The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast

In the 1950s, a young Danish psychiatrist named Mogens Schou staked his career — and his family — on a mineral most of his colleagues dismissed as dangerous nonsense. This is the story of how lithium went from fringe curiosity to the gold standard for bipolar disorder, and the bitter scientific battle that nearly derailed it.

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Published On: 04/20/2026
Duration: 16 minutes, 01 seconds

Chris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this

Dr. Frank Yeomans is an Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is one of the developers of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). In this episode, he offers a deep dive into the theory and clinical practice of TFP as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. Drawing on object relations theory, Dr. Yeomans explains how BPD is understood through the lens of identity integration and split internal representations, and walks clinicians through the full arc of TFP treatment — from thorough assessment and diagnostic feedback, through contracting and frame-setting, to active intervention using clarification, confrontation, and interpretation. He also addresses the clinical use of countertransference as a window into the patient's internal world, signs of therapeutic progress, and how object relations principles can be applied even outside a formal TFP frame.
Published On: 4/16/2026
Duration: 40 minutes, 21 seconds
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Before lithium became a cornerstone of psychiatry, it was in soda, spa water, and salt shakers. Trace lithium’s journey from Victorian health fad to life-saving mood stabilizer, and discover why the uric acid theory that launched it may be making a comeback.

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Published On: 04/13/2026
Duration: 12 minutes, 48 seconds

Chris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this

Legal questions come up in clinical care of autistic children and adults more often than many of us expect. A parent asks for a custody letter; a school requests documentation for services; a patient asks about disability benefits or driving. When autistic patients face legal systems, clinicians can help, but only if we stay within our role.

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Published On: 04/06/2025
Duration: 19 minutes, 01 seconds

Joshua Feder, MD, and Mara Goverman, LCSW, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Narcissism, antisocial, pedophilia… A lot of psychiatric terms have been used to explain Jeffrey Epstein. We’ll look at what fits.

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Published On: 03/30/2026
Duration: 12 minutes, 34 seconds

Chris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this