by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Legal Updates for Therapists and Psychologists
The clinician who has practiced long enough to see a few subpoenas eventually develops a complicated relationship with the word “confidentiality.” We say it constantly. We put it in our informed consent documents. We teach it in supervision. And then,...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Legal Updates for Therapists and Psychologists, Uncategorized
Alabama Gun Laws are Changing and Therapists Need to Know Families in Alabama who initiate an involuntary commitment petition through their local probate court are almost never told the full legal consequences of what they are about to do. They are told, accurately,...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Psychology of Conspiracy Theories, Psychology of Politics
In 1930, Freud sat down to explain why people who had every reason to be content kept finding new ways to suffer. The result was Civilization and Its Discontents, a slim book that shaped how the educated West understands its own unhappiness for almost a century. His...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Legal Updates for Therapists and Psychologists
In April 2024, the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling issued a policy statement that has not received the attention it deserves. The statement addresses the question of whether a licensed professional counselor or associate licensed counselor in Alabama may...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Alabama Local History, Legal Updates for Therapists and Psychologists
In December, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services jointly issued what is now being called the Fourth Temporary Extension, a rulemaking that preserves nearly all of the pandemic-era telemedicine flexibilities for...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | May 17, 2026 | Alabama Local History, Legal Updates for Therapists and Psychologists, Therapy and Crisis Intervention for College Students in Alabama, Trauma Treatment in Alabama, Trauma, Depth Psychology, and Social Work
Governor Ivey signed House Bill 152 into law in April. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, which means that as of this writing there are roughly four and a half months between the current state of social work education in Alabama and the legal regime that will...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Mar 24, 2026 | Industrial Organisational Psychology
The strategic planning meeting concludes with unanimous approval. Heads nod around the table. The CEO beams. The initiative proceeds. Six months later, the project is a catastrophe. During the post-mortem, a strange truth emerges: nobody actually believed the plan...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Mar 24, 2026 | Industrial Organisational Psychology
The meeting devolves within minutes. Sarah argues that the product launch timeline is unrealistic. James counters that her concerns reflect negativity rather than legitimate analysis. The technical lead withdraws into her laptop, typing furiously while contributing...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Mar 24, 2026 | Industrial Organisational Psychology
The executive team announces a mandatory return-to-office policy, citing “collaboration” and “culture.” Your best performer, a single mother who has demonstrated three years of exceptional remote productivity, tells you she will have to resign....
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Mar 24, 2026 | Industrial Organisational Psychology
The calendar notification appears: “Annual Performance Review, 2:00 PM, Conference Room B.” Your stomach tightens. Your mind begins rehearsing defenses for projects that went sideways. You find yourself drafting mental responses to criticisms not yet...
