A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

In many different specific fields, counselors can provide their clients with valuable mental health services that can have a positive and profound impact on personal health and well-being. But sometimes, those without proper training, education, and experience are allowed to practice professionally in situations that may be misleading or dangerous for potential clients. In an effort to create a standard of quality for counseling and to ensure that professionals receive the resources and background they’ll need to effectively meet their clients’ needs, many public administrations are considering tighter regulations for counselors. In the state of Oklahoma, it was recently announced that certified drug and alcohol addiction counselors will soon be subject to a new set of regulations that the state says is designed to improve the quality of care and create a rational schedule of pay rates.

The regulations are set to come into effect at various intervals, some as early as July of 2010, and focus on the need for certified counselors to provide only basic services, allowing those with more advanced degrees and qualifications to offer more involved treatment. In particular, the regulations describe a need for counselors hoping to provide psychotherapy services to obtain licensure, which itself requires a master’s degree. Some opponents of the measure suggest that the move is merely a problem of semantics and will prevent local clients from receiving the care they need as specialists become more rare and many area professionals return to their schooling. But supporters note that a higher level of understanding, experience, and knowledge can only ultimately be of benefit to those who receive help from counselors. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Mckinney Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has been gaining attention recently as its prevalence among military personnel becomes more widely known, but this mental health concern is certainly not limited to men and women in the armed forces. Able to effect people of all ages in many different situations, the issue is often addressed with psychotherapy or medications, or some combination therein, but more effective treatments are actively being sought. In a newly-published study, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have investigated the brain’s responses to unexpected and unpleasant audio stimuli, mapping how people react to events and how anticipation plays a role in these reactions. The researchers found that emotional responses were far stronger when events were unexpected, and hope to be able to use this information to help shed light on the specific etiology of PTSD.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Pleasant Hill Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

The late summer and early fall seasons in the Philippines were especially cruel in terms of weather this year, inundating the region with a series of tropical storms and floods that killed scores of people and left many others in a state of devastation. That state, unfortunately, still persists in the areas affected by the disasters, as over a million people live in homes and shelters still racked with floodwaters and debris. While there are many concerns over the potential for bacterial infections and other health concerns to take a toll on those living with the stagnant waters, the World Health Organization has recently noted that the potential for mental health issues to become prominent in the area is great.

Citing the stress and frustration of living in an environment soaked with floodwaters, with little hope of restoring hopes to a dry state before the end of the year, the organization suggested that mental fatigue, depression, and other mental health concerns were likely to take hold of many of those struggling on a daily basis to reclaim their property-–and their lives–from the disasters. Along with local residents and business owners, the organization expressed concern for the emergency aid workers and other helpers assisting in cleanup and provision distribution efforts, many of whom have been working seven day weeks with little to no rest since September. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist San Antonio Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Having a stroke is an event that’s likely to cause mental and emotional difficulties; whether it’s apprehension at being hospitalized, loss of memory or function, or any number of associated issues, stroke can greatly impact mental well-being. In some cases, stroke sufferers may develop thoughts and feelings of depression after the incident, and a research team from the University of Toronto has recently revealed review results suggesting that this occurs significantly more often in women than in men. The review focused on a total of fifty six studies and presents strong evidence for a need to provide better mental health services to female stroke sufferers to help prevent the onset of depression, which can make post-stroke living far more difficult.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Glendale Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The World Health Organization, in an effort to identify health issues in need of reform around the globe, has recently released a report on the state of women’s health, particularly in poor and middle-income countries. Citing broad instances of medical health issues such as death during childbirth, the report also notes that stigmas against women participating in mental health services results in a lowered ability of women to take good care of themselves and of their families. The report is hoped to contribute to global efforts to bring mental health accessibility to a larger audience and to focus on the particular needs of women.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist St. Louis Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

By Ruth Subrin, M.A., MFT-AT

Click here to contact Ruth and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

I work part time in a Geri-Psychiatric ward where my title is Recreational Therapist. What that means is that when elders are committed to this hospital ward, usually involuntarily, anywhere from 72 hours to one month they are termed “gravely disabled and in dire harm to themselves and/or others”. Along with individuals that are in a psychotic phase of their schizophrenia and those suffering from bipolar episodes, a large percentage of those admitted to our facility have dementia. When the dementia patients are admitted to the facility, they usually arrive in a stupor of confusion. The confusion is often exasperated because they have not been eating or have been unable to sleep for days. It is tragic to see elders who I imagine once had interesting lives be reduced to corpses that society does not have the capacity to handle, heal, or fully understand.

