When utilizing this therapy, psychotherapists use sand trays to assess, diagnose, or treat a variety of mental illnesses. Research shows that sand tray therapy can help increase emotional expression while reducing the psychological distress that may come from discussing traumatic events or experiences. Sand tray therapy was developed by Dora Kalff, who was inspired by working with Margaret Lowenfeld, a British child psychiatrist and developer of World Technique. Kalff’s Jungian-based theory also was influenced by Buddhist contemplative practices....

However, these mental frameworks also cause us to exclude pertinent information to focus instead only on things that confirm our pre-existing beliefs and ideas. Schemas can contribute to stereotypes and make it difficult to retain new information that does not conform to our established ideas about the world. History of Schemas The use of schemas as a basic concept was first used by a British psychologist named Frederic Bartlett as part of his learning theory....

We all know that teenagers are easily swayed by the behavior of their peers, but does that sort of influence apply to acts of self-harm and other negative coping skills for mental illness? A 2020 study in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica considered the notion of self-harm in adolescents and “social contagion.” There have been reports that an adolescent’s knowledge of suicide by a peer actually increased their own thoughts and planning around suicide....

In therapy, it is completely normal to experience fears of judgment or hesitation to share intimate details of your life. In turn, you may feel uneasy at the thought of telling your therapist everything or may wonder how much information is too much information. This article will explain if you should tell your therapist everything and why. Should I Tell My Therapist Everything? In short, yes, you should tell your therapist everything....

Given how much stigma there continues to be regarding mental illness, the thought of talking to your parents about your depression may leave you feeling apprehensive and confused. Let these considerations help guide your steps and support you in your decision. How to Know If Disclosure Makes Sense While it is possible that you may benefit from talking to your parents about your depression, it may first be worth considering if that is the right decision for your needs....

Learn more about his life, legacy, and influence on psychology in this brief biography. Best Known For The Milgram Obedience Experiment Familiar Stranger The Small World Experiment Early Life Stanley Milgram was born on August 15, 1933, to a family of Jewish immigrants in New York City. Milgram attended James Monroe High School, where he quickly earned a reputation as a hard worker and a strong leader and completed high school in just three years....

The goal of supportive-expressive therapy is to help clients achieve mastery over their difficulties, gain self-understanding, and practice self-control over substance use problems. It is based on the theory that the development of problematic substance use, as with the development of personality, is influenced by formative life experiences. Supportive-expressive therapy draws from the psychodynamic orientation that originated with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, which claimed that psychological problems originate in early childhood....

Your Biological Clock Your biological clock controls a great deal of how you function. This works much like a program, regulating the timing of many biological functions ranging from when you sleep to when you reproduce. Circadian rhythms manage daily cycles of sleeping and waking and contribute to your energy levels at various points during the day. You might become particularly aware of your body’s biological clock at times when your daily schedule is thrown off-kilter....

Previous theories of learning, such as the one put forth by B.F. Skinner argued that people’s behavior was always controlled by the environment. That people were nothing more than passive recipients of environmental influences. But according to Bandura, not only does the environment influence a person’s thinking, but their subsequent behavior influences their environment. In other words, the environment influences how a person thinks and feels, which in turn influences their behavior, which impacts the environment, and so on....

Understanding how incentive theory works can help you better recognize what might be motivating you to act a certain way or engage in specific behaviors. It also enables you to put your own incentives in place, potentially making it easier to reach your desired goals. History of Incentive Theory The idea that our behaviors are influenced or reinforced by external factors is credited largely to psychologist B. F. Skinner. In Skinner’s 1938 book Behavior of Organisms, he argued that people are not driven to act by internal states, such as acting aggressively due to feeling angry....

A recent study published in the Personality and Individual Differences journal found a link between racism and psychopathy, a psychiatric disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, superficial charm, pathological lying, a grandiose sense of self-worth, manipulation, and other traits. The definition of racism may vary depending on the context in which it is used, but, typically, racism describes the belief that certain groups of people are fundamentally different from or superior to other groups based on their race....

How Mental Health Benefits From Physical Exercise Mental health professionals sometimes prescribe exercise as part of the treatment for specific mental illnesses. Some of the potential mental health effects of exercise include: Anxiety and Stress Exercise decreases sensitivity to the body’s reaction to anxiety. Additionally, a regular exercise program can help ease symptoms of other common co-occurring conditions, such as ​irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Exercise helps promote the growth of new neurons in key areas of the brain, including the hippocampus....

Before we discuss the relationship between shame and PTSD, it’s first important to understand what shame is and how it differs from other emotions. The Difference Between Shame and Guilt Shame is often considered a “self-conscious emotion” and it’s generally very closely related to the emotion of guilt. In fact, many people have difficulty distinguishing between shame and guilt. Here’s the difference: Shame is an emotion that occurs when you evaluate or judge yourself in a negative light....

I never raised my hand in class. It felt too scary to speak in front of a group of people—even if it was just a few classmates. I hated school from the beginning. In fact, my 4-year-old self somehow convinced my parents to let me quit preschool after just one day. So when they told me it wasn’t an option to quit kindergarten the following year, I didn’t understand why....

Within the realm of obsessions, a person with OCD may become fixated on thoughts of violence, aggression, contamination, or even religion. Among the most troubling, however, are sexual obsessions. Sexual Obsessions and OCD Although a person may experience a wide range of sexual obsessions, common themes involve those that may be considered forbidden, such as: BestialityIncestInfidelitySexual abuse or violenceSex and religion as a form of blasphemySexual enslavementSexual sadism or masochismSexual thoughts about friendsUnderage sex...

In Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, the superego is the last component of personality to develop. The id is the basic, primal part of personality; it is present from birth. The ego begins to develop during the first three years of a child’s life. Finally, the superego starts to emerge around age five. Parts of the Superego In psychology, the superego can be further divided into two components: the ego ideal and the conscience (which may be more familiar as a concept)....

Research on the Connection Between Gaming and Stress Most gamers report that playing video games—even violent games—is a way to relieve stress and enjoy playing with friends. However, much of the research conducted on video games comes with the presumption that games are stressful or even psychologically harmful. While this isn’t the whole story, there is some evidence to support this assumption. Some studies show that a stressful in-game situation leads players to experience a stress reaction in real life....

In a given year, approximately 1% of adults in the United States have a diagnosis of OCD. Males often show symptoms of OCD in childhood, but females are affected at a higher rate by adulthood. 25% of people with OCD have symptoms by the time they’re 14 years old. OCD, Obsessions, and Compulsions Defined The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), outlines diagnostic criteria for “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders....

Symptoms of Test Anxiety The symptoms of test anxiety can vary considerably and range from mild to severe. Some students experience only mild symptoms of test anxiety and are still able to do fairly well on exams. Other students are nearly incapacitated by their anxiety, which may lead to poor test performance or even panic attacks before or during exams.​ Physical Symptoms of test anxiety include: SweatingShakingRapid heartbeatDry mouthFaintingNausea Milder cases of test anxiety can cause a sense of “butterflies” in the stomach, while more severe cases can actually cause students to become physically ill....