Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed as a disability in
children who are inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. Children with ADHD suffer
from acting with thoroughly thinking through a situation. Although a definite cause
of ADHD has not being found, scientists believe a low number of neurotransmitters,
heredity history, and environmental toxins play a large correlation with the
disability. About 90 percent of children who have ADHD take a stimulant medication
such as Adderall to stimulate the pre-fontal cortex which is responsible for
attention and impulsivity. Research has also shown that exercise also plays a large
role in stimulating neurotransmitters associated with ADHD.
"Ask Howard" Blog
When are children responsible?
The childhood playfulness of attention comparative study between preschool and elementary school children had some very interesting results.
The fact that children under the age of six do not have the cognitive reasoning to realize that making a decision with insufficient information will statistically correlate in a wrong answer essentially gives them a moral free pass when deciding upon actions.
Therefore, children should not necessarily be responsible for their moral decisions under the age of 6, because attention and reason are not yet connected. So next time my 4 year-old cousin decides “wrongly”, it may not be his fault, yet, and it will be difficult for me to scold him.
The fact that children under the age of six do not have the cognitive reasoning to realize that making a decision with insufficient information will statistically correlate in a wrong answer essentially gives them a moral free pass when deciding upon actions.
Therefore, children should not necessarily be responsible for their moral decisions under the age of 6, because attention and reason are not yet connected. So next time my 4 year-old cousin decides “wrongly”, it may not be his fault, yet, and it will be difficult for me to scold him.
Importance of Early Education
At age 19 I found myself teaching "headstart" in the urban village (slum) Savan, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
The vital importance of this program was far more signicant to these children than their wealthier USA neigbors. It led me to a life long committment to "early childhood" experience to prepare people for the world of learning.
(side note) couple years ago my family stopped on a cruise for a day in St. Thomas, rented a car and found one of the schools I used to teach in. 45 years later, no longer a ramshakle shack with no running water, it was a modern elementry school that could have been in any us city. It had a huge sign that read PEACE CORPS ELEMENTRY SCHOOL! I got tearful and embaressed my sons.
Founded by Friedrich Froebel in 1840, the kindergarten-childcare center grew out of the necessity for children to experience careful nurturing which inhibited successful development. Pre-school programs in modern times follow three basic principles in order to maintain a developmentally sound atmosphere. The three princes are to understand each child develops on their own path, know children learn best through firsthand experiences, and recognize play is extremely important to overall childhood development. Furthermore, the child must be exposed to developmentally appropriate practices for their age in order to help, and not hinder, their development. For example, a child at a daycare allowing children to bully one another inhibits notions of learning empathy and compassion and eventually will lead to problems in emotional development. Overall, as long as they daycares strictly follow the three principles and use developmentally appropriate practices when instructing, childhood development should blossom successfully into the middle and late childhood.
Lake Mary, FL Home!
My wife and I bought a house in Lake Mary in 1994 and still live there. I opened the Lake Mary Counseling Center and raised our two boys here. One is currently in Law School and the other in Nursing School. There is so much to praise about living and working and raising a family in Lake Mary.
Its takes a village,
My son's are off on their educations but credit goes to the teachers at Rock Lake Middle School and Lake Mary High School. Thanks to the dedicated teachers, coaches, Band Directors, and Pop Warner Volunteers.
Lake Mary has been recognized as a great place to live by Money Magazine. Here are some of their comments and information about Lake Mary.
WINNER
Top 100 rank: 96
Its takes a village,
My son's are off on their educations but credit goes to the teachers at Rock Lake Middle School and Lake Mary High School. Thanks to the dedicated teachers, coaches, Band Directors, and Pop Warner Volunteers.
Lake Mary has been recognized as a great place to live by Money Magazine. Here are some of their comments and information about Lake Mary.
WINNER
Population: 15,100
Work has started on the new commuter rail!
Thoughts about baby crying!
Crying is one of the most basic reactions and communications skills an infant develops. Cries provide an array of information from “Change Me” to “I’m Breathing” to the caregivers supporting the infant and essentially allow infants to communicate with the world around them. According Dondi, Simion, & Caltran in 1999 babies have at leas three types of cries. The first type of cry, known as the basic cry, has a rhythmic pattern of a loud cry, followed by a silence, which then continues with a high pitched whistle, followed by another silence. This pattern will continue until the infant receives what he or she is looking for such as food. The second type of cry is the angry cry consisting of the same rhythmic pattern as the basic cry, but with the addition of excess air being forced though the vocal chords. The final type of cry is the pain cry which consists of an initial loud cry, followed by breath holding with no moaning present. This type of cry must be provoked from a very intense stimulus.
Thoughts about use of IQ tests
Although IQ tests hold the ability to test an individual’s intelligence threshold, the tests tend to have a natural bias that needs to be forewarned. For instance, the stereotype threat occurs when disadvantaged groups within a society, such as the African American children of the 1960s, are tested and “expected” to earn a certain score on the test. The anxiety that comes along with expectations lowers the score averages and therefore nullifies the validity of the test as impartial. Furthermore, cultural differences open a fair amount of criticisms from researchers that believe the test is geared toward western, progressive, English-speaking, industrialized, children of a society. Overall, when taking the test, children should disassociate with the expected stereotypes, know that the test is not the sole predictor of intelligence, and know that full interruption of the score requires caution.
Texting May Be Taking It's Toll
| I found this interesting article on texting and teens.
