'Do we really want experiences mediated by algorithms and swipes?'

Jonathan Day reviews 'UberTherapy' by Elizabeth Cotton.

13 July 2026



Iintend this review to read like one of those letters that you find lost within the drawer of old furniture, that will likely end up at an auction, or house clearance. Upon buying the furniture, you discover this review like unearthing a time capsule. UberTherapy is a book on the sociology of therapy conceptualised within industrial relations. The book offers an insight into a zeitgeist we'll be reminded of when our grandchildren ask us about RealTherapy™ – 'so you used to meet a human therapist in-person, that's wild!' Followed by 'and you used to holiday where!?' [a location that is now unhabitable due to the consequences of the climate emergency].

I hadn't initially intended to start this review with doom, but then again, my copy was addressed directly to me by Elizabeth with the words 'it won't make you rich or happy'. My initial associations questioned whether Elizabeth meant the book, or my personal motivations to inhabit therapyland as both a patient and as a qualified psy-professional; had some kind of teletherapy taken place? A more relevant question might be, knowing that I would be neither rich or happy, why did I proceed to read the book? For me, I think the issues raised by UberTherapy cannot be denied or turned away from. Even if you, dear reader, do not currently work for or subscribe to a digital or uber-ized solution for your existential difficulties in living, you or a loved one may do tomorrow. So, I read on.

The prologue is a personal positioning, and makes clear that the book's project is not aiming to name, shame or indict those working in or making use of digitised intimacy. The prologue is emotive in how the personal and the political are intentionally linked, even though we might hope our consulting rooms can ward off the outside, something which psychotherapy has grappled with since its inception. Elizabeth certainly argues that projects like UberTherapy and Surviving work can instigate collaboration and solidarity rather than alienation and withdrawal from social life. This reminded me of the hope of co-operative initiatives and anarcho-syndicalism. However it remains unclear whether grassroots solidarity and organising like artisans can survive the forces and vast resources of capital. We are already witnessing the coercion of labour around a mass e-commerce model, hosted by platforms operated by ambitious technofeudalists (Varoufakis, 2023) marketing self-care rather than mutual aid.

I found the chapter titled Angerland to be a useful introduction to the forces and systems at work. Many patients and practitioners will be aware of these forces, but may not frame their experience within industrial and employment relations. Arguably this is the product of a workforce subject to sedition and alienation. Elizabeth effectively provides an overview which even those living off the grid can understand. What follows is the growth of the 'homo consumens' (Fromm, 1976:153) and Elizabeth holds a mirror up to us, and, how we manically try to escape from the facts of life through the phantasy of auto-intimacy (Zeavin, 2021). This poses the question; do we really want experiences mediated by algorithms and swipes? Or can we tolerate the frustrations and inconveniences of human interaction which constitute genuine relatedness?

A personal preference may be Elizabeth's style. Personally, I can appreciate sardonic comedy, and the lightening of the mood by referencing cultural phenomenon such as dating-app inspired interactions with various platforms. Some psychoanalysts say comedy and creative outputs are two resources to sublimate the angst is being alive.

In terms of my constructive critique of the book, Elizabeth is evidently invested in conserving the kind of help that helped her, namely, psychoanalytic/dynamic/ depth-orientated therapies – a set of ideas she revisits throughout the book. At various points she uses psychoanalytic ways of thinking to consider the dynamics enacted by UberTherapy. Yet I interpreted some ambivalence, such as chapter four, 'do you have to be a rich man to be a therapist?'. We know that few people ever make it to an psychoanalyst's consulting room... Whilst I too am sympathetic to depth approaches, I do wonder, what would happen if we just do away with psychotherapy all together? (Smail, 2018; Masson, 2012). Elizabeth goes some way in one of the later chapters RealTherapy™ to outline the potential emancipatory power of collective action, informed by Paolo Friere's approach to pedagogy and community capacity-building over bourgeois foreclosure.

