When considering the word “trauma,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? I’d wager that most people equate this word with PTSD and military personnel. Still others might associate trauma with physical or sexual abuse or assault. All of these are correct. However, these examples are only three out of many types of traumatic experiences. Other types of traumatic experiences include: emotional abuse and psychological maltreatment, neglect and abandonment, forced displacem

The fields of neuroscience and mental health seem to be on the rise… And if you don’t know all of the fancy-sounding terms that are being batted around, then don’t despair! Most people would be hard pressed to explain the differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, much less describe the role of a neuropsychologist. So today, my goal is simply to remove any assumptions and start from the very beginning. PSYCHIATRY. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.)

As we enter the month of October, let's change gears from the topic of memory loss and dementia and focus for a moment on anxiety disorders instead. After all, Halloween is just around the corner and with this holiday comes a deluge of horror movies, scary costumes, and other fear-provoking stimuli. As a matter of fact, a news report was released in south Florida just the other night that warned parents of a "creepy clown" threat- an Instagram post that pictured a clown with

If you suffer from depression, or you have suffered an episode of depression in the past, then (hopefully) you've already spoken with your doctor to rule out the possible medical conditions that could be responsible for your symptoms. The list of possibilities is longer than you might think! However, this is a GOOD thing because knowing the cause of your symptoms can help you identify the most effective treatments. It is important that you see your doctor for annual physical

We've all had moments, or even days, when we've felt sad... So at what point does sadness turn into clinical depression? I can promise you that this is not a silly question. In fact, many people often wonder whether they have depression or whether the emotion they are experiencing falls within the range of normalcy. It is important to understand that, in order to qualify for a formal diagnosis of depression, other criteria (in addition to feelings of sadness) must be met. For

How does your brain determine your behavior? If you are wondering what a neuropsychologist does, then you're not alone... Neuropsychology doesn't just sound interesting; it is interesting! Neuropsychology is the study of how your brain affects your behavior. In other words, it's the practice of psychology and medicine rolled into one. For instance, the frontal lobe (the part of the brain that is located just behind your forehead) serves a number of important functions, a few