It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … my therapist?

by Menninger Clinic February 24, 2011

My colleague and fellow blogger Cody Dolan recently sent me information about an approach to suicide prevention that, as far as I know, is unprecedented: comic books. OK, I know, the correct term nowadays is graphic novel, and I’m giving away my age by using the wrong term (Disclosure: When I was a kid, we […]

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Celebrities, rehab and the media: Why it’s important to keep it all in perspective

by Menninger Clinic February 16, 2011

When you think of the word “rehabilitation” what often comes to mind is a disheveled derelict sobering up after a lifetime of bad choices or a burned-out meth addict who was a high school dropout and indulged in a life of crime and prostitution. Rehab is for real people What may not come to mind […]

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Is it OK to diagnose Winnie the Pooh and friends with mental illness?

by Menninger Clinic February 9, 2011

If the Internet has been good for one thing, it’s the warping or tarnishing of childhood icons. Sadly, you don’t have to look far to find images of your favorite cartoon character that wouldn’t be out of place in an R-rated movie. It’s also not difficult to find interpretations of classic cartoon figures that are […]

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Blending grace, honor and resilience through healing relationships

by Menninger Clinic February 3, 2011

Sometimes we can learn magnificent lessons from historical films. The stories told often parallel modern challenges. Such is the case in the story of the film The King’s Speech. In the film we come to know about the plight faced by King George VI of England. In a remarkable portrayal of the king, Colin Firth […]

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Nature and nurture: promoting an optimal healing environment

by Menninger Clinic January 28, 2011

An age-old debate continues to thrive in science and in society about the cause of mental illness. In some circles this is known as the nature-nurture debate. Nature refers to the biological makeup of an individual. Today the focus is on the genetic, cellular and molecular levels of the person. Nurture refers to the environmental […]

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5 bloggers tackle questions about the future of mental health

by Menninger Clinic January 25, 2011

At the beginning of each year, it seems only natural to look forward and think about our concerns for the world around us and about what exciting new developments the world has in store for us. So I posed a couple of questions about such things to a few of our bloggers, some of whom […]

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Happy birthday, SayNoToStigma.com!

by Menninger Clinic January 21, 2011

Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, dear SayNoToStigma.com, Happy birthday to you! That’s right–our blog just turned 1 year old. We’ve had a great first year, and we want to give a special “shout out” to all our many readers. Your comments have been particularly rewarding, and we do appreciate you […]

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To avoid bullshitting in psychotherapy we must mentalize

by Menninger Clinic January 20, 2011

If a distinguished Princeton philosopher can write a (small) treatise on it, I think we clinicians are entitled to use the word “bullshit” as a technical term rather than relegating it to the bin of vulgarities. Harry Frankfurt’s book, On Bullshit, is a gem. We can understand bullshitting best by contrasting it with lying. Lying […]

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Forensic psychiatrist praises judge’s letter to the New York Times

by Menninger Clinic January 14, 2011

As a forensic psychiatrist who worked in a jail for ten years, sometimes evaluating murderers and on one occasion a mass murderer, I have often wondered what we can do to mitigate or prevent disasters such as the tragedy that just occurred in Tucson. I can think of no better answer than the letter written […]

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To stop violence, we must start with ourselves

by Menninger Clinic January 13, 2011

After reading Dr. Walt Menninger’s guest column in the Topeka Capital Journal, I read it again. He had the privilege of serving on the “Violence Commission,” a National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence created by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The commission was created to answer many questions immediately following an assassination of […]

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