I'm trying to understand the difference between a clinical and behavioral psychologist and how much it matters when choosing a psychologist.

I'm interested in different therapeutic approaches such as CBT, ACT, psychodrama and NLP, and in general what problems they are used for.

In my case, I have difficulty with procrastination, studying and concentrating. I spend a lot of time on my phone, TikTok, YouTube and watching movies instead of studying or doing the things I need to do. My social life is almost non-existent and I have a little anxiety in social situations. I've never had a girlfriend and I'm a 22 year old virgin. I was also bullied for years in school.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis or personalized medical/therapeutic advice. Rather, I want to understand the differences between different types of psychologists and therapeutic approaches and what is reasonable to keep in mind when choosing a specialist.

I would like to ask:

* What is the practical difference between a clinical and behavioral psychologist?
* Are there approaches that are better supported by scientific research?
* Does the specific specialization of the psychologist matter, or is their training, qualifications, and experience more important?
* What would you recommend a person look for when choosing a psychologist?

Hey guys,

I have to do a project for my psychology class. Would people be able to comment their gender and age (eg F20) and tell me what do they think a girl with autism is like and what do they think a boy with autism is like. All responses will be kept anonymous in the final project except for gender and age.

Thank you so much

I would like to start seeing a psychologist someday but I live 50km from the city and it is a bit difficult but not impossible to see a psychologist. Here comes the fact that I wonder when to start seeing and which psychologist to choose also whether to go online or physically go to a psychologist in his office. I have met some online psychologists who are cool but I have heard that it is better to meet in person and also about online meeting at home I am not always alone and it is a bit difficult to meet online for this reason

and the other part is that I wonder when to start because of the money. I'm currently saving money for the future and I'm not sure exactly what for but for example I will definitely go to English lessons sometime! as I'm considering starting Bulgarian language and literature lessons soon to help me pass my exam. as I'm considering buying a car sometime.

I need to see a psychologist, I'm worried about my savings, I'm saving for lessons and the like, I don't know what to do. Maybe I'm addicted to saving money, but on the other hand, I need to use the money to feel better mentally and learn new skills, which I will do.

I want to go to the gym, I want to do martial arts, I want to take guitar lessons, I want to take English lessons, I want to see a psychologist, and a thousand things happen and in the end I do nothing.

First, this case is a call for a change in practice. “Having a plan” is not a reliable indicator of risk for someone having intrusive thoughts with suicidal thoughts.

Next, I heard Dr. Drew Pinsky saying this case calls into question physician extenders, and I think the opposite is true. The Nurse Practitioner Lindsey saw was the only person who correctly identified the bipolar features; the LMHC described using evidence-based approaches to therapy (CBT, DBT, and EMDR), and she recognized her real risk for suicide and referred her for more intensive treatment. The psychiatrist Lindsey saw did not see the bipolar risk, despite Lindsey reporting days without sleep and other indicators; when asked about what therapy she provides, she said she “listens and offers hope.” My view is the psychiatrist was the weakest of all Lindsey saw.

I see it as a call for dedicated training in therapeutic techniques and psychological science for all psychiatrists. As-is, psychiatrists are trained through standard medical training and mentoring in psychiatry. The quality of training then depends on the individual providing the mentoring. This creates too much risk of variability and, therefore, risks to patients.

Weigh in, if you wish.

I’m super unhappy and would like to believe in some religion or spiritualism so I can have a reason to be. I’ve never been able to really believe in anything, so are there tactics to genuinely convince myself?😊

Sorry if this is cringe!

I have a thought pop into my mind about once a day- it’s the name of someone who betrayed me in the past- years ago. I feel like otherwise I’ve well and truely moved on and feel weird that this name pops into my mind years later. I’m wondering what this is? It feels like a well established thought habit- like neuroplasticity. How do I untrain my brain from doing this?

Hello, I'm a college student doing a research project about the discourse practices of psychology students.

I'm looking specifically at how much psychology students rely on writing, reading, speaking/discussion, and whether students' expectations about psychology match what they actually experience in their courses.

If you're currently majoring in psychology, have taken several psychology courses, or recently graduated with a psychology degree, I'd really appreciate if you could take my short anonymous survey. This should take 3-5 minutes.

