Dr. Holland’s Book Cited In ‘The Atlantic’ magazine

Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, the book co-authored by Capital Institute Director Dr. Stephen Holland, is cited extensively in the cover story of the September 2015 edition of The Atlantic magazine.

The Coddling of the American Mind is written by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. The authors note that there is evidence of an increase in anxiety and other forms of mental illness among university students. They argue that aspects of university policy and culture, which are intended to protect students against material that might be emotionally upsetting or offensive to some, have the paradoxical effect of not only stifling intellectual curiosity and discussion, but also of reinforcing students’ anxiety.  They suggest that principles of cognitive therapy, as described in Dr. Holland’s book, could be a useful antidote and recommend training in basics of cognitive therapy for all university students.

The article is thought-provoking and likely to stimulate discussion and debate. Regardless of the extent to which one agrees or disagrees with Lukianoff and Haidt’s thesis, a couple of facts are indisputable:

• University counseling centers are reporting an increase in anxiety and other forms of emotional distress among their students.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown in a large number of research studies to be an effective treatment for anxiety and other psychological problems. No form of treatment for anxiety has stronger empirical support.

The therapists at the Capital Institute have considerable experience helping undergraduate and graduate students cope better with anxiety, depression and other issues.  Many members of our clinical staff worked at university counseling centers before joining the Institute, and counseling centers in the DC metro area often refer students to us for treatment. We provide services that are respectful of our clients’ culture, identity and life experience.

For more information about cognitive-behavioral therapy or to make an appointment, you can email us (by using the form at the bottom of the home page) or call the New Patient Coordinator at 202-234-0903, extension 15.