Expert Interviews & Perspectives in Counseling

It is time to reject the monoamine hypothesis of depression once and for all. Alternate hypotheses focusing on stress, the gut-brain axis, inflammation, and cortisol activity might bring us closer to the truth and set the stage for more effective treatments for depression.

Gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States. Every day, over 100 Americans die from gun violence, and more than 200 survive a gunshot wound. More young people die from guns than from car crashes. The ripple effects of gun violence profoundly impact families, institutions, and communities.

The gut is home to as many as 100 trillion microorganisms, weighing about two pounds in the adult, that make up the gut microbiome. The vagus nerve can sense metabolites produced during microbiome activity.

Gender dysphoria is a complex diagnosis with a controversial and sociopolitical history that cannot be ignored. It’s also a very recent concept that should not overshadow the full scope of gender diversity throughout the ages.

College student culture makes bad sleep habits, such as staying up late, pounding energy drinks, having strange napping schedules, and pulling all-nighters, seem normative. Peers might single out students who actually pursue good sleep hygiene as being odd.

Codependency can be a tricky topic in the world of mental health. Broadly speaking, codependency means relying upon someone else to a detrimental extent, where the desire to help causes further harm.

Studies have consistently shown the mediating impact social support and LGBTQ+ community connection have on mental health for sexual and gender minorities. When they’re loved and accepted, they thrive. When they’re outcast and oppressed, negative messages start to get internalized.

While studies have shown that short-term stress boosts the immune system, chronic stress has the opposite effect, suppressing the immune system and placing us at risk for a host of physical and psychological disorders.

While there are many parts of a client’s self-actualization process that are certainly outcome-oriented, larger life goals such as self-acceptance, self-affirmation, and self-love are not finish lines or races to be one.

Learning and attention issues can pose difficulties for individuals acquiring academic skills like reading, writing, and math. They can also pose challenges in other areas related to learning like listening and comprehension, organization and focus, and even social and motor skills.