The Savvy Psychologist

Science-backed tips for achieving health and happiness

Jade Wu Ph.D., Monica Johnson Psy.D.

18 Schemas That Change the Way You See the World

Your belief systems from childhood may adversely affect how you view the world and your relationships. Once identified, you can work to change these beliefs.

How Does Trauma Hijack the Brain?

Has it ever felt like trauma changed the way your brain worked? You're not wrong. Here's how trauma affects brain development and natural responses to danger.

How Boundaries and Self-Esteem Affect Your Relationships

Do you often find that your relationships are affected by poor boundaries and low self-esteem? Or do you possibly have too many boundaries and too much self-esteem?

What to Know About Illness Anxiety Disorder

If you often find yourself self-diagnosing terminal illnesses, you might have Illness Anxiety Disorder.

4 Strategies to Invest in Your Mental Health Bank

Your mental health fluctuates depending on what you put into it—and what you take out. Here's how to invest in your personal mental health bank.

5 Ways to Develop Self-Love, and Why You Need To

Would you rather be at odds with the person you're tied to for the rest of your life, or take care of them?

Can Money Really Buy Happiness?

Money and happiness are related — but not in the way you think.

How to Cope with the Fear of a Loved One Dying

The fear of and anxiety about a loved one's death can be paralyzing, but despite these worries, you can still get meaning and joy out of your life with your loved ones.

9 Tips to Save Your Politically Divided Friendships

Have you ended a friendship over politics? Open and empathetic conversations can help to save your friendships that span across the political aisle.

5 Ways to Use Positive Self-Talk to Psych Yourself Up

Positive self-talk isn't just an athlete's secret weapon. It's a research-backed way to boost your performance and psych yourself up before a challenging task.

Feeling Empathy Burnout? Protect Yourself from Fatigue

To protect yourself from empathy fatigue, make sure your basic needs are being met, build a support system, and practice self-compassion.

How to Recognize Dark Triad Personality Traits

Why are traits like psychopathy and narcissism so destructive to relationships?

Parasomnias: 6 Strange, Sometimes Creepy Sleep Phenomena

If you've woken up in the middle of eating a cake or felt paralyzed in bed, you might be suffering from a parasomnia.

How to Use Light to Beat the Winter Blues

The winter blues can sap our energy and leave us feeling tired, hopeless, and foggy, but light may be the key to keeping the blues at bay.

What Pop Culture Gets Wrong About Therapy

Pop culture gets a lot wrong when it comes to mental health, but this overview can help you demystify the idea of going to therapy and provide a basis for many types of therapy.

What Mindfulness Can (and Can't) Do for Us

Mindfulness has become increasingly popular, but with that popularity come exaggerated claims and beliefs about its uses.

How to Manage Dissociating

Dissociation is one of those things everyone has heard of but few can really define.  

Why Sleep Paralysis Happens (and How to Prevent It)

Sleep paralysis is a freaky phenomenon that has inspired ghost and alien stories. Fortunately, there's a scientific explanation for why it happens and ways to prevent it.

Racism's Effects on Black Mental Health

Racism damages the mental health of Black people by decreasing, through structural forces, the necessary ingredients for mental health.

Doomscrolling Is a Global Pastime. How Can You Stop?

Your thumb hovers over the infinite scroll of your newsfeed and a sense of despair settles in your belly, but you can't stop. Why do we doomscroll?

Why We Fear Death and How to Overcome It

Does the reminder that you'll die someday make you anxious? You might be surprised by some of the factors that influence our attitudes toward death.

Pain Is Unavoidable, Suffering Is an Option

By allowing and accepting pain, you can move towards letting go of suffering.

Why We Believe in Conspiracy Theories

Does your otherwise sensible friend believe the moon landing was a Hollywood hoax? Here's a look at the fascinating psychology behind belief in conspiracy theories.

How to Recognize (and Correct) Enabling Behavior

When a loved one is behaving destructively, enabling them makes their problem worse. By recognizing patterns of enabling, you can change course and provide real help.

Why Being Angry Is Okay (and Even Helpful)

Anger is not only a valid emotion, but one that can be a useful motivating force to incite positive change.

8 Strategies to Manage Overwhelming Feelings

When you're overwhelmed, your brain blows a fuse. These eight simple tips can help you reset your mental circuit breaker.

5 Ways to Stop Nightmares

Being chased, appearing naked in a crowd, teeth falling out—nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep. But there are ways to beat them and get back to restful nights.

How Does Your Attachment Style Impact Your Relationships?

Your attachment style may affect aspects of your close adult relationships, like commitment, intimacy, jealousy, and general satisfaction.

How to Manage Coronavirus Anxiety

The daily deluge of coronavirus information can be overwhelming, so it's important we take care of our mental selves as well as our physical selves during these tough times.

Don't Let Common Thinking Traps Get You Stuck

Rather than asking yourself how to eliminate negative thoughts, instead ask how to get out of aimless thinking traps for better mental health.

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