Hosts:
Kevin Cornelius, LMFT
Dr. David Burns
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. David Burns and host Kevin Cornelius, LMFT explore a topic that shapes nearly every corner of modern mental health care: psychiatric diagnosis.
For decades, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has defined how clinicians diagnose, treat, and research emotional suffering. But what if many of these diagnostic categories don't represent distinct medical diseases? What if they are simply normal human emotions—like sadness, anxiety, or shame—occurring on a spectrum?
Dr. Burns draws on decades of clinical experience, research, and insights from TEAM-CBT to question the assumptions behind psychiatric labeling. While diagnoses can sometimes reduce stigma or help people access care, they can also unintentionally shape identity, medicalize everyday emotional struggles, and distract from the real drivers of emotional pain.
This episode offers a nuanced conversation about labels, measurement, therapy, and what actually helps people recover from depression and anxiety.
What the DSM is—and why it became so influential
The difference between true mental disorders and normal emotional experiences
How everyday struggles became medical diagnoses
The unintended consequences of diagnostic labels
Why measurement matters more than diagnosis in therapy
A surprising research finding
Why focusing on thoughts may be the key
Hope for people who feel defined by a diagnosis
While the episode critiques diagnostic labeling, the conversation also highlights situations where diagnoses can help:
Mental health diagnoses can sometimes be useful administrative tools—but they should never define who you are.
Real healing often comes from understanding the specific thoughts, moments, and experiences that drive emotional pain, and learning practical methods to change them.
"We treat humans, not disorders."
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Kevin Cornelius, LMFT is a Level 5 Certified Master TEAM-CBT Therapist and Trainer and the Clinical Director of Feeling Good Institute--Silicon Valley. He specializes in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship problems and insomnia. You can reach Kevin at kevin@feelinggoodinstitute.com and visit his website at www.tools4change.me.
You can reach Dr. Burns at david@feelinggood.com.
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