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In this episode of Behind the Stigma, Seiara speaks with Dr. Carme Isern-Mas about the rise of “therapy-speak”, the popular use of psychological language in everyday life. Together, they explore how these phrases can help us express emotions and foster self-awareness, but also how they risk becoming disingenuous, individualistic, or even weaponized in relationships and society.

About Carme Isern-Mas

Dr. Isern-Mas is an Assistant Professor in Moral Philosophy at the University of the Balearic Islands, with a background in Human Evolution and Cognition for her M.A. and Ph.D. Her research interests lie in the field of moral psychology, with a particular focus on topics such as blame, empathy, moral motivation and self-deception. She is also interested in applied ethics, particularly in mental health ethics.

Profile: https://www.uib.eu/personal/ABjIyMjIzNg/

Unmasking Therapy Speak Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11017-025-09730-5

Recent Paper - Blunting concepts: The double-edged effect of popularizing psychotherapy language: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09515089.2025.2573763

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In this week's episode, academic psychologist Dr. Lucy Foulkes, speaks to us about her book 'Coming of Age' and the importance of our adolescent years, the complexity of mental health awareness in today's society. We explore how rising conversations around mental illness, especially among young people, have reshaped identity, education, and the language we use to describe our inner lives. We also discussed why young adults self-diagnose, the role of social media, and the Netflix series 'Adolescence'.

About Dr. Foulkes: Dr. Foulkes is an academic psychologist in the Dept of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford where her group researches mental health and social development in adolescence. They are most known for their focus on the unintended consequences of mental health awareness in schools and society more broadly. Her first book, What Mental Illness Really Is (…and what it isn’t), focuses on the rise of mental health problems in society, and the possible contributing role of mental health awareness efforts. Her second book, Coming Of Age: How Adolescence Shapes Us, which we will be discussing today, focuses on the power of adolescent memories and the stories we tell ourselves about our formative years. I will be linking both books to this episode description.

Website: https://www.lucyfoulkes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlucyfoulkes

Coming of Age: https://www.amazon.com/What-Mental-Illness-Really-what/dp/1529113377

What Adolescence Is (And What It Isn't): https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Age-author/dp/1847927297

Paper - Self-Diagnosis of Mental Disorders: A Qualitative Study of Attitudes on Reddit: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10497323241288785

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In this week's episode, I speak with Dr. Mark Ruffalo on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), long-term psychotherapy, and the nuances of diagnosis in mental health. We discuss object relations in BPD, the concept of splitting, and how these dynamics shape therapeutic work. We also explore the role of psychoanalytic therapy, the fine line between pathology and normal behavior, and how diagnostic pluralism can improve patient care. Dr. Ruffalo also shares insights into the psychodynamic treatment of schizophrenia and the evolving landscape of mental health. Chapter markers added!

About Dr. Mark Ruffalo

Dr. Ruffalo is a psychotherapist in private practice in Florida, and serves as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Central Florida and Adjunct Instructor of Psychiatry at Tufts University. He has broad clinical experience in the psychoanalytic treatment of a range of psychiatric conditions with particular interest in the psychotherapy of schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. His current research interests include the object relations theory of borderline personality disorder; communication dilemmas, paradoxes, and double binds in personality pathology to name a few.

Website: https://www.drruffalo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-l-ruffalo-71929063/

Twitter: https://x.com/marklruffalo?lang=en

Paper - A Clinical Guide to Navigating Diagnostic Pluralism: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39079000/

Subscribe to the Behind the Stigma podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcast or Spotify. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestigmapodcast/