For many years, endurance—the capacity to endure pain, suppress feelings, and continue on—was the yardstick by which great athletes were judged. However, something has changed. The most resilient athletes of today are those who are prepared to stop, think, and converse. With its remarkable ability to strengthen the mind behind the muscle, therapy has emerged as their new training method. Often considered one of the greatest Olympians in history, Michael Phelps has said that his life-saving choice was therapy. Phelps started talking candidly about his mental health issues after years of silent depression, stating that “competing against yourself is harder…
Author: viki
Once discussed in whispers like a family secret, therapy has subtly evolved into an aspirational practice. The change started when famous people began discussing their hardships as survival stories rather than scandals. Because of their candor, mental health discussions have become remarkably similar to fashion trends, which were previously exclusive to the wealthy but are now available to everyone. Therapy aims to change cultural perception in addition to healing minds. For example, Selena Gomez has had a significant impact. Her openness about anxiety and panic attacks taught a whole new generation the importance of therapy. She reminded her audience that…
For centuries, mental illness left an unseen mark that damaged the soul as well as the body. Rarely were people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder treated like patients; instead, they were stigmatized, sequestered, and forgotten. What started in 18th-century dusty asylums continues to reverberate in modern, gleaming therapy offices, where stigma subtly persists in spite of our progress. The term “treatment” was hardly used in the early days of asylums. In his in-depth investigation Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry, psychiatrist Jeffrey A. Lieberman characterized these facilities as segregation prisons rather than havens of care. His statements…
The discussion of mental health laws has changed dramatically from being incidental to being crucial. Lawmakers are starting to realize that emotional health is a social and economic priority rather than just a personal one. These reforms, which range from broad federal initiatives to California’s developing CARE Act, reflect a remarkably developed understanding of what care actually entails. This change is best illustrated by Governor Gavin Newsom’s extension of the CARE Court program. It was first established in 2022 to assist those with schizophrenia, but it now also offers support to those with bipolar disorder who are exhibiting psychotic symptoms.…
An often-overlooked fact lurks in the background of every boardroom discussion centered on metrics, growth, and quarterly profits: people, not systems, run businesses. And those individuals carry emotional burdens that influence every choice they make, irrespective of their position or title. Respected financial leader and executive coach Ricardo Sardien has noted that mental health is not something that ends at 9 a.m. and begins again at 5 p.m. It follows every person into the boardroom, impacting their creativity, confidence, and clarity. Businesses have too long viewed mental health as a wellness benefit rather than a key component of strategy. However,…
These days, there is an emotional transaction involved in every action, from purchasing coffee to browsing through a feed. Emotion has become a sort of currency in modern life, one that is quantifiable, predictable, and incredibly lucrative. The cost of our comfort, approval, and sense of belonging is now measured, examined, and made profitable. Scholars like Isabelle Brocas and Giorgio Coricelli at the University of Southern California are at the forefront of a field they refer to as “emotional economics.” Their research shows how daily decisions are influenced by brain activity. Through the use of brain scans, it has been…
A silent metamorphosis is taking place across quiet farm roads and open fields. By using digital screens to reach patients, therapists who were previously restricted by geography are changing the definition of caregiving. Technology is enhancing empathy, not taking its place. This evolution feels remarkably long overdue in communities with a shortage of medical specialists. There are frequently fewer than 40 mental health professionals per 100,000 people in rural counties, according to the National Rural Health Association. Compared to metropolitan areas, the ratio is less than half. A strong internet connection can be just as useful in these areas as…
The increasing collaboration between technology and therapists seems almost poetic—a synthesis of empathy and reason. Technology is subtly increasing the scope, accuracy, and insight of therapists rather than taking their place. It seems as though the digital assistant has taken on the role of an unseen co-therapist, handling tasks that people shouldn’t have to do and pointing out trends that even the most astute minds might miss. Recently, the American Psychological Association noted that the demand for therapy has greatly exceeded the supply. Millions of people are waiting because many psychologists say they have no room for new clients. Patients…
Modern psychology is undergoing a significant shift toward a more subdued return to its original definition: the soul. Therapists are starting to rediscover the missing component that science alone was unable to explain after decades of concentrating on data, diagnoses, and medications. Long disregarded as mystical or impossible to measure, spiritual counseling is becoming more popular among patients and clinicians looking for something more profound than symptom relief. Counselors are cautiously reintroducing spirituality into treatment in hospitals, colleges, and private practices. Dr. David Rosmarin, a Harvard psychologist who oversees McLean Hospital’s Spirituality and Mental Health Program, called this change “a…
A subtle but significant shift is taking place in contemporary offices, where the work environment itself starts to function as a kind of therapy. Through redesigned cultures that place an emphasis on empathy, mindfulness, and emotional balance—rather than just through formal counseling. Although it may sound idealistic, the notion that work can serve as therapy is becoming a reality for many workers. For many years, work was viewed as a strictly functional environment that was evaluated by metrics, output, and deadlines. However, a new idea that mental wellness is not only a personal problem but also a professional requirement arose…