It has long been known that depression increase the risk of heart disease by as much as 50%. A new study of Veterans in San Francisco indicates that the reason for this may be surprisingly simple: depressed people rarely exercise, and lack of exercise is well-known contributor to heart ailments. Doctors at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco tracked the behaviors of 1,017 patients... Read More
A new study at Howard University, Washington, DC, has discovered that having a purpose in life may protect against the potential psychological effects of trauma and be helpful to recovery for those who do develop a trauma-related psychiatric disorder (Alim, Feder & Graves, 2008). Principal investigator, Tanya N. Alim, MD, said the findings show a significant relationship between purpose in life prior... Read More
Several studies demonstrate the profound benefit of meditation on emotions, the brain, and mental health. The use of sophisticated technologies has made it possible to prove empirically what many therapists have believed for years – and what Buddhists, Hindus, and other religious and spiritual schools have taught for millennia. Regular meditation in particular has a measurable effect on a several brain structures related to attention, and can actually change the physical structure... Read More
“The task is to recognize our interdependence, honor boundaries and differences, and remember connectedness.” - Dyrian Benz “Find the optimum closeness/distance to enable you to experience your OWN unique center of aliveness and awareness, as well as the other’s unique center.” - Mukara Meredith Good boundaries are a centerpiece for safe and successful relationships. Boundaries are, as well, the space that people consider part of their identity. Skin is the physical boundary. People also have energetic and emotional... Read More
A new study from the University of Maryland sociology department provides evidence for what many teachers, parents, and therapists have long suspected: Happy people watch less tv. John Robinson, UM sociology and the author of the study, and his colleagues relied on 35 years of data collected by the University of Chicago General Social Survey from about 45,000 Americans. The UM study looked at peoples’ level of happiness and then drew correlations with 10 activities, including going to church,... Read More
A research report released in late October by the VA (Veteran’s Administration) states that 15% of military personnel who received some medical service from the VA suffered sexual trauma while in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to Reuters. The majority of those who screened positively for sexual trauma were women, one in seven who sought some form of VA service after leaving the military. The VA documented that one percent of men discharged from the military reported sexual trauma. All VA medical service users are screened for sexual trauma,... Read More
“When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” - C.S. Lewis After my childhood, then teenage years, my musings and passion for creative writing “grew up,” succumbing to the norms that college and graduate school required. My journals, having unceremoniously insisted that they be my comfort and companion through every experience, were buried under my “adult” responsibilities. I meant to write and I was inspired to. Nevertheless, I rarely did.... Read More
New York State has just joined the movement for evidenced-based best practices in a big way. The state is currently developing the Evidence-Based Practice Technical Assistance Center (EBP-TAC) to help upgrade New York State’s mental health services. The State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Columbia Medical Center’s New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) are collaborating to “improve mental health services, insure accountability, and promote recovery-oriented... Read More
A new study suggests yet another use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in helping people change their behaviors, this time in the treatment of smokers who suffer depression after a heart attack and are using tobacco to cope. Smoking is a severe risk factor in cardiac arrest, but quitting can of course be very difficult. CBT plus good social support seems to significantly enhance... Read More
Dear Members and Visitors to GoodTherapy.org, Today the GoodTherapy.org Team and many GT members enjoyed the third event in our Fall Teleconference Series: 'Addictions, Compulsions, & Self-Sabotage: A Multi-level Approach to Trauma’s Legacy' presented by Dusty Miller, Ed.D. Big thank yous to Dusty for presenting on her approach to helping people with trauma. Dusty Miller, Ed.D. is a psychologist, consultant and writer. She is the Director of the ATRIUM institute in Belchertown, Massachusetts. She is the... Read More
© Copyright 2008 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist San Diego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine supports the effectiveness of combined medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy for children with anxiety. The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, utilized sertraline, which is sold under Pfizer’s brand name Zoloft, to treat a majority of 488 kids, aged 7-17. Some of the subjects also received CBT, and some got CBT alone. The rest were given a placebo. The results were... Read More
