Karen Stufflebeam, Psy.D.

06/25/2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/25/sport/braden-smith-religious-scrupulosity-ocd-colts-nfl-spt?utm_medium=social&utm_source=igstoryCNN&utm_content=2025-06-25T15%3A02%3A48&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeJO-MLHuzQ51V1q9Lmp2tGflOt7bFEPL6NMWBMDndpNGmaePIIGes6JYRGAg_aem_giwenlCdcQEQMKGv4Xu5Qg

While players were in the battle of the NFL season, Braden Smith was fighting a different one: the one going on inside his own mind.

03/24/2025

“It’s unfortunately not uncommon to occasionally have a therapy session that feels like a dud...” but if after three or four sessions you feel like you haven’t learned any new coping skills or gained a better understanding of your problem, then it’s time to speak up, either during the session or in an email. Dr. Park suggested a few ways to kick off the discussion: “I feel like my progress has stalled,” or “I would like to transition to learning new or different coping skills,” or simply: “I feel like I’m in a therapy rut.”

Original Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/well/mind/ineffective-therapy-rut.html?smid=url-share

02/20/2025

Knowing what makes a great therapist great can be a tricky thing to put into words. However, it is much more obvious when a therapist is bad. Check out this article from the New York Times that discusses different peoples' experience in therapy that was unprofessional and at times even unethical.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/well/mind/bad-therapists.html?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ig-stories&utm_content=ig-nyt_well&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZn65fAmBLFXYE_gKBfDF4JL8FpHgFwFnQPAavODH2kQLMKemahW9FpCAE_aem_tr6a2RJpAuymKjSZnwdXJw

Declarations of love, snoring, exercising and other boundary violations can really derail a therapeutic relationship.

11/07/2024

So proud of my colleague for writing this!

Inside Out 2 was recently added to the Disney+ lineup after a very successful run in theaters this summer, becoming the highest grossing animated film of all time. Based on the prevalence of Anna and Elsa merchandise that still tops holiday wish lists five years after the last film in the franchise....

10/30/2024

On self-injury...

"There’s also a neurophysiological explanation for why people hurt themselves, said Dr. Vibh Forsythe Cox, director of the Marsha M. Linehan Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle. It involves the body’s endogenous opioid system, a neurochemical system with key roles in pain modulation, reward, stress responses and more. When the body realizes it’s experiencing damage, the opioid system sends out endorphins that act as painkillers so the body can escape whatever the danger is. Self-harm triggers this same response, Cox said. "Thee data suggests a neurological link between the perception of physical pain and the perception of emotional pain — where there is a spike and drop in one, there may be a spike and drop in the other,” Whitlock said."



https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/30/health/self-harm-causes-treatments-wellness/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=igCNN&utm_content=2024-10-30T13%3A02%3A33&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZLNXHQll0_OlnsZVNEQ0XJqmNePz9IGZ8DsUKm2N2aPuJ2JP-9aWAK738_aem_7DFSD9r00T0elJOf1DAtvg

10/13/2024

Want to feel happier? Let's see what Dr. Taitz has to say about this...

"A2023 study co-led by Dr. Meuret found that when adults experiencing depression or anxiety participated in 15 weeks of psychotherapy focused on enhancing positive emotions, they reported more improvement than a group whose therapy focused on reducing negative emotions."



https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/19/well/mind/happiness-emotions-reward-sensitivity.html?smid=url-share

10/10/2024

"Women are at a greater risk of mental illness during late pregnancy and the first year postpartum than at any other time in their lives. One in eight new mothers will experience postpartum depression, with symptoms like extreme sadness, insomnia and social withdrawal that can emerge in the first year after giving birth."

The rare condition can cause hallucinations and delusional thoughts in expecting or new mothers. But it is treatable.

10/06/2024

"Those ages 15 to 34 have had the greatest increase in time at home, spending roughly two more hours there on a typical day in 2022 compared with 2003... The findings echo what other researchers have uncovered — that today’s youth are more socially isolated than previous generations, in part because of the arrival of technology that enabled people to live more of their lives online... Last year, the surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, released a health advisory on the rise of loneliness and social isolation, describing it as an epidemic with grave health consequences: Loneliness increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and depression, and it raises the chance of premature death."

A recent study shows Americans are spending notably more time at home, a trend that started long before the pandemic.

10/02/2024

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/10/managing-political-stress

Psychological science shows that politics can harm our physical and mental health, but the positive aspects of political engagement can lead to greater well-being.

09/12/2024

Have you felt a persistent low simmer sadness? Check out what the NYTimes has to say about Dysthymia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/well/mind/depression-persistent-treatment-dysthymia.html?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ig-stories&utm_content=ig-nytimes&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZcMnokk-5niMpJLcbf88chCDWGw07yiYvav_WsJCioiqEGZyOK9u4ELCw_aem_Fki8pxcj6x3-HVnEVhH-Eg

09/04/2024

What is your favorite metaphor for therapy?
🛋️

08/29/2024

"If January is the Monday of the calendar year, then summer is clearly its weekend — June is its Friday, July its Saturday and August its lazy, delicious, fretful Sunday. Which is why so many of us currently find ourselves in the grips of the “September Scaries". "

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/well/mind/end-of-summer-september-stress.html?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ig-stories&utm_content=ig-nytimes&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaY0_h7CSRcBdFGI5TOdKTEl-834aHFHUAUVI6U4aIMeDfyBtI42ClNunr8_aem_WOqPeWHRc5Jm90_VePQcRQ

Late August can be a time of sleepy summer pleasures — and pit-in-the-stomach dread for what’s coming after Labor Day. Here’s how to manage all the feelings.