To end, sometimes my book club ends with a pledge of action, so the last month's reading doesn't become an expensive paper weight. So, my pledge is to try and have a conversation about this book in my workplace. I might be referred to an EAP moodsplainer to 'manage' my feelings. Worse still, as I write I may be under the watchful gaze of the mental health 'first-aiders'.

SOURCE:

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/do-we-really-want-experiences-mediated-algorithms-and-swipes(accessed 21.7.26)

Ζήλια και ερωτική σχέση: όταν ο φόβος συναντά την αγάπη

Η ζήλια είναι ένα συχνό και έντονο συναίσθημα στις ερωτικές σχέσεις. Πολλοί τη θεωρούν ένδειξη αγάπης ή πάθους, όμως στην πραγματικότητα συνδέεται περισσότερο με τον φόβο απώλειας και την ανασφάλεια παρά με την ίδια την αγάπη. Πρόκειται για ένα σύνθετο συναίσθημα που περιλαμβάνει άγχος, θυμό και αίσθημα απειλής, όταν πιστεύουμε ότι κάτι ή κάποιος μπορεί να «απειλήσει» τη σχέση μας.

Ψυχολογικά, η ζήλια ενεργοποιείται όταν αμφισβητείται η εικόνα που έχουμε για τον εαυτό μας μέσα στη σχέση: αν είμαστε αρκετοί, αν αξίζουμε να μας επιλέγουν, αν μπορούμε να εμπιστευτούμε τον άλλον. Γι’ αυτό και συχνά δεν σχετίζεται τόσο με την πραγματική συμπεριφορά του συντρόφου, όσο με εσωτερικές ανασφάλειες, χαμηλή αυτοεκτίμηση ή παλαιότερες εμπειρίες απόρριψης και προδοσίας.

Σε ήπιο βαθμό, η ζήλια μπορεί να λειτουργήσει ως σήμα ότι χρειαζόμαστε περισσότερη επικοινωνία ή επιβεβαίωση. Όταν όμως γίνεται έντονη και επίμονη, μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε καχυποψία, ανάγκη για έλεγχο, περιορισμό της ελευθερίας του άλλου και συχνούς καβγάδες. Τότε, αντί να προστατεύει τη σχέση, αρχίζει να τη φθείρει, δημιουργώντας έναν φαύλο κύκλο έντασης και απόστασης.

Σημαντικό ρόλο παίζει και ο τρόπος που σχετιζόμαστε συναισθηματικά. Άτομα που φοβούνται έντονα την εγκατάλειψη τείνουν να ζηλεύουν περισσότερο και να ζητούν διαρκή επιβεβαίωση, ενώ άλλα μπορεί να αντιδρούν απομακρυνόμενα, κάτι που συχνά εντείνει ακόμη περισσότερο τη ζήλια του συντρόφου. Έτσι, η ζήλια δεν είναι απλώς προσωπικό ζήτημα, αλλά επηρεάζει και τη δυναμική του ζευγαριού.

Το κρίσιμο σημείο είναι η διάκριση ανάμεσα στο συναίσθημα και στη συμπεριφορά. Το να νιώθει κανείς ζήλια είναι ανθρώπινο. Το να ελέγχει, να κατηγορεί ή να περιορίζει τον άλλον, όμως, βλάπτει την εμπιστοσύνη και τον σεβασμό, που είναι βασικά στοιχεία μιας υγιούς σχέσης. Η ανοιχτή επικοινωνία, με έκφραση συναισθημάτων χωρίς κατηγορίες, μπορεί να βοηθήσει σημαντικά στη μείωση των παρεξηγήσεων και στην ενίσχυση της συναισθηματικής ασφάλειας.

