A Place at the Proverbial Therapist Table for Everyone

I recently had an interesting experience that made me reflect on why people choose the mental health field, and how they see people in relation to themselves. In counselor training, we work to help trainees become more self-aware. The purpose is so they do not allow their own biases, personal issues, judgements, etc. to cloud their view of the client's worldview and experiences. It happens at times and is called countertransference. Countertransference is a normal process that we all experience. It can be related to, though not necessarily equal to empathy. Empathy is putting ourselves in other people's situations. Countertransference is when a therapist's personal issues are triggered. A person in the helping field can lose their objectivity and capacity to help when their own countertransference clouds their judgement. Naturally, I see it in myself from time to time. What is interesting is to observe it with students who begin to conceptualize their clients, whether real or role-played, from their own point-of-view. This can be expected when starting out. What can become concerning is when a student or individual is unable or unwilling to look at themselves and begin to modify their perspective to help themselves help others. It may be difficult for them to help people from their point-of-view. However, there are theorists such as Albert Ellis (Rational-emotive behavioral therapy), and Fritz Perls (Gestalt Therapy) who worked from this point-of-view and were very successful. I guess it boils down to therapists finding a theory that fits their world-view. Therefore, even those who are unable and unwilling to change their view, as long as their approach is effective and ethical have a place at the table. This was much more of a reflective article than educational for readers. Maybe someone will find some benefit. Dr. Jamison Law

Captain Picard and His Views on Domestic Violence and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Below, you will find a link to a site where you will view a video of Patrick Stewart talking out against Domestic Violence. He speaks eloquently about his own experiences as a child--viewing his father harming his mother. He also speaks about his father who had PTSD and went untreated. I have always had great respect for this man, but my opinion of him has just increased. Check it out! http://www.upworthy.com/a-brave-fan-asks-patrick-stewart-a-question-he-doesnt-usually-get-and-is-given-a-beautiful-answer?g=3

Children Stuck In Between Parents

Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to work with children and teens who are stuck in between their parents. The parents have either gone through and completed a custody and divorce battle or they are still in the thick of it. The one thing I have witnessed as a therapist is how it affects children. It does not matter the reason for the divorce, the children still feel fiercely loyal to both parents. When one parent speaks poorly of the other and vice-versa, it does not create a stronger alliance between child and parent, it creates confusion and existential anxiousness for the child. They can begin to exhibit symptoms of mental health disorders such as isolation, anger and behavioral outbursts, aggression, sadness/melancholy, grades drop, etc. In some cases, there were situations of abuse that resulted in the divorce. This can create even more confusion. An abuser can speak poorly of the survivor and vice-versa. When the situation is already highly emotional, and the environment has been emotionally and possibly verbally unsafe, the added stressors of witnessing parents can increase the pathological problems the child is experiencing. It can affect their psychosocial development (see information on Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development), change the direction of their attachment style (see info by John Bowlby and attachment), and possibly cause the child to feel alienated in the family. All of these sound very negative and damaging, and they can be. There is always, in my mind, a silver lining to struggles. Children can grow up and with or without professional or social help, they can recover and be stronger. Existential crises can lead to resiliency and personal growth (see info on Martin Seligman's theories of Positive Psychology). In the end, I would prefer to see children treated gently when there are battles raging in the family so that they can grow up and decide for themselves what to believe about their parents. As children, they might not be cognitively ready to make those decisions, yet. Just my thoughts on the subject... Dr. Jamison Law

