The American Dream, the Harms of Porn, the Inner Mind: A New Source of Popular Articles for AlterNet Readers

Read or re-read these probing articles on everything from the inner mind to the American Dream from our content partner, Psychotherapy Networker.

July 29, 2010 |

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I have long had a deep interest in psychology, and for nearly as long, I've been an avid reader of Psychotherapy Networker. This fantastic magazine offers stimulating, thoughtful articles from fine writers about the emotional issues which so many of us face. Its editor, Richard Simon, is legendary as a visionary in the psychotherapy field, with a keen eye turned toward cutting edge trends and persistent dilemmas, and a knack for getting great writers to contribute.

So some months ago, after reading an article I'd found particularly stimulating, I wondered to myself whether these articles would be attractive to the AlterNet audience. True, they are written for therapists (and often by therapists!), but still, they are presented in a very practical and accessible way. So we decided to give it a shot, and Richard Simon was generous enough to offer his content to a larger audience.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, AlterNet's readership took to the Psychotherapy Networker articles immediately. Of the 12 articles we've published, ten of them have been featured in our Top 10 Stories of the Week, and that is from a pool of more than 60 or 70 articles weekly. So it seems very clear that personal issues, explored deeply and intelligently, strike a chord in many of you.

In case you missed any of the articles, what follows are the links to the 12 Psychotherapy Networker articles which have graced AlterNet since May. Dig in, they are very meaty.

Why Forced Positive Thinking Is a Total Crock, by Barbara Ehrenreich: Positive psychology -- forced optimism -- is actually quite Calvinist, putting happiness to work as a means to an end.
Do Men Love Differently Than Women?, by Steven Stosny: In couples therapy, women and men often have very different ideas about what it means to feel and show "love."
The Trauma Myth: Understanding the True Dynamics of Sexual Abuse, by Susan Clancy: The dynamics of child sexual abuse are far more complex than we would like to admit.
You Can't Remember Half the Things You Used to -- How Much Does That Matter?, by Fred Wistow: While memories may be all you have of the past, they're not all there is to being alive. There is something more.
Is Porn Bad for You?, by Wendy Maltz: Since the advent of the internet, millions of Americans have started visiting porn sites daily. Is there a hidden cost to this newfound access?
The Vast Conspiracy to Create Insomniacs, by Mary Sykes Wylie: Insomnia is exactly what the movers and shakers of our society want for us.
We Are Living in a Screenworld -- Reality Isn't in the Real World Anymore, by Michael Ventura: Has our new definition of "life experience" rendered tangible interactions irrelevant?
Shame-o-Phobia: Why Men Fear Therapy, by David Wexler: Not every man is as willing to sit down and share as Alexander Portnoy, the shameless hero of Philip Roth's book. Why is it hard for some men to go to therapy?
Has the American Dream Become Our Nightmare?, by Mary Sykes Wylie: The time is ripe for us to rethink some of our deepest beliefs about the way this country should work, and how we should live our lives.
It's a Jungle in There: Our Brains Are Not As Evolved As We Might Think, by Louis Cozolino: The human brain will probably continue to grow in size and capacities, barring the potential catastrophes that this amazing organ can create for the world and itself.
Why Modern Day Grandparenting Is So Hard, by Barbara Graham: Grandparents must continually strike a balance between their needs and those of the families they helped create. This is never easy.
Facing Reality, The "New Monogamy" Is Keeping Relationships Together, by Tammy Nelson: Affairs outside of marriage are nothing new, but this take on monogamy is.