The Prescription
Steve looked downtrodden entering my office. He’d come reluctantly, and only because his wife insisted he “see someone.” Steve talked about doctors being “pill pushers.” “I’m not sure you need pills,”...
View ArticleThe Haunting
Jack’s case was compelling evidence of the enduring power of memory. It also demonstrated the past’s power to haunt us.
View ArticleThe Impossible Patient
Sandra sabotaged everything: her medical treatment, psychotherapy, job situations, and relationships
View ArticleThe Head Doctor
While working as a liaison psychiatrist at a large hospital, I was told a surgical patient wanted a consultation. No other information was provided.
View ArticleThe Man in the Box
What Mrs. Jones saw was horrific: at the sight, Mrs. Jones fainted and was led away from the funeral in a state of shock.
View ArticleCrossing the Line
I decided the most ethical and caring thing to do was to get involved.
View ArticleThe Lost Weekend
Between the 30th and 31st floors, the elevator came to a sudden stop. He pushed every button, but the doors failed to open. No one responded to the alarm. He tried using the intercom; but still no...
View ArticleThat Terrible Day
James had been working on a high floor of the North Tower for about ten years. He and another man who worked in a different office on that floor shared the elevator ride most mornings. They never even...
View ArticleA Man of Means
My pulse quickened. Thick, banded bundles of money poured onto the desk—stacks of hundred-dollar bills—scores of them.
View ArticleAm I a Double Agent?
As a psychiatrist, I worry about the real possibility of over-reporting patients who might be considered likely to cause harm. The notion of something being likely requires a judgment about...
View ArticleA Boundary Violation
“Every therapist can be tempted by some patients. It’s part of the landscape. But sex with a patient…? You can’t be serious.”
View ArticleSaved By a Cup of Joe
As his partner got out of the patrol car to investigate, Phil took a sip of the coffee, set the cup on the dash and leaned back. The front window of the patrol car exploded. Phil felt a...
View ArticleSex with a Former Patient
Relations with a Former Patient? Temptations of the Profession.
View ArticleRemembrance of Things Past
We may not realize the richness residing within the much older mind.
View Article"I Thought We Had A Good Marriage"
Conversation can be every bit as powerful as medication. Sometimes, more so.
View ArticleShow Me The Money
Sometimes, a patient's fantasy of pathology influences the presentation.
View ArticleBreak an Ankle, Become Schizophrenic
In court, an expert must be prepared for anything, no matter how outrageous.
View ArticleDr. Melfi and Me
What does a therapist do when a patient is about to reveal a mob secret?
View ArticleThe Forgotten Patient
Everything that happens in psychotherapy has meaning. Absolutely everything.
View ArticleYou Never Know
Always be careful what you write in a clinical report. You never know where it will end up.
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