Ο ρόλος της ψυχοθεραπείας

Η ψυχοθεραπεία μπορεί να παίξει καθοριστικό ρόλο στη διαχείριση της ζήλιας, γιατί βοηθά το άτομο να κατανοήσει τις βαθύτερες αιτίες του συναισθήματος και τα μοτίβα που επαναλαμβάνονται στις σχέσεις του. Μέσα από τη θεραπευτική διαδικασία, ενισχύεται η αυτογνωσία, βελτιώνεται η αυτοεκτίμηση και αναπτύσσονται πιο λειτουργικοί τρόποι επικοινωνίας και συναισθηματικής ρύθμισης. Σε επίπεδο ζευγαριού, η συμβουλευτική μπορεί να βοηθήσει τους συντρόφους να χτίσουν εμπιστοσύνη και να αντιμετωπίζουν τις δυσκολίες ως κοινή πρόκληση και όχι ως προσωπική επίθεση. Έτσι, η ζήλια παύει να είναι απειλή για τη σχέση και μπορεί να μετατραπεί σε αφορμή για προσωπική και συναισθηματική εξέλιξη.



Ηλίας Κασσάρας
Ψυχολόγος MSc, MSc, PhD
Γνωστικός & Συμπεριφορικός Ψυχοθεραπευτής

ΠΗΓΗ:

https://www.askitis.gr/zilia-kai-erotiki-schesi-otan-o-fovos-synanta-tin-agapi/(accessed 13.7.26)

Do geopolitical events affect red card decisions?

New research investigates through the lens of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

06 July 2026

By Emma Young



As the World Cup continues, there have been controversies over some refereeing decisions and even allegations of bias. No matter the football competition or the country in which a match is being played, referees are obliged to follow a common set of rules, which are designed to ensure neutrality and uniformity in their decision-making, note the authors of a recent paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology and Economics.

However, referees are human, and there is evidence that certain factors can influence their thinking, with work finding that decisions on red and yellow cards tend to favour home teams, for example. For their study, Desirè De Luca at the University of Calabria, Italy, and colleagues set out to explore whether major geopolitical events — in this case, the Russian invasion of Ukraine — might affect high-level football refereeing decisions, too.

The researchers first created a data set from official UEFA match reports and score sheets for 3,187 matches played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League between the 2015 and the 2024 season. A total of 2,184 of the matches were played before the start of the Russia–Ukraine war on 24 February 2022, and 1,003 came afterwards. For each match, the researchers noted the nationalities of the players and referee, as well as who received any red or yellow cards or had fouls awarded against them.

Referees are assigned by UEFA's central Referees Committee using strict criteria aimed at ensuring neutrality in a match, the team notes. However, when they compared data from before and after the outbreak of the war, they noted a distinct difference. Though Russian players were no more likely to receive a yellow card after 24 February 2022, compared with before, they were 34% more likely to be given a red card. Red cards are rare. But, given that the player is then sent off, and cannot be substituted, this difference for Russian players is meaningful, the researchers note.

Overall, these results suggest that while the outbreak of war didn't change how referees punished more minor rule infringements, when it came to decisions that involved the highest level of personal discretion, and the most severe sanction, they did. The team did not see any difference for Ukrainian players, so the change did not seem to reflect any general 'anti-war' referee sentiment, they add.

The team then looked at whether referee nationality was linked to the changes in red-card decision-making in relation to Russian players. They found that German, Polish, and Turkish referees didn't alter their red card behaviour after the outbreak of war. The data on Ukrainian referees was not clear-cut. However, English, Italian, and French referees were more likely to give red cards to Russians after the war began. The finding that the red shift was mostly explained by decisions from referees from some countries that publicly aligned themselves with Ukraine suggests that geopolitical differences may have influenced their behaviour, they write.

"Geopolitical conflicts are increasingly recognised as factors that can shape individual behaviour even within formally neutral and highly regulated environments," the team notes. Understanding whether and how these biases arise is crucial for understanding the broader impact of political conflict on individual behaviour, they add. This new work suggests that even referees in tightly regulated international sports competitions are not immune.