ACA Podcast: Gestalt Therapy

I had a few moments today to listen to a Podcast from the American Counseling Association on Gestalt Therapy. Those of you familiar with Gestalt Therapy approaches most likely remember their graduate studies watching the "Gloria" videos with Fritz Perls demonstrating his interpretation of Gestalt Therapy. The Podcast I listened to was by John Frew, Ph.D. who is a private practitioner who utilizes Gestalt therapy, theory, and methods. The following is a brief review of what I learned. It is in no way endorsed by anyone and I am not endorsing anyone or any organization. I found the information, however, beneficial and helped me to understand the Gestalt approach better. Gestalt therapy and theory is based on wholeism. Wholeism taking into account all parts of the person such as thoughts, feelings, behaviors, dreams, and more. All of the internal person is connected to their environment and individuals are motivated by needs. As a Gestalt therapist, one would look at the most salient issues first (i.e. what sticks out). Gestalt theory is a theory of health and strengths, rather than pathology. It takes a strengths-based approach and believes that people can generally regulate themselves within their own environment. This is called "organismic regulation." If individuals have satisfaction with needs, then they move on to other needs. Awareness is a key concept for treatment. An individual focuses on intrapersonal and interpersonal awareness and if there is an equilibrium with them. If there isn't, then pathological issues can arise and the individual can focus on seeking resolution. This can be done by focusing on the here and now and making creative adjustments. The past does matter in regards to the creative adjustments that individuals made in the past that are no longer functional. At times, individuals buy into the beliefs of others and adopt it as their own. This is called an introject. At times, they must make a new creative adjustment to come to a resolution. Dr. Frew provided a lot of helpful information. If you're a member of the ACA, I would recommend listening to his podcast. Jamison Law

Knowing full well that I should be writing, I have been neglecting my blog. My one reader (my mother) has been missing it, so I thought I'd sign on. Here are some current events in mental health: The Milton Erickson Foundation puts on the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference every few years. It is largest conference of mental health professionals in the world. I for one have not had the opportunity to attend; however, I hear it is quite the place to be. The speakers are usually well-known psychotherapists, counselors, educators, psychiatrists, and physicians from all over the world. Next year, it will be held in Anaheim on December 11th through the 15th. The prices at this point for registration are very low, and considering the people who will be there (Aaron Beck, Martin Seligman, and John Gottman to name a few), the price is phenomenal. Students can volunteer and get a huge discount, as well. I hope to be able to attend next year! Jamison Link: http://www.evolutionofpsychotherapy.com/

Leadership from an Astronaut

I attended the ACA Institute of Leadership Conference in Alexandria, VA. It was one of the most enjoyable conferences I have attended as a professional. The keynote speaker was Mike Mullane, a retired Astronaut with NASA. He gave a great speech on teamwork and leadership fundamentals. Some of them are as follows: 1. Avoid Normalization of Deviance Human tendency is to rationalize shortcuts. This happens due to budget cuts and schedule problems, at times. To avoid it, PLUS everything. Figure out a plan, and PLUS it (that is from Walt Disney, not from Mike Mullane). Deviance can become the norm if you're not careful. The Space Shuttle Challenger's explosion was predictable. The problems with the O Rings were known, but not addressed. The team accepted it due to high schedule and budgetary demands and it resulted in the deaths of seven astronauts and the loss of property. Rather than address the issue and slow things down, they decided to fix the problem on the fly. They began to tolerate a problem that was previously intolerable. In order to avoid normalization of deviance, one must defend against it. Recognize that you are vulnerable. Plan the work and work the plan. Leaders must maintain "best practice." The team must be trained in "best practice." Do periodic "re-sets" which demonstrate the best practices. Also, review past failures. There must be a free-flow of information from those who have experience to those who have less. 2. Responsibility Always be a team member. Don't be a passenger. Your opinion and experience is valuable no matter how much experience you have. Weaknesses can come from position and longevity. Everyone must always have a say. Weakness also comes from the need for acceptance; fear of rejection; fear of the boss, etc. Remember that "One person with courage forms a majority" Andrew Jackson. 3. Courageous Self-leadership Expand your performance envelope and have tenacity. Set goals and do them. For more information on Mike Mullane: see http://www.mikemullane.com/

Disney, Service, Compassion, and other things...

