Our Journal Club

Written by: Katie Cunningham, MA, LCPC Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Case Conceptualization Nearly five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how many people think about health. Illness-related anxiety became widespread and, in many cases, understandably so. While for some this was a new experience, others found themselves deeply familiar with health-focused fear and uncertainty. As ...

Jon Hook, Ph. D If you are a therapist, people likely noticed you were a “helper” long before you ever sat in a graduate-school classroom. Friends sought your insight. Family relied on your steadiness and wisdom. Even strangers seemed to feel safer in your presence. You listened with a compassion that helped others feel lighter, ...

Written by Jon Hook How do we know therapy is effective? It’s easy to assume psychotherapy works like medicine: you match the right treatment to the right disorder, and outcomes improve. But decades of research show something more complex. The biggest driver of change isn’t which therapy you practice—it’s how well you do it. Therapist ...

Written by: Dan Mortenson, PhD Given the current national climate with respect to immigration related issues, and our local climate here in Chicago with respect to the presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it is important for mental health providers to know what the American Psychological Association (APA)’s stance is on immigration, ...

Wrtitten by: Jon Hook, MA Why do so many people never come back? Up to half of all clients drop out of therapy prematurely, and many leave after just one session. For some, that first visit is enough. But for most, leaving early means missing the chance to really benefit. The uncomfortable truth is that ...

Written by: Marie Chesaniuk, PhD What is the difference between and anxiety attack and a panic attack? As far as the general public is concerned, there might be a difference and there might not be a difference. ‘Anxiety attack’ is a non-clinical term used by the general public to refer to a moment of peak ...

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is often referred to as the “common cold” of anxiety disorders. GAD is characterized by persistent and excessive worry, often driven by intolerance of uncertainty and reinforced by unhelpful coping strategies. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) remains the gold standard for treating GAD, as outlined in Melisa Robichaud and Michel Dugas’ Generalized ...

Written by: Marie Chesaniuk, PhD You are about to read the most negative article you’ve read all day about mindfulness. ‘Mindfulness,’ as in the evidence based practice that has helped tons of people and is widely known, widely used, and widely trusted? Yes. That mindfulness. While nothing in this article takes away from the beneficial ...

Written by: Marie Chesaniuk, PhD The Impact of Misdiagnosis Sometimes healthcare providers get the diagnosis wrong. Nothing’s perfect, right? I’ll just seek a second opinion…just as soon as I can pay for one, and get the time off from work to attend another visit, right after I do all the research all over again to ...

Written by: Marie Chesaniuk, PhD What is Habit Reversal Training (HRT)? HRT is a behavioral therapy that helps people reduce or eradicate unwanted habits or behaviors. The type of habit in question is often a repetitive behavior that people engage in automatically, without awareness, and are often unhelpful or even harmful in some cases. HRT ...

From Impossible to Possible: A Breakthrough in Treatment Written by: Marie Chesaniuk, PhD Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: What are they? Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) is an umbrella term that refers to schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders including brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophreniform disorder. These conditions have some similarities and some differences. Notably, ...

Written by: Dan Mortenson, PhD Dan, the Man Some time ago, I discovered that I’m a bit of an anomaly in my field: a male psychologist.  For whatever reason, mental health providers tend to be predominantly female and I found myself to be in the minority which put me in a unique position when starting ...