Howard Sherman LCSW | |
| By KATIE HAFNER
Published: May 25, 2009 The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss They do it late at night when their parents are asleep. They do it in restaurants and while crossing busy streets. They do it in the classroom with their hands behind their back. They do it so much their thumbs hurt. Spurred by the unlimited texting plans offered by carriers like AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless, American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Nielsen Company — almost 80 messages a day, more than double the average of a year earlier. The phenomenon is beginning to worry physicians and psychologists, who say it is leading to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation. Dr. Martin Joffe, a pediatrician in Greenbrae, Calif., recently surveyed students at two local high schools and said he found that many were routinely sending hundreds of texts every day. “That’s one every few minutes,” he said. “Then you hear that these kids are responding to texts late at night. That’s going to cause sleep issues in an age group that’s already plagued with sleep issues.” The rise in texting is too recent to have produced any conclusive data on health effects. But Sherry Turkle, a psychologist who is director of the Initiative on Technology and Self at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and who has studied texting among teenagers in the Boston area for three years, said it might be causing a shift in the way adolescents develop. “Among the jobs of adolescence are to separate from your parents, and to find the peace and quiet to become the person you decide you want to be,” she said. “Texting hits directly at both those jobs.” Psychologists expect to see teenagers break free from their parents as they grow into autonomous adults, Professor Turkle went on, “but if technology makes something like staying in touch very, very easy, that’s harder to do; now you have adolescents who are texting their mothers 15 times a day, asking things like, ‘Should I get the red shoes or the blue shoes?’ ” As for peace and quiet, she said, “if something next to you is vibrating every couple of minutes, it makes it very difficult to be in that state of mind. “If you’re being deluged by constant communication, the pressure to answer immediately is quite high,” she added. “So if you’re in the middle of a thought, forget it.” Michael Hausauer, a psychotherapist in Oakland, Calif., said teenagers had a “terrific interest in knowing what’s going on in the lives of their peers, coupled with a terrific anxiety about being out of the loop.” For that reason, he said, the rapid rise in texting has potential for great benefit and great harm. “Texting can be an enormous tool,” he said. “It offers companionship and the promise of connectedness. At the same time, texting can make a youngster feel frightened and overly exposed.” Texting may also be taking a toll on teenagers’ thumbs. Annie Wagner, 15, a ninth-grade honor student in Bethesda, Md., used to text on her tiny LG phone as fast as she typed on a regular keyboard. A few months ago, she noticed a painful cramping in her thumbs. (Lately, she has been using the iPhone she got for her 15th birthday, and she says texting is slower and less painful.) Peter W. Johnson, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington, said it was too early to tell whether this kind of stress is damaging. But he added, “Based on our experiences with computer users, we know intensive repetitive use of the upper extremities can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, so we have some reason to be concerned that too much texting could lead to temporary or permanent damage to the thumbs.” Annie said that although her school, like most, forbids cellphone use in class, with the LG phone she could text by putting it under her coat or desk. Her classmate Ari Kapner said, “You pretend you’re getting something out of your backpack.” Teachers are often oblivious. “It’s a huge issue, and it’s rampant,” said Deborah Yager, a high school chemistry teacher in Castro Valley, Calif. Ms. Yager recently gave an anonymous survey to 50 of her students; most said they texted during class. “I can’t tell when it’s happening, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” she said. “And I’m not going to take the time every day to try to police it.” Dr. Joffe says parents tend to be far less aware of texting than of, say, video game playing or general computer use, and the unlimited plans often mean that parents stop paying attention to billing details. “I talk to parents in the office now,” he said. “I’m quizzing them, and no one is thinking about this.” Still, some parents are starting to take measures. Greg Hardesty, a reporter in Lake Forest, Calif., said that late last year his 13-year-old daughter, Reina, racked up 14,528 texts in one month. She would keep the phone on after going to bed, switching it to vibrate and waiting for it to light up and signal an incoming message. Mr. Hardesty wrote a column about Reina’s texting in his newspaper, The Orange County Register, and in the flurry of attention that followed, her volume soared to about 24,000 messages. Finally, when her grades fell precipitously, her parents confiscated the phone. Reina’s grades have since improved, and the phone is back in her hands, but her text messages are limited to 5,000 per month — and none between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays. Yet she said there was an element of hypocrisy in all this: her mother, too, is hooked on the cellphone she carries in her purse. “She should understand a little better, because she’s always on her iPhone,” Reina said. “But she’s all like, ‘Oh well, I don’t want you texting.’ ” (Her mother, Manako Ihaya, said she saw Reina’s point.) Professor Turkle can sympathize. “Teens feel they are being punished for behavior in which their parents indulge,” she said. And in what she calls a poignant twist, teenagers still need their parents’ undivided attention. “Even though they text 3,500 messages a week, when they walk out of their ballet lesson, they’re upset to see their dad in the car on the BlackBerry,” she said. “The fantasy of every adolescent is that the parent is there, waiting, expectant, completely there for them.” | |
What is ADHD/Does exercise help?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed as a disability in children who are inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. Children with ADHD suffer from acting with thoroughly thinking through a situation. Although a definite cause of ADHD has not being found, scientists believe a low number of neurotransmitters, heredity history, and environmental toxins play a large correlation with the disability. About 90 percent of children who have ADHD take a stimulant medication such as Adderall to stimulate the pre-fontal cortex which is responsible for attention and impulsivity. Research has also shown that exercise also plays a large role in stimulating neurotransmitters associated with ADHD.
Consumer Report study on Psychotherapy/Counseling
I found this very comprehensive study of the effectiveness of counseling. Here is the abstract and a link to the full study.
Martin E. P. Seligman
Abstract. Consumer Reports (1995, November) published an article which concluded that patients benefited very substantially from psychotherapy, that long-term treatment did considerably better than short-term treatment, and that psychotherapy alone did not differ in effectiveness from medication plus psychotherapy. Furthermore, no specific modality of psychotherapy did better than any other for any disorder; psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers did not differ in their effectiveness as treaters; and all did better than marriage counselors and long-term family doctoring. Patients whose length of therapy or choice of therapist was limited by insurance or managed care did worse. The methodological virtues and drawbacks of this large-scale survey are examined and contrasted with the more traditional efficacy study, in which patients are randomized into a manualized, fixed duration treatment or into control groups. I conclude that the Consumer Reports survey complements the efficacy method, and that the best features of these two methods can be combined into a more ideal method that will best provide empirical validation of psychotherapy.
horan.asu.edu/cpy702readings/seligman/seligman.html
The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy
The Consumer Reports Study
Martin E. P. Seligman
University of Pennsylvania
Abstract. Consumer Reports (1995, November) published an article which concluded that patients benefited very substantially from psychotherapy, that long-term treatment did considerably better than short-term treatment, and that psychotherapy alone did not differ in effectiveness from medication plus psychotherapy. Furthermore, no specific modality of psychotherapy did better than any other for any disorder; psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers did not differ in their effectiveness as treaters; and all did better than marriage counselors and long-term family doctoring. Patients whose length of therapy or choice of therapist was limited by insurance or managed care did worse. The methodological virtues and drawbacks of this large-scale survey are examined and contrasted with the more traditional efficacy study, in which patients are randomized into a manualized, fixed duration treatment or into control groups. I conclude that the Consumer Reports survey complements the efficacy method, and that the best features of these two methods can be combined into a more ideal method that will best provide empirical validation of psychotherapy.
horan.asu.edu/cpy702readings/seligman/seligman.html
Thoughts about school sports.
Critics argue that, although sports programs allow children to be active and develop greater gross and fine motor skills, children are being forced into win-at-all-costs atmosphere driven by extreme pressure for figure heads such as parents, teachers, and coaches. When the sport starts to become the main focus of the child’s life then their development is especially at risk to these factors. Prevention from these highly stressful environments while still gaining the benefits of the athletic lifestyle would be to make sure the organization emphasize the right aspects of playing a sport. The emphasis must not be placed on winning while losing must be a positive learning experience to the coach. Parents must also make sure that they are not overly involved in the activity and express to their healthy outlets such as free-time if they seem overly stressed by the recreational activity.
