“I need to change” is probably one of the most common issues that bring a person into counseling and frequently the person has a specific idea of what needs to change. However, how change will occur and what needs to be different in order to bring about change can be very challenging for many people. There are numerous reasons why we resist change–fear, anxiety and uncertainty, just to name a few. The counseling process can help one sort through their resistance and discover that in every situation– no matter how unfortunate, painful, hurtful or scary, there is a meaningful lesson that can be learned from the experience. Think what wonderful lessons are waiting to be discovered if you allow yourself to stop resisting and appreciate what your problems and experiences can teach you.
The first word of this compound word says it all “psycho”. No one wants to be associated with something that is strange, difficult to handle, and perhaps the worst of all: a scary, new experience. If you were to ask a friend or family member what psychotherapy is, they would most likely say something about paying a lot of money to talk about problems (and that’s putting it nicely). If you were to ask a counselor or therapist, we would describe it as a chance to be heard, without judgment through the ears and eyes of a professional, in the comfort and safety of a confidential session. The talking part might be easy…or hard depending on how you view your problems. If providing a safe place where clients can talk about whatever it is that is troubling them is the job of the counselor, what is your job as a client in psychotherapy? What do you have to know before you even walk through the door? Most first time clients wonder how we expect you to tell everything that you are thinking and feeling after just meeting.
These are common questions that can be answered. A client simply has to make the appointment with a counselor or therapist and come ready for the experience. Okay…that may seem a bit more intimidating than helpful, but it’s the truth. If you are open to the experience of psychotherapy as something completely different and refreshing you are on the road to understanding what it is and how it works. Before you walk through the door, you should know that you are not alone. Every single person you pass on the street has a past, a story, a journey. That road is paved with troubles, hardships, and bumps that throw off your sense of balance as you walk the road. This is where you have to believe that there are trained professionals ready to help and to listen to you. Why would a counselor want to listen to all of the “bumps” along the way in your life? Because we are trained to provide the safe haven for you to explore the inner workings of what is really going on in your life. There is no façade, just a real and honest experience with another person to ensure that you don’t trip on the bumps of life and walk, silent and hurting, through the rest of life.
If you are working through the bumps in your life and decide that the word psychotherapy is not as scary as facing it on your own…that is what we are here for.
Erika McCaghren
A gentle but steady current of anger inwardly directed will result in depression over time. Many people experiencing depression are surprised when mental health professionals question them about anger. Are you angry? Where is your anger? How are you angry? Can you express your anger, share it, verbalize it? Sometime is requires a substantial amount of cognitive, emotional, and spiritual spade work to uncover and expose this well of inwardly-directed anger.
Everyone is familiar with anger that explodes. But anger that seethes can be just as dangerous. Particularly when we are the targets of our own quiet rage.
PTSD is a treatable anxiety disorder which can develop in individuals who have experienced severe psychological trauma. A diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder may be the first step toward recovery for individuals still haunted by past experiences. Treatment for PTSD may include intensive psychotherapy, psychotropic medications, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
The following is a simplified version of the criteria used by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker to diagnose an individual with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
A: Exposure (either as victim or witness) to severe psychological trauma:
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- domestic violence
- catastrophic accident (auto, for example)
- war
- unbidden distressing recollections: images, thoughts, perceptions
- recurrent distressing dreams
- flashbacks
- psychological distress caused by triggers related to original event (sounds, smells, people, feelings, places, etc.)
- difficulty falling or staying asleep
- anger and irritability
- difficulty concentrating
- feeling consistently on edge
- exaggerated startle response
- Symptoms A, B, C experienced for more than one month.
- Individuals feels like symptoms are causing serious disruption in personal relationships, professional relationships, and life in general.