SOURCE:

https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/do-geopolitical-events-affect-red-card-decisions(accessed 13.7.26)

Βίντεο: Οι προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει η Ελληνική ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ κοινότητα

https://voiceup.avmag.gr/%ce%b2%ce%af%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b5%ce%bf-%ce%bf%ce%b9-%cf%80%cf%81%ce%bf%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9%cf%82-%cf%80%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%b1%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%bc%ce%b5%cf%84%cf%89%cf%80%ce%af%ce%b6/


Το Γραφείο του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου στην Ελλάδα συνδιοργάνωσε τη Δευτέρα 16 Μαΐου στις 18:00 ανοικτή εκδήλωση στο πλαίσιο των δράσεων για τη Διεθνή ημέρα κατά της ομοφοβίας, αμφιβοβίας, ιντερφοβίας και τρανσφοβίας (17/5) με την ομάδα υλοποίησης του έργου LGBTQI+ Voice Up: Project Greece.

Στο πλαίσιο της εκδήλωσης παρουσιάστηκαν οι κεντρικές δράσεις του προγράμματος και διεξήχθη συζήτηση με εκπροσώπους οργανώσεων της ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ κοινότητας με συντονιστή τον αρχισυντάκτη του περιοδικού Antivirus Βασίλη Θανόπουλο. Στη συζήτηση συμμετείχαν οι: Άννα Απέργη (Σωματείο Υποστήριξης Διεμφυλικών), Αλέξανδρος Διακοσάββας (Αρχισυντάκτης LiFO, curator του Upfront Initiative για τη συμπερίληψη στο χώρο εργασίας), Τζωρτζ Κουνάνης (LGBTQI+ Employment Support Group), Χάρης Κούντουρος (Γραφείο ΕΚ στην Ελλάδα), Στέλλα Μπελιά (Οικογένειες Ουράνιο Τόξο), Νικόλας Μαλανδράκης (LGBTQI+ Voice Up: Project Greece) και Νικολέττα Πικραμένου (Intersex Greece).

Δείτε το βίντεο από την εκδήλωση στο οποίο εκπρόσωποι οργανώσεων της ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ κοινότητας συζητούν για τα προβλήματα και τις διακρίσεις που αντιμετωπίζουν μέχρι σήμερα τα ΛΟΑΤΚΙ+ άτομα στην Ελλάδα.

ΠΗΓΗ:

https://voiceup.avmag.gr/%ce%b2%ce%af%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b5%ce%bf-%ce%bf%ce%b9-%cf%80%cf%81%ce%bf%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9%cf%82-%cf%80%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%b1%ce%bd%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%bc%ce%b5%cf%84%cf%89%cf%80%ce%af%ce%b6/(accessed 10.7.26)

Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?

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Hot flashes, a common symptom of the menopausal transition, are uncomfortable and can last for many years. When they happen at night, hot flashes are called night sweats. Some women find that hot flashes interrupt their daily lives. Research has shown that there can be different patterns of when women first experience hot flashes and for how long, and that African American and Hispanic women have hot flashes for more years than white and Asian women.

You may decide you don't need to change your lifestyle or investigate treatment options because your symptoms are mild. But, if you are bothered by hot flashes, there are some steps you can take. Try to take note of what triggers your hot flashes and how much they bother you. This can help you make better decisions about managing your symptoms. You can also visit My Menoplan, an evidence-based tool developed by NIA-funded researchers, to identify treatment and coping strategies best suited for you.



Lifestyle changes to improve hot flashes

Before considering medication, first try making changes to your lifestyle. If hot flashes keep you up at night, lower the temperature in your bedroom and try drinking small amounts of cold water before bed. Layer your bedding so it can be adjusted as needed and turn on a fan. Here are some other lifestyle changes you can make:Dress in layers that can be removed at the start of a hot flash.
Carry a portable fan to use when a hot flash strikes.
Avoid alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine. These can make menopausal symptoms worse.
If you smoke, try to quit, not only for hot flashes, but for your overall health.
Try to maintain a healthy weight. Women who are overweight or obese may experience more frequent and severe hot flashes.
Explore mind-body practices. Some early-stage research has shown that hypnotherapy and mindfulness meditation could help with management of hot flashes.