It’s amazing what you learn from the people you are trying to serve. You may approach a task with the idea, like most, that you are an expert at the task, and that you might know best. However, the point of serving is to exercise an empathetic eye and ear to those who are receiving your services. This thought has come to my mind as I have been reading “How to Be Like Walt.” I already wrote a small blarticle (blog+article) about this book, but the further I delve into the author’s information and humor about Walt Disney, the more I see the innovation behind Disney’s approaches to business and human beings. First, the author indicated that Disney was never trying to make money. He loved what he did, he believed in it, and it required money to do it; therefore, it was only a means to an end. We all know who Walt Disney was, and we know that he was no slouch when it came to money, as well. Then, why do we seek after money in trying to serve? It doesn’t make sense. I’ve tried it and I was miserable. I tried it the way others said to do it; the way the universities told me I had to do it; and the way that the “experts” said. I wonder if it is the incorrect way, though. Therefore, these are just my thoughts on some observations I’ve been thinking about. I began my career path as a mental health counselor about 12 years ago. I had spent two years as a volunteer for my church in another country where I served others. My parents paid my way for the experience and I worked hard. During that time, I found that I enjoyed working with people, getting to know them, learning from them, and teaching them. Therefore, when I returned back to the States, I decided to pursue a service-oriented career. I talked at times with my dad and others about opening up a ranch for at-risk youth. The focused activities would include learning how to care for and ride horses, as well as do cattle drives. Other activities would include care for their camp and cabins as an attempt to instill a desire to work hard and to find the joy that work can bring. Alas, it did not happen, but it was the beginning of my pursuits. Now, I have been working as a clinical director for a residential treatment facility for addictions for the past year. It was a great career move and I have spent the past 12 months learning, a lot. During my time there I began doing exit interviews with residents during their last day of treatment. I would ask them a few questions at first, but then narrowed it to one: “If you returned here a year from now, what would you like to see change and what would you like to see remain the same.” Almost always, and I don’t exaggerate this, they would say that they do not want the atmosphere and environment to change. They said that the front-line staff and the therapist staff members worked well together. They treated each other as equals. Most importantly, they felt the compassion that the staff members have for them and the other residents. They felt welcome and a part of a community. They felt on equal ground with the other residents, the line staff, the therapists, the administrators, etc. The residents said that the therapy was good (whatever that means) and that they learned a lot, but the emphasis was on equality and compassion. It makes me wonder if that is a catalyst for change. Is it possible that having compassion for your fellow man is a huge piece of successful change? My guess is yes. There is plenty of evidence to demonstrate such whether its from Christian texts, Buddhist beliefs, or psychological texts by Carl Rogers. Therefore, I would make a few suggestions to those who are in the service-oriented field. 1. Get to know your clients on an individual basis (by clients I mean anyone you serve whether you are a therapist, scout leader, parent, parishioner, or music teacher). 2. Do not be afraid to be human with your clients. Many people see us (therapists, etc.) as being an expert, and therefore, there is a power differential, which can lead to defenses and resistance in clients or ourselves. Don’t forget that you eat, sleep, and that your heart pumps red blood just as your clients. Be a vulnerable human. For more information on vulnerability, see http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html 3. Holistic approaches: Not every client is the same. Be open and willing to help the client from their viewpoint, not yours. At times, yours may have to be the voice of the expert, but most people are an expert at their own lives. If you don’t know how to help a person, ask someone who does. You don’t know everything and you’re not supposed to. Be bendable and ethical. 4. Watch for patterns of behaviors that are indicators of your clients’ needs. They will show you what they need if you just pay attention. 5. Be equal with the people you serve. 6. Have fun with your service. If you don’t know how to live after the manner of happiness, it is hard for others to want to follow you. A. Bandura indicated that people need social models to follow at times. Social models are people with similarities of a others that provide a model or likeness that others can follow. These are just my ideas for now. Until next time.

Dracula is and Addict!

The following link has a creative and innovative adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula as a metaphorical description of alcoholism and drug addiction. I thought that it was a definite "thinking out of the box" description that may have information beneficial to some of our clients. http://robertchapman.blogspot.com/ Jamison

Business and Mental Health...Do They Coexist and Can They?

