Search Results

Peggy Andover, PhD, from Fordham University talks us through the Treatment for Self-Injurious Behaviors (T-SIB) intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 10 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 10 Treatment for Self-Injurious Behaviors (T-SIB) Apr 9, 2021 with Dr. Peggy Andover Treatment for Self-Injurious Behaviors (T-SIB) with Dr. Peggy Andover 00:00 / 01:04 A lot of therapies address the context in which nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and self-harm may occur, but only a few treatments have been designed to address NSSI specifically. In this episode, we dive into one of these treatments: Treatment for Self-Injurious Behaviors (T-SIB). Dr. Peggy Andover, its lead developer, walks us through the 9 sessions of T-SIB, including the personalized modules of sessions 7 & 8. Learn more about Dr. Andover and her work in the Mood and Behaviors Lab at https://www.fordham.edu/info/23638/mood_and_behaviors_lab and reach her at andover@fordham.edu . Follow her on Twitter @DrPeggyAndover . Below are links to some of her research and the resources referenced in this episode: Moderators of treatment response to an intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury in young adults (2020) An intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury in young adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial (2017) Development of an intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury in young adults: An open pilot trial (2015) Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Lexy from Australia shares her story of lived experience of self-injury and stigma and how it has influenced her work in researching self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 13 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 13 Lived Experience of Self-Injury & Stigma: Lexy's Story May 21, 2021 Lived Experience of Self-Injury & Stigma: Lexy's Story 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, Lexy details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and the stigma she has encountered as a result of self-injury and self-harm. Lexy is the current Student Representative of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) and a PhD candidate working in the area of self-injury stigma. She is currently working on multiple projects looking at how self-injury stigma is experienced and how it is portrayed in the media. She has recently published a paper outlining how researchers can better understand self-injury stigma: Stigma and nonsuicidal self-injury: Application of a conceptual framework (Staniland, Hasking, Boyes, & Lewis, 2021) Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). BIG NEWS! The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their " Top 15 Clinical Psychology Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021 ." Click here to see the full Top 15 list. Previous Next

Jessica Garisch, PhD, from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, gives a sneak peek into how she addresses self-injury and self-harm in therapy sessions with youth and their parents. Season 1 | Episode 16 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 16 If Your Child is in Therapy for Self-Injury Aug 6, 2021 with Dr. Jessica Garisch If Your Child is in Therapy for Self-Injury with Dr. Jessica Garisch 00:00 / 01:04 Many parents understandably want their child to stop self-injuring immediately, but cessation of self-injury is often a process and recurrence of episodes of self-injury can be expected, even when in therapy. In this episode, Dr. Jessica Garisch provides insight for parents about expectations for therapy and helping their child stop engaging in self-injury and self-harm. For instance, what do you do if your child does not seem to be putting forth effort in therapy? And if you are worried that your child may not be safe enough to go to camp or on vacation, should you keep them home? To learn more about Dr. Garisch and her work at Victoria University of Wellington, visit https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/jessica.garisch . To learn more about the Youth Wellbeing Study and its research team, visit https://youthwellbeingstudy.wordpress.com / . Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their " Top 15 Clinical Psychology Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021 " and by Welp Magazine in their " 20 Best Injury Podcasts of 2021 ." Previous Next