How do I choose a therapist?
If you have made the decision to look for professional help you are beginning a journey that takes courage. Even looking for a therapist is an unfamiliar task for most people, and it can be a frightening thing to do. In fact, it can be very uncomfortable for almost anyone.
So where do you start? Ask around and get some feedback from others. Talk to your physician or lawyer, or a friend who has been in therapy for a situation similar to yours. Ask your pastor for a suggestion, or call a national association or a local support group that specializes in your area of concern. Google your area of need on the internet and add the word "psychotherapy." Try to get several names. Particularly look for names that come up more than once.
It is important to look for a therapist who is familiar with your area of concern. Go for a consultation and ask about the help you might need. Make a point of clarifying any questions you have about the therapist. Ask him about his training, or ask her if she is experienced with your type of difficulty. Ask directly about fees, how she might go about helping someone with your problem. Ask about specialty areas.
Ask yourself if the therapist seemed to pay attention to what you say. Does he answer your questions or beat around the bush? Does he seem at ease with you? Do you seem at ease with him? Look until you find a therapist in whom you feel confident. This is important.
Seek therapy that is within your financial means so that you will not have to quit prematurely. Good therapy can sometimes be found at community mental health centers, where fees tend to be lower than in the private sector. However, many community mental health centers are overloaded with work, and you may have be willing to wait for a therapist to become available.
Paying a high fee is no guarantee that you will receive good help, but if you do have to pay a high fee to get the help you need, then it is worth it. A good therapist can help you do lots of good work between sessions to shorten the number of sessions needed. Also, many people improve their effectiveness at work because of therapy to the point that they earn quicker promotions or find the courage to find a better paying job, eventually earning back the money they paid for psychotherapy.
Information about couples counseling
Couple’s counseling is based on the premise that individuals and their problems are best handled within the context of the couple’s relationship. Typically, both partners in the relationship attend the counseling session to discuss the couple’s specific issues. The aim of couple’s counseling is to help a couple deal appropriately with their immediate problems and to learn better ways of relating in general.
Couples therapy or couple’s counseling is a useful modality of help for couples who are experiencing difficulties such as repetitive arguments, feelings of distance or emptiness in the relationship, pervasive feelings of anger, resentment and or dissatisfaction or lack of interest in affection or in a physical relationship with one another.1
According to the 2000 Census the majority of American society chose to reside or live with a partner. 52% of US households are maintained by married couples, and there is an increase in the number of couples living together from 3.3 million in 1990 to 5.5 million in 2000.2 Nationwide in 2000, there were 21,000 marriage and family therapists helping couples work through and deal with their relationship issues.3
In a review of the literature through mid-1996, Pinsof, Wynne, and Hambright (1996: Pinsof & Wynne, 1995) concluded that significant data exists support the efficacy of family and couples therapy and that there is no evidence indicating that couples are harmed when they undergo treatment.4
Research outcomes on couples counseling suggest the following:
- At the end of couple’s therapy, 75% of couples receiving therapy are better off than similar couples who did not receive therapy.
- Sixty five percent of couples report "significant" improvement based on averaged scores of marital "satisfaction."
- Most couples will benefit from therapy, but both spouses will not necessarily experience the same outcomes or benefits.
- Therapies that produce the greatest gain and are able to maintain that gain over the long amount of time, tend to affect the couple's emotional bonds and help the spouse's work together to achieve a greater level of "differentiation" or emotional maturity.5
In determining as a couple what type of therapist that you wish to receive treatment from keep in mind that according to a large-scale survey of over 4,000 Consumer Reports readers showed in 1995, people in therapy generally rated psychologists, clinical social workers, and psychiatrists about as equally effective in helping their clients.6
Couples today feel increasingly isolated and are expected to manage their lives and families without the community supports that in the past were a primary resource in raising children and meeting family needs. Couples in our present culture are less bound by family traditions and are freer than ever before to develop relationships unlike those of the families that they were raised in.7
With the aid of a qualified clinician, couples can bring peace, stability and communication back into their relationship thus affecting their lives and the lives of those most impacted by them and their relationship.
1. Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Couple therapy: Factors influencing a couple’s relationship. Available at www.camh.net/about_addiction_mental_health/couple_therapy_factors.html
2. US Census (2000). Available at http://www.census.gov/
3. US Department of Labor (2000), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at http://www.bls.gov/home.htm
4. Friedlander, M. (1997) The scientific basis of couples and family therapy research. Allyn and Bacon: Boston.
5. Wills, R.M (2001) Effectiveness of therapy. Available at http://www.marriagetherapy.org/dssbhmarriage127.html.
6. Consumer Reports (1995) Available at http://www.consumerreports.org/main/home.jsp?source=DG&AFFID=S145MC0
7. Carter B., McGoldrick M., (1989), The expanded family life cycle; Individual, family, and social perspectives. Allyn and Bacon: Boston.
Short Term-Solution Focused Therapy
With mental health benefits being slashed or all together disappearing, consumers & insurance companies are looking for ways to get in and out of therapy quickly by strategically targeting specific problems. As an old school psychodynamic, existential and humanistic therapist I am impressed with emerging theories of psychological thought called "Post Modern Therapy."
Post Modern includes theoretical orientations such as Solution Focused and Narrative. New lingo includes "externalizing the problem," "strength based" and "resiliency." Most of this work focuses on identifying the problem in a non-judgmental supportive forum, helping the client become aware of their inner resources and strategize solutions to the problem. Although post modern therapy lends well to long-term work it tends to be short-term and highly focused. Insurance companies and clients like these therapies because less sessions mean less out of pocket expense as well as a quicker return to wellness.
Lake Mary Counseling Center is happy to help clients achieve their goals in the shortest possible time.
7 reasons to choose Collaborative Profesionals
If you and your spouse are considering divorce, a new alternative to the usual adversarial approach is collaborative divorce law. This is an area of family law that trains attorneys to negotiate, compromise and create a friendlier environment. It is an effective, new way to end a marriage without the acrimony, anger and resentment of many divorces.
There are seven main benefits to collaborative divorce law, but for it to work both spouses must be committed to working together to have an amicable divorce.
The Advantages
1. You each have more control over the outcome. You can voice your opinions and know that you will be heard.
2. You get to agree to settlement issues based on compromise and fair play instead of having a judge make the final decisions that affect your lives
3. It is less expensive than litigation. Attorney fees and court costs can add up quickly.
4. The process takes less time than litigation because you chose the time and place you meet instead of dealing with the timetable of busy divorce courts.
