The Supervised Mind

Episode Title: The Cutting Board

Subtitle: Understanding Self-Injury in Psychiatric Practice

Host: Dr. Faisal Rafiq

Audience: Clinicians – Psychiatrists, NPs, PAs, Therapists

Welcome back to The Supervised Mind

Today’s episode is called The Cutting Board. We’re going to talk about self-injury—specifically non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI. This is a topic that makes many clinicians pause. It’s uncomfortable. It’s urgent. And it’s all too common.

We’ll explore the biological drivers, the emotional mechanics, and the treatment pathways—including when to medicate, when to refer, and when to simply listen. Because behind every scar is a story—and our job is to understand, not just to stop the bleeding.