Atypical Severe Self-Injury, with Dr. Barry Walsh

The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

When we talk about nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in this podcast, we are typically referring to the most common forms of NSSI. But what about rarer, more significant forms of self-harm and self-harming behaviors that do not fit neatly within the typical definition of NSSI, like ingesting foreign objects to intentionally cause internal injury? And how do these forms of “Atypical Severe Self-Injury” differ in function and severity from more common forms of self-injury? In this episode, Dr. Barry Walsh details 3 specific forms of Atypical, Severe Self-Injury, explains their unique functions, and shares clinical guidelines for treating those who engage in Atypical, Severe Self-Injury.

Learn more about Dr. Walsh and his work at Open Sky Community Services by visiting www.openskycs.org . Below are links to some of his research and publications referenced in this episode:

Walsh, B. W. (2014). Treating self-injury: A practical guide (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Walsh, B. W. (2019). Atypical, severe self-injury: How to understand and treat it. In J. J. Washburn (Ed.), Nonsuicidal self-injury: Advances in research and practice . New York: Routledge.

Atypical and severe nonsuicidal self-injury as an indicator of severe psychopathology: Findings from a sample of high-risk community mental health clients (Hom et al., 2018)

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