5. There is far less stress and anxiety involved because you are playing a more active role in the divorce.
6. The goal is to reach a settlement before anyone files papers in divorce court. Once a couple accepts a settlement, then a legally binding agreement is written and once signed by both parties the papers are filed in court for the approval of a judge.
7. You know that you worked together to make life easier for everyone. This is especially important if children are involved.
The Disadvantages
1. None
More and more attorneys, mental health professionals and accountants are involved in collaborative divorce law. If a marriage has come to an end, this is a far better solution for all involved.
Why use Collaborative Divorce?
Educating the public on the vital need to avoid litigation in most family matters is part of the mission of the Lake Mary Counseling Center. Alternative dispute resolution is the best choice for families, children and pocketbooks.
In the next few weeks I will post some information about Collaborative Divorce.
Please feel free to post a response or contact us directly for more information on this progressive new way to settle a divorce.
Why would you use collaborative divorce? If you have a family it is the better approach to take, that’s why. Collaborative divorce is an effective way where each side in the divorce is able to reach a fair solution and resolve differences. With collaborative divorce, it is more a question about if you’re going to treat the divorce like a sensible adult or not.
In the next few weeks I will post some information about Collaborative Divorce.
Please feel free to post a response or contact us directly for more information on this progressive new way to settle a divorce.
Why would you use collaborative divorce? If you have a family it is the better approach to take, that’s why. Collaborative divorce is an effective way where each side in the divorce is able to reach a fair solution and resolve differences. With collaborative divorce, it is more a question about if you’re going to treat the divorce like a sensible adult or not.
Collaborative divorce addresses more than just the legal issues. It looks at the grand scale pictures – looking out for the emotional issues as well. Court, battling out who is going to get what – this is something no child should ever have to be a part of. Kids shouldn’t have to see their mother and father showing such a display of hostility towards one another. It is inconsiderate, unfair, and unkind to them.
Even though you are leaving someone, you are working together to get what best works for everyone else. Use it if you care about your loved ones. Use it if you want to set an example for your children, despite the fact that you are getting divorced.
However, collaborative divorce is not for everyone or every situation. It requires that those involved be committed to working with and not against the other party in order to achieve results.
Collaborative divorce and its participants are committed to creating a process that is safe and that does not cause further harm to the participants and the families involved.
Collaborative divorce results in a negotiated settlement that is reached without the costs and conflict that accompany traditional methods. The atmosphere of collaborative divorce is respectful and much less stressful than traditional litigation. Collaborative divorce provides the parties with an agreement that is designed by the parties, with the assistance of their collaborative divorce lawyers.
Why are we so concerned about what generation you come from?
Normative history-graded influences are common to people of a particular generation within a specific society. Due to historical circumstances, a wide-sweeping occurrence, such as the Vietnam War, greatly affects each generation a particular society in a great, but unique way. For example, the younger generation’s members were drafted and exposed to the horrors of war while the older generation debated to the political and economic implications upon the country. These events became normative when the event was unavoidable, discounting extreme circumstances, and held a lasting and gradable effect on a significant amount of at least one generation with the society.
How important is age in your mental health?
"Age is becoming an irrelevant factor in our modern society." The “age” being referred to in the quote is most likely referring to chronological age, the number years a person has lived since their birth-date. According to Botwinick in 1978, life-span experts believe that chronological is not very relevant in understanding a person’s biological, psychological, and social age. The three prong system in determining development, rather than simply stating a number, states an individual’s biological health, psychological capacity, and the expected social roles of a person. Life-span expert Bernice Neugarten concurs with this understanding of an irrelevant chronological scale, but acknowledges that some social markers such as getting married, still occur at relative chronological ranges.
Questions for LGBT clients might ask in selecting a therapist:
* Are you licensed? How many years have you been practicing?
* I have been feeling (anxious, tense, depressed, etc.). What kind of experience do you have in this area?
* What are your areas of expertise for example, working with children, families, the LGBT community?
* What kind of treatments do you use, and have they been proven effective for dealing with my kind of problems?
* What are your fees? (Fees are usually based on a 45- or 50-minute session.) Do you have a sliding scale fee policy?
* What types of insurance do you accept? Will you bill my insurance company directly? Many insurance companies provide coverage for mental health services. Check with your insurance company to see if these services are covered and for limitations which apply, and how you may obtain these benefits.
* Is the therapist in your preferred provider network?
* How is payment to be made (weekly, monthly, etc.)?
* Does the therapist have experience treating people with problems similar to yours?
* How often should you meet with the therapist?
* How long are the sessions?
* How available will he or she be to you during emergencies at odd hours or during weekends?
* Does the therapist treat other LGBT clients?
* What are the therapist's views about whether being LGBT is a problem?
* If the therapist is not a psychiatrist, is the therapist affiliated with one in case there is a need for medication or hospitalization?
* I have been feeling (anxious, tense, depressed, etc.). What kind of experience do you have in this area?
* What are your areas of expertise for example, working with children, families, the LGBT community?
* What kind of treatments do you use, and have they been proven effective for dealing with my kind of problems?
* What are your fees? (Fees are usually based on a 45- or 50-minute session.) Do you have a sliding scale fee policy?
* What types of insurance do you accept? Will you bill my insurance company directly? Many insurance companies provide coverage for mental health services. Check with your insurance company to see if these services are covered and for limitations which apply, and how you may obtain these benefits.
* Is the therapist in your preferred provider network?
* How is payment to be made (weekly, monthly, etc.)?
* Does the therapist have experience treating people with problems similar to yours?
* How often should you meet with the therapist?
* How long are the sessions?
* How available will he or she be to you during emergencies at odd hours or during weekends?
* Does the therapist treat other LGBT clients?
* What are the therapist's views about whether being LGBT is a problem?
* If the therapist is not a psychiatrist, is the therapist affiliated with one in case there is a need for medication or hospitalization?
Is porn addictive
from WebMD
I copied this article which explains the debate. Porn addiction or compulsion still needs treatment.
Psychologists debate whether people can have an addiction to pornography.
By Martin F. Downs
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
In November 2004, a panel of experts testified before a Senate subcommittee that a product which millions of Americans consume is dangerously addictive. They were talking about pornography.
The effects of porn on the brain were called "toxic" and compared to cocaine. One psychologist claimed "prolonged exposure to pornography stimulates a preference for depictions of group sex, sadomasochistic practices, and sexual contact with animals."
Compulsion or Addiction
The difference between describing the behavior as a compulsion or an addiction is subtle, but important.
Erick Janssen, PhD, a researcher at the Kinsey Institute, criticizes the use of the term addiction when talking about porn because he says it merely describes certain people's behavior as being addiction-like, but treating them as addicts may not help them.
