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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

Yukari Seko, PhD, from Ryerson University in Canada describes how self-injury is depicted in various genres of Japanese manga and how graphic novels like manga can be utilized for good in understanding and treating self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 17 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 17 Self-Injury in Japanese Manga Sep 3, 2021 with Dr. Yukari Seko Self-Injury in Japanese Manga with Dr. Yukari Seko 00:00 / 01:04 Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Not only do manga reveal and reinforce cultural values, beliefs, and norms, particularly in Japan, but they can also be used as a teaching tool and source of information. Manga and other comics can be used in medicine to learn and teach about illness and to build empathy. They also have the power to shape public understanding of mental health issues, even nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this episode, Dr. Yukari Seko explains how self-injury and the characters who engage in the behavior are portrayed in Japanese manga. She also discusses the importance of manga within Japanese culture. Below is a reference (with a link) to her research paper along with a breakdown of common genres of manga and, based on her study, just how many characters within each genre engage in self-injury and self-harm: GENRES OF MANGA (& the number of characters depicted who self-injure, based on Dr. Seko's study): 1. shōjo : comics for girls 18 and younger (written for girls, by girls) - depicted 10 characters who self-injure 2. shōnen : comics for boys 18 and younger (written for boys, by boys, about boys) - depicted 0 characters 3. seinen : comics for young males age 18-30 - depicted 6 characters , portrayed as menhera (a derivation of " men tal heal th- er ," a person with mental instability or "mentally vulnerable damsels in distress") 4. josei : comics for young females 18-30 - depicted 1 character 5. Boy's Love : a subgenre of josei manga featuring erotic relationships between male characters - depicted 1 character 6. seijen : comics for grownups - depicted 0 characters 7. redicomi : "Lady's Comic" for adult women - depicted 0 characters 8. slice-of-life : genre that features realistic depictions of everyday life. Seko, Y., & Kikuchi, M. (2021). Self-injury in Japanese manga: A content analysis . Journal of Medical Humanities, 42 (3), 355-369. Seko, Y., & Kikuchi, M. (2022). Mentally ill and cute as hell: Menhera girls and portrayals of self-injury in Japanese popular culture . Frontiers in Communication, 7 . To learn more about Dr. Seko and her work at Ryerson University, visit https://www.ryerson.ca/procom/people/yukari-seko/ . To learn more about graphic medicine and novels referenced in this episode, see Williams, I. C. M. (2012). Graphic medicine: comics as medical narrative . Medical Humanities, 38 (1), 21-27. 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

ISSS Rising Stars About /Awards / ISSS Rising Stars Recognizing Potential ISSS Rising Stars are dedicated early-career researchers, clinicians, or advocates whose work demonstrates potential and commitment to make a significant contribution to the field and to the lives of people with lived experience. 2023 Rising Star Read more Dr Kathryn Fox Dr Fox is an Assistant Professor in the clinical child psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Denver, where she also directs the Fox Lab in the Department of Psychology. Rising Stars of ISSS 2021 Dr. Sarah Victor Dr. Victor is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University (United States) where she leads the Tracking Risk Over Time Lab (TRTL). Read more...

Mallory Dobias, MA, from Stony Brook University describes Project SAVE, an online, single-session intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 23 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 23 Single-Session Intervention for Self-Harm Mar 31, 2022 with Mallory Dobias Single-Session Intervention for Self-Harm with Mallory Dobias 00:00 / 01:04 According to a 2020 national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among 52.9 million adults with any mental illness in the United States, 46.2% received mental health services in the past year, which means more than half did not. Although there are known, effective treatments for mental disorders, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment. In this episode, Mallory Dobias, MA, a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Stony Brook University in New York discusses an online, brief single-session intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm, allowing for more accessible treatment options. You can find Mallory's open access pre-print paper on PsyArXiv at https://psyarxiv.com/jprcg and its peer-reviewed final publication in the journal Behaviour Research and Therap y by clicking here . To find the pdf version of the intervention in Open Science Framework (OSF) visit https://osf.io/vguf4/ . To find the project summary of Project SAVE (Stop Adolescent Violence Everywhere), visit www.schleiderlab.org/completed-projects.html . Follow Mallory on Twitter at @MalloryDobias and learn more about her work with the Lab for Scalable Mental Health at www.schleiderlab.org/ and her work with the Fox Lab at Denver University at www.foxlabdu.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

ISSS Rising Stars About /Awards / ISSS Rising Stars Recognizing Potential ISSS Rising Stars are dedicated early-career researchers, clinicians, or advocates whose work demonstrates potential and commitment to make a significant contribution to the field and to the lives of people with lived experience. 2023 Rising Star Read more Dr Kathryn Fox Dr Fox is an Assistant Professor in the clinical child psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Denver, where she also directs the Fox Lab in the Department of Psychology. Rising Stars of ISSS 2022 Dr. Glenn Kiekens Dr. Kiekens is as an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at Tilburg University (Netherlands) and Senior Research Fellow at KU Leuven (Belgium). Read more...

Sarah Victor, PhD, from Texas Tech University discusses the prevalence of self-injury among psychologists and psychology graduate students, how psychologists with and without lived experience of self-injury can appropriately provide therapy to clients and supervision to trainees with a history of self-injury, and how individuals with lived experience of self-injury can be involved in teaching and research on self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 9 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 9 Psychologists with Lived Experience of Self-Injury Mar 26, 2021 with Dr. Sarah Victor Psychologists with Lived Experience of Self-Injury with Dr. Sarah Victor 00:00 / 01:04 How many psychologists have lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)? What biases should mental health professionals with and without a history of self-injury keep in mind when treating or supervising someone who has lived experience? In this episode, Dr. Victor shares preliminary data that she has just begun analyzing regarding the prevalence rates of mental health difficulties and self-injury among psychologists and psychology graduate students. She provides guidance about how mental health professionals can provide appropriate care to therapy clients and supervision to trainees who have lived experience of self-injury and self-harm. She also discusses how individuals with lived experience can be involved in research and teaching. Learn more about Dr. Victor and her work in the Tracking Risk Over Time Lab (TRTL) at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/psy/people/svictor/ and her website at https://www.sarahevictor.com/ . Follow her on Twitter @sarahevictor . Below are links to some of her research and the resources referenced in this episode: Psychologists with lived experience of non-suicidal self-injury: Priorities, obstacles, and recommendations for inclusion (click here for the free version of the author's manuscript) LiveThroughThis.org Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) ClinicalTrials.gov Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Lindsay Taliaferro, PhD, from the University of Central Florida discusses the prevalence of self-injury among individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ); common risk and protective factors; and the intersectionality of race, sexual minority status, and gender diversity among those who self-injure and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 15 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 15 Self-Injury Among LGBTQ Individuals Jul 2, 2021 with Dr. Lindsay Taliaferro Self-Injury Among LGBTQ Individuals with Dr. Lindsay Taliaferro 00:00 / 01:04 Why is it important to talk about nonsuicidal self-injury among LGBTQ individuals? Just how prevalent is self-injury among those who identify as LGBTQ? And are there differences in rates of self-injury among sexual minority individuals (e.g., Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual) compared to those that are Transgender or Gender Diverse? In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Taliaferro discusses risk and protective factors for engaging in self-injury among LGBTQ individuals. She also tackles the intersectionality of race, sexual minority status, and gender diversity among those who self-injure and self-harm. Below are links to some of her research and the resources referenced in this episode: Rogers, M. L., & Taliaferro, L. A. (2020). Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among sexual and gender minority youth: A systematic review of recent research . Current Sexual Health Reports, 12 , 335–350. Taliaferro, L. A., McMorris, B. J., Rider, G. N., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2019). Risk and protective factors for self-harm in a population-based sample of transgender youth . Archives of Suicide Research, 23 (2), 203-221. Taliaferro, L. A., McMorris, B. J., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2018). Connections that moderate risk of non-suicidal self-injury among transgender and gender non-conforming youth . Psychiatry Research, 268 , 65-67. GLSEN's National School Climate Survey (2019) . Hatch Youth - the Montrose Center in Houston: https://www.montrosecenter.org/hatch-youth/ The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 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

Drs. Greg Lengel, Maria Zetterqvist, Amy Brausch, and Jason Washburn explain why they now advocate for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm to be considered a clinical specifier rather than a disorder in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Season 5 | Episode 64 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 64 DSM Update: Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder, or a Clinical Specifier? Aug 29, 2025 DSM Update: Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder, or a Clinical Specifier? 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, four of the top experts in researching and treating nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) talk about the research behind NSSI Disorder, the evolution of how they now think about NSSI within the context of the DSM, and why they now advocate for an NSSI specifier rather than an NSSI Disorder in the DSM. They also delineate their proposed criteria for self-harm as a specifier and both the positive and negative consequences of doing so. Below are papers referenced in this episode: Lengel, G. J., Muehlenkamp, J. J., Zetterqvist, M., Ammerman, B. A., Brausch, A. M., & Washburn, J. J. (2025). Non-suicidal self-injury: proposal to shift designation from disorder to a clinical specifier . The Lancet Psychiatry . Online advanced publication. Shaffer, D., & Jacobson, C. (2009). Proposal to the DSM-V childhood disorder and mood disorder work groups to include non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a DSM-V disorder . American Psychiatric Association , 1-21. Muehlenkamp, J. J. (2005). Self-injurious behavior as a separate clinical syndrome . American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75 (2), 324–333. Brausch, A. (2019). Diagnostic classification of nonsuicidal self-injury . In J. J. Washburn (Ed.), Nonsuicidal self-injury: Advances in research and practice (pp. 71-87). Routledge. NONSUICIDAL SELF-INJURY SPECIFIER (PROPOSED CRITERIA): A. The specifier should be used when the nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior is characterized by the following: The individual intentionally engages in NSSI behavior to inflict bodily damage or pain The individual's NSSI behavior is recent, such that it occurred at least once during the past month The individual’s NSSI behavior is repetitive, such that it occurred on about 5 or more days in an individual’s lifetime Note: culturally specific NSSI behavior (e.g., piercings and tattoos) and harm that is habitual (e.g., scab picking, nail biting, and hair pulling) should not be considered to be NSSI unless the behavior is explicitly for the purposes of causing damage or pain to one’s body. The NSSI specifier can still be applied if the behavior occurs under the influence of substances, as long as the behavior meets the required features. Coding note: use code Z91.52 for individuals with a previous history of NSSI when all criteria except for recency are met (A2). Previous Next

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / Cognitive and emotional flexibility... Cognitive and emotional flexibility in youth with NSSI Mentor/s: Tina In-Albon 2023 - 2024 Project Overview The most common function of NSSI is emotion regulation. However, the differentiation between adaptive and maladaptive strategies is overly simplistic. More recent approaches focus on psychological flexibility, which is seen as an important determinant of mental health and well-being. More specifically, the present project will investigate behavioral, cognitive, and emotion regulation flexibility as well as its associations in youth with NSSI. Behavioral flexibility refers to the adaptive change of behavior in response to changing environmental contengenies. Cognitive flexibility, which refers to the ability to adapt responses/strategies based on environmental feedback. Emotion regulation flexibility refers according to Aldao et al. (2015) as “the degree of covariation between variation in the use of one or more emotional regulation strategies across a number of environments, while the environment might consist of external events or appraisals of emotional reactions to such events.” So, there are two core elements to emotional flexibility, sensitivity to situational demands and the ability to regulate emotions accordingly. Details will be discussed. Application Deadline: June 11 2023 Apply Now Previous Next