my doing? Since the only thing I control is my mind and behaviors then its only the proper use of this control that one can rightly praise themselves.
Lesson 5
This information we have covered is pretty heavy stuff and it may be best digested in small portions. If u want u can take a break..but I will give u some homework. As u go out into the world...or as u watch a show or movie...try paying attention to the specific words people use as they speak. Many people do something called projecting. I used to do this a lot. Its a form of mental illness basically but its also a natural tendency. Humans like to believe that we are all the same. If I like jazz music I assume everyone likes it. I asked someone how he likes the tattoo he has once.. "At first its weird but YOU get used to it." Why is he saying "you"? And not "i"..."I got used to it". Its projection. Everybody is the same so if it applies to one its applies to another is how they view the world. People that do this likely dont have much empathy for others. Just cause u experience something a certain way does mean it can be applied uniformly to all. But someone with a personality disorder it means exactly that. I expect many of u will feel confused as u read this and so was I once...but with time u will understand. Like u said feel free to ask a question anytime. Another thing folks constantly claim is "No choice". I dont want to get up at 6 am tomorrow someone says. Ok then sleep into 7. "No choice" the person responds..."I HAVE to go to work". If u want to keep ur job maybe u HAVE to but...its not that theres "no choice". Folks subconsciously dont like believing they are responsible. The point im making here with lesson 5 is we can notice how people see the world by the words they use and of course we can observe our own words and make note of what word choice we use to give us insight into our own mind. I still catch myself doing the "you" projection thing frequently. And ill even say "that MAKES me angry" often..But at least im noticing it when i do it. Remember..folks often do things that we find unbecoming of ourselves and its very convenient to deflect responsibility. It can be anything. Let's say ur a cutter.. do u cut cause u feel like u have no choice? The compulsion is to strong? Do u do it cause ur folks MAKE u do it, or stress MAKES u do it? Or do u do it cause ur choosing to as a way to relieve stress and enjoy the instant gratification it provides? The same could be said for sex and drugs or gambling or rage or any destructive behavior that carries with it some form of instant gratification. Its very easy to get stuck in this cycle. I can do actual therapy and do homework and try to develop some understanding of whats going on with me..which may provide some gratification some day...or I can simply take a drink and get straight instant gratification. For years I simply "took the drink" so to speak. Until it got so bad that I was compelled to change. Thats when i started seeing Keith my former mentor. He was my psychologist but the relationship is deeper than that. Its a truly intimate one when someone sees a therapist for as long as I saw him. We are talking years.
Lesson 6 _ We get trapped in cycles of behaviors confirming negative self beliefs
So we've covered how the mind becomes affected by neglect during the curicial growth years of childhood. ..and we've discussed how everything we do has internal and external consequences. Now lets notice how they both have had a part in creating ur current dysfunctional self image and life. Someone gets traumatized from something that happened when they were a kid...then that person grows up to do behaviors like... drinking / drugs / cutting / sex / eating / raging..and other destructive compulsions. Its about trying to develop a sense of control over this situation we call life. It all comes back to control. We felt things were so out of control during the abuse we endured as a kid..that now as an adult we find ourselves desperately seeking control . ..like an overcompensation. One can see how obsessive compulsive behavior could easily be attributed to this sense of need for control. Something so bad happened to the poor person..that the person becomes locked into trying to feel like they re in control for LIFE. Again..like a godt that keeps giving. Folks develop the warped self image while we are young generally..then we also begin doing behaviors that also affect our self esteem. Breaking the negative thought patterns we are stuck in will involve coming to terms and dealing with the childhood trauma we experienced..AND also any other trauma we've created through actions we've done. Am I making sense to u so far my friend?
Much more to come..
Hi all,
I am finishing a BA in Human Development by the end of the year and am looking for ways to prepare for a PhD in Clinical Psych, perhaps focused on developmental psychology. I would like to be moth a researcher and clinician who can provide therapeutic services.
I have considered going to get an LPCC or MSW in between now and my PhD program. However I have read many programs include an MA as part of the PhD track, and posts on here that debate the worthiness of doing an MA when PhD is the final goal.
I found this Post-Bacc program at the UC Berkeley Extension school. It has several courses I'm interested in.
What would you all advise?
Additionally, I am already looking for research experience opportunities. I have heard back from a lab I cold-emailed at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) about contacting them again later for possible openings in the fall. I have zerio clinical research experience so far, so have been looking for research assistant roles and volunteer opportunities and sparsely hearing back. Any recommendations on that are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.
