by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jan 3, 2026 | Psychology
Three Words for the Same Darkness Generation Z has done something linguistically remarkable. They have invented multiple terms for lying in bed, each carrying entirely different moral weight, each revealing a distinct relationship to rest, productivity, and...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jan 3, 2026 | Psychology, Psychology Topics and Articles
The Origin of a Word The term “gaslighting” traces to Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 stage play “Gas Light” and its celebrated 1944 Hollywood adaptation starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. In the film, a husband systematically manipulates...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Oct 26, 2025 | Interviews and Case Studies, Psychology Book Reviews and Non Fiction, Psychology of Film and TV, Psychology of Media and Culture
Where Art Meets Life in the American Landscape In an era where social media algorithms and political narratives seem determined to divide us, actor and visual artist Toby Huss offers a radically different perspective on American identity. Through his photography book...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Aug 8, 2025 | Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology, Metamodernism and Deconstruction, Symbolism and Meaning in Psychotherapy
“There is a very strong and very ancient emotion that is rarely mentioned or recognized: it is the anguish we feel for the absence of idols. If the eye has no image on which to rest, if there is nothing to mediate between the mental phantasm and that...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jun 9, 2025 | Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Executive and Physician Burnout, Phenomenology and Existential Psychology, Psychology Topics and Articles, Recovering from Abuse, Somatic Experiencing In Alabama
The Limitations of Current Trauma Diagnosis Leading trauma experts Gabor Maté and Bessel van der Kolk have long argued that the DSM-5’s approach to trauma diagnosis fails to capture the complexity of how trauma manifests in different memory systems and...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 29, 2025 | Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology, Phenomenology and Existential Psychology, Philosophy for Therapists, Psychology Topics and Articles
Psychology, as a field, stands at a critical juncture. Over the past few decades, the focus has shifted away from the fundamental nature of human consciousness and towards a more mechanistic, symptom-focused approach to mental health. Manualized therapies, diagnostic...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 29, 2025 | Christian Mysticism in Therapy, Comparative Religion for Therapy, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology
Gnosticism as a Metaphor for Consciousness: Meaning, Evolution, and Healing Gnosticism is an ancient spiritual and philosophical worldview that offers a profound metaphor for the nature and dilemmas of human consciousness. While Gnosticism should not be taken as a...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 22, 2025 | Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology for Therapy, Mythology and Therapy
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” – Rainer Maria...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 21, 2025 | Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers, Psychotherapy Biographies: Historical Figures in the History of Psychology
Richard Maurice Bucke and Cosmic Consciousness Richard Maurice Bucke (1837-1902) was a Canadian psychiatrist, philosopher, and mystic whose groundbreaking work explored the evolution of human consciousness and the nature of mystical experience. His most famous book,...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 13, 2025 | Psychology Topics and Articles, Somatic Experiencing In Alabama
Intuition vs. Trauma One of the most common questions that I get as a trauma therapist is “How do you deal with all the crazy people that believe (insert X here) about politics, religion and conspiracy theories. It’s a fair question because I work by...
