Honor, grace and courage: a tribute to Betty Ford

by Menninger Clinic July 11, 2011

In the evening on July 8 we learned that former First Lady Betty Ford had died at the age of 93. Those of us who were around in the ’70s remember well the impact Mrs. Ford had on the country. She was known for being gracious, elegant, poised and outspoken, characteristics that don’t easily go […]

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Do you want to be a jailer or a healer?

by Menninger Clinic July 8, 2011

Recently, I had the opportunity to give a talk to a group of psychiatric nurses about the environment of care. This group worked in public sector acute care psychiatric hospitals where the treatment goal is stabilization. In years gone by, these same institutions might have worked to develop the nurse-patient relationship and the patients’ sense […]

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Are mental health professionals in it for themselves?

by Menninger Clinic June 28, 2011

We’ve all heard the truism about mental health professionals: They go into training in mental health looking for solutions to their own problems. As a psychologist, I’ve always felt a little offended by this stereotype, even while acknowledging its unsettling kernel of truth. Psychologist and patient Now Dr. Marsha Linehan shows us that, far from […]

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Renowned psychologist acknowledges personal struggle with mental illness

by Menninger Clinic June 24, 2011

The New York Times really knows how to get folks excited. Ever since it published an article yesterday about Marsha Linehan, PhD, a renowned psychologist and researcher, in which she acknowledged her own mental illness, it seems like no one’s talking about much else around here. And with good reason. While I’m not clinician, I’ve […]

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There’s no such thing as rehab for bad behavior

by Menninger Clinic June 15, 2011

In 1973, Karl Menninger, MD, the great psychiatrist and one of the founders of The Menninger Clinic, wrote Whatever Became of Sin? That title is a great question when discussing the texting scandal that involves Anthony Weiner, the Queens, N.Y.-based Representative, who has said he will enter a treatment center of some sort for rehabilitation. […]

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What’s in a name … or a diagnosis for that matter?

by Menninger Clinic June 10, 2011

I am immersed in my new position as a clinical interviewer at The Menninger Clinic. Leaving behind my previous career as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, I never imagined finding a job that would provide the ideal platform for furthering my interest in psychiatric diagnoses. As a clinical interviewer, I administer the Structured Clinical Interview for […]

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New test for depression may be a giant step in the fight against stigma

by Menninger Clinic June 3, 2011

Ask any of the clinicians here at The Menninger Clinic, and I imagine they’ll probably tell you that diagnosing patients is one of the toughest parts of their job. The mind is a complex organ – one we don’t fully understand – so evaluating symptoms and nailing down an accurate diagnosis is much more difficult […]

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Can we afford to tolerate the idea that jails and mental illness go hand-in-hand?

by Menninger Clinic May 27, 2011

It is no secret that the healthcare system in this country is in dire need of repair. In an effort to provide some direction related to this concern, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a number of reports known as the Crossing the Quality Chasm series to address issues related to patient safety and the […]

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Perfection and motherhood are a dangerous combination

by Menninger Clinic May 16, 2011

I have a confession. I am not the perfect mother, and I never will be. The bad news is that I am not even striving for perfection in mothering. This may shock some people who have been caught in the wake of my self-proclaimed perfectionism. It is true that in most things I have a […]

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Taking a closer look at Ron Artest’s ongoing fight against stigma

by Menninger Clinic May 13, 2011

When we last left Ron Artest, he was pledging to give “all or some” of his 2010-11 NBA salary to mental health charities. While we won’t know what exactly that means for another six weeks, that doesn’t mean Artest hasn’t been busy raising awareness for mental illness. CNN.com posted a video interview with Artest all […]

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