Over the past few years, I have worked for several business owners who were clinicians and even fewer who were not clinicians. It is understandable that a business must focus on the "bottom line" in order to maintain itself. I have seen poor marketing result in a decline of client flow, which then resulted in budget cuts, lay-offs, or loss of benefits. I have seen bosses who consider penny pinching the only way to run a business and it affect the clients and the workers, thus affecting the environment. I have yet to see a healthy balance of employee and client-focused business practice that creates an environment of trust and safety for all involved. I find it ironic that the mental health industry focuses heavily on aiding the individual, family, and society to learn how to maintain a sense of interpersonal and intra-personal safety, and yet the business practices may not match. I'm not saying this as a global problem and I'm not trying to overgeneralize. Simply put, my experiences are on the negative end and I am curious if business practices can match person-centered styles that we as clinicians attempt with our clients? My belief is yes. I have recently been reading a book called "How To Be Like Walt" by Pat Williams. There are many books about Walt Disney, his life, his profession, his personality, and his follies. I am enjoying this one, because it appears to embody the American Dream that Walt Disney attempted to live. It certainly does not say that he was by any means a saint. Appropriately, the book reviews his personality and behavioral flaws that negatively affected his employees and relationships. On the other hand, it reviews the story of a man with a dream to provide entertainment with a high level of excellence and to keep pushing the limits of the field of animation and family-oriented entertainment. It is interesting that he was willing to sacrifice so much of his own personal comfort to, at times, pay his staff more than he was making. His brother, Roy, would focus on the books and the "bottom line," but Walt pushed those limits to make his dreams come true. There were many failures. I appreciate reading about those. However, it appears in the end that he was very person-focused and person-oriented and sacrificed his own bottom line. Again, I am not endorsing him or his business models as the be-all end-all; just simply one example of many that demonstrates that the bottom line is important, but it does not have to be what drives a business. In mental health, there needs to be a similar approach. Seek for excellence as a clinician or clinical practice with the desire to be better for the sake of being better, all while attempting to be client and employee-focused even at the expense of the owner's pocket. This can create a sense of unity and appreciation for all employees involved and then the client-care quality can increase.

Mental Health Change: The Knight in Rusty Armor

"The Knight in Rusty Armor" is a metaphorical story about change and the simplicity and complexity of it. I know that sounds dissonant, because it is. The main character is a Knight who spends his days fighting dragons, rescuing damsels in distress, and buying castles for his wife and son. He dons himself with the shiniest and strongest armor money can buy. He likes it so much he never takes it off. Eventually, he leaves it on for so long that his own child doesn't know what he looks like, his wife misses seeing him, and he is afraid to take it off. When he decides to remove the armor, he finds that it cannot be removed. Therefore, he goes on a journey to find Merlin the Magician who teaches him how to remove it which requires him to go on a quest. It's a fun book about change and the difficulties and simplicity of it. I recommend all to read it.

Jamison

Expressions of Addiction in Art

I am no art connoisseur. However, a few years ago my wife tied me to a chair and duct-taped my eyes open forcing me to watch "So You Think You Can Dance." Humiliated, I succumbed to watching and found myself moved by a dance (see the link below) that described addiction. I was blown away at how the dance described through movements and music the experiences my current clients go through. Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FlkY5F85Lc&feature=fvwrel

Addictions, ADD, Mental Health, and the DSM V Concerns

I read an article by the Huffington Post this morning that discusses the problems with diagnosing using the DSM, over-diagnosis of many disorders such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, etc. and the overuse of psychotropic medications. The article is written by a psychiatrist who was on the task force for the development of the DSM-IV. He reports that diagnosis is often done by general practitioners, rather than psychiatrists who may have insufficient training in mental health diagnostics and treatment. Furthermore, he reports that the the upcoming DSM V may cause an increase in similar aforementioned problems. It is an interesting read that also includes the difficulties in studying the human brain and bridging the gap between psychology and neurology. The link below will take you to the article. Enjoy!

Jamison D. Law, LPC, NCC

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/america-is-over-diagnosed_b_1157898.html

"Richard...Is There A Mark On My Face? It Hurts."

