It is well-known that depression is caused by a combination of childhood trauma and neurobiological imbalances.  The social causes of depression, however, are less well known.  Social isolation, alienated work, inequalities of income, status,

Most forms of child abuse arise from a mechanism called "identification with the aggressor" in which a developing child becomes like his/her abuser as a way to feel safe and to maintain an attachment to the abuser.

When we can’t influence our environment, can’t control important aspects of our lives, we’re suffering from “learned helplessness?  In modern society, too many facets of our lives are resistant to our intentions and control.

Pathogenic beliefs form the core of all psychopathology. They are formed in childhood and take the form of rules about reality and morality, about what “is” and what’s supposed to be.  Pathogenic beliefs predict that if the child pursues normal develop...

Some people grow up in families in which they are recruited to parent their parents. This reversal of the normal order of things is invariably damaging to such children because they grow up not only feeling neglected but, more damaging still,

Too often, people – especially men – respond to someone suffering with efforts to fix or practically solve that person's "problem." Invariably, this tendency to attempt to fix the problem worsens it because the person with the problem experiences the "...

Sexual fantasies can be understood as attempts by our unconscious minds to establish conditions of safety in which sexual excitement and arousal can be experienced. Guilt and shame are two important feelings that make sexual arousal impossible.

Loneliness has become so prevalent in our society that it should be deemed a public health problem on a par with infectious diseases. There is a mountain of evidence that loneliness and social isolation are increasing and are associated with a wide ran...

Why do people cry at happy endings?  The answer lies in the role that psychological safety plays in regulating our emotions.  The happy ending makes it safe enough to experience repressed sadness.

Survivor guilt—the guilt one feels at having survived or thrived situations in which others did not--is a profoundly important factor in creating psychopathology. While easy to see in situations of severe trauma, like concentration camps and battle,