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.

Season One

Season Two

Latest Episodes

Emotion Regulation Group Therapy for Self-Harm

with Dr. Kim Gratz and Dr. Matthew Tull

Kim Gratz, PhD, and Matthew Tull, PhD, from the University of Toledo walk us through Emotion Regulation Group Therapy (ERGT) intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm.

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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.

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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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