The following links are sites that I believe contain helpful information and for the most part are consistent with my therapeutic perspectives or, if different, represent views that I respect as a reasoned alternative. Of course, I am unable to vouch for any and all content on these websites and therefore – as I might say in therapy – “I won’t take responsibility for something I have no control over”.
General Psychology Sites
cognitivebehavior.com – a little on the technical side at times, but good solid information and resources about cognitive-behavior therapeutic interventions and assessments.
Therapy Related Sites
Albert Ellis Institute – considered one of the founders of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (more specifically Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) this site is obligatory. Ellis is crude and abrasive and is considered one of the most influential psychologists of this century. The fact that I attended his 90th birthday party in Manhattan in September 2003 might have something to do with his name being first in this section (no, he has no clue who I am, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and was able to attend).
Aaron Beck Institute – the other founder of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (more specifically Cognitive Therapy), the nicer more grandfatherly one. Very prolific researcher and clinician. He is the author of the Beck Depression Inventory which is one of the most widely used screening tests for depression.
Picture of Ellis and Beck Together – just a site I found that gives a flavour of their interaction during the 2000 APA convention.
Marital/Couples Therapy Sites
The Gottman Institute – John Gottman is one of the foremost marital therapy researchers. He has done long-term studies which follow couples over a number of years to determine whether they stay together or not and then to identify if there are any signs that might predict a separation. Practical and well-respected research. One initial caution I might have is that although his research into why people separate seems pretty solid, he now goes on to propose his therapeutic approach to remedy the situation. In my opinion, the jury is still out on his intervention.
Emotion Focused Therapy – another well-researched approach to marital therapy. EFT has become very popular in the past few years. Worth a browse and possibly a further Google search.
Collaborative Divorce – if the marital therapy doesn’t work, then this is perhaps a better alternative than the adversarial and often hugely expensive process of a court battle. To summarize, you each are still represented by a lawyer and each have a counsellor, and other professionals (financial, etc.) are utilized as needed. All parties agree before-hand to work collaboratively to come to a mutually beneficial agreement and if things deteriorate into a traditional court battle, none of the information obtained during this process is admissible in court. Good idea, eh?
Addictions Therapy & Support Group Sites
SMART Recovery.org – if you are interested in an alternative view to the 12-step/AA and ‘disease’ model of addictions, I HIGHLY recommend the SMART Recovery site. The focus of SMART Recovery is on personal responsibility and choice rather than on being helpless to the addiction. Addiction is viewed as a learned behavioural pattern (a habit) that has been reinforced likely over many years. Accordingly, if it is a learned behaviour, it can also be unlearned and the pattern changed to a more constructive one (although this is not necessarily an easy process). This site has a very impressive array of resources, links and books and contains many free handouts, exercises and worksheets. They are a not-for-profit organization and, in my opinion, there is a real integrity behind the therapeutic approach to addictions (e.g., letting the research/evidence guide the intervention). This site is very consistent with my overall approach to therapy.
practicalrecovery.com – this is the private practice site of Dr. Tom Horvath in San Diego. Dr. Horvath works with addictions from a cognitive-behavioral perspective and is the current president of SMART Recovery. This site may be directly useful for those that are in the Southen California area, however, it also gives a sense of an outpatient therapeutic approach to addictions.
Psychology Organizations and Associations
College of Psychologists of British Columbia – the CPBC is the regulatory college for psychologists in B.C.
British Columbia Psychological Association – this is the association for psychologists in B.C. The role of the BCPA is the advancement of psychology and to advocate for the profession.
Canadian Psychological Association – the national association for psychologists in Canada.
American Psychological Association – yep, you guessed it.
Psychology on Video
Have you ever been curious about what Freud really looked and sounded like? How about other famous and influential psychologists? I’ve compiled a number of interesting videos from YouTube that are a Who’s Who of psychology over the last 100+ years. Enjoy.
Freud – Everyone’s heard of him – but this may be your only opportunity to say you’ve actually heard him, as this is apparently the only audio recording he has ever made.
Carl Jung – Fascinating interview with Jung towards the end of his life. Great questions about his mother and father – Jung states that he was afraid of his mother and that she was “to me, very problematical” and that he had a “…fear of my mother, but not during the day… but during the night I feared my mother… I haven’t the slightest idea why”
Aaron Beck – In this television round-table discussion of the 150th anniversary of Freud, Beck explains how he started out trying to validate Freud’s theories but ended up developing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This arguably was a seminal moment in the history of psychology which resulted in a new direction for psychological interventions.
Carl Rogers – The humanist psychologist explains how he approaches therapeutic change with the now famous client – Gloria. The video most undergraduate psychology students have seen.
Miscellaneous Sites
The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education – I blog occasionally for the DLC on information particularly related to psychological and emotional well-being.
Self Improvement from SelfGrowth.com – Some of my articles and other content can also be found on SelfGrowth.com
Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness – Speaking to Google employees. Good overview of mindfulness for beginners. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the main proponents of mindfulness in the Western medical system.
A user-friendly overview of Personality theory – Suggested by a site user – Thanks Angela!