The title of this article may or may not have anything to do with the article, but I liked it. It comes from a scene in the movie "Tommy Boy" after David Spade hits Chris Farley in the face with a 2X4. The clincher is that they are friends, or at least trying to be friends and they get in a fight. How often do we do similar things?
I am not saying that we get hit in the face by others, at least I hope that does not happen. Rather, we invest our time, energy, and emotions into a relationship and get the proverbial slap in the face...or we get burned. These very situations came to mind recently when a friend approached me and asked for my thoughts on professional burnout. Burnout is a mental state of exhaustion and can be observed by "emotional depletion and a loss of motivation and commitment" and are usually associated with job factors rather than biological reasons" (Schaufeli, DATE, p. 7). It leads to physical symptoms (fatigue, muscle tension, G.I. distress, etc.), absenteeism, and job turnover. It can also be affected by a lack of social support in the work place. It happens due to job stress that exceeds an individual's resources. It results ultimately in the professional demonstrating behaviors of cynicism, apathy, and rigidity in the workplace. Overall, it affects the professional's capacity to function, especially in the helping profession.
It is a tiring place to be. My friend described his situation and it sounded similar to the definitions above. I can relate as I have experienced "burnout" or "compassion fatigue" as they now call it. Trust in human beings is depleted, you question your own self-worth, etc. But, rather than go into a slow spiral into the abyss of burnout, I'd rather talk about how to work through it.
By definition, it relates to stress and one's own personal resources. Therefore, it stands to say that if the resources were not sufficient or failed, then they need to be looked at. It may require a break from the career field, if possible, the professional will need to seek their own help (i.e. counseling). One has to make self-care the priority, rather than work. Activities, recreation, reading a good book, exercise, setting goals and completing them, and many more are just some examples. I know with myself, I have had to rely on others for a time to pull out of the burnout. I have had to take a good look at my own belief system regarding my role as a professional, a father, a husband, a friend, etc. and see what beliefs were adding to the burnout. The results can be liberating, but the climb out is uncomfortable, yet possible. It is easy to get stuck in it and become a victim of it, but relying on a Higher Power (to use the AA verbage) or God can result in fostering a sense of hope. Most importantly, relying on close family and friends as a resource can be the difference between success and continued burnout.

I hope this helps!

Jamison

The above reference comes from:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4kEbMr8B4NMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=professional+burnout&ots=edQawU-et5&sig=Vmin7zc_uhf8YazlTJOvEWX69IM#v=onepage&q&f=false

Trauma and Resiliency, Responsibility, and Agency...What a Boring Title!

The following is an excerpt from an unpublished paper I wrote on psychological resiliency after enduring a difficult or traumatic event. I would love to hear anyone's thoughts

Focus on responsibility and agency.

Several clients come into our offices talking about their individual traumas and how they have made things difficult for them. They also talk about how it has affected their relationship with the perpetrator(s), other close people, the community, and God. Many of them have guilt and blame themselves and/or hold severe grudges and harbor anger and hate towards the perpetrators. At times they question why life has been more difficult for them than for others and how they were dealt such a poor hand. The following is going to be more of an explanation based on psychology and spirituality in hopes to answer some of the questions.

Traumatized clients’ relationships change and function on a level that deviates from the norm. Much of that is due to the trust that has been broken time and time again. In Maslow’s heirarchy of needs, their level of safety, love, and esteem have not been established or maintained. Therefore, their ability to self-actualize (Maslow’s hierarchy) is not possible. The only level that is actually, at times, maintained is their physiological needs (i.e. food, water, shelter, etc.), though that can be in question with neglected children/childhood as well. On the level of safety, an individual must feel comfortable and secure in their environment with minimal attack on their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self. If attacked, their capacity for moving to the higher hierarchical needs is diminished. They may struggle with giving and receiving love or having esteem for themselves and others. Thus, can be a large factor with esteem. When a client has been traumatized time and time again they begin to lose trust with initially the perpetrator, and then it can spread to others who are close to them, the community, and to God (depending on their beliefs). Recently, a client (whose name we’ll call Matthew) disclosed horrific traumas from his childhood. Much of it involved abuse and neglect from his family and a large part involved a neighbor who befriended then molested him time and time again. He did not trust his family for help so endured the continued abuse. He described other economic difficulties, physical health problems, and general loneliness. He asked why it is that he was given a difficult life. He felt that it must have been something he did to deserve the pain and suffering without much respite. To try to escape the pain he had attempted suicide many times, though without success. When asking why he had to suffer I explained something to him, that I hope will help others. First and foremost, everyone has the right to act (free will). Anyone can do what they want. Whether they are conscious of the results depends on each individual. Some people, however, have made the choices to act against others in a way that is harmful, degrading, and usually self-serving. Such acts can be considered abusive, because it is in an attempt to remove or negate another’s free will and control them or change their acts. Such self-serving acts do not serve the victim (the receiver of the self-serving acts) in any positive ways. It can change the victim’s life perspective (specifically on relationships) and attacks their general need for safety (Maslow’s hierarchy). Therefore, the abuser (the one who acts self-servingly) is responsible for their acts and how it affected the victim. Responsibility lies solely with them and none other, especially the victim. Therefore, the victim is not the guilty party. The guilty party in the technical sense is only the abuser. Guilty signifies “1 : justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime. 2 obsolete : justly liable to or deserving of a penalty” according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Therefore, it is not possible for the victim to be guilty for the self-serving act when they were the individual being acted upon rather than acting. Matthew blamed himself as that was the only logical reason he could come up with. Why else would it happen if there wasn’t something so terribly wrong with him or his character–something innate that called to abusers “Here I am! Hurt me! That’s what I’m here for!” The truth of the matter is that each person can act in whichever way that they please, selflessly or selfishly.
That brings us to the next point that Matthew brought up, which is also a point other clients have made regarding God. If God was a merciful and a just God, how is it that he could let such terrible things happen to undeserving people and let the abusers go unpunished? At that point one can revert back to free will. If free will is truly something that exists, an ability given to all to act; and God is God–all powerful and all knowing with the ability to do what He wants, would he not allow the individual to exercise their free will “according to the dictates of their own conscience?” Any other way would be tyrannical, dictatorial and contraindicative of what free will is.

