Courses

Have you ever heard your name called when no one was there? Experiences like these are more common than many people realize, and for some, they're part of what clinicians call psychosis. Led by Stanford clinical professors, this course explores what psychosis is, why it occurs, and how experiences can range from fleeting changes in perception to persistent delusions and hallucinations. We'll examine how the brain constructs our sense of reality and how that experience can be altered by factors such as trauma, stress, and culture. Drawing on current research and firsthand accounts, we'll also explore treatment and recovery, as well as the challenges psychosis can pose for individuals and families. Guest speakers and interactive exercises will bring students into conversation with clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience. Together, these perspectives offer a rich and humane understanding of one of psychiatry's most complex phenomena.