Sylvanna Mirichlis, PhD, and Stephen Lewis, PhD, talk all things Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD). We also share some of our favorite clips from past episodes for those new to the topic of self-harm. Season 5 | Episode 58 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 58 Self-Injury Awareness Day (March 1) Feb 28, 2025 with Drs. Sylvanna Mirichlis & Stephen Lewis Self-Injury Awareness Day (March 1) with Drs. Sylvanna Mirichlis & Stephen Lewis 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, Dr. Sylvanna Mirichlis from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and ISSS Past President Dr. Stephen Lewis from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada share about the origins of the annual March 1st Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD), what people around the world are doing as part of this day, and what our ISSS Stigma, Recovery, and Lived Experience Special Interest Group is doing to boost awareness of self-injury. We also share some of our favorite clips from past episodes. Self-Injury Resources: International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) ( https://itriples.org/ Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) ( http://sioutreach.org/ ) Cornell's Self-Injury & Recovery Resources (SIRR) ( www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu ) Shedding Light on Self-Injury ( https://www.self-injury.org.au/ ) Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2023). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach . Oxford University Press. To watch Dr. Lewis' TEDx talk about his own lived experience of self-injury on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/G17iMOw0ar8 . Timestamps for clips from past episodes: 37:37 - Lived experience: Kirsty's story of self-injury & advocacy (Season 2, Episode 30) 43:41 - Psychologists with lived experience of self-injury, with Dr. Sarah Victor (Season 1, Episode 9) 45:25 - Self-injury stigma and language, with Dr. Penelope Hasking (Season 1, Episode 4) 48:26 - Lived experience: Thomas' story of self-injury & gender dysphoria (Season 4, Episode 48) 52:48 - Self-harm across cultures, with Dr. Marc Wilson (Season 2, Episode 24) 56:39 - The psychology of self-injury scarring, with Dr. Taylor Burke (Season 2, Episode 31) 1:01:52 - A dad & daughter discuss her lived experience of self-harm (Season 3, Episode 37) 1:15:15 - Parenting youth who self-injure, with Dr. Janis Whitlock (Season 1, Episode 3) 1:23:49 - Supporting siblings of individuals who self-harm, with Dr. Amy Lucas (Season 4, Episode 46) Previous Next

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. Season 1 | Episode 1 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 1 Why Do People Self-Injure? Jan 1, 2021 with Dr. Nicholas Westers Why Do People Self-Injure? with Dr. Nicholas Westers 00:00 / 01:04 Self-injury does not reflect typical behavior, but it is also not uncommon. One in five adolescents across the globe reports having self-injured, and one in twenty adolescents in the United States reports having self-injured 6 or more times in the past 12 months. Self-injury isn’t limited to adolescents: 13% of young adults and 6% of adults also report having engaged in self-injury. But why? According to research, there are two primary categories: emotional reasons and social reasons. In this inaugural episode of The Psychology of Self-Injury, Dr. Nicholas Westers delves into these two categories and asks leading experts, an individual with lived experience of self-injury, and a parent of a teen who self-injures: "Why do people self-injure or self-harm?" Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Brittany from Texas shares her story of lived experience of self-injury and self-harm and how her faith has helped her navigate both positive and negative reactions from religious leaders. Season 2 | Episode 21 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 21 Lived Experience: Brittany's Story of Self-Injury & Faith Jan 28, 2022 Lived Experience: Brittany's Story of Self-Injury & Faith 00:00 / 01:04 In this first episode of Season 2, Brittany details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), how it started, and how she makes sense of self-injury and her faith in God. She explains two starkly different responses she received from church leaders and shares insights about how youth pastors in particular can provide supportive responses to students who engage in self-injury and self-harm. Follow Brittany on Instagram at @brittanytinsleywrites and read her blog at https://brittanytinsley.com/ . Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their " Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts " and by Welp Magazine in their " 20 Best Injury Podcasts ." Previous Next

Welcome The International Society for the Study of Self-Injury We are an international collaboration of experienced clinicians, exp ert researchers, students, and passionate community members dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by self-injury. Through four primary goals, we aim to foster well-being and stamp out stigma: Research Conduct and disseminate state-of-the art research to advance the understanding, assessment, treatment, and prevention of NSSI. Care & Support Develop, evaluate, and promote, and provide evidence-based care to advance clinical understanding of NSSI and its treatment across diverse settings. Outreach Engage in public outreach to improve knowledge of evidence-based prevention, assessment, and treatment options for NSSI. Connection Enhance networking, collaboration, and resource sharing among all stakeholders with an interest in improving the lives of people who engage in NSSI.

