The Psychology of Self-Injury

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A Podcast Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

Why do people self-injure? And what is the best way to respond when someone tells us they self-injure?

Dr. Nicholas Westers, a clinical psychologist at Children's Health and Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, collaborates with the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) to interview the leading experts in the field of self-injury and self-harm as well as individuals with lived experience of self-injury and parents and family members of those who have self-injured.

See the latest episodes below or head to the Podcast Homepage.

Latest Episodes

Why Do People Self-Injure?

Dr. Nicholas Westers

Why do people self-injure or self-harm? Especially when it seems to contradict our instinct for self-preservation? The simple answer is that for the majority of those who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), it helps them to feel better; it’s a coping strategy. But of course, the answer is often more complex than that.

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Nonsuicidal Self-Injury vs. Suicide

with Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp

Jennifer Muehlenkamp, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire describes the difference between suicidal and nonsuicidal self-harm and explains how we came to use the term “nonsuicidal self-injury” (NSSI). She also discusses what characteristics of self-injury place someone at greater risk for attempting suicide.