A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Though people might not commonly consider shyness an attribute connected with a need for therapy or counseling, those who have grappled with the issue can relate that shyness can be debilitating in many areas of life. Preying upon social connections and making some basic tasks seem monumental, shyness affects millions of people yet is rarely discussed or treated with a deep and serious approach. by contrast, the London Shyness Center has recently been featured for its attention to this issue and how it can be effectively resolved. Promoting self-esteem and a positive attitude, the center’s counseling practices aim to help clients make positive connections and handle big events with confidence.

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Allen Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

By Alissa Sige Weisman, MFT

Is it hard for you to say “NO”, even when you want to? Are you afraid to sound mean or selfish if you speak up? Do you ever say, “Everything is OK”, even when it’s not?

If you answered “yes”, to any of these questions, deep down, you may wish that you could speak your truth without fear of turning people off or pushing them away. Sometimes, you may even be confused about exactly what you want. Imagine being able to identify your thoughts, feelings and desires and confidently express them without letting your anxiety run away with you. Speaking your truth in each moment will bring you more of the satisfying connections that you long for with your partner, your friends, and your family members. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by Sarah Jenkins, MC, LPC

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

I don’t know what it is all about, but all of a sudden, my friends are buying sheep. They find stray goats, are raising chickens, and send their loved ones roses. I, occasionally, get the odd picture of what their more rural life is comprised of, the odd picture of their farms, and all of the latest happenings as they lose their goats, find lost black sheep, and harvest their crops, all in the span of a few hours. And, being a girl who was raised on a farm, with memories of bailing hay and sheering sheep, I get quite confused. For, Facebook’s “Farm” game application captivates its farmers, ironically, to stay inside. And, while social networking is unquestionably powerful, and I am a part of its web, I am constantly reminded of my, our, need to be conscious, in it.

The Art of Connection:

Don’t get me wrong; I am a big advocate for technology. In fact, any and all of my loved ones reading this will giggle and attest that I am zealous in my passion for it. Nevertheless, I am also noticing that as technology increases, connections that are usually developed by sitting in another’s energy, by witnessing their feelings, by being present, seem to be dwindling. We send emails, texts, and messages via social networking applications. Nevertheless, we may never talk. We may communicate, but never speak to or see each other. Then, as a result, the lone “farmer” never gets out to meet with those who are real, outside of that made up world, found in the reflection of his or her computer screen. Read the rest of this entry

By Darren Haber, MFT, Addictions & Compulsions Topic Expert Contributor

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

First I want to thank those of you who took time to comment on my last article. I love getting feedback, so keep it coming.

Last time I discussed what happens when members of alcoholic families, who are alcoholic themselves, get sober. The members of these families tend to fall into certain behavioral patterns, or “roles”, which classically include: the hero, the scapegoat (or identified patient), the mascot, the “lost child” and the caretaker. I wanted to explore further the patterns I have observed in my clinical experience with literally hundreds of clients and their families, both in my private practice and at Promises Treatment Center, where I am a therapist in their 30-day residential program.

What’s interesting to observe is how the entire family dynamic changes once their loved one gets sober. I never cease to wonder at how the client’s stabilization in treatment leads inevitably to an increase in their family’s anxiety. Thus, as soon as the client completes detox and starts showing signs of improvement, the parent or sibling or spouse of the client will call the staff in a more anxious state than ever. This, of course, is a sign that the family’s homeostasis is changing, which is terrifying to a dysfunctional system (which tends to reject change) – another reminder that, to paraphrase James Masterson, clients often come to therapy or treatment to feel better, not necessarily to get better (Masterson & Lieberman, 2004). Read the rest of this entry

GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by Judith Barr, MA, LMHC

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

February is touted as the month of love
with Valentine’s Day almost smack dab in the middle of it!

But do you know what love really is?
Many songs try to tell us.
For example … in John Denver’s song “Perhaps Love”* we are told
Perhaps love is like an ocean, a fire, or thunder,
a window or an open door.

And in the Bette Midler song, “The Rose.”** we are told
Some say love it is a river, a razor, a hunger, a flower. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

In myriad ways, domestic violence can be responsible for taking a toll on quality of life and reducing victims’ overall well-being, and therapists and counselors along with other professionals in the psychology and psychiatry fields are frequently engaged in seeking ways to reduce or altogether end this issue among clients. When pregnant women are subjected to abuse by their partners, the effects can be especially devastating, potentially leading to physical health problems for the mother and child. Recently, a study performed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Washington, D.C. found that through interventional counseling, pregnant women self-reporting for abuse at home were not only likely to experience diminished rates of violence, but were also prone to avoiding severely premature births.

The study separated participants into two groups; one received normal obstetric care, while the other received normal care in addition to counseling aimed at identifying and reducing violence and abuse, treating depression, and helping women to quit smoking. The results showed that among women who identified as being abused, those in the interventional counseling group experienced incidents of abuse at a rate of less than half of that endured before the counseling was administered. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Concord Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The idea that therapy and counseling clients may think differently about treatments based on their costs may not exactly be novel, but the severity of bias, along with the changed behavior of caregivers themselves in dispensing advice and recommending referrals, might not be as readily expected. A study conducted at the Virginia Commonwealth University recently explored these issues and revealed that compared to a period when counseling services for obesity and smoking cessation were offered with funding, clients and caregivers were far less likely to take advantage of services or discuss them when the funding was revoked. The study may help public health officials understand how to provide better access to care.

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Columbia Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Cities often have differing methods of preventing homicides and other types of violence, and a program in Chicago has been successful in lowering homicide rates while inspiring other cities to develop similar initiatives. Kansas City, in particular, has created a program called Aim4Peace, which delivers counseling, therapy, and other preventive care to those at-risk for acts of violence against others. But as funding for such programs becomes ever more difficult to find, some are considering whether Aim4Peace should continue to be supported at all, leaving many advocates concerned over the future of quality preventive care for some of humanity’s most pressing issues.

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Baltimore Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Understanding how people are prone to behaving in various potentially traumatic settings is an important component of modern psychology and can also inform government agencies and hospitals as they create protocols for handling pandemics. A study just performed at University College London has shown that people tend to respond positively to government advice on prevention and management of disease when they trust authority. The study also found that women and older generations tended to be more responsive to government-provided measures and ideas. The research may help public health agencies and leaders improve their efficacy in the future.

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Longwood Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

Today GoodTherapy.org members enjoyed the 3rd event in our 2010Teleconference Series: Trauma Treatment State of the Art: Understanding Phasic Nervous System Process presented by Steven Hoskinson. A big thank you to Steve for a fascinating and comprehensive presentation on trauma.

Please feel free, if you have questions or comments about Steve’s presentation, to post a comment.

Steven Hoskinson, MA, MAT, consults and trains internationally under the auspices of Hoskinson Consulting in Encinitas, CA. For over a decade, Steven has taught Somatic Experiencing as Senior International Instructor for the Foundation for Human Enrichment. His research interests are in Creativity, Myth and Spirituality. Steven’s perspectives include: Evolutionary, Developmental, Cognitive-Behavioral, Depth & Dynamic Psychology and System Approaches all within a mindfulness framework. Other major influences include personal mentoring with Peter Levine, a longstanding mindfulness practice, and over a decade as a practicing Aikidoist. He has consulted on trauma relief projects in the Middle East, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For those of you interested in more information about Steven, you can visit his website: http://www.HoskinsonConsulting.org.

Thanks to all of you who attended today’s event,
Noah :)

Noah Rubinstein, LMFT
Executive Director

http://www.GoodTherapy.org

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Coral Gables Bureau - All Rights Reserved.