Collaborative Research Program Home / Collaborative Research Program / 2024 Current Projects The 2024-25 cycle of the ISSS Collaborative Research Program (CRP) is now open for applicants! The ISSS CRP provides an opportunity for doctoral students and early career researchers (less than 5 years post PhD) to work with a leading NSSI researcher, who is not their supervisor, on a dedicated research project. Available CRP opportunities are listed below. Apply Now Proximal mechanisms of NSSI predicting suicide thoughts and behaviors Mentored by: Jennifer Muehlenkamp Read More NSSI and other life-threatening behaviours among adolescents in China Mentored by: Moye Xin Read More Validation of a novel Future Imagery Scale and exploration in a sample of YP with and without NSSI Mentored by: Martina Di Simplicio Read More Characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injury disorder in youth and psychometric evaluation of the Clinician-Administered Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder Index Mentored by: Johan Bjureberg Read More Using real-time monitoring to study social interactions and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) cognitions and behaviors among individuals seeking care Mentored by: Glenn Kiekens and Laurence Claes Read More

Spencer Ellison and Jennifer Muehlenkamp, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire tell us what they learned when they asked therapists about their willingness to treat individuals who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury or self-harm. Season 5 | Episode 57 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 57 Are Therapists Willing to Treat Self-Injury? Jan 31, 2025 with Spencer Ellison & Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp Are Therapists Willing to Treat Self-Injury? with Spencer Ellison & Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, Spencer Ellison and Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp read a hypothetical case vignette of a client who engages in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), has experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or is experiencing significant depression. They then tell us how willing therapists are to treat each case (self-injury vs. suicide vs. depression), if therapists would accept them into their clinical practice, and if it depends on the therapists' (1) liability concerns, (2) comfort/skill confidence to treat self-harm, (3) attitude toward self-harm in general, and (4) attitude towards clients who self-harm. Learn more about Dr. Muehlenkamp at her University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire faculty page here , and see her growing list of peer-reviewed publications on Google Scholar here . Learn more about Trinity Equestrian Center at www.trinity-ec.com . Below are a couple research studies referenced in this episode: Levi-Belz, Y., Barzilay, S., Levy, D., & David, O. (2020). To treat or not to treat: The effect of hypothetical patients' suicidal severity on therapists' willingness to treat . Archives of Suicide Research, 24 (3), 355-366. Groth, T., & Boccio, D. E. (2019). Psychologists’ willingness to provide services to individuals at risk of suicide . Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 49 (5), 1241-1254. Previous Next

