THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION Psychosomatic medicine specifically refers to physical disorders of the mind-body. The disorders may appear to be purely physical, but they have the origin in unconscious emotions. This can range all the way from back pain to cancer. Despite the prevalence of these disorders, the practice of psychosomatic medicine is pretty much unknown within today’s medical community. When...[ read more ]
The diagnosis of PTSD came about in the early 1980’s that only affected a minority of soldiers who had witnessed and been devastated by combat experiences. Soon enough following, these same exact symptoms began to be described by those involved in natural disasters, rape survivors or those who had witnessed life-threatened accidents. We know from the events of September 11th...[ read more ]
EMDR is a wonderful and powerful brain-based therapy that I feel lucky to have at my disposal. Before starting with a new client, I search newspaper articles and videotapes of individuals talking about how difficult the process of EMDR was, but how rewarding it was in the end and how those individuals would never want to go back to how it was before EMDR. This...[ read more ]
I work mainly with adolescents. A fairly common problem or challenge that my clients have to manage is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The way this disorder manifests itself is that the adolescent has the inability to concentrate, as well as difficulty following directions, sticking to tasks and accomplishing household chores and schoolwork. The exact causes of ADHD are unknown, though heredity,...[ read more ]
Athletes often reflect upon their past and many see that part of their problem was that they focused more and more on results rather than on staying in the moment and executing one skill at a time, one routine at a time. Performance statements, a specifically designed form of self-talk, help athletes stay in the moment and less focused on the outcome. Did...[ read more ]
CBT: An effective psychotherapeutic approach for adolescents The effectiveness of CBT for various psychological problems has been researched more extensively than any other psychotherapeutic approach. Several studies reveal that CBT is more effective than medication alone for the treatment of anxiety and depression. I find CBT to often be a match for my adolescent clients because there is usually some...[ read more ]
MY APPROACH WITH CLIENTS: COACH OR THERAPIST I think the traditional line of thinking from the general population is that therapists work with the unconscious mind and past issues with clients, while a coach works with the conscious mind and the future to make healthy clients better. Many think that a therapist solely works with pathology and illness. Yes, there are...[ read more ]
Sport Psychology TIPS to parents: Become a Consultant and Help Build Confidence One very common scenario is parents becoming overly invested in their son or daughter's sports performance and placing undue pressure on the athlete. The pressure is usually unknowingly invested, but the fact of the matter is that the child doesn't want to disappoint the parent. This shift in focus usually...[ read more ]