Many people may diagnose themselves as porn addicts after reading popular books on the subject, he says. But mental health professionals have no standard criteria to diagnose porn addiction.
Mary Anne Layden, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of the witnesses at the Senate hearing on pornography addiction. She says the same criteria used to diagnose problems like pathological gambling and substance abuse can be applied to problematic porn use.
"The therapists who treat pornography addicts say they behave just like any other addicts," she tells WebMD.
One of the key features of addiction, she says, is the development of a tolerance to the addictive substance. In the way that drug addicts need increasingly larger doses to get high, she thinks porn addicts need to see more and more extreme material to feel the same level of excitement they first experienced.
"Most of the addicts will say, well, here's the stuff I would never look at, it's so disgusting I would never look at it, whatever that is -- sex with kids, sex with animals, sex involving feces," she says. "At some point they often cross over."
Janssen disputes that people who look at porn typically progress in such a way. "There is absolutely no evidence to support that," he tells WebMD.
I copied this article which explains the debate. Porn addiction or compulsion still needs treatment.
Psychologists debate whether people can have an addiction to pornography.
By Martin F. Downs
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
In November 2004, a panel of experts testified before a Senate subcommittee that a product which millions of Americans consume is dangerously addictive. They were talking about pornography.
The effects of porn on the brain were called "toxic" and compared to cocaine. One psychologist claimed "prolonged exposure to pornography stimulates a preference for depictions of group sex, sadomasochistic practices, and sexual contact with animals."
Compulsion or Addiction
The difference between describing the behavior as a compulsion or an addiction is subtle, but important.
Erick Janssen, PhD, a researcher at the Kinsey Institute, criticizes the use of the term addiction when talking about porn because he says it merely describes certain people's behavior as being addiction-like, but treating them as addicts may not help them.
Many people may diagnose themselves as porn addicts after reading popular books on the subject, he says. But mental health professionals have no standard criteria to diagnose porn addiction.
Mary Anne Layden, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of the witnesses at the Senate hearing on pornography addiction. She says the same criteria used to diagnose problems like pathological gambling and substance abuse can be applied to problematic porn use.
"The therapists who treat pornography addicts say they behave just like any other addicts," she tells WebMD.
One of the key features of addiction, she says, is the development of a tolerance to the addictive substance. In the way that drug addicts need increasingly larger doses to get high, she thinks porn addicts need to see more and more extreme material to feel the same level of excitement they first experienced.
"Most of the addicts will say, well, here's the stuff I would never look at, it's so disgusting I would never look at it, whatever that is -- sex with kids, sex with animals, sex involving feces," she says. "At some point they often cross over."
Janssen disputes that people who look at porn typically progress in such a way. "There is absolutely no evidence to support that," he tells WebMD.
What questions should I ask when looking for an alcohol treatment program?
The federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a list of 12 questions people should consider when selecting a treatment program:
1. Does the program accept your insurance, and if not will they work out an affordable payment plan?
2. Is the program run by trained professionals who are state-accredited or licensed?
3. Is the facility clean, organized, and well-run?
4. Does the program cover the full range of individual needs from medical through vocational and legal?
5. Does the program address sexual orientation and disabilities and provide age, gender, and culturally appropriate treatment services?
6. Is long-term aftercare encouraged, provided, and maintained?
7. Is the treatment plan continuously assessed to ensure it meets changing needs?
8. Are there strategies to engage and keep the individual in longer-term treatment, which increases the chance of success?
9. Is there counseling and other behavioral therapies that enhance the ability to function in the family and community?
10. Is medication, if appropriate, part of the treatment?
11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help the person return to abstinence?
12. Are there services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand the process and support the individual in recovery?
1. Does the program accept your insurance, and if not will they work out an affordable payment plan?
2. Is the program run by trained professionals who are state-accredited or licensed?
3. Is the facility clean, organized, and well-run?
4. Does the program cover the full range of individual needs from medical through vocational and legal?
5. Does the program address sexual orientation and disabilities and provide age, gender, and culturally appropriate treatment services?
6. Is long-term aftercare encouraged, provided, and maintained?
7. Is the treatment plan continuously assessed to ensure it meets changing needs?
8. Are there strategies to engage and keep the individual in longer-term treatment, which increases the chance of success?
9. Is there counseling and other behavioral therapies that enhance the ability to function in the family and community?
10. Is medication, if appropriate, part of the treatment?
11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help the person return to abstinence?
12. Are there services or referrals offered to family members to ensure they understand the process and support the individual in recovery?
What are the different kinds of rehab for alcohol abuse?
We at the Lake Mary Counseling Center asked to evaluate a person and recommend treatment for alcohol programs. A request can come from the patient, a friend, relative, employer, school, and the courts.
Howard Sherman LCSW is trained and certified as a Substance Abuse Professional by the Department of Transportation for evaluation and monitoring of treatment for those holding comercial driving permits such as truck drivers, school bus drivers, fedex drivers, pilots, and comercail boat and ferry captions/
There are many choices of treatment plans and each recommendation is made after a thorough evolution of a persons history, medical and social situation and legal issues.
Some of the programs available:
Hospital- or medical-clinic-based programs. These programs offer both alcohol detox and alcohol rehab on an inpatient basis in specialized units. They are less common than they used to be, primarily because of changes in insurance.
Residential rehab programs. These programs can last from a month to more than a year and take place in a residential environment. Often the treatment is divided into a series of stages that the person goes through. For instance, in the beginning, a patient's contact with others, including friends and family, on the outside is strictly limited. The idea is to develop a primary relationship with the other residents who are also recovering from alcoholism. Eventually, the person will be allowed more contact with people outside the residential community and may even go back to work or school, returning home to the treatment facility each day.
Partial hospitalization or day treatment. These programs provide four to eight hours of treatment a day at a hospital or clinic to people who live at home. They typically run for three months and work best for people with supportive family and a stable home environment.
Outpatient programs. These are run at hospitals, health clinics, community mental health clinics, counselor's offices, and residential facilities with outpatient clinics. Attendance requirements vary, and many of them are run in the evenings and on weekends to allow people to be able to continue to work.
Intensive outpatient programs. These programs require nine to 20 hours of treatment activities per week and run for two months to one year. They work best for people who are motivated to participate and who have supportive families and friends.
Howard Sherman LCSW is trained and certified as a Substance Abuse Professional by the Department of Transportation for evaluation and monitoring of treatment for those holding comercial driving permits such as truck drivers, school bus drivers, fedex drivers, pilots, and comercail boat and ferry captions/
There are many choices of treatment plans and each recommendation is made after a thorough evolution of a persons history, medical and social situation and legal issues.
