Many people who hear voices report that talking to their voices can be helpful. While the notion is somewhat controversial, some therapies have employed dialogue with the voices. Initial findings have shown voice dialogue to be effective and generate positive results. Access the full article by clicking "Read More" below. 

Researchers investigated the prevalence and correlates of sleep disorders in patients with first-episode psychosis. Access the full article by clicking "Read More". 

Combining motivational interviewing with CBT yields improvements in negative symptoms, according to a recent publication in The American Journal of Psychiatry. The full article can be accessed below:

A recent article by Medical News Today explores the link between cannabis use and symptoms of schizophrenia and outlines some treatment options and when to seek help.

CBT is the leading psychotherapy treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In this article, PsychCentral helps readers understand what CBT is and how the treatment works for individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms.

Judith S. Beck, PhD, president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, comments on advances in cognitive behavioral treatments, including CBT for psychosis. Read the interview by clicking on the link below.

A recent article written by Drs. Sally Riggs, Sarah Kopelovich, and Jennifer Gottlieb discussing the North American CBT for Psychosis Network was featured in the Advances in Cognitive Therapy newsletter (page 4).

Most people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders recently discharged from the hospital utilized a smartphone intervention that uses a combination of CBT and illness self-management strategies targeted to address troublesome residual symptoms.

This large, randomized clinical trial recruited participants with insomnia to complete an online CBT course that provided various tools for managing sleep and involved an animated, “cartoon” therapist. Sleep outcomes were improved in those participants who received the intervention, and measures of paranoia and hallucinations were also significantly reduced.

Inside Schizophrenia is a long-form monthly podcast by people with mental illness for people with mental illness.  In this episode, Dr. Sarah Kopelovich joins to share schizophrenia caregiver specific training. 

This article discussing the importance of validating clients experiencing delusions without colluding the troubling beliefs. IT discusses how delusions can reveal underlying or hidden feelings and strategies employed by therapists treating psychosis. Access the full article by clicking "Read More" below. 

Voice-hearing is often misunderstood and can cause shame and aloneness in voice-hearers. In this article, myths and facts about the experience of hearing voices are discussed. The full article can be accessed below:

Scientific American features Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as vital to recovery from schizophrenia. The full article can be accessed below:

Discover Magazine recently published a piece on Thought Broadcasting. The article provides first-person accounts of the experience and quotes psychosis treatment expert Dr. Sarah Kopelovich on the psychiatric causes and psychological treatment of the phenomenon.

Host Rachel Star Withers, who has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and co-host Gabe Howard, explore the types of CBT that best work for schizophrenia. Rachel breaks down her “Monster Technique” that she uses daily to help her deal with her visual hallucinations.

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Guest Cornelia Larsson, licensed psychologist and psychotherapist, joins to talk in-depth about CBT techniques for dealing with audio hallucinations like hearing voices.

Linked is a Letter to the Editor submitted to the New York Times regarding an article published in April 2021. As this letter was not selected for publication, the authors have chosen to self-publish for distribution to interested networks, and invite anyone interested to contact lgonzales@adelphi.edu to sign onto this statement. All voices are welcome, including individuals with and without lived experience and mental health professionals and non-professionals.

CBTp Trainers Kate Hardy, Clin.Psych.D, and Sarah Kopelovich, Ph.D., recently teamed up with Drs. Doug Turkington and Maria Monroe-DeVita to launch a CBTp-informed skills training for families and caregivers in Seattle, Washington. Hosted by the University of Washington and financed by philanthropic and state funding, the training reached more than 200 family members, 30 of whom are receiving follow-up consultation to further refine their familiarity and comfort with CBT skills. Dallas News recently reported on the training. 

Researchers in the Netherlands found that incorporating Virtual Reality into CBT, which allowed therapists to expose their clients to stressful social stimuli in a controlled environment, reduced symptoms of anxiety and paranoid ideation.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Lucy Maddox discusses the use and effectiveness of psychosis. She discusses how the individualized nature of CBTp can make it challenging to study, and addresses recent questions as to the efficacy of CBTp. She feels many studies on CBTp measure the wrong outcome measure by only looking at reduction in symptoms such as voices, rather than interpretation of or distress around symptoms, which can profoundly impact patients’ quality of life.

A recent study by University College London found ethnic minorities were half as likely to receive early treatment for psychosis. Researchers reviewed three years of data from the Clinical Audit of Psychosis and found nearly every ethnic minority group was less likely to receive CBTp than white British patients. Access the full article by clicking "Read More" below. 

A March 2023 issue of Scientific American features an article by Professor Matthew Kurtz of Wesleyan University on the role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in treating medication-resistant symptoms of schizophrenia. The full article can be accessed below:

The CBT Care Pathway was recently featured on the UW Medicine Newsroom and the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL) News, UW Medicine on how patients experiencing psychosis benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy in Washington State.

Dr. Pat Corrigan, a leading expert on stigma, is featured on Episode 178 of APA's podcast Speaking of Psychology. Dr. Corrigan discusses  where mental health stigma comes from, how it affects people’s lives, why it’s important for those with mental illness to share their stories, and whether or not celebrities’ new openness about mental health is decreasing stigma.

Psychiatric News, an online publication of the American Psychiatric Association, reported on the APA 2021 Annual Meeting panel, entitled, “Psychotherapy for Psychosis: Perspectives on Current Interventions and Future Directions.”  Panelists Robert Cotes, Michael Garrett, Eric Granholm,  Kim Mueser, and Sarah Kopelovich are quoted.

Drs. Amy Hardy, Tom Ward, and Philippa Garety have developed a new digital app known as SlowMo, which utilizes CBTp principles to support individuals experiencing paranoia. SlowMo has been tested in a number of studies, and most recently in a large scale randomized control trial, and has been found to have a significant positive effect on delusions. SlowMo developers are working on developing a new model that can be rolled out in mental health services.

Dr. Riggs shares a brief overview of CBTp; what it is, who it may help, evidence of its success, where to find it and how to talk about it with your patients.

Depression and anxiety are frequently comorbid conditions in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. In examining a number of studies that used CBT interventions with patients experiencing psychosis, researchers found that CBT reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety in this patient population. This may have a carryover effect for treating psychosis, as distress from anxiety or depression can worsen psychotic symptoms.

Dr. Emily Owens discusses prodromal psychosis, risk factors for developing a psychotic disorder, and related treatment/prevention.