Psychotherapy News and Research

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Psychotherapy is “talk” therapy. It involves talking with a mental health professional to treat a mental illness. Psychotherapy can occur one-on-one or in a group. Research shows that support from family and friends can be an important part of therapy.

Digital therapy significantly improves sexual function in women

Sexual dysfunction is a reality for many women, but the subject remains taboo. A large percentage of women remain untreated, a problem that is exacerbated by the shortage of treatment options for female sexual dysfunction.

3 Feb 2026

Importance of clear numerical communication in medicine

Similar - yet not the same: Many studies show that patients often struggle to interpret numerical information in medical contexts, especially probabilities related to recovery and side effects.

31 Jan 2026

HHCM awards $566K to advance psychedelic end-of-life care research

Healing Hearts, Changing Minds (HHCM) today announced the seven awardees of Walking Each Other Home: A Fund to Promote Psychedelic Compassion for End-of-Life Care, a $566,260 philanthropic initiative supporting innovation, compassion, and dignity for people at life's end.

27 Jan 2026

Short naps refresh the brain for better learning

Even a short afternoon nap can help the brain recover and improve its ability to learn. In a study published on January 22, 2026, in the journal NeuroImage, researchers at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and University of Geneva, show that even a nap is enough to reorganize connections between nerve cells so that new information can be stored more effectively.

22 Jan 2026

Implanted vagus nerve stimulation device offers lasting relief for severe depression

About 20% of U.S. adults experience major depression in their lifetime. For most people, symptoms improve within a few treatment attempts, but up to one-third of patients have treatment-resistant depression, for which standard antidepressant medication or psychotherapy isn't enough.

13 Jan 2026

Federal rental assistance during COVID-19 pandemic improved mental health

Federal rental assistance distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic did far more than help people stay in their homes. It also improved their mental health.

9 Jan 2026

Researchers point to mitochondria as a missing link between mental health and brain function

A stressful year leads to anxiety. Lasting isolation gives way to depression. An old trauma nags until it becomes paralyzing.

18 Dec 2025

Study reveals shared genetic roots across multiple psychiatric disorders

Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed analysis to date of how genes influence mental illness.

11 Dec 2025

New AAN guideline offers treatment strategies for functional seizures

To help neurologists, mental health clinicians and other clinicians determine the best ways to help people manage functional seizures, the American Academy of Neurology has issued a new guideline, published on December 10, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Dec 2025

Study: PTSD treatment dropout rates vary widely

About a quarter of U.S. service members and veterans who start psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder quit before they finish treatment. But not all therapies are equal in their appeal, with some effective approaches reporting the highest dropout rates, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

17 Nov 2025

Mental navigation framework helps people change pathological thinking

The stereotypical image of psychotherapy shows a patient lying on a couch, exploring their deepest traumas. This leads to awareness of unconscious habits, thoughts, and drives and has long been a cornerstone of psychotherapy.

14 Nov 2025

Can creatine help with depression? New review says results are inconclusive

Creatine supplementation may modestly reduce depressive symptoms, but the effect is small, uncertain, and likely influenced by study bias. The evidence remains of very low quality, highlighting the need for larger, well-designed clinical trials.

6 Nov 2025

Work-related anxiety found to affect thousands of employees in Norway

Bullying and lack of psychological support from managers top the list of workplace factors that can lead to serious mental health problems, according to a new investigation of work-related anxiety in four countries.

4 Nov 2025

Psilocybin and mindfulness offer new hope for depressive healthcare workers

Frontline healthcare workers struggling with depression after the COVID-19 pandemic experienced significant relief from a treatment combining psilocybin group therapy with mindfulness training, according to a new study from Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health.

23 Oct 2025

How psychedelics profoundly reshape the perception of time and consciousness

A perspective article published in Psychedelics by Prof. Xiaohui Wang and colleagues examines how psychedelic substances profoundly reshape the perception of time, offering unprecedented insights into consciousness and potential therapeutic applications.

23 Oct 2025

New study details how AI chatbots systematically violate ethical standards of practice

As more people turn to ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) for mental health advice, a new study details how these chatbots - even when prompted to use evidence-based psychotherapy techniques - systematically violate ethical standards of practice established by organizations like the American Psychological Association.

21 Oct 2025

New insights into MDMA therapy for PTSD and beyond

A comprehensive peer-reviewed invited review published today in Psychedelics by Dr. Kenji Hashimoto and colleagues (Dr. Mingming Zhao and Dr. Jianjun Yang) synthesizes the evolving landscape of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, examining robust clinical evidence in treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder while identifying promising applications in autism spectrum disorder, eating disorders, and existential distress

14 Oct 2025

Psychedelics could alter treatment paradigms for stress-related mental health conditions

A peer-reviewed viewpoint article published today in Psychedelics by Prof. Xiaohui Wang and colleagues examines the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances for treating stress-related psychiatric disorders through novel neurobiological mechanisms.

14 Oct 2025

Multifamily therapy helps parents reconnect with teens who refuse school

A study on multifamily therapy reveals its impact on parents of anxious adolescents, improving family interactions and self-efficacy in managing school refusal.

13 Oct 2025

Cops on ketamine? Largely unregulated mental health treatment faces hurdles

A few months ago, Waynesville Police Sgt. Paige Shell was about to give up hope of getting better. The daily drip of violence, death, and misery from almost 20 years in law enforcement had left a mark. Her sleep was poor, depression was a stubborn companion, and thoughts of suicide had taken root.

10 Oct 2025