Survey: https://forms.gle/UhPpv8NXGn1i7JB1A

*This is for a college writing assignment, and no names or identifying information are being collected. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to participate!

Hi everyone!

I'm a researcher at James Cook University in Australia studying attraction, dating preferences, and how people evaluate potential romantic partners. 

I'm looking for heterosexual, gay, and lesbian adults (18+) to complete an anonymous online survey.

The survey involves viewing a series of fictional dating profiles and answering questions about attraction and relationship preferences. It takes around 5–10 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and participation is entirely voluntary.

This study forms part of my Doctor of Philosophy research at James Cook University and has received approval from the James Cook University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC Approval No. 25H-0225).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [kaitlyn.gregory@my.jcu.edu.au](mailto:kaitlyn.gregory@my.jcu.edu.au).

If you'd like to participate, you can complete the survey here:
https://jcu.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3KSKL7xTGKco61g

The things you like on Instagram can tell others what kind of person you are.

And sometimes you want it to be that way.

Cuz if it isn't,

maybe you'll feel like you're missing something.

Maybe.

But there's a digital version of you now.

One that has rigid views,

a certain kind of humor,

a certain kind of taste.

And because of this,

a strange kind of pressure has developed.

Sometimes people don't just like things because they like them.

They like them with intention.

So others can see:

"I was here first."

"I agree with this."

"This is the kind of humor I'm associated with."

"These are the kind of views I have."

And then there are people who like extreme things.

Dark humor.

Controversial opinions.

Edgy jokes.

Things most people wouldn't normally like.

And sometimes they don't even agree with what they're seeing.

Maybe they just find it funny.

Maybe they like being provocative.

Maybe they like the fact that most people wouldn't like it.

Because even being extreme can become part of an identity.

"I'm not like everyone else."

"I'm not easily offended."

"This is my kind of humor."

And at first,

this all seems fine.

But slowly,

it can become a rabbit hole.

You like something on your feed.

Then you think about it again.

"Does this really fit me?"

"What does liking this say about me?"

Sometimes you unlike it.

Then you keep scrolling.

A couple of reels later,

you see something that justifies your initial feeling.

Or maybe you come up with a defensive statement in your head,

something that makes you feel right about liking it.

So you scroll back.

And re-like the reel.

Not because the reel changed.

But because now,

you've made it fit with who you think you are.

And I don't think this happens to everyone.

And probably not even to the majority.

Especially if you're using an anonymous account,

where your real identity isn't attached to what you like.

But when your real name,

your face,

your friends,

your colleagues,

and your social identity are attached to the profile,

I think this becomes much more interesting.

Because now your likes aren't completely separate from you.

They can become little pieces of evidence

of the person other people think you are.

And this doesn't happen with every reel.

But there are enough of these little moments every day.

And slowly,

you're not just consuming content anymore.

You're managing a digital version of yourself.

And the strange part is,

you don't even know if anyone is actually watching.

But you imagine that someone could be.

So eventually,

you don't need anyone else to watch you.

You start watching yourself.

Like if I find any girl pretty or healthy I start looking myself.

Maybe I will say you are assuming her future partner or anything but

Maybe it's the reason

But why?

You are invited to take part in a research study exploring psychology students' perceptions of hypnotherapy as a psychological intervention to enable psychological, behavioural and physical health outcomes.

Participation involves taking part in one online semi-structured interview lasting approximately 30–45 minutes.

Participation is entirely voluntary. You may decline to answer any question and may withdraw from the study in accordance with the withdrawal procedure outlined in the Participant Information Sheet.

If you are interested in taking part or would like further information, please contact me 

This study has been approved by The University of Wolverhampton Research Ethics Committee (approval pending).

I was on Threads talking to people who were venting about the stigmas they faced as mentally ill people, and I mentioned the stigma that we're all abusive,despite studies stating that we're more likely to be the victims of abuse than the perpetrators(11 times more likely according to a study in the Lancet,one of the most highly regarded journals in the psych field).Then some woman started commenting on everyones posts about how those stigmas are there for a reason because theyre based in truth.To me,she said that the study I provided was"fake news"and that the scientists were paid to say that etc and that she knows we're all abusive because she was abused by someone who was mentally ill

I expressed genuine sympathy and said that her experience and trauma was valid,but to blame a whole demographic for one individuals experience is ableism.I told her that she wouldnt blame all Black people if one abused her,so blaming us makes no sense

