They say music can be therapeutic, but whether they’re donating proceeds to a charitable cause or using the lyrics to heal themselves, the artists included in this list are going above and beyond simply providing tunes to soothe your state of mind.

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Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: omgdavematthewsiloveyou On May 20, 2010, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will perform a benefit concert, A Benefit for the Jane Goodall Institute, as part of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the work of Dr. Jane Goodall. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and, contrary to what you might think (and what all the donation requests I receive in the mail lead me to believe), the Jane Goodall Institute does much more than just look out for the welfare of apes. The Institute, which also researches topics such as behavioral psychology and sociology, “is a global nonprofit that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.”

The show will take place at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., and if you think someone on your shopping list would like to go, you can find ticket information on both the Dave Matthews Band website and at Ticketmaster.

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The John Mayer Trio: In order to help raise money for two veteran-related charities (Military Outreach Ministry Camp Pendleton and NCIRE – the Veterans Health Research Institute), the John Mayer Trio is performing two benefit concerts near the end of December. The John Mayer Trio Annual Holiday Revue at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego on December 29 is unfortunately sold out, but tickets for the John Mayer Trio New Year’s Eve Show at The Joint in Las Vegas on December 31 are still on sale.

Learn more about ticket information on John Mayer’s website.

I really cannot believe Christmas is in less than two weeks and I haven’t bought the first gift.

I haven’t even made an attempt to buy the first gift.

It’s not that I’m feeling particularly Scroogey this year – I mean, my decorations are up and I’ve made good use of the Christmas music station on Pandora – but I just can’t seem to get started with my shopping. I can’t figure out what anyone wants or needs (which is disconcerting in itself, as I’m usually pretty perceptive and rarely bother asking) and no one will tell me.

Except my dad. He wants boots.

Of course, I know I’m not the only one having trouble. Yesterday, I whined to a friend about how I’m heading out for a shopping trip at the end of this week completely blind (except for the boots, of course), and he whined back to me about not being able to read minds.

I took a little solace in that.

I also took a little solace in the realization that, even though I’m still completely stumped, I might be able to help some of you figure out what to give this holiday season.

So, starting tomorrow (Monday) and for the four days following (until Friday), I’m going to post gift ideas for those of you who might be having as much trouble as I’m having when it comes to choosing gifts for family, friends, co-workers, your postman, that guy you just started dating, the Secret Santa name you pulled at church, or that bag boy at the supermarket who always remembers the bread doesn’t go in the trunk with the rest of the groceries.

True to everything Celebrity Psychings is all about, whether they’re meant to educate, entertain, or help, these gifts will all, in some way, be related to mental health.

Stay tuned!

Doctors and other mental health professionals around the globe are sounding off on the sex scandals that have taken over Tiger Woods’ life right now and one of the dominating opinions (for now, at least) seems to be sex addiction.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of VH1′s “Sex Rehab,” recently told ET, “It’s safe to say that sex addiction might be a part of his problem,” while David Smallwood, the addictions expert at the Priory clinic in London, claims, “All of the things Woods is alleged to have done point to him having a sex addiction.”

A sex addiction isn’t the only answer, of course. As Psych Central’s Dr. John Grohol pointed out earlier this week, there are numerous reasons for infidelity, and sport psychologist Richard Lustberg offered the old adage “men will be men” and pointed out that “well-to-do men who can afford a certain lifestyle, travel this way – there is gambling, eating, and, of course, women.”

We already know how much of the public would react if, say, Lustberg is right – if Tiger was simply (and trust me, I use that word lightly) enjoying the advantages a wealthy celebrity life offered him – and it isn’t pretty.

But, what if Woods is suffering from a sex addiction? How would the public react to that?

Need a few good laughs today? Check out the latest Howie Mandel segment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show!

Mandel, who’s been dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) all his life, released his autobiography Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me last month and appeared on the show today to talk with Ellen about the book (including the stigma of mental illness, how he was afraid it would affect his career and embarrass his family, and how he had to come to terms with revealing such personal information to the public) as well as thank her for past “OCD-related” gifts she’s given him and receive a new one that Ellen hopes will help him with future book signings

Aside from the way Mandel candidly speaks about his mental health issues, I think my favorite part of the segment is what he says about the mixture of humor and mental illness:

“I talk about it, and it’s funny. There’s a lot of funny. It’s funny. But it’s tough. But it’s funny. But it’s tough, right?”

(Trust me, the message loses something in translation – you REALLY have to watch the clip to get the full effect )

Mental health issues are obviously serious issues – like any other illness – but I’m a fervent believer that humor works wonders in terms of coping and even healing.

You can watch the Ellen clip online, and be sure to visit Mandel’s website to learn more about Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me.

Yes, yes, I’m writing about Tiger Woods. And yes, yes, I know everyone with a keyboard already has. I wasn’t going to, at first. Really. With so many news reports, gossip columns, blogs, and skits and spoofs (in addition to SNL’s questionable skit, The Vancouver Sun lists Woods’ top five endorsement possibilities) out there, I figured there’s really no new spin I could give it. Plus, Dr. Grohol already did a fantastic job of turning Tigergate 2009 into a teaching moment.

But then I ran into an interesting article by Emily Miller of Politics Daily, and decided that maybe there is something worth saying…

Miller’s article, “Does Tiger Woods Deserve Privacy for His ‘Transgressions’?”, takes a look at Tiger Woods’ – you guessed it – privacy; specifically, whether or not he deserves the privacy he asked for in the same statement he released admitting to, and apologizing for, his “transgressions.”

Three paragraphs into the statement Woods posted on his website, the golfer writes:

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don’t share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.

Sounds like a simple enough request, right? I mean, humans like their privacy, and they like it even more when scandals are involved.

So…simple? Sure. Practical? Not so much. Miller put it best when she wrote, “I think if Tiger Woods wants privacy for his personal life, he should give back all the money and quit golf. Then, he can have all the privacy he wants.” I agree, mostly. Like I said, humans like their privacy, but when they put themselves in the spotlight they shouldn’t be surprised when that privacy disappears.

The last few posts here at Celebrity Psychings have spawned some interesting comments and conversation about the responsibilities of celebrities – specifically, whether or not they have a responsibility to “watch what they say,” for lack of a better phrase, and whether or not we actually have grounds for expecting them to do so.

However, a few weeks ago, AP Sports Columnist John Leicester wrote an article that turns the tables on us.

“Do Fans Drive Our Sports Heroes To Despair?” takes a look at the kinds of negative impacts a sports fan’s reactions to an athlete’s performance has on said athlete, as well as the kinds of negative impacts an athlete’s own thoughts, expectations, and perceptions bring himself. Among the fact that injuries can sometimes compound an athlete’s depression and the ill advice of doctors (one doctor supposedly told British football player Stan Collymore, who was suffering from depression, to “score a couple of goals” to feel better), Leicester cited the recent suicide of Germany’s goalkeeper Robert Enke, stating:

Demanding fans aren’t to blame for the suicide this week of Germany’s goalkeeper Robert Enke. But living in the public eye, subject to adulation one minute and scorn the next, can make depression harder for sports people to bear. In mourning Enke, football and the millions who follow it would be wise to examine their roles in such tragedies.

“In mourning Enke, football and the millions who follow it would be wise to examine their roles in such tragedies.”