The power of free will is that many can exercise it in a way achieve Maslow’s highest achievement which is self-actualization. In spite of the difficulties one has faced, or the traumas caused, one can utilize and strengthen their ability to act to achieve safety and overcome the trauma–thus developing resiliency.

There are no guarantees with behavior, thoughts, or emotions. There can be guarantees with action due to agency and responsibility.

Is There Life After Graduate School? Well...

A few months ago I had the opportunity of having a student luncheon with Dr. Gerald Corey. Anyone who is a counselor knows who he is. He has written many of the books that we study in graduate school. Most of us have watched videos that he and his wife produced on group counseling. However, during the luncheon he focused mainly on what students can do to continue their professional and personal growth. The presentation was very personal as he shared his experiences in working with other professionals. Then, tonight I came across this article that parallels the luncheon subject.

The URL for the actual article is below, but in my review there are a few headlines from his article. He encourages students to have "courage" to become the person and professional they want. It is interesting that these are similar words we use with clients. He encourages students to not let setbacks or problems slow them down; to learn how to network; find volunteer opportunities in areas that interest them; and to attend local and national professional conferences.

As Dr. Corey gave these suggestions, he shared personal stories in his career when he had setbacks and disappointments, as well as how he continued through them. From my viewpoint, it was helpful hearing that he was just as human as I feel I am. Even if you aren't a therapist, the suggestions are universal. Check it out!

For more information, see the link below.

http://ct.counseling.org/2008/08/is-there-life-after-graduate-school/

Mental Health In War-torn Afghanistan

It puts things into perspective when one reads how easy it is to go to a doctor and get antidepressants or receive a referral to see a therapist in our U.S. communities (generally speaking), when you read the following:

http://blog.ted.com/2010/09/29/helping-afghan-people-find-peace-of-mind-inge-missmahl-on-ted-com/

At one point, there was only a dozen or so therapists in Afghanistan, which is a war-torn and traumatized country. Read this brief message and/or watch the attached video to learn more about it. It does change the idea of how truly blessed we are in a free country.

Jamison

Science Fiction Becoming Reality

Check out the link below. Scientists are growing neurons in petri dishes to see what they look like with patients who have schizophrenia, depression, autism and more. They then study how meds affect the neurons. Amazing stuff!

http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/neuroscience-diseases-dish-modeling-mental-disorders

Mmmm...Chocolate!

I am in the process of changing jobs. My new job includes working with individuals addicted to various substances and activities. My job is not only to help them with their addictions, but to work through the core issues that drive the addiction. I have been reminded that most, if not all of us are addicts to something. Whether it's chocolate, alcohol, cocaine, pornography, or Mt. Dew, there are many things that the mind and body can crave and will do anything to seek it out. In the process of working at this new site, myself and a few others are coming up with activities to do as part of a processing group. Below are some of my own thoughts. I began using the principles below and it appeared to be well-received by the members of my work community. Take a look, and tell me what you think.

