Therapy

PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.

• By Emily Moon
• Member Exclusive

The work of a large network of underground therapists has laid the basis for current FDA-regulated research into hallucinogenic therapy. Now they want to take that work mainstream.

• By Margaret Katcher

What couples who stick together after starring on reality TV can teach us about enduring romance.

• By Andy Dehnart

Internet forums have diminished the authority of the advice columnist—and raised new questions about who's qualified to counsel strangers.

• By Rhian Sasseen

Noah Davis talks to Vanessa Marin about writing as branding and why her model works.

• By Noah Davis

A new study finds that a dog might be just what the doctor ordered.

• By Zazie Todd

My experiences at a "therapeutic community" in Florida where degrading practices were routine will always inform my continuing work as a therapist.

• By Molly Fogel

Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to be less effective than it was in the 1970s, but researchers aren't sure why.

• By Nathan Collins

A Saudi Arabian art therapist describes the techniques he and his colleagues use as part of a deradicalization program.

• By Tom Jacobs

Hug longer, become a better listener, and stay together—at any cost.

• By Jessica Weisberg

Offenders with brain injuries make up a huge percentage of prison populations; they also enter the criminal justice system earlier, and stay in it longer.

• By Lauren Kirchner

An early look at a Pacific Standard story that's currently only available to print and digital magazine subscribers.

• By Pacific Standard Staff

After a child molester has been set free, where does he go—and how can society ensure that he never strikes again? One program's answer flies against our every instinct: Welcome him back.

• By Alastair Gee

Your Voice, a video-sharing platform from social media site Whisper, is trying to raise awareness for mental health issues by asking people to post their personal stories. But, given stigmatization, online discrimination, and the sensitivity of medical records, does the platform do enough to protect its users?

• By Nsikan Akpan

Mindi has never harmed her daughter and is capably raising a son, but authorities took her daughter under a concept sometimes called “predictive neglect.”

• By Seth Freed Wessler

If existing behavioral programs aren’t working, can therapeutic sessions with a dog help kids who have problems at school?

• By Zazie Todd

For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.

• By Avital Andrews

Despite the popularity of animal therapy in American pediatric hospitals, a new research review reveals that there's little support for its health benefits.

• By John Upton

"Gamifying" stress therapy might make treatment a lot more fun.

• By Paul Bisceglio

With psychotropic drug cocktails, of course.

• By Ryan Jacobs

A recent study reveals that watching relationship-themed movies and discussing them with your partner can be just as effective as visiting a marriage counselor.

• By Ryan Jacobs

A recent analysis of past studies highlights the health benefits of music, dance, and art therapy, which are now being used to ease cancer-related anxiety and pain.

• By Genevra Pittman

It's not just dogs anymore. Horses, goats—even rats—have joined the growing field of animal-assisted therapy

• By Eric Leake

Should therapists be turning to football and jokes to reach a wider audience of men in need?

• By Betsy Bates Freed