I just came across this assessment from an email from APA Division 33, and it seems pretty interesting. It also seems fairly new from what I can tell from a few brief internet searches. I’m curious if anyone has experience using it in their practice. If so, what are your thoughts?
Hi all!
I just registered to take the EPPP at the start of July, and I am trying to figure out how unprepared I am and how much I need to step up my study game. I have been (inconsistently) studying using AATBS since October, but have increased my studying over the last month (audio lectures whenever I'm driving/walking anywhere, taking notes on content slides, and doing domain quizzes). I took a practice test in March and scored a 60%, and my second practice test (taken last week) was a 61% - so I feel like I'm not making progress. My weakest core areas are clinical psychology (go figure), physio, and lifespan.
I am a horrible standardized test-taker so I've been trying to track my approach to questions (e.g., is the correct answer usually one of the response options I am between) and practice the tips AATBS provides on the general approach to the exam. I am also planning to devote one full day a week to studying as well as 2-3 hour blocks on 3 days after work for the next month. My plan is to take notes on each content area (not extensive, just covering all the basics), then add to the notes based on the questions I get wrong on the domain quizzes. I also plan to switch from the AATBS audio lectures (listened to them all at least twice, don't feel like they've added all that much to my preparedness) to the PscyhPrep ones. I am taking a Dr. David practice exam this weekend, and will take/review at least 2 more AATBS exams before my test date as well.
Generally, does my plan sound sufficient to prepare me in time for my exam date? Additionally, are there any other resources/methods people recommend?
Hey all I take the EPPP in two weeks from Friday and I'm nervous. I used prepjet and psychprep audio lectures. My prepjet scores have been in order
Test 4: 53%
6: 57:
1 69%
2 68%
3 72%
5 72%
Thoughts?
If someone is a clinical psychologist and works for a US based company, can that person live outside the US but keep working remotely for that company?
Assuming that person is a US citizen and is licensed in the US
We dont talk enough about mental disorders.
Things like ADHD, bipolar disorder, and depression etc. are not really taken seriously by many communities; things like low income, harsh environment, and low-level education facilitate this dismissal of mental disorders.
Someone who is manic/hyperactive (ADHD) could be brushed off as possessed or this hyperactivity to be just a personality trait, while someone who is depressed would just be asked to toughen up.
Therapy is for people who are labelled as "crazy" and Medication for people who completely lost it.
But I guess I should also talk about over representaion. In more educated/privileged communities, people tend to call everything a mental disorder. They label themselves without a diagnosis or others label. They buy medication for sicknesses they dont even have. And self-diagnosing starts to get annoying.
On one hand, a depressed person could be brushed off even after asking for help multiple times, and he commits suicide. Thats a crime committed against them by everyone who brushed them off. And on the other hand, a person with mild mood swings get "diagnosed" and gets medication ruins thier body. Thats also a crime.
I personally think people dont speak that much about this topic and would like to hear your opinions on them.
I’ve always wondered about the people who spend their days holding space for others—listening, understanding, and helping them navigate some of their toughest moments.
To all the psychologists and counsellors here, how are you doing? After hearing so many stories, struggles, and emotions, how do you take care of your own mental and emotional well-being?
I’m genuinely curious to learn about your coping mechanisms, routines, or mindsets that help you stay balanced. Your insights could really help others understand the human side of this profession better.
On paper, my life is comfortable. I have a good setup and I am surrounded by people. There is no logical reason for me to feel the way I do, which makes this even harder to understand.
I feel a sudden, deep sinking feeling in my chest. The moment I wake up, before I even have time to form a thought, my heart sinks. My chest tightens, I feel an overwhelming urge to cry, and this heavy, physical anxiety stays with me for the rest of the day.
Lately, I have developed a severe fear of being alone. When I am by myself, the anxiety intensifies to a point where it feels unmanageable.
What is happening to me? Why is my body reacting as if I am in constant danger when my environment is safe? Has anyone experienced this specific morning dread, and more importantly, what are the actionable steps to come out of it?
Hi All! I looked through a lot of these posts in my time leading up to taking the EPPP so I thought I would add my experience here. I just passed with a 655!
I was nervous because I did not break a 70% on any of the practice tests. I used prep jet and my practice test scores ranged from 60% to 69%. I actually felt like the prep jet practice exams felt pretty similar to the EPPP and gave good preparation. It’s definitely a tough exam and glad to have that over with!
