Scott Smith LCSW

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

“Freud emphasized in his theories that we, despite being the most evolved species, are still mammals. Our minds are built for survival first, then reproduction. So we are aggressive, and lustful. We are selfish, so that we don’t starve. We are also cooperative, and have the capacity for sacrifice, love and attachment. Most of us would like to incorporate these latter qualities into our sense of self, while conveniently forgetting the former.

“Or if the former exist, they exist in those people: another race, political party, perhaps. Or maybe my spouse or crappy co-worker. They are the ones who can be aggressive and selfish. I just want to get along and be kind! I cannot help it that my inner child gets dysregulated sometimes!

“This type of speaking is a net negative, I think. At least when it becomes a pattern. It’s a way of evading the parts of ourselves that make us feel ashamed. But when we are overcome by shame, we disavow the cause, and when we disavow the cause, guess what? We cannot adequately work on those parts of ourselves that may be good to work on.

“This doesn’t mean that we need to flagellate, beat ourselves up emotionally or become cruel to ourselves. I think this is part of what the “nervous system and inner child” crowd fear. That taking responsibility will turn into self-shaming. But there is a third way. Yes, it’s difficult. Most people swing between abnegation and over responsibility. The middle path is almost always the most difficult, but ultimately the most fruitful.”

Franny Talks Freud ()

My Inner Child Made Me Do It Imagine you are in a fight with a loved one, and they say something reactive and mean, while raising their voice. After things have calmed down, they tell you: “I’m sorry, my nervous system was activated.” or “My fight or flight response went into overdrive and t...

07/05/2026

Your DNA may predict your future success more than your upbringing | ScienceDaily

A new twin study suggests your genes may play a bigger role in your future success than your upbringing. Researchers found that IQ, which is largely genetically influenced, strongly predicts education, career, and income. Even twins raised in the same household diverged based on genetic differences....

05/05/2026

This is... dubious. I remember working with cases of Facilitated Communication, and even back then I thought it was... dubious.

The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About

A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?

04/05/2026

Therapy Influencers Sell Illusion, Not Insight https://jonathanshedler.substack.com/p/therapy-influencers-sell-illusion?utm_medium=ios

03/05/2026

Psychologist Carl Rogers on Self-Acceptance, Change and Personal Growth

Rogers was one of the founders of humanistic psychology and created client-centered psychotherapy.

03/05/2026

We are living longer and longer, but many of us are unprepared for the challenges age brings, says the novelist and psychotherapist Frank Tallis

27/04/2026

"Client-led research is empowered by the internet’s vast library yet unaided by guidance about how to interpret the information. We are witnessing the rise of the amateur health expert, a well-intentioned but at times costly role. Taking an active interest in your health is positive but the democratisation of information, without the concurrent democratisation of critical research skills, has created a perfect storm for misinformation."

Clients no longer just describe their symptoms, they arrive with screenshots of dense articles, AI chatbot information and the phrase ‘I’ve done my research’

23/04/2026

"Someone observes a behavioral difference between groups or countries. They can’t immediately identify the mechanism. So, they invoke “culture” as an explanation or, even worse, “the culture.” The word lands with a satisfying thud that sounds like an explanation but isn’t one. It is the terminus of inquiry, not the beginning."

How lazy social scientists and commentators use the c-word to avoid doing their jobs

22/04/2026

In our new paper, we propose a framework to ensure patients receive high-quality care when they see a GP for ADHD assessments or management. This includes:

mandatory training for all ADHD prescribers

formalised shared care pathways across GP, paediatric and psychiatric care. This ensures consistency and coordination of practice and the ability to escalate care when people require specialist input

structured templates for GPs, including minimum information required before stimulant scripts can be prescribed. This would include complete health summaries, current and previously prescribed medications, psychiatric history and substance use history

periodic review of medications, side effects, effectiveness and whether they are still needed

stronger regulation of the advertising and business models of prescribing services. Greater penalties are also needed for breaches

research, evaluation and monitoring of the changes to ADHD prescribing including any adverse impacts or medical complications.

Prescriptions for ADHD have grown 11-fold in 20 years. As GPs begin to prescribe ADHD medication, will this rise again?