Working With The Addict Ego-State: A mindful and strength-based approach.
The addict inside of us is egotistical, self-centered, and self-pleasuring. When left uncontrolled, it can run amok within the inter and intrapersonal system. It will begin to engage in activities that the true individual is not accustomed to, nor would normally do. One way of describing this is seeing the addict in a different light. If you were to look at an addict from a developmental standpoint it would appear to be a child. Most people only notice and focus on the negative characteristics, defects, and flaws of the addict. However, though children can be self-centered and egotistical, by nature they can be benevolent, loving, forgiving, and playful. They want and crave to be loved. They want to be special. They already believe that they are special and unique. They are confident. When we look at the addict as a child, we can see that they have many wonderful traits and characteristics. In fact, they are so loving that they are willing and able to accept pain and hurt from others and forgive them of it with a simple “I am sorry.” So, the question is, what would an addict do if he/she could extricate the addict part from themselves, sit it down in front of them, and learn from it. What would they see? How would the addict look, feel, behave, act, etc.?

The addict part inside may not be an addict at all. It may have become one to cover up pain and like a child sought out the first thing it could put into its mouth to pacify it. It might be afraid, just like a child.

Think of how you would take care of a frightened or hurt child…and do it.

Think of the needs of a child…and make it happen.

Help the child be aware of emotions and learn from them. Help the child develop to be strong and depend on others while it learns to depend on itself.

Use mindfulness techniques to train the individual on how to deal with and accept the pain and hurt and emotions that will crop up as the addict portion loses strength.

1. Awareness
2. Equanimity
3. Acceptance
4. Objectivity

Psychiatry is a Soft Science? What?

The following is a brief article I received this morning on the CES-NET listserv. I thought it was interesting as it discusses counseling and psychiatry and its purposes.

"Not all of life's myriad problems are psychiatric illnesses. Not all psychiatric disorders are 'chemical imbalance' or amenable to simply taking a pill. There is no shame in admitting that we still don't understand the causes of mental illness- the rest of medicine deals with much simpler organs, but the causes of most illnesses remain obscure. Although we have general outlines that are valuable in guiding treatment, each person is unique and each treatment regimen must be something of a trial an error experiment to custom fit the needs of the patient. If patient and psychiatrist work and think hard and put their hearts into it, something good usually happens.

Psychiatry does best when it sticks to doing what it does well. Let's treat the disorders we know how to treat in people who really need help. The greatest problem in the past fifteen years of psychiatry has been diagnostic inflation and the over treatment of people who really don't need it. This misallocates scarce resources away from those who do most desperately need and can most use our help. I fear DSM-5 because it threatens to further medicalize normality and spread psychiatry too thin."

This was written by Dr. Allen Frances, chair of the DSM-IV Task Force. He sounds rather like a counselor.

The full article is at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dsm5-in-distress/201109/why-psychiatry-is-wonderful

The Heat Is On!

I recently had an opportunity that gave me an idea to write about. When working or dealing with individuals who are angry, upset, or otherwise emotionally compromised it can be difficult to maintain a level-head, keep perspective, not feel personally attacked, etc. The following are some ideas on how to deal with it in the moment.
1. The Heat Is On. A fire creates heat and when fed with more oxygen or fuel, it will get hotter. If an individual is already escalating, the best thing to di is to lower your own voice, speak slowly and quietly (not condescendingly), and repeaet back to the upset individual the feelings they are describing. Individuals who are upset at you or with you are usually already experiencing some kind of internal conflict. Their upset or angry behaviors may not be a representation of how they feel towards you. Even if it is, if you remind yourself that you can calm the fire down by maintaining a quiet tone, the fire will not be fanned and become white-hot!

2. Pain, hurt, and fear. Most people get angry because they are experiencing an emotion that causes pain, hurt, or high levels of fear. They may subconsciously feel that they cannot handle the emotion and that the only way to deal with it is by raising their voice, or dropping their problems onto you. Just be aware, as before, that their behaviors may be being fed by their own pain, hurt, and fear.

3. "Go sell crazy somewhere else...we're all stocked up here" (Jack Nicolson--As Good As It Gets). Remember that you do not have to buy into other people's problems. Sometimes they just need to vent and want emotional validation. It does not necessarily mean that what they say is an accurate representation of reality. To them, it might be at that moment, but in their emotional state they may not be able to see other points of view. Don't buy into it. Just support the emotions.