Psychology is the study of
mind and
behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both
conscious and
unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as
thoughts,
feelings, and
motives. Psychology is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between the
natural and
social sciences. Biological psychologists seek an understanding of the
emergent properties of brains, linking the discipline to
neuroscience. As social scientists, psychologists aim to understand the behavior of individuals and groups.
A professional practitioner or researcher involved in the discipline is called a
psychologist. Some psychologists can also be classified as
behavioral or
cognitive scientists. Some psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and
social behavior. Others explore the
physiological and
neurobiological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors.
Psychodrama is an action method, often used as a
psychotherapy, in which clients use spontaneous
dramatization,
role playing, and dramatic
self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by
Jacob L. Moreno and his wife
Zerka Toeman Moreno, psychodrama includes elements of
theater, often conducted on a
stage, or a space that serves as a stage area, where
props can be used. A psychodrama therapy group, under the direction of a licensed psychodramatist, reenacts real-life, past situations (or inner mental processes), acting them out in present time. Participants then have the opportunity to evaluate their behavior, reflect on how the past incident is getting played out in the present and more deeply understand particular situations in their lives.
Psychodrama offers a creative way for an individual or group to explore and solve personal problems. It may be used in a variety of
clinical and community-based settings in which other group members (audience) are invited to become therapeutic agents (stand-ins) to populate the scene of one client. Besides benefits to the designated client, "side-benefits" may accrue to other group members, as they make relevant connections and insights to their own lives from the psychodrama of another. A psychodrama is best conducted and produced by a person trained in the method, called a psychodrama director. (Full article...)
French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) releasing people from their chains at the Salpêtrière asylum in Paris in 1795 (painting by
Tony Robert-Fleury)
Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and
progressivepolitical commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and hosted a nightly television show, The Big Picture, between 2010 and 2017. (Full article...)
... that according to A Bright Red Scream, millions of Americans regularly use razors, knives or broken glass to intentionally
injure themselves? (self-inflicted cuts pictured)
... that Herbert Freudenberger fled Germany alone during WWII at the age of twelve, later becoming a well-known psychologist in the United States?
... that simply knowing about and understanding the illusion of transparency might help reduce speech anxiety?
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