The procedure after they have been admitted to our facility is that psychiatrists assess their disabilities and prescribe medications that help to calm and re-orient them. While they are adjusting to medication, they often feel nauseous, dizzy, and/or confused. Many sleep for a few days to regain some equilibrium. Also disorienting is that their senses are impaired. Few arrive with their glasses and thus can’t see very well, and many have hearing loss and have lost their hearing aids in the transition. They are frail; a majority of them are in wheelchairs or can only move with the help of walkers. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Of the several million emergency calls that were made in the UK between 2008 and 2009, a significant portion involved mental health difficulties. While ambulance professionals and other caregivers are often able to identify such difficulties in clients, they are not typically endowed with the training or understanding to provide meaningful services, and simply refer people experiencing mental health crises to emergency room and general practice physicians. Many workers note having observed that on the whole, those clients seeking help for mental health issues are forced to wait longer to receive treatment, and if that if they do remain within emergency room waiting areas until they’re seen, they are less satisfied with the treatment given.

In effect, this creates a “revolving door” for mental health clients who, despite earnestly requesting professional care, may not be given the attention or tools needed to aid in recovery or find a specialist who can. Such are the issues outlined in a recent report tendered by the Ambulance Service Network and the Mental Health Network, published with the NHS Confederation. The report, a joint effort contributed to by both agencies, suggests that collaboration between emergency service responders and mental health specialists, including better education about mental health concerns for ambulance personnel, may greatly improve the quality of care received by those in need. Through curtailing the consistent use of emergency services due to a lack of adequate treatment, the measure may also help the UK cut health care costs. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Louisville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

By John Lee, LMHC, Post Traumatic Stress / Trauma Topic Expert Contributor

Click here to contact John and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

Peter Strong, PhD. is an expert in the treatment of PTSD. His theory in the treatment of PTSD is “The key to changing habitual reactivity is to learn how to relate to the underlying emotional energy that compels you to react.” Peter also bases his practice near Boulder, Colorado on using core mindfulness in the treatment of PTSD.

Interestingly, Peter Strong PhD. and this writer make use of the mindfulness treatment strategy. For many years while treating people with schizophrenia I taught core mindfulness as part of my group therapy. Surprisingly, many who practiced learned to tune out the voices they were hearing. The first step what leads up to the reaction of hearing voices? And what many have said they have done. One popular technique many began to practice was using the self talk “Stop, This isn’t me, This is My Illness.” For a few this began to really work, and then the few who really applied it were ready to take it a step further. What I taught them next was the brain receives its information was through their five senses. What one saw, felt, heard smelled sometimes could trigger a reaction. Interestingly, this small group really got into this as they were realizing and experiencing saying “Stop, this isn’t me” seemed to help. I then would take them for a walk to get into the moment. By totally focusing on the experience of what the rose smelled like, what the trees looked like, what the chirping of the birds sounded like, and what the lemonade tasted like, people with schizophrenia began to experience the voices weren’t as loud. That by focusing on the experience of the moment they were also slowly training their minds new habits which could lead to tuning down the volume of the voices. Continuing to practice focusing on the wind against their chin and hearing the birds they slowly began to experience when they would even talk to another person their voices would become softer and not as noticeable. By learning to turn down the voices by practicing in the moment techniques, many began to stay out of the inpatient unit. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has just released the results of a much-anticipated survey entitled, “Gaps and Guideposts” on its site. The survey involved scores of Americans in three distinct categories: those who did not know anybody affected by depression, those who identified as caretakers of adults with depression, and depressed adults themselves. Seeking to discover Americans’ familiarity with depression and treatment options, the survey also uncovered a rising rate of acceptance of depression’s ability to affect people of all profiles and lifestyles, and of psychotherapeutic treatment to help conquer symptoms.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Sarasota Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

There are hardly ever circumstances in which someone hopes to become sad or be overcome by a bad mood, but new research developed at the University of New South Wales may give some people pause when considering how their mood affects their performance. A group of researchers tested news store patrons on their recollection abilities regarding a few odd items left on a counter inside the store, and found that their recall was superior on wet and gloomy days as opposed to bright and dry ones, just one of several experiments suggesting that minds may gain an advantage through the experience of a less than sublime emotional state. Though performance-enhancing sadness isn’t exactly being recommended to the masses, those troubled by bad moods may be able to find something good about their challenges as a result of the work.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Scottsdale Bureau - All Rights Reserved.