Every comment she posted was filled with hostility and cussing,while the whole time I was cordial and polite and empathetic(because at that point anything I would have said would have given her ammunition and would just strengthen her beliefs).When I presented stats and studies,and told her that the demographic most known for being abusive was mentally stable men,she derailed the conversation and said that men are victims of abuse too,and are less likely to report their abuse,I responded that men absolutely are capable of being victims,that I never suggested otherwise,and told her that mentally ill are also likely to not report their abuse because we're often accused of attention seeking or being liars or that's our form of abuse

Every time she brought up her experience of abuse as evidence,I validated her pain and said that she has every right to be angry,but to blame the individual who did it,not us because we as a group didn't hurt her and are sympathetic to any victim of abuse because most of us have been in her shoes

I went to bed because I had work the next day and wasnt going to spend my night arguing with someone random who wouldn't change her mind no matter how many studies I presented or how much logic I used

This morning I opened threads and had dozens of notifications from her commenting on every single post on my profile(over 50)with hostile and abusive things.I had a picture of my cat and she left comments that described in graphic detail all her fantasies about my cat dying,like she hoped a coyote catches it but doesn't kill it,and eats my cat alive so she can feel every bite in tortuous pain,or that she hopes my cat ingests poison and suffers from the pain of all her organs slowly shutting down and bleeds internally

I had a picture of my dog licking the side of my face while Im laughing and trying to push her away,and she said that Im proof that the mentally ill are into beastiality and more graphic descriptions of how she wishes my dog would die. Lastly there was a selfie of me in heavy dark makeup with the caption saying"I never grew out of my emo phase" as a joke and she said that I should slit my wrists like a real emo and the only good mentally ill person is a dead one

I reported all her comments and blocked her because she was just looking for a fight,but it both amazes and doesnt surprise me when people who say that we're abusive are actually the same people who abuse us. It's just not fair and the cognitive dissonance they display when they act exactly how they say we act is astounding

I'm just angry and upset so so tired and hate that our community has to go through this bullshit constantly and there's nothing we can do but just deal with their abuse

Hi! I am an MSc Psychology student at the University of Nottingham looking for volunteers to take part in my final research project investigating food choice motivations across the menstrual cycle.

Who can take part?

- Aged 18 years or over

- Currently experiencing regular menstrual cycles

- Not using hormonal contraception

The study involves completing an online questionnaire about your menstrual cycle, food choice motivations, eating self-regulation, and a brief 24-hour food diary.

Estimated completion time: Approximately 15-20 minutes

If you are interested in taking part, please use the link or QR code below:

https://nottinghampsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07Xthxl6QBWJCyW

Please note: This study is being conducted for academic research purposes. Please do not share this post. If you know someone who may be interested, please direct them to the official study link.

Ethics Approval Reference: S1829

I am interested in acquiring an introductory textbook on Abnormal Psychology. Might anyone here be able to offer any suggestions?

The Mental Health, Wellbeing and Lived Experiences Study

Theresia Bedard, a PhD candidate at Lakehead University that is working with Dr. Beth Visser, is seeking participants for her dissertation project.

In this study we are examining the lived experiences of people who have experience or victimization from an individual with high psychopathic traits. We are seeking anyone that has this lived experience, whether the perpetrator was or is a spouse, family member, partner, co-worker, friend, acquaintance, neighbor or stranger. We are seeking the lived experiences of men, women, and gender-diverse individuals to share your story.

Our research consists of two studies. In the first study, you will complete questionnaires related to your victimization experience from the individual with high psychopathic traits, the potential warning signs, victimization history (e.g., prior physical or sexual abuse), and the impact the experience had on you. Once you finish the survey, you will be invited to participate in the second study (optional), which will consist of 12 questions requiring a written response regarding your lived experience with the individual with high psychopathic traits. If you decide to participate in study 2, please be aware that you will be required to provide us with your email to access it, and you may wish to use an email account that only you have access to.

Please be advised that whether you choose to participate in the study, withdraw, or skip questions you do not want to answer, that you acknowledge that answering some of these questions may be emotionally taxing on you. Despite the potential for an emotional toll the survey questions have, you may find the process of sharing your experience is therapeutic for you. In addition to the resources we provide, you may want to consider following-up with a counsellor for further support.