Find more facts about hot flashes in this fact sheet (PDF, 146KB) provided by the NIH-funded Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.
Nonhormonal medications to treat hot flashes

If lifestyle changes are not enough to improve your symptoms, nonhormone options for managing hot flashes may work for you. These may be a good choice if you are unable to take hormones for health reasons or if you are worried about the potential risks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of paroxetine (Brisdelle), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant, to treat hot flashes associated with menopause. Researchers are studying additional antidepressants that could be prescribed for off-label use to treat this symptom. People who take an antidepressant to help manage hot flashes generally take a lower dose than people who use the medication to treat depression or other psychiatric conditions.

FDA has also approved a medication called fezolinetant (Veozah) to help treat moderate to severe hot flashes caused by menopause. Fezolinetant is a type of drug known as a neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist. It works in the part of the brain that regulates body temperature.

When considering any medication, talk with your doctor about whether it is the right medication for you and how you might manage any possible side effects.
Buyer beware: Unproven, nonscientific 'treatments' for hot flashes

You may have heard about black cohosh, DHEA, or soy isoflavones to treat hot flashes. These products are not proven to be effective, and some carry risks such as liver damage.

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances found in some cereals, vegetables, and legumes (like soy), and herbs. They may work in the body like a weak form of estrogen, but they have not been consistently shown to be effective in research studies, and their long-term safety is unclear.

Always talk with your doctor before taking any herb or supplement. Currently, it is unknown whether these herbs or other "natural" products are helpful or safe to treat your hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms. The benefits and risks are still being studied.
Using hormones to treat hot flashes and night sweats

Some women may choose to take hormones to treat their hot flashes or night sweats. A hormone is a chemical substance made by an organ like the thyroid gland or ovary. During the menopausal transition, the ovaries begin to work less effectively, and the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone declines over time. It is believed that such changes cause hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

Hormone therapy steadies the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. It is a very effective treatment for hot flashes in women who are able to use it. They can also help with vaginal dryness, sleep, and maintaining bone density.

Hormone treatments (sometimes called menopausal hormone therapy, or MHT) can take the form of pills, patches, rings, implants, gels, or creams. Patches, which stick to the skin, may be best for women with cardiac risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease.

There are risks associated with taking hormones, including increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, gallbladder disease, and dementia. Women are encouraged to discuss the risks with their health care provider. The risks vary by a woman's age and whether she has had a hysterectomy. Women who still have a uterus would take estrogen combined with progesterone or another therapy to protect the uterus. Progesterone is added to estrogen to protect the uterus against cancer, but it also seems to increase the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Research on risks of menopause hormone therapy

In 2002, a study that was part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), funded by NIH, was stopped early because participants who received a certain combination and dosage of estrogen with progesterone were found to have a significantly higher risk of stroke, heart attacks, breast cancer, dementia, urinary incontinence, and gallbladder disease. This study raised significant concerns at the time and caused many women to become wary of using hormones.

However, research reported since then found that younger women are at less risk and have more potential benefits than was suggested by the WHI study. The negative effects of the WHI hormone treatments mostly affected women who were over age 60 and postmenopausal. Newer hormone formulations seem to have less risk and may provide benefits that outweigh possible risks for certain women during the menopausal transition. Studies continue to evaluate the benefit, risk, and long-term safety of hormone therapy.

Before taking hormones to treat menopause symptoms, talk with your doctor about your medical and family history and any concerns or questions about taking hormones. If hormone therapy is right for you, it should be at the lowest dose, for the shortest period of time it remains effective, and in consultation with a doctor.
You may also be interested inReading general information about menopause
Finding out more about sleep problems and menopause
Downloading or sharing an infographic with tips for staying healthy during and after menopause
For more information on treatments for hot flashes


National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
888-644-6226
info@nccih.nih.gov
www.nccih.nih.gov


The Menopause Society
440-442-7550
info@menopause.org
www.menopause.org

SOURCE:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/hot-flashes-what-can-i-do(accessed 7.7.26)