Our temperament is a set of in-built dispositions we are born with. It is mostly unalterable (though recent studies demonstrate that the brain is far more plastic and elastic than we thought). Read more on Sam Vaknin's research on personality and how it evolves.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is an electrical-stimulation technique used to treat severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychosis, and catatonia. It is a remarkable fact that ECT is an effective treatment for so many apparently unrelated types of mental illness.

Schizophrenia is a disorder that is often times misunderstood and feared by those outside of the disorder. Read more about what this mental illness can entail, including possible symptoms and medications that are used to treat the disorder.

A Thematic Appreciation Test uses pictures and subjects tell a story based on what they see. The Structured Clinical Interview uses 12 groups of questions corresponding to the 12 personality disorders. Disorder specific testing is based on assisting diagnosis of a specific psychological disorder.

The MCMI-III diagnoses personality disorders and Axis I disorders but not other mental health problems. The Rorschach Inkblot test teaches a skilled diagnostician how the one processes information and what is the structure and content of his internal world. Read more to learn details on these tests.

Personality assessment is perhaps more an art form than a science. In an attempt to render it as objective and standardized as possible, generations of clinicians came up with psychological tests and structured interviews. Read more for information on MMPI testing and what it means.