For those in private practice (especially solo PP), what website builders/hosts are you all using these days? If so, how much time do you spend maintaining it? And how is the SEO support?
Or did you hire someone to set up your website? If so, how much did you pay? Was it worth it, especially compared to current AI tools? Do you do your own updates?
Currently, I have a Wordpress Premium (not Business) account, but I haven’t fully set it up, and now I’m wondering if it’s the best option currently. I’m especially uncertain with so many AI tools now on the market. My solo PP is a side gig on top of a full time research job, and I’ll take insurance, so I’m not trying to build a full time private pay caseload on SEO. I don’t need this to be anything groundbreaking nor do I have the time or funds for that, but I want it to look professional and do ok on Google searches.
Not opposed to hiring someone, but I don’t want to pay $700 for someone to use an AI tool I could figure out myself.
Hi all, I’m very excited to be starting my PhD in clinical psychology in the fall. I was not expecting to get in the first round of applications but here we are. Being 31 and going back to school is slightly daunting in the context that I hope to have kids and have not yet. My partner and I were discussing this, and started wondering if it would actually make most sense to get pregnant at the beginning of school (August of this year) since summer of 2027 will be my only free summer for the next few years and will be somewhat of a built in maternity leave. Anyways, am I insane? Am I severely underestimating the pressure that pregnancy and starting doctoral training is going to take? Open to any feedback!
Hello Everyone,
I am going to be applying for the predoctoral clinical psych internship and I am hoping I match with a more forensic aligned placement. During practicum I have been at a maximum security unit with all forensic patients. Here i taught competency classes, did on one one therapy, assessments, and even conducted violence risk assessments and some parts of competency evaluations. I then went on to a juvenile detention center where I am also doing one on one therapy, assessments, transfer evaluations, and teach anger management classes. During my last year before going off ill bet at a VA outpatient clinical doing individual therapy, assessment, and teaching some processing groups.
With that said, I'm really primarily applying to forensic sites and hospitals that offer forensic experience. What kinds of questions did they ask you for these type of sites?
In addition has anyone had experience interning at Western State Hospital in Washington?
Is it hard to actually get better at therapy? Are you naturally born with the skills and emotional intelligence? I feel like that might be the case...
Hello. I'm a first year Phd student. We are expected to do case conceptualizations for class based on real patients. I'm not talking about Clinical Assessment reports, or Testing reports. Ideally we can use these when we apply for externships next year... However... I have NO idea what they are supposed to look like. What makes a good case conceptualization? What would someone who reads these at an externship site be looking for? What would they flat out reject? Also are there examples of these anywhere? I feel extremely lost and the feedback that I get from professors and supervisors is basically along the lines of "It's more of an art" and "It's not exactly like an academic paper or informal writing it's somehwere in between." Those statements are somewhat helpful but I still feel very lost.
I struggle with diagnosis of borderline personality/emotional unstable personality disorder (actually all personality diagnosis) . Many are found to have autism and trauma. I would a nuance perspective on this but all sides, if you think its helpful why? if you don't why?
Point is not if its a trauma diagnosis, more a different approach, focus on compassionate enquiry. Being told you have a personality disorder - gives the impression that your whole being is broken, know men who got anti social PD gendered diagnosis but other way, What i am saying is there more compassionate nuance approach by saying ok what's happened to you? many with emotional neglect have these stress responses, what are you needing? Rather then what can be perceived as how and who i am is wrong. (this may not be the intention) Just am suggesting a different approach, gabor mate is way better then demonstrating the compassionate enquiry approach then i am. I am not talking about stats more focus on how we can support people in more nuance compassionate way,
Here is the links with hysteria and Bpd https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/hysteria-historical-mirror-misogyny-medicine
NICE estimates that around 2 per cent of people have borderline personality disorder, of which 75 per cent are women. Although personality disorder is widely diagnosed, Shaw and Proctor (2005) argue that a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) may be a continuation of sexist understandings of female mental illness. Both hysteria and BPD typically affect women who have experienced social neglect because of sexual assault (see also Dourfman & Reynolds, 2023). A diagnosis of BPD can lead to a discreditation of a woman's experience, just as previous accusations of hysteria and witchcraft did.
It would be foolish to assume that an element of implicit bias towards female mental health is not still present, and it is of the utmost importance that we challenge our own prejudices before assigning a diagnosis to our female patients.
I hope don't get downvoted and this can open up an interesting discussion