Bibliotherapy involves using books, stories, and other forms of literature to help “reach” someone in counseling. This type of treatment does not have to include the typical list of self-help books aimed at bettering yourself by looking inward and also does not have to be doing strictly in the counseling office. You can work towards a better understanding of yourself by using your summer reading list as a form of bibliotherapy. The introspection while reading can be conscious, subconscious, direct, or indirect. You do not have to pick up a book with the intent to read, process, understand, and “feel better” immediately after reading. The phases of bibliotherapy are as diverse as the books on your summer reading list. If you pick up the latest in ‘chick lit’ from the New York Times Bestseller list, you will be taken on a romantic, witty, and likely dramatic ride through the trials of being a twenty-something in the wake of dating, job hunting, and balancing life as a young woman. On the other hand, if you choose a young adult Sci-Fi novel, you will fall into a world of the adventure of slaying dragons and finding yourself on a journey to discovering who you are and want to be. No matter what you read and what you try to get out of a book or reading, you can find something unexpected. The bibliotherapy you get comes from the journey you take with the main characters and how you apply it to your own life. This can come in the form of a favorite fantasy story to take your mind off of an 8 hour work day or could help you realize what it is in life that you truly value. Your summer reading list takes you on a quest through the words on a page to a place where you can be yourself and enjoy the story. On the path to enjoying any type of literature, you form the opinions, insights, and learn to embrace the acceptance of yourself and the joy that comes from walking in another character’s shoes, whether they are red ruby slippers or hiking boots stained with blood of a mythical creature.
Erika McCaghren
With the holiday season and winter months fast approaching, feelings and symptoms of depression will often surface or increase. Feeling “down in the dumps” or “blah”, sad, discouraged, hopeless, irritable, cranky, or easily frustrated are typical symptoms of depression. Also feeling withdrawn, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite, sleep, energy, difficulty concentrating, and making decisions are commonly reported. A sense of feeling worthless or excessive guilt may be experienced. Some of these feelings may actually interfere with our relationships, school, job, social activities, and even day to day functioning. If you experience a few or most of these symptoms it is wise to pay attention to what your body is telling you and to take care of yourself.
Often people minimize or don’t understand depression and the possible effects of going untreated. Working with a mental health professional can help you understand depression and learn multiple ways to manage its symptoms. Regardless of the season, feeling better means living better!
Erika McCaghren
With the holiday season and winter months fast approaching, feelings and symptoms of depression will often surface or increase. Feeling “down in the dumps” or “blah”, sad, discouraged, hopeless, irritable, cranky, or easily frustrated are typical symptoms of depression. Also feeling withdrawn, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite, sleep, energy, difficulty concentrating, and making decisions are commonly reported. A sense of feeling worthless or excessive guilt may be experienced. Some of these feelings may actually interfere with our relationships, school, job, social activities, and even day to day functioning. If you experience a few or most of these symptoms it is wise to pay attention to what your body is telling you and to take care of yourself.
Often people minimize or don’t understand depression and the possible effects of going untreated. Working with a mental health professional can help you understand depression and learn multiple ways to manage its symptoms. Regardless of the season, feeling better means living better!
Erika McCaghren
With over 500 recognized phobias, what exactly is a phobia and how does it affect a person? A fear alone does not distinguish a phobia. A phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little or no real danger. A phobia is long-lasting and can cause intense physical and psychological reactions. Both fear and avoidance must be present and to the point of interfering with everyday life. Because you become so preoccupied with thinking about the fear, you often are unable to sleep, to work, function in a social setting or enjoy things you normally like to do. IRRATIONAL fear is predominate in phobias.
Adults usually recognize that their phobia is excessive and unreasonable, while children do not usually have a sufficient impairment that warrants a diagnosis. The following is a list of subtypes for phobias and are fairly self-explanatory: 1. Animal Type (fear cued by animals or insects), 2. Natural Environment Type (fear cued by storms, heights, water, etc.), 3. Blood-Injection-Injury Type (fear cued by seeing blood, injury, injections or other invasive medical procedure), 4. Situational Type (fear cued by specific situation such as flying, bridges, public transportation) and 5. Other Type (fear cued by other stimuli such as choking, loud sounds, contracting an illness). Women tend to have diagnosed phobias more than men and phobias seem to run in families. Seek professional help if you have excessive fear or phobias as there are a number of effective interventions that can help.
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