Labeling (sometimes referred to as ‘negative global evaluations’) is an extreme form of overgeneralization and a common cognitive distortion or ‘unhelpful thinking style’. It is characterized by assigning fixed, global traits to the self or others, usually in the form of pejorative, single-word labels.

Having a mental filter is defined as appraising an experience by focusing on a single detail, which is taken out of context and magnified. At the same time, other salient details are discounted or ignored, so people fail to see the ‘whole picture’ when making sense of their experiences.

Our ‘Understanding…’ series is a collection of psychoeducation guides for common mental health conditions. Friendly and explanatory, they are comprehensive sources of information for your clients. This week sees the publication of our Understanding Burnout guide in Polish.

Bulimia is a type of eating disorder where you have episodes of binge-eating (eating large amounts of food in an uncontrolled way) and compensation (doing things to prevent weight gain such as vomiting or using laxatives). Our Understanding Bulimia guide is now available in Polish.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more clinicians have embraced online therapy, and for good reason. Tele-therapy is sometimes more practical for clinicians and more attractive for individuals seeking treatment. However, guidance around when and how to deliver online therapy is limited, especially when it comes to working with young people and their families. In this practice-focused article, Samiha Islam and colleagues provide helpful guidance for clinicians who are considering working with young people online. This includes important considerations, such as clients’ age, motivation, and preferences, as well as logistical barriers, such as privacy and carers’ availability.

Grief is a normal reaction to loss and a common issue in therapy. However, it also can raise important questions for therapists, such as the difference between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ grief, and whether treatments for other problems such as PTSD might be relevant to traumatic bereavements. Michael Duffy and Jennifer Wild answer these questions and more in this open-access paper. The authors also highlight important factors that can contribute to prolonged grief, including traumatic memories; unhelpful coping strategies, such as grief rumination; and negative appraisals, such as injustice related to the loss.