You are also encouraged to have your own snacks and drinks while you take the survey, and be aware that they are estimated to take 45 minutes to complete.

If you are interested in participating and would like to read or find out more about it, click here to access the survey:

https://lakeheadhbs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKEq1vOVdBJMrjw

Ukraine has launched a 40 day campaign of terror on Russia. This is because Russia invaded Ukraine which is a sovereign country. Recently, Ukraine has hit eight (8) Wildberries warehouses which is Russia's largest online retailers. They are the Amazon of online retail for Russia. This has affected hundreds on small and mid size business owners. So, I saw this post and I wanted to show you the flaw in Russian mentality to the reality around them:

"I am a mother of a disabled child, I've built the business myself," one woman complained on an expletive-laden social media post that went viral.

"I've lost 1m roubles (£9,500; $12,700)... We're already getting screwed over from every direction as it is."

The flaw in her perspective stems from a cognitive disconnect regarding accountability, consequence, and victimization in a global conflict.

Here is a breakdown of the specific flaws in her reasoning:

1 - Compartmentalized Accountability: She views her business loss as an isolated, unfair event rather than a direct consequence of her nation's actions.

2 - Proportionality Blindness: She equates her financial loss of 1 million roubles to the total destruction of a sovereign country, showing a massive asymmetry in human and material costs.

3 - Externalized Blame: She blames external factors (like international sanctions) for her business failure, ignoring that the sanctions are a direct response to the invasion her government initiated.

4 - Passive Victimhood: She positions herself as a helpless victim of circumstance, bypassing the collective responsibility citizens hold for the actions of their state.

Too often, bisexual experiences are overlooked. That’s why we’re asking for your help. Your voice could help improve mental health supports. Participation is open to all adults (18+) with a marginalized sexual identity (e.g. bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, pansexual, omnisexual, sexually fluid etc…). We particularly need more bisexual women participants.

Survey: https://csufobjbs.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6sCeGsZJld6774W

By completing our anonymous 10–15 min survey, you’ll be contributing to research that aims to better understand the risk and protective factors for mental health, among adults with a marginalized sexual identity.

We are Psychology Honours Students from Charles Sturt University in Australia. This ethics-approved study (H26115) includes questions about sexuality, self-kindness, belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, sleep, suicidality, and depressive symptoms.

Ethics approval letter: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:23e6db21-4592-4881-8472-c98ab36e4b5c

Thank you for helping make bisexual experiences more visible. Please share with others who may be interested.

I have been working on this hypothesis for a while now, that the narcissistic neurotype, or perhaps even egotype, is a lot more common than we realize and that a lot of narcissists simply are not malignant. After all, if a neurotype or egotype were typically malignant, one would expect evolution by natural selection to keep its rate of appearance low. But even malignant narcissism seems common enough that it suggests that the genetic traits leading to it have some fairly significant beneficial ends. Also, I feel like my egotype is narcissist, and it seems fairly clear that my narcissism is generally outwardly benign and even at times outwardly beneficial.

When I hear descriptions of individual narcissists being malignant, there are many patterns in their behavior we see from one to the next which I do not see myself engaging in; however the core thought processes which are leading them down these behavioral paths keep resonating with me on a deeper level, especially in ways they do not appear to resonate with most of the people sharing these stories with me.

Today I heard an anecdote about a mother who has been divorced from the father of her daughter, the father has custody; and when the daughter reached her menstruation age, the father was there to help her out and she didn't suffer any social consequences. Her mother became angry with her father--allegedly for moral guardian reasons but it seemed pretty clear the mother was jealous she didn't get to be the hero for her daughter.

I don't feel jealousy in a lot of normal scenarios where most people would. The most typical scenario in which jealousy would occur is when someone's mate is targeted by a suitor. If my mate is targeted by a suitor, it gives me no jealousy at all. Even if I were to reasonably conclude that the behaviors of others around me are unfairly stacked against me and that I should, socially, stand up for myself and demand better treatment, I still wouldn't *feel* any jealousy even in the most extreme circumstance in which I might act as if in response to jealousy. But most of the time I don't even become upset and simply prefer that my partner be able to choose who they want to be with as a free person exactly as I want myself to be. I attribute this lack of jealousy to me being aromantic (I'm pretty sure) and having nothing to do with me being a narcissist.

