A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Coping with the effects of an auto-immune disorder can be difficult for many clients, both within a physical and a mental scope. Finding ways to help reduce suffering and enhance quality of life for such clients has been developing significantly as a quest in psychological practices, and a recent study completed in Spain has found that CBT, or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, may be able to aid those with the auto-immune disorder lupus. Participants involved with either CBT or regular care were assessed for their levels of stress, quality of life, relevant antibodies, and other factors relating to both psychological and physical health. The researchers found that those who received a ten-week course of CBT had improved their psychological factors along with some of their somatic symptoms through a fifteen month follow-up period, suggesting significant benefits may be delivered with this type of care.

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

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Each year as the sun begins to tuck its familiar summer warmth into a gray blanket of clouds, some people just can’t seem to get into the Autumn spirit. Feelings of loss, sadness, remorse, and other negative and often strong emotions may arise, making it difficult to enjoy day to day living. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, can be difficult to control, and finding a positive treatment mechanism is a goal among many mental health professionals. Recently, a study at the University of Vermont showed that the application of cognitive behavioral therapy, especially when administered with light therapy in combination, was linked to a significantly lower rate of recurrence of SAD among participants than recurrence levels reported a year after therapy implementation by those receiving light therapy alone, as well as those in the wait-list control group.

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

By Becki A. Hein, MS, LPC, Anxiety Topic Expert Contributor

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

One of the most common requests I get from clients in my psychotherapy practice is “Please help me get rid of this anxiety!” I then get to explain the Bad news and the Good news. The Bad news is that you are not going to get rid of your anxiety. In fact, it would be harmful to not be able to feel anxious. Anxiety and fear come with being alive. Anxiety can be useful when it causes you to be extra alert or careful, such as when you are walking to your car in a dark parking lot or when you are taking a test. Human beings were designed to feel anxious when faced with danger or a challenge. The fight or flight response is triggered causing adrenaline and other chemicals to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, narrow our focus of attention, and enable us to do what we need to do to stay alive. However, human beings were not designed to be chronically anxious. Recent studies have shown that chronic anxiety plays a major part in either causing or exacerbating several physical illnesses, including heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and chronic respiratory disorders. Therefore, it is a good thing to learn to manage your anxiety. That brings us to the Good news. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

The many benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy are widely lauded among both mental health professionals and the clients who have benefited from its introduction into their lives. In particular, those experiencing symptoms of depression are likely to gain a great deal of personal empowerment and inspiration from undergoing a course of cognitive behavioral therapy, achieving a greater understanding of themselves and the world at large through examining thoughts and behaviors. Unfortunately, access to this form of treatment as well as psychotherapy at large is significantly limited in many parts of the world, and those who may stand to benefit most from CBT are often unable to find a practitioner or to afford treatment.

Explorations in the viability of online delivery of CBT have been underway for quite some time, and more advanced and precise investigations are being made into the possibility of reaching out to those without reasonable access to mental health care through the utility of the internet. Recently, a team of researchers in the United Kingdom set out to discover whether CBT delivered in real time by a qualified therapist was capable of showing promise for recovery in those with feelings of depression. After an eight month follow-up with clients who were diagnosed with depression and participated either in general health care or an online CBT program, the researchers found that those involved with cognitive behavioral therapy showed a recovery rate of nearly fifty percent, about double the rate of the control group. Read the rest of this entry

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

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Typically, those who experience strong compulsions to perform certain tasks or routines repeatedly with concerns about the perceived consequences of not doing so are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder, a mental health issue that can become debilitating for some people. This issue has traditionally been classified as relating to health concerns involving anxiety, but a review carried out at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that OCD may stem from purely biological causes. While the review is far from being conclusive, it notes that a combination of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive behavioral therapy is most promising for modern recovery.

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