More on Bullying: What It Means For Bullies Themselves

October 8th, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary Bullying has been a high-profile issue in the media lately, but it’s been on the radars of therapists, counselors, and psychologists for far longer. A number of studies have been published over the last few years that examine the consequences of bullying not just for bullying victims, but also for the bullies themselves. While children who bully seem to be those in control of the bully-victim relationship, it’s often a result of poor relationships and problems in other areas of that child’s life. One... Read More

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

Grief Decisions and Depression

October 7th, 2010  |  

Sometimes, when people experience a terrible loss, especially if it’s a traumatic loss, they make a life-changing decision in the middle of the intense emotional pain, often without even realizing it or remembering it. This decision can potentially affect them for the rest of their lives, and can cause chronic depression. People do this as a way of coping with the loss. In the shock of loss, people focus very narrowly on getting through each excruciating moment. Thoughts like “I’ll never love again” or I’ll never trust again” seem at the time like ways to avoid ever feeling this... Read More

Life, Stress and Art Therapy

October 6th, 2010  |  

The news media is filled with negative stories depicting despicable people who were put into powerful positions either by election (politicians) or by talent (sports/entertainment). Newspapers often read like cheap tabloids. We’re bombarded by images online of politicians who are bilking taxpayers of billions of dollars and sports/entertainment heroes whose lives are out-of-control. We are lured to click onto seductive headlines by wiggling bodies vying for our attention. Crime on the streets and in neighborhoods is rising at alarming rates. Promises of health care reform have not trickled down... Read More

The Eating Disorder Board Game

October 5th, 2010  |  

I often say, when explaining eating disorders, that someday I’m going to invent the Eating Disorder Board Game. I certainly don’t meant to make light of eating disorders, for they are serious conditions that cause tremendous pain to those that suffer from them and to those close to the sufferer. It’s just that I’m big on using analogies to explain the significance of eating-disordered beliefs and behaviors. The Eating Disorder Board Game is one that I use to illustrate one of the salient issues involved in an eating disorder: arrested psychological development. Imagine a board game... Read More

With Early Therapy and Intervention, Kids Are Less Likely To Develop PTSD

September 30th, 2010  |  

While many adults perceive kids to either be “too young to understand” or otherwise resilient in the face of serious situations, PTSD is surprisingly common. One in five children who have experienced a car accident, physical assault, sexual assault, a sports injury, or who have witnessed violence is likely to have serious trouble overcoming the experience. But a new approach, which works with both children and families, seeks to prevent PTSD by intervening in the time between the trauma itself and the onset of psychological distress.... Read More

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

If Already Struggling, Kids Exposed To Major Disaster Fare Even Worse

September 5th, 2010  |  

Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill have drawn increased attention to the mental health and well being of those who experience major disasters. Recent studies have also illuminated the lack, even five years later, of adequate counseling, therapy, and mental health support for children affected by the hurricane. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice has found that children who have already been victimized (through peer violence, domestic abuse, parental maltreatment... Read More

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

Trauma is a Seed of Depression

September 3rd, 2010  |  

In my practice, people trace depression back to trauma most of the time. Emotional trauma is an overwhelming shock to a person’s equilibrium. This may mean getting attacked emotionally, physically or sexually, or witnessing such attacks. It can happen in war, rape, murder, accidents, and even well-intentioned medical procedures. It can also happen in single or repeated incidents of shaming or emotional/verbal attack. It can even happen when heart-breaking losses of any kind occur. When people are traumatized, it often shapes something they believe about themselves or about life. These trauma-induced... Read More

Mothers Leaving Abusive Relationships Still Struggle Psychologically

August 26th, 2010  |  

For women in abusive relationships, getting out of the relationship is very difficult. But it is only the beginning of the struggle. While one might imagine that quality of life improves immediately after leaving the abuser, a new study shows this is not the case. Women—specifically mothers—who leave abusers still struggle with depression and anxiety levels similar to those they experienced while in the relationship, a new study shows. The study’s authors stress that the finding doesn’t... Read More

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

“Exclusively Women” Program Provides Much-Needed Services in Portland, OR

August 24th, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary “The shortage of mental health services in Portland is well documented,” notes Mike Sherbun of Cedar Hills Hospital. Now, a new program at that hospital is offering a range of much-needed services to help one portion of the population in particular: women. Named “Exclusively Women,” the program provides a number of different therapy strategies to help women overcome a number of different psychological and behavioral health issues. The program utilizes a number of mental health professionals... Read More

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

Bullying Victims Often Suffer Academic Setbacks as a Result

August 22nd, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary The problem of bullying in elementary, middle school, and high school settings—whether during the school day, after school, or online—is gaining increasing attention. And the more we learn about it, the more serious the problem seems. Many past studies have documented that victims of bullying are more likely to be depressed and anxious, both during adolescence and as they grow into adults. They may be less confident, less outgoing, and struggle with mental health problems throughout their lives. Research has also shown that bullies themselves are likely to... Read More

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

Domestic Violence Perpetrators Share Personality Traits Across Both Genders

August 12th, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary A new study conducted by the University of British Columbia looks at the characteristics and behavioral patterns of female perpetrators of domestic violence. Most studies of people who become abusive have looked predominantly, if not exclusively, at males. But a substantial number of women are harmful to those around them. According to the study, which was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, female batterers fall into the same three common categories that male batterers do. Some are violent and... Read More

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

Therapy For Abusive Mothers: What Makes a Difference?

August 1st, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary For adults who were physically or verbally abused as children, psychotherapy is an important step in working through the difficult emotions these experiences have created. But what about children currently living with an abusive parent? Providing one-on-one therapy, parenting coaching, and emotional support to abusive mothers drastically improves their parenting skills and treatment of their children, a new Texas study has shown. Many programs like Project Support exist in states around the country,... Read More

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

Survivors of Sexual Abuse Experience More Psychiatric Distress

July 14th, 2010  |  

Mayo Clinic recently released a report linking sexual abuse, at any age, with subsequent psychiatric trouble later in life. A number of major mental health issues are strongly associated with sexual abuse, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep disorders, suicide attempts, and post-traumatic stress. Rape strengthens the likelihood that such conditions will develop. Interestingly, researchers also find that some people seem genetically predisposed to overcoming sexual abuse without developing major... Read More

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

Childhood Hardships Increase Teenage Drinking, Adult Suicide

July 8th, 2010  |  

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary The need for treatment after traumatic childhood experiences has been highlighted by two studies, released within weeks of one another, which draw striking connections between childhood hardship and serious behavioral and mental health problems later in life. The first, published in the open-access journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, looked at over 9,000 individuals aged 12-19 living in four different sub-Saharan African countries.  This was one of the first studies to specifically address... Read More

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