Teens & Technology: What Parents Need To Know

It’s catching. 

Like an STD, it spreads quickly, has an awful burning sensation and stays with you log after you’ve treated. It has occasional flare ups that much like Hester Prynne’s Scarlet Letter, it announces to the world how reckless you were in your youth. The harm it causes differs from person to person, but one thing is true for all who have it: it never goes away and the damage is permanent. It strikes the young and old, from your neighbors, your coworkers or your children. It even happens to celebrities from Vanessa Hudgens and Blake Lively and most recently Anthony Weiner.

What’s this new plague spreading around the world? Sexting: the act of taking sexually provocative picture of yourself and sending them out to people on you contact list. And what sector of the population is more at risk? Children and Teenagers.

Children (yes, children) and teenagers are at a higher risk of partaking in this activity, and of suffering a variety of consequences. From public exposure of (and to) intimate images, to depression, anxiety, and cyberbullying, the consequences are harsh regardless of the age.

Children and adolescents, developmentally speaking, are in the process of growing up physically and mentally. Their brains are also developing and processing the immense amount of stimuli they’re exposed to. Television, radio, Internet, video games, cell phones. They are also beginning to deal with the abstract concept of consequences. This means that while they can figure out what’s the danger behind an action, they have yet to fully process that such action could affect them directly. Some parents often complain about their teens not measuring risks and acting without thinking. In pop psychology we often hear the term “Superman Complex”, which is not far off from reality. “That looks like trouble, but it’s not going to happen to me!” is a common train of thought.

Lack of Sleep Getting you Down? Research Provides Tips for Better Sleep

If you’re like most people sleep is crucial for your well-being. Research studies increasingly reveal that people do not function optimally when they are sleep deprived. 


In general, Americans, particularly adolescents and aging adults, don’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can decrease our cognitive ability to focus, problems solve, and maintain attention, and it can cause irritability, and emotional irregularity. All of which can interfere with positive well-being. Sleep gives us energy, a positive attitude, and better ability to cope with daily stress. We need adequate sleep for physical restoration, growth, adaptability, and memory. [continue reading]

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Digdon, N. & Koble, A. (2011). Effects of Constructive Worry, Imagery Distraction, and Gratitude Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Pilot Trial.Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3 (2), 193–206.

Characteristics of Effective Counseling

Effective counseling is a two way street. It takes a cooperative effort by both the person receiving counseling and the counselor. And it takes a commitment to make sometimes difficult changes in behavior or thinking patterns. What you expect to achieve with your counselor should be clearly defined as you begin your counseling. You and your counselor should discuss realistic time frames for reaching your goals and agree on how you will measure your progress.


It’s important that you and your counselor establish a good relationship that allows you to be completely honest about your thoughts and feelings. Often, this requires an elusive “chemistry” between both of you in which you feel comfortable with your counselor’s personality, approach and style. If after the first few sessions you don’t feel this chemistry, look for another counselor with whom... [continue reading]
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Reference:
Ponton, L. (2006). Characteristics of Effective Counseling. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 9, 2011, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/characteristics-of-effective-counseling/

What If You Don’t Like Your Therapist?

You’re not always going to like your psychotherapist. In fact, most people go through phases during the psychotherapy process where their admiration and liking for their therapist will wax and wane. This can be based upon a number of factors, such as the type or difficulty of the material being addressed in therapy, the amount of stress you or the therapist may be experiencing, or something else altogether. These changing feelings toward one’s therapist are a normal part of the therapeutic process.


Some people, however, realize that either they’ve gotten as far as possible with their current therapist, or find out shortly after they’ve begun therapy that the therapist they’ve chosen isn’t right for them. Individuals often become anxious when they realize this, and many will stay with their therapist long after they should simply because it does take some effort and courage to end the professional relationship you have with them. Some therapists also don’t always make this as easy as they could, suggesting that you “work on” your dislike of them in future sessions. Some will even suggest that it could be therapeutic and beneficial for you to do so... [Continue reading]


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Reference:
Grohol, J. (2006). What If You Don’t Like Your Therapist?. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 9, 2011, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/what-if-you-dont-like-your-therapist/

Types of Mental Health Professionals

There are over a half-dozen different professions that provide services that focus on helping a person overcome a mental health concern or some significant life issue. There are dozens more variations on these, which can lead to a great deal of confusion in the marketplace. The largest difference between the types of professionals is usually what they focus or specialize in, and their educational background. A brief run-down of some of the major professions:



Psychiatrist – A psychiatrist is a medical doctor and the only professional that specializes in mental health care and can prescribe medications. (Family doctors often prