EPPP Study Guides & Mental Health Articles
EPPP study guides and honest prep comparisons for psychologists in training, plus plain-language articles on symptoms, diagnosis, and therapy for everyone else.
Reading about symptoms is a good first step. Talking to someone is a better second one.
These articles are written by Dr. Anders Chan, a licensed psychologist in New York. If something here sounds like you, you can work with him directly or get matched with a therapist who fits.
Couples Stuck in a Negative Cycle: How EFT Breaks It
If every argument follows the same script, the cycle is the problem, not your partner. How the pursue-withdraw cycle works and how EFT breaks it.
Gottman's Four Horsemen: 4 Patterns That Predict Breakups
Gottman research found four patterns that predict breakups: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. A psychologist explains each antidote.
Therapist Fit When You Have Multiple Diagnoses
A licensed psychologist on why single-specialty therapy fails complex presentations, and how to vet a therapist who can treat the whole combination.
Why Is Everyone in Therapy Forever?
Insurance pays for sessions, not recoveries, so therapy drifts. A licensed psychologist on the incentive problem and what therapy built to end looks like.
Depression Symptoms: Why It Often Doesn't Feel Like Sadness
Depression often shows up as exhaustion, numbness, or irritability rather than sadness. A psychologist explains the real diagnostic criteria and treatment.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: The Real Criteria
GAD is excessive, hard-to-control worry more days than not for six months, plus physical symptoms like tension and fatigue. How it differs from normal worry.
OCD Symptoms: It Was Never Really About the Hand Washing
OCD is intrusive thoughts plus the rituals that feed them. A licensed psychologist explains obsessions, compulsions, and the treatment that works.
Signs of ADHD in Adults: What It Really Looks Like
Adult ADHD rarely looks like the classroom stereotype. A licensed psychologist explains the real symptoms, the age-12 rule, and how testing works.
Signs of Autism in Adults: When Masking Looks Like Fine
Adult autism often hides behind decades of masking. A licensed psychologist explains the real diagnostic criteria and how adult evaluations work.