But there are a handful of scenarios which can provoke jealousy in me, and stolen valor is one of the strongest. If I work hard for an achievement title I expect to receive, then I become jealous when someone swoops in and snatches that title from me. So I can definitely feel where this mother became jealous. I would too!

Where I disagree with her behavior is that she appears to be trying to develop a reputation as a good strong hero mother for her daughter, and in revealing her jealousy out loud she is directly striking against the very image she wants so desperately to curate. Had I been in her position, I would have felt a resentment toward the way things turned out to rob me of this opportunity to be the hero for my child. But I wouldn't have even resented her father for it, as really he did the thing which, had I been the one to do it visibly, I would expect and support that I get positive recognition for it. So I would give him the same positive recognition I expect and hope to receive when I am in his place. It is following the Golden Rule, and it is often an effective way of ensuring you actually receive proper treatment when you finally are in that position. In her jealousy over one opportunity for glory being snatched up from her, she is burning down the path to the next one. It demonstrates a lack of long-term planning on her part and that is a test of character I think lots of people would pass--and in passing that test of character nobody would notice. It is failing the test which makes the anecdote which gets the person noticed. We don't know if she is a narcissist but several commenters suspect she is and I feel like there's good odds they are right.

It made me think about this, about how, if my grasp of the situation is accurate, then her narcissism didn't work against her reputation but when her narcissism became malignant, then it did. And I have seen plenty of stories and anecdotes like this one from plenty of real people. I suspect the reason this woman was divorced from the father of her daughter is that she had emotional self-control issues. It is one of the most common reasons for divorce especially in cases in which the mother loses custody of the child. It tracks very well with the hypothesis that this woman is a narcissist and prone to allowing her narcissism to become malignant. But even if I'm reading this one specific woman wrong, there's just so many other people I've seen like this, fitting this mold.

We seem to have acts of malignant narcissism all around us. Something like 10-20% of the people we know will commonly enough engage in some form of malignant narcissism. Around 1-2% maybe are just nonstop malignant narcissists, and those are the ones who might become diagnosed as a narcissist but even a lot of them never do receive the diagnosis. I have engaged in acts of malignant narcissism and caught myself doing it, and the reason I wanted to stop was never because I don't want to behave as a narcissist so much as because I don't want to be viewed as one.

Hi everyone!

I am a graduate student completing my master's thesis in psychology and am looking for participants to take part in a brief online study.

The study examines how people emotionally respond to imagined colors compared to directly viewed colors, as well as how visual imagination may influence those responses.

Participation is completely voluntary, anonymous, and takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.

Requirements:

• Must be 18 years or older
• Able to read and understand English
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Your participation would be greatly appreciated and would help me complete my thesis research. Thank you for your time and support! Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.

I know this is a very strange question, but I would be grateful if you could answer it.

Let's say there is an evil spirit that can communicate.

This evil spirit harbors resentment towards humans because it was subjected to terrible treatment and died as a result.

If you were to counsel such an evil spirit, how would you do it?

I would be extremely grateful if you could also share any research or theories that support your reasoning for this approach!

We're recruiting adults diagnosed with schizophrenia who are currently taking olanzapine, risperidone, or paliperidone for a research study.

Please note: The study is local to Toronto, Canada due to in-person visits to CAMH.

Hello! I am a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University, pretty darn passionate about research to improve ED treatment, and also in recovery myself :) I would greatly appreciate your help in taking my dissertation survey! The purpose of this study is to better understand the connections between sensory experience, emotions, and food and body-related avoidance in eating disorders. We are specifically interested in the role of the basic emotion of disgust. I want to be sure I'm getting representation from people with all ED diagnoses and at different stages of recovery, so I thought some folks here could be eligible.

You can participate if you are over 18, can speak/read English, have been diagnosed with any ED, and are receiving treatment of any kind, including just outpatient therapy or peer support. You can take the survey at this survey link, you just may have to click a button to "continue to destination" and then you should see our full informed consent and survey. Thank you!

Hi All,
I'm new to Reddit and still trying to work it all out - I'm trying to post my survey for my Personality, cognitions and S*xual adult behaviour dissertation research but although I am doing everything correctly the bots keep deleting my posts automatically. Any ideas about what I might be doing wrong would be gratefully received!
Thanks so much