Author Archives

Max E. Guttman, LCSW

Max E. Guttman is the owner of Recovery Now, L.LC, a private mental health practice in New York City. Through his work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, therapist, and disability rights advocate, Max fights for those without a voice in various New York City care systems. He received a ‘2020 Bearcats of the Last Decade 10 Under 10’ award from the Binghamton University Alumni Association.

‘I knew my illness was so complex that I’d need a professional understanding of its treatment to gain any real momentum in recovery,’ Guttman says. ‘After undergraduate school and the onset of my illness, I evaluated different graduate programs that could serve as a career and mechanism to guide and direct my self-care. After experiencing the helping hand of my social worker and therapist right after my ‘break,’ I chose social work education because of its robust skill set and foundation of knowledge I needed to heal and help others.’

‘In a world of increasing tragedy, we should help people learn from our lived experiences. My experience brings humility, authenticity, and candidness to my practice. People genuinely appreciate candidness when it comes to their health and Recovery. Humility provides space for mistakes and appraisal of progress. I thank my lived experience for contributing to a more egalitarian therapeutic experience for my clients.’

Addressing Symptoms: The Birth of the Delusional System and Bizarre Thoughts (Fixed & Solvent)


Delusions put the crazy in madness and mental health disorders. This means, simply, when we think he or she is “out there” and “nuts” it’s delusional systems that we are referring to within a persons larger set of symptoms. Delusions carve out the imaginary and marries it with […]

Legal Story: Voices of the Locomotively-Impaired left Unanswered in New York State


Public Transportation in New York State, in particular busing, is a county wide initiative. New York State Department of Transportation services a multitude of individuals, according each respective municipality delineating the State by county lines of demarcation. The United States Federal Government puts public busing policymaking in Albany’s […]

Dignity in Risk & Risk of Harm


Unquestionably, the spectrum between negligence and overprotection carries with it serious implications in clinical & peer professional practice in mental health. Even in our personal lives, we have friends and family we care for and we wonder where the line is drawn when it comes to caregiving or […]

The War on Diagnosis


There is no question that in the mental health system peers and clinicians are divided on the issue of diagnosis. As a peer and a clinician I will suggest a bi-party solution to this age old divisive question in modern day mental health treatment. At the root of […]

Can I Spit in your Lemon Cake?


During my first inpatient psychiatric experience as an adolescent I discovered that snack time was a crucial part of the day. Not only did snack time break up a monotonous schedule but it created an experience for patients in a hospital setting to enjoy, even savor the moment […]

Navigating Interpersonal Relationships with Mental Health Symptoms: Coping Strategies and Supportive Allies


Mental health diagnoses are complex and varied and can significantly impact our social lives. Some diagnoses have symptoms that make socialization difficult or even impossible. However, with the proper support and coping skills, people with mental health diagnoses can cultivate meaningful friendships and engage in pro-social behaviors. Many […]