Some of the programs available:
Hospital- or medical-clinic-based programs. These programs offer both alcohol detox and alcohol rehab on an inpatient basis in specialized units. They are less common than they used to be, primarily because of changes in insurance.
Residential rehab programs. These programs can last from a month to more than a year and take place in a residential environment. Often the treatment is divided into a series of stages that the person goes through. For instance, in the beginning, a patient's contact with others, including friends and family, on the outside is strictly limited. The idea is to develop a primary relationship with the other residents who are also recovering from alcoholism. Eventually, the person will be allowed more contact with people outside the residential community and may even go back to work or school, returning home to the treatment facility each day.
Partial hospitalization or day treatment. These programs provide four to eight hours of treatment a day at a hospital or clinic to people who live at home. They typically run for three months and work best for people with supportive family and a stable home environment.
Outpatient programs. These are run at hospitals, health clinics, community mental health clinics, counselor's offices, and residential facilities with outpatient clinics. Attendance requirements vary, and many of them are run in the evenings and on weekends to allow people to be able to continue to work.
Intensive outpatient programs. These programs require nine to 20 hours of treatment activities per week and run for two months to one year. They work best for people who are motivated to participate and who have supportive families and friends.
What do I do after detox and rehab-
Here at Lake Mary Counseling Center we are often asked to provide follow up services for people completing an intense program.
Many times arrangements are made while you are still in the rehab program and an initial appointments can be made for individual and family sessions before you are discharged. These sessions are typically arranged as part of your discharge plan.
Experts emphasize that it's important to consider someone who has had a problem with alcohol dependence and is now sober to always be in recovery. No alcohol treatment program can guarantee a person will not relapse and begin drinking again. To help prevent relapse, people who have gone through treatment for alcoholism will periodically meet with a counselor or a group. The purpose is to assess how well the person is managing and to offer help in dealing with the challenges of daily living without alcohol.
Many times arrangements are made while you are still in the rehab program and an initial appointments can be made for individual and family sessions before you are discharged. These sessions are typically arranged as part of your discharge plan.
Experts emphasize that it's important to consider someone who has had a problem with alcohol dependence and is now sober to always be in recovery. No alcohol treatment program can guarantee a person will not relapse and begin drinking again. To help prevent relapse, people who have gone through treatment for alcoholism will periodically meet with a counselor or a group. The purpose is to assess how well the person is managing and to offer help in dealing with the challenges of daily living without alcohol.
People ask me what happens if I go to rehab!
Exactly what happens in an alcohol rehab program depends on what kind of program it is -- for instance, whether it's a live-in program or an outpatient one. But there are certain elements that are common to all.
Initial assessment. When a person is first admitted to an alcohol rehab program, that person receives a thorough clinical assessment. The assessment is then used to help determine the best approach to treatment. It is also used to help develop the treatment plan.
During the initial assessment a counselor will ask questions about:
* The amount of alcohol a person drinks
* How long the person has been using alcohol
* Cultural issues around the use of alcohol
* The effect alcohol has had on the person's life
* Medical history
* Current medical problems or needs
* Medications being taken
* Mental health or behavioral issues
* Family and social issues and needs
* Legal and financial issues the person is confronting
* Educational background and needs
* Current living situation
* Home environment
* Employment history, stability, problems, and needs
* Previous experience with rehab or attempts to quit using alcohol
If it's determined during the initial assessment that there are urgent medical issues that need to be addressed or that the person needs a detox program, the person will be referred to a doctor who will oversee this part of the person's care.
Development of a plan. Following the assessment and provision of medical care, the person will be assigned a counselor or case manager. Together they will work out a detailed treatment plan. The plan will identify problems, goals, and details about how to address the problems and reach the goals. That plan will be carried out by a team of trained individuals that can include a social worker, counselor, doctors, nurses, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other professional.
Group and individual counseling. Counseling is an integral part of the treatment for alcoholism. Counseling gives the individual in rehab tools to accomplish important goals:
* Overcome denial
* Recognize problems
* Become motivated to solve problems
* Address mental health issues such as depression or anxiety disorders
* Change behavior
* Re-establish healthy connections with family and friends
* Build new friendships with people who don't use alcohol
* Create a recovery lifestyle
Individual assignments. Throughout the rehabilitation process, the patients will be given material to read and tapes and videos to listen to and watch, asked to write about their experiences or their responses to treatment, and new behaviors to try.
Education about substance use disorders. Often people who have a substance use disorder like alcoholism are in a state of denial. They actually believe the way they drink is normal. In order to progress in recovery they need to confront the fact that they do have a problem with alcohol and acknowledge the dangers that problem presents.
Life skills training. When someone who has been dependent on alcohol goes into recovery, he or she may need training in these areas: managing anger, stress, or frustration; employment skills; goal setting; spending leisure time; developing social and communication skills; and managing money and time.
Relapse prevention training. It's important that the person recovering from alcoholism learn to recognize situations that can trigger a relapse and how to avoid them.
Orientation to self-help groups. Most alcohol rehab programs require participants to join a self-help group after the program ends for help in continuing on the path of recovery. Taking part in a self-help group is not considered part of treatment, but rather an essential part of maintenance.
Most people are familiar with 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, which has been highly successful at helping people stay sober. But there are people who don't like the 12-step approach for a variety of reasons, including its spiritual or religious overtones. So most rehab programs include orientation to other programs such as SMART, which uses cognitive methods to help people stay sober, Women for Sobriety, which is a support program for women that focuses on issues that are specific to women in recovery, and Moderation Management, which is a program for people who want to moderate their drinking rather than stop. Moderation Management does recommend abstinence for people who aren't successful at moderation.
In addition to the above elements, many programs also include treatment for mental disorders.
Medications are also sometimes used to help with staying sober, such as disulfiram (Antabuse), which causes unpleasant side effects if a person drinks while taking it, or naltrexone (Vivitrol, ReVia), which reduces the craving for alcohol.
Initial assessment. When a person is first admitted to an alcohol rehab program, that person receives a thorough clinical assessment. The assessment is then used to help determine the best approach to treatment. It is also used to help develop the treatment plan.
During the initial assessment a counselor will ask questions about:
* The amount of alcohol a person drinks
* How long the person has been using alcohol
* Cultural issues around the use of alcohol
* The effect alcohol has had on the person's life
* Medical history
* Current medical problems or needs
* Medications being taken
* Mental health or behavioral issues
* Family and social issues and needs
* Legal and financial issues the person is confronting
* Educational background and needs
* Current living situation
* Home environment
* Employment history, stability, problems, and needs
* Previous experience with rehab or attempts to quit using alcohol
If it's determined during the initial assessment that there are urgent medical issues that need to be addressed or that the person needs a detox program, the person will be referred to a doctor who will oversee this part of the person's care.