Kirsty Hird, PhD, from The Kids Research Institute Australia explains in depth why people self-injure or self-harm according to six specific theoretical models of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Season 5 | Episode 62 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 62 Why Do People Self-Injure? Part 2 Jun 27, 2025 with Dr. Kirsty Hird Why Do People Self-Injure? Part 2 with Dr. Kirsty Hird 00:00 / 01:04 Dr. Kirsty Hird, a Research Officer in the Youth Mental Health team at The Kids Research Institute Australia, adds to Episode 1 of The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast by explaining in depth and in layman's terms why people self-injure according to the six most common/popular theoretical models. Connect with Dr. Hird on LinkedIn here , view her staff profile here , and follow her on ResearchGate here . Below are two of her papers related to today's interview as well as a few other resources referenced in this episode: Hird, K., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2023). A comparison of the theoretical models of NSSI . In E.E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 24-40). Oxford University Press. Hird, K., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2022). Relationships between outcome expectancies and non-suicidal self-injury: Moderating roles of emotion regulation difficulties and self-efficacy to resist self-injury . Archives of Suicide Research, 26 (4), 1688-1701. Gray, N., Uren, H., Pemberton, E., & Boyes, M. (2023). Profiling ambivalence in the context of nonsuicidal self-injury . Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(8) , 1699-1712. Ramsey, W. A., Berlin, K. S., Del Conte, G., Lightsey, O. R., Schimmel-Bristow, A., Marks, L. R., & Strohmer, D. C. (2021). Targeting self-criticism in the treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury in dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents: a randomized clinical trial . Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26 (4), 320-330. Gratz, K., & Tull, M. (2025). Acceptance-based emotion regulation therapy: A clinician’s guide to treating emotion dysregulation and self-destructive behaviors using an evidence-based therapy drawn from ACT and DBT . Harbinger Press. Below are links to the original 6 theoretical models discussed in this episode: Four Function Model - Nock, M. K., & Prinstein, M. J. (2004). A functional approach to the assessment of self-mutilative behavior . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72 (5), 885–890. Experiential Avoidance Model - Chapman, A. L., Gratz, K. L., & Brown, M. Z. (2006). Solving the puzzle of deliberate self-harm: The experiential avoidance model . Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44 (3), 371–394. Emotional Cascade Model - Selby, E. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2009). Cascades of emotion: The emergence of borderline personality disorder from emotional and behavioral dysregulation . Review of General Psychology, 13 (3), 219–229. Integrated Model - Nock, M. K. (2010). Self-injury . Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6 (1), 339–363. Cognitive-Emotional Model - Hasking, P., Whitlock, J., Voon, D., & Rose, A. (2017). A cognitive-emotional model of NSSI: Using emotion regulation and cognitive processes to explain why people self-injure . Cognition and Emotion, 31 (8), 1543–1556. Barriers and Benefits Model - Hooley, J. M., & Franklin, J. C. (2018). Why do people hurt themselves? A new conceptual model of nonsuicidal self-injury . Clinical Psychological Science, 6 (3), 428–451. Previous Next

Stephen Lewis, PhD, from the University of Guelph in Canada and Immediate Past President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) discusses the state of health information about self-injury on the internet and addresses the risks and benefits of seeking self-injury and self-harm content online. Season 1 | Episode 5 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 5 Self-Injury and the Internet Jan 29, 2021 with Dr. Stephen Lewis Self-Injury and the Internet with Dr. Stephen Lewis 00:00 / 01:04 What is the quality of online health information related to self-injury and self-harm? What are some of the risks and benefits related to seeking self-injury content on the internet? In this episode, Dr. Lewis details 3 overarching risks and 4 overarching benefits of accessing self-injury content online. He also discusses his research related to the effects of hopeless vs. hopeful comments on YouTube videos about self-injury. To watch Dr. Lewis' TEDx talk about his own lived experience of self-injury on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/G17iMOw0ar8 . Learn more about self-injury and Dr. Lewis' work at Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) ( http://sioutreach.org/ ). Follow SiOS on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/sioutreach ) and Twitter ( https://twitter.com/sioutreach ). Below are links to his research and resources referenced in this episode: Non-suicidal self-injury, youth, and the Internet: What mental health professionals need to know Googling self-injury: The state of health Information obtained through online searches for self-injury The Scope of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury on YouTube Self-Injury Resources: Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) ( http://sioutreach.org/ ) Shedding Light on Self-Injury ( https://www.self-injury.org.au/ ) Self-Injury & Recovery Resources (SIRR) ( www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu ) The International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) ( https://itriples.org/ ) Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Thomas from Ontario, Canada shares his story of lived experience of self-injury and gender dysphoria, including how self-harm evolved for him over time as a transgender man. Season 4 | Episode 48 Podcast/ Season 4 | Episode 48 Lived Experience: Thomas' Story of Self-Injury & Gender Dysphoria Apr 26, 2024 Lived Experience: Thomas' Story of Self-Injury & Gender Dysphoria 00:00 / 01:04 Approximately 47% of transgender adults and 55.7% of transgender and non-binary youth report having engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) at some point in their life. In this episode, Thomas details his experience of self-harm beginning at age 12, how his self-injury evolved over time, and how it related to his gender dysphoria. He also discusses dissociation as a relatively constant function (i.e., reason) of his self-injury and what happened when he fully transitioned as a man. Previous Next