What is #psychforward?

Access to psychologists is severely limited.

Patients can wait a year or more to see a psychologist or other mental health provider. Over half of the counties in the US have no mental health professionals.

On the other hand, there’s quick and easy access to unreliable help.

People who need psychologists for treatment or consultation often search the internet. These searches usually lead to advertisements and to largely inaccurate or incomplete information. People occasionally find their way to the National Institute for Mental Health or to the Mayo Clinic or to WebMD, but even these sites provide only general information or carry advertisements.

It is rare to find anything online written by an expert psychologist or supported by good science, and #psychforward is here to remedy that.

#psychforward indicates content that has either been written or vetted by psychologists.

This hashtag alerts the consumer that this content material—whether it’s about mental health, education, science, parenting, business, optimal performance, or any of the other things to which psychologists apply knowledge—is based on scientifically-derived principles.

#psychforward promotes psychologists using social media to educate the public.

Not only is there too little reliable information on the internet, but there are too few psychologists availing themselves of its power. The hashtag allows us to find, connect with, and encourage one another. As our numbers grow, so will our influence.

#psychforward challenges the notion of what psychologists offer.

Our skills outpace private practice, co-location, or healthcare integration. We are more than highly skilled test administrators or social skills teachers.

Psychologists are people experts. If it can be done, a psychologist can help you do it better.