Development of a plan. Following the assessment and provision of medical care, the person will be assigned a counselor or case manager. Together they will work out a detailed treatment plan. The plan will identify problems, goals, and details about how to address the problems and reach the goals. That plan will be carried out by a team of trained individuals that can include a social worker, counselor, doctors, nurses, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other professional.
Group and individual counseling. Counseling is an integral part of the treatment for alcoholism. Counseling gives the individual in rehab tools to accomplish important goals:
* Overcome denial
* Recognize problems
* Become motivated to solve problems
* Address mental health issues such as depression or anxiety disorders
* Change behavior
* Re-establish healthy connections with family and friends
* Build new friendships with people who don't use alcohol
* Create a recovery lifestyle
Individual assignments. Throughout the rehabilitation process, the patients will be given material to read and tapes and videos to listen to and watch, asked to write about their experiences or their responses to treatment, and new behaviors to try.
Education about substance use disorders. Often people who have a substance use disorder like alcoholism are in a state of denial. They actually believe the way they drink is normal. In order to progress in recovery they need to confront the fact that they do have a problem with alcohol and acknowledge the dangers that problem presents.
Life skills training. When someone who has been dependent on alcohol goes into recovery, he or she may need training in these areas: managing anger, stress, or frustration; employment skills; goal setting; spending leisure time; developing social and communication skills; and managing money and time.
Relapse prevention training. It's important that the person recovering from alcoholism learn to recognize situations that can trigger a relapse and how to avoid them.
Orientation to self-help groups. Most alcohol rehab programs require participants to join a self-help group after the program ends for help in continuing on the path of recovery. Taking part in a self-help group is not considered part of treatment, but rather an essential part of maintenance.
Most people are familiar with 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, which has been highly successful at helping people stay sober. But there are people who don't like the 12-step approach for a variety of reasons, including its spiritual or religious overtones. So most rehab programs include orientation to other programs such as SMART, which uses cognitive methods to help people stay sober, Women for Sobriety, which is a support program for women that focuses on issues that are specific to women in recovery, and Moderation Management, which is a program for people who want to moderate their drinking rather than stop. Moderation Management does recommend abstinence for people who aren't successful at moderation.
In addition to the above elements, many programs also include treatment for mental disorders.
Medications are also sometimes used to help with staying sober, such as disulfiram (Antabuse), which causes unpleasant side effects if a person drinks while taking it, or naltrexone (Vivitrol, ReVia), which reduces the craving for alcohol.
Rape is not Mental Illness! Its a crime
The task force overseeing development of the new DSM-V has rejected “coercive paraphilia” as an official diagnosis — maintaining rape strictly as a criminal issue and not a mental disorder.
The issue has been debated before and there were arguments in favor of including it in the diagnostic manual’s new edition, due out in May 2013. In fact, this is the fourth time in a row that the task force rejected rape as a mental illness, according to an opinion piece in Psychiatric Times by Allen Frances.
“Rapists need to receive longer prison sentences, not psychiatric hospitalizations that are constitutionally quite questionable,” said Frances, professor emeritus at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Civil rights advocates apparently fear people convicted of rape will be forced into psychiatric facilities after serving their prison sentences where they could be held indefinitely.
“While such continued psychiatric incarceration makes sense from a public safety standpoint, misusing psychiatric diagnosis has grave risks that greatly outweigh the gain,” Frances wrote. “Mislabeling rape as mental disorder in SVP cases allows a form of double jeopardy, constitutes a civil rights violation, and is an unconstitutional deprivation of due process.”
The issue has been debated before and there were arguments in favor of including it in the diagnostic manual’s new edition, due out in May 2013. In fact, this is the fourth time in a row that the task force rejected rape as a mental illness, according to an opinion piece in Psychiatric Times by Allen Frances.
“Rapists need to receive longer prison sentences, not psychiatric hospitalizations that are constitutionally quite questionable,” said Frances, professor emeritus at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Civil rights advocates apparently fear people convicted of rape will be forced into psychiatric facilities after serving their prison sentences where they could be held indefinitely.
“While such continued psychiatric incarceration makes sense from a public safety standpoint, misusing psychiatric diagnosis has grave risks that greatly outweigh the gain,” Frances wrote. “Mislabeling rape as mental disorder in SVP cases allows a form of double jeopardy, constitutes a civil rights violation, and is an unconstitutional deprivation of due process.”
New health law, will emplyers drop coverage
Will reform law encourage employers to drop health plans?
The debate continues over what the health insurance landscape will lool like after the bulk of the provisions associated with the 2010 Affordable Care Act go into effect in 2014.
It’s a big issue and not just because of the 2012 election. There are signs that major changes lay ahead for consumers and health care providers alike. Making adjustments to your practice will be the key to flourishing in the new environment.
The feeling in Washington is that despite Republican opposition, and GOP attempts in the House to withhold funding for portions of the reform program, the Affordable Care Act is a train too big to stop at this point. That’s what we heard last week from Laura Groshong, a clinical social worker from Seattle and director of government relations for the Clinical Social Work Association. She had just returned from Washington.
So it’s not surprising that Senate Democrats are challenging a controversial report released earlier this month that contends up to 30% or more of employers will drop employer sponsored insurance (ESI) plans after full implementation in 2014.
The report, by McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, argues: “The shift away from employer-provided health insurance will be vastly greater than expected and will make sense for many companies and lower-income workers alike.”
Their conclusion was based on a survey of 1,300 employers conducted earlier this year. The authors said 30% of employers would either “definitely” or “probably” stop offering ESI plans, and up to 60% will “pursue some alternative to traditional ESI.”
Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman max Baucus (D-Montana) demanded that McKinsey release its methodology in coming up with that 30% figure. The White House is equally irate.
In the New York Times today, columnist Paul Krugman said McKinsey has refused to disclose how the survey was conducted and suggested that the results were deeply flawed. But it makes sense that if everyone is required to carry health insurance, employers may back away from the benefit.
Even the Congressional Budget Office estimated that 9 million to 11 million would lose ESI but 6 million would be added to ESI rolls. That’s at most a 5 million loss of ESI benefits - and that’s nothing to sniff at, either.
Regardless, many health care providers will be faced with learning the ins and outs of new plans that will be offered to the public, some of them high deductible options. Providers may find that they have to intensify their marketing efforts if more people have to pay out of pocket for care, at least early in the year.
It makes sense that there will have to be some adjustments on both sides of the ledger.
from Psychotherapy of Finance
The debate continues over what the health insurance landscape will lool like after the bulk of the provisions associated with the 2010 Affordable Care Act go into effect in 2014.
