Lithium: From 7UP to Table Salt

Two malpractice cases — one worth $2 million — are reshaping the standards of gender-affirming care. This episode traces what went wrong, what held up in court, and what every clinician needs to know when referring patients for gender affirming procedures.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 04/20/2026Duration: 12 minutes, 18 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this

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.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 04/20/2026Duration: 16 minutes, 01 secondsChris 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: 4/16/2026Duration: 40 minutes, 21 secondsEarn CME for listening to this episode here.

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.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 04/13/2026Duration: 12 minutes, 48 secondsChris 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.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 04/06/2025Duration: 19 minutes, 01 secondsJoshua 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.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 03/30/2026Duration: 12 minutes, 34 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this

Narcissism, antisocial, pedophilia… A lot of psychiatric terms have been used to explain Jeffrey Epstein. We’ll look at what fits.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 03/23/2026Duration: 23 minutes, 38 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Does money lead to happiness? What kind of stress causes depression? Why the FDA change their requirements for new drug approvals? And what happened between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell that launched an enterprise of abuse?CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 03/16/2026Duration: 16 minutes, 49 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Narcissism, antisocial, pedophilia… We examine the diagnoses people invoke to explain Jeffrey Epstein and determine if any fit. CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 03/09/2026Duration: 15 minutes, 29 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Pramipexole has moved up the in our algorithm for treatment resistant depression. Today, learn how to use this dopamine agonist.CME: Take the CME Post-Test for this EpisodePublished On: 03/02/2026Duration: 19 minutes, 24 secondsChris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMHNP, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.