“Proficiency at individual psychotherapy is perhaps the hallmark of the dynamic psychiatrist. Evolving as it does from psychoanalysis, dynamic psychiatry understandably emphasizes the nuances of the healing relationship between psychotherapist and patient.” Glen Gabbard 1994

"That very restrictiveness, aimed to forestall anxiety, creates conditions that generate new anxiety. For example, the carefully controlled, guarded person is no longer discomforted only by the circumstances or conflict originally responsible for his guardedness; once guarded, he

“This troubleshooting is the norm. Maintaining optimal mental health and recovering from mental illness are fluid expeditions. They aren’t races to the finish line.” Jonathan Stea PhD “Mind the Science” Dr. Jonathan N. Stea

It surely can be stigmatizing, for a subset of people (maybe a majority)… this only elevates the crucial importance of acknowledging the subset of emotional suffering that IS mental illness; denying or ignoring that prospect results in tragic degrees of preventable suffering.

“What psychiatrists and psychologists too often lose sight of is that neurosis—obscure, back-breaking business that it is—can be used for adaptation as well as for self-defeat.” George Vaillant, MD Adaptation to Life

The hostility isn’t toward “the idea”; it’s toward the proclamation or declaration as such.

Repression is the prototype of all the adaptive mechanisms—if you cannot bear it, forget it. …throughout much of his career Freud used the terms defense & repression synonymously: “Repression is the cornerstone on which the whole structure of psychoanalysis rests” G Vaillant MD

I’m happy to share that I’ve started my own private practice. I’ll be seeing individuals virtually anywhere in CA. Feel free to check out my website for more info and to connect. nadeemhasanpsyd.com

I've lost count of the number of times I've quoted this to people who view him as dogmatic or fanatic in defending psychoanalysis exclusively.

On Aug 28, 2025, American Psychiatric Association issued a brief statement on X assuring the public of the efficacy and safety of psychiatric medications. What could a better statement have looked like? One that was trying to make some effort at repairing public trust? Here’s my attempt:

Intellectualization is one defense mechanism. Telling people “my biggest problem is that I’m a huge intellectualizer” is also a defense mechanism. And telling people “psychotherapy encourages intellectualization by thinking instead of doing” is yet a third defense mechanism

“Unlike more exhibitionistic men who seek fame, repress dangers, and cannot wait to see their names in lights, intellectualizers often fear that to be too prominent in other men’s eyes will arouse dangerous feelings.” George Vaillant MD, Adaptation to Life

"...if we assume the existence of an organizing and regulatory system of some sort from the beginning, then it follows that however diverse the pathogenic circumstances, there will not be an unlimited diversity of pathology. The development of psychopathology will be limited to

But who will predetermine who are the merely ‘worried’ (who are actually ‘well’) vs those who will become psychotic or suicidal (or already are, but not obviously so)? Even seasoned clinicians can’t necessarily tell the difference in early sessions, & certainly not via checklist.

"We are frequently instructed to meet the patient where they are; psychoanalysis might do well to apply this edict to their public communications." - Stephanie Foster BiteSize Therapy

Maybe they mean, violence is never the BEST answer?

Sigmund Freud and his beautiful writing: "Every psychoanalytic treatment is an attempt at liberating repressed love which has found a meagre outlet in the compromise of a symptom."

open.substack.com/pub/toosimplet…

Guilford made BiteSize Therapy recent paper on psychoanalytic language available for free! Check it out at: guilfordjournals.com/doi/epdf/10.15…

"The psychoanalytic community must urgently seize every opportunity to communicate with the public in a more engaging manner..." BiteSize Therapy embodies this completely! Thanks for writing about the value of holding the door open for others. guilfordjournals.com/doi/epdf/10.15…