It’s a big issue and not just because of the 2012 election. There are signs that major changes lay ahead for consumers and health care providers alike. Making adjustments to your practice will be the key to flourishing in the new environment.
The feeling in Washington is that despite Republican opposition, and GOP attempts in the House to withhold funding for portions of the reform program, the Affordable Care Act is a train too big to stop at this point. That’s what we heard last week from Laura Groshong, a clinical social worker from Seattle and director of government relations for the Clinical Social Work Association. She had just returned from Washington.
So it’s not surprising that Senate Democrats are challenging a controversial report released earlier this month that contends up to 30% or more of employers will drop employer sponsored insurance (ESI) plans after full implementation in 2014.
The report, by McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, argues: “The shift away from employer-provided health insurance will be vastly greater than expected and will make sense for many companies and lower-income workers alike.”
Their conclusion was based on a survey of 1,300 employers conducted earlier this year. The authors said 30% of employers would either “definitely” or “probably” stop offering ESI plans, and up to 60% will “pursue some alternative to traditional ESI.”
Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman max Baucus (D-Montana) demanded that McKinsey release its methodology in coming up with that 30% figure. The White House is equally irate.
In the New York Times today, columnist Paul Krugman said McKinsey has refused to disclose how the survey was conducted and suggested that the results were deeply flawed. But it makes sense that if everyone is required to carry health insurance, employers may back away from the benefit.
Even the Congressional Budget Office estimated that 9 million to 11 million would lose ESI but 6 million would be added to ESI rolls. That’s at most a 5 million loss of ESI benefits - and that’s nothing to sniff at, either.
Regardless, many health care providers will be faced with learning the ins and outs of new plans that will be offered to the public, some of them high deductible options. Providers may find that they have to intensify their marketing efforts if more people have to pay out of pocket for care, at least early in the year.
It makes sense that there will have to be some adjustments on both sides of the ledger.
from Psychotherapy of Finance
Stress in the Bank
Bankers are stressed, need services, APA official says
Banking is not the most beloved or trusted profession in the U.S. these days. The 2010 Gallup Poll on most trusted professions showed only 22% of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in banks, a record low.
And although when most people think about banks, they think about large financial institutions that were bailed out during the economic crisis, the public tends to lump all banks, small or large, in together.
As a result, bank employees have been taking it on the chin. Like millions of other Americans, they are suffering from stress, depression and job burnout, says Nancy Molitor, president of Division 42 at the American Psychological Association.
We spoke with Molitor, a Chicago-area psychologist, this week for an article we’re preparing on niche marketing opportunities. She had a lot of good and timely ideas, which we’ll explore in an upcoming issue of Psychotherapy Finances.
One interesting tidbit: One of Molitor’s Chicago colleagues has carved out a mini-niche working with bankers and employees of other financial institutions. “He’s been very busy,” she says, because “they feel very under fire — everybody is sort of seeing them as the bad guy.
“People think they’re making too much money. But they’re doing the job of two or three other people, and they’re actually making less money than they used to make. So they’re very stressed.”
Molitor works with the financial services industry as well and adds: “They’re all very stressed. They don’t feel that the public gets what they do.”
Banking is not the most beloved or trusted profession in the U.S. these days. The 2010 Gallup Poll on most trusted professions showed only 22% of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in banks, a record low.
And although when most people think about banks, they think about large financial institutions that were bailed out during the economic crisis, the public tends to lump all banks, small or large, in together.
As a result, bank employees have been taking it on the chin. Like millions of other Americans, they are suffering from stress, depression and job burnout, says Nancy Molitor, president of Division 42 at the American Psychological Association.
We spoke with Molitor, a Chicago-area psychologist, this week for an article we’re preparing on niche marketing opportunities. She had a lot of good and timely ideas, which we’ll explore in an upcoming issue of Psychotherapy Finances.
One interesting tidbit: One of Molitor’s Chicago colleagues has carved out a mini-niche working with bankers and employees of other financial institutions. “He’s been very busy,” she says, because “they feel very under fire — everybody is sort of seeing them as the bad guy.
“People think they’re making too much money. But they’re doing the job of two or three other people, and they’re actually making less money than they used to make. So they’re very stressed.”
Molitor works with the financial services industry as well and adds: “They’re all very stressed. They don’t feel that the public gets what they do.”
Is there a med for everything?
Behavior treatment for Migraine Headaches!
There seems to be a pharmaceutical remedy for every problem, and they get lots of air time on prime time TV. But many consumers are rightfully wary of such widespread prescriptive solutions and behavioral therapists can sometimes offer them an inexpensive alternative.
Along those lines, the study on migraines released this week should get some media attention. It concluded that behavioral interventions are a cost-effective way to treat the problem because the benefits last indefinitely.
Researchers compared the cost of drug treatment — the assumption was 50 cents per day — to short term behavioral intervention in which the patient sees the therapist a few times and then practices treatment techniques at home.
After six months, the costs were about equal but after one year, the behavioral intervention was $500 cheaper.
“People think behavioral treatment costs a lot,” says Timothy Houle, associate professor of anesthesiology and neurology from Wake Forest University who led the research project. “Now with this study, we know that the costs are actually comparable, if not cheaper, in the long run.”
The interventions included hypnosis, relaxation training, and biofeedback.
“The cost of behavioral treatment is front-loaded,” explained the study’s co-author, Donald Penzien, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “You go to a number of treatment sessions but then that’s it. And the benefits last for years.”
The research was published in the June issue of the journal, Headache.
There seems to be a pharmaceutical remedy for every problem, and they get lots of air time on prime time TV. But many consumers are rightfully wary of such widespread prescriptive solutions and behavioral therapists can sometimes offer them an inexpensive alternative.
Along those lines, the study on migraines released this week should get some media attention. It concluded that behavioral interventions are a cost-effective way to treat the problem because the benefits last indefinitely.
Researchers compared the cost of drug treatment — the assumption was 50 cents per day — to short term behavioral intervention in which the patient sees the therapist a few times and then practices treatment techniques at home.
After six months, the costs were about equal but after one year, the behavioral intervention was $500 cheaper.
“People think behavioral treatment costs a lot,” says Timothy Houle, associate professor of anesthesiology and neurology from Wake Forest University who led the research project. “Now with this study, we know that the costs are actually comparable, if not cheaper, in the long run.”
The interventions included hypnosis, relaxation training, and biofeedback.
“The cost of behavioral treatment is front-loaded,” explained the study’s co-author, Donald Penzien, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “You go to a number of treatment sessions but then that’s it. And the benefits last for years.”
The research was published in the June issue of the journal, Headache.
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