Have you ever watched media or read a book that got things wrong about your profession? I think most of us have had that experience. I know I have, way too many times and now I want to help change things. Thus this blog. What I want to do is help you, fiction writers, get it right when it comes to writing about psychology stuff. Things like:

1. How long is a typical hospitalization?
2. What’s the difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a social worker?
3. How do schizophrenics act?
4. What is bipolar disorder?
5. Are veterans with PTSD “ticking time bombs”?

I’m sure you can think of more questions and I encourage you to ask. If there is a topic you’d like me to address, just say so. Please, though, let’s not talk about your family or friends or yourself. This is not supposed to be a therapy session.

So, what makes me qualified to do this? Well, I’ve been a clinical psychologist for around 30 years. I’ve worked in a variety of settings and with various clients. I’ve worked mostly with adults, so my ability to comment about mental illness in kids might be limited. Also, as a psychologist, I am unable to prescribe medication so my knowledge of meds may also be limited. Of course, I’ve had to pay attention to the medications being used to help my clients so I can address some issues there.

In addition to my professional background, I’ve also been doing some fiction writing myself. I write mostly science fiction and had a short story published a number of years ago in an online magazine. Unfortunately it’s no longer available though I am thinking of reprinting it.