Author
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
22 articles
Suicidal Behavior Among Psychologists: Prevalence, Drivers, and Recommended Action Steps
Suicide is a serious threat to public health, and healthcare professionals, including psychologists, are not immune to it. Few experiences are as shocking to psychologists as learning that one of their colleagues has died from suicide. The experience often leaves their patients feeling bewildered or traumatized (Kleespies et al., 2011). This article reviews the prevalence […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more
May 12, 2026
Childhood Adversity and Suicide
What Childhood Events Are Especially Problematic? Suicidal patients often report adverse childhood events (O’Connor, 2021; Thompson & Kingree, 2022). Consequently, psychotherapists working with suicidal patients need to consider how these experiences impact their current functioning and how they contribute to their suicidality. Adverse childhood events could involve a wide range of serious and upsetting stressors […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
May 6, 2026
Why the Health of Americans Will Decline and What Psychotherapists Should Do About It
Compared to Peer Countries, Americans Are Sicker One metric of a country’s overall health is its citizens’ life expectancy from birth. Life expectancy in the United States peaked at 79.3 years in 2024, with only negligible increases in recent decades. In contrast, life expectancy in other high-income countries has increased significantly over the same period […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
May 6, 2026
Social Nutrition or Social Malnutrition: Addressing Loneliness in Ourselves and Others
As social animals, we all require social nutrition, which involves regular and meaningful interactions with others (Kornblith et al., 2022). The absence of this vital nourishment can lead to social malnutrition or loneliness, a profoundly personal experience that arises from the gap between our desired and actual social connections. Loneliness is not the same as […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more
May 5, 2026
Pitfalls in Ethical Decision-Making: Settling, Fading, and Drift in Psychological Practice
The American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct (2017) provides the foundations and standards for addressing ethical practice. However, these standards cannot provide direction for psychologists in every situation (Cicero, 2021). Therefore, psychologists need a decision-making model when ethics codes or laws do not provide adequate direction. Nonetheless, practitioners frequently encounter subtle processes […]
John Gavazzi, PsyD, ABPP + 1 more
September 8, 2025
“You Have to Be It to See It” – And Other Phrases to Improve Psychotherapist Well-Being
The work of a psychotherapist can be emotionally taxing. Psychotherapists must deal with the day-to-day micro-stressors, such as treating people with unpleasant emotions and difficult interpersonal situations. In addition, many psychotherapists will experience, at some time in their careers, a macro-stressor, such as having patients die from suicide, being threatened with an assault from a patient, […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more
August 10, 2025
Should the Mental Health of Psychotherapists Be One of the Transtheoretical Principles of Change?
Often, psychotherapy researchers find that their contributions to psychotherapy get lost in the discussions of complex methodological issues that appear far removed from the real-life work of psychotherapists. Consequently, few psychotherapists regularly read research-based studies, and researchers communicate primarily with each other and less with psychotherapists. Fortunately, the pioneering work of Castonguay et al. (2019) […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more
February 9, 2025
Shame and Other Self-Devaluing Schemas in Suicidal Persons
Those who treat suicidal patients are often startled by the depth and intensity of the anger patients express toward themselves. When asked to list their reasons for wanting to die, many respondents listed negative self-appraisals, such as “I’m worthless, “I’m a piece of crap,” or “I don’t deserve to live” (Madsen & Harris, 2021, p. […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
December 18, 2024
The Psychotherapeutic Benefits of Informed Consent with Suicidal Patients
Informed consent has three dimensions: legal, ethical, and psychotherapeutic, and it is often considered a precursor to the intervention. However, there is no clear break between when the informed consent process ends and when psychotherapy begins because the informed consent process can also contain psychotherapeutic elements. By giving more attention to the psychotherapeutic aspects of […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
September 15, 2024
Five Myths Students May Have About Ethics
The strength of a profession lies in its ethical foundations. Yet, students often enter graduate study with misconceptions about professional ethics, and some practicing psychologists may still hold these beliefs. These misconceptions include the notion that ethics is only about following one’s personal beliefs or adhering to laws or codes, ethical infractions are made only […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
June 25, 2024
Using Self-determination Theory to Inform Interventions for Suicidal Patients
Consider this example: A psychologist sought consultation because her patient was not responding adequately to treatment. The consultant asked her three questions: Have you built a connection with your patient? Does your patient feel a sense of control and engagement in psychotherapy? Is your patient building the skills to handle their emotions and life difficulties? […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
April 5, 2024
When Should My Suicidal Patient Go to the Hospital?
At one time, hospitalization was considered the standard of care when working with patients with suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. However, almost all suicidal patients can now be treated effectively as outpatients. Several outpatient interventions can substantially reduce the risk of a suicide attempt (see, for example, reviews by Jobes & Chalker, 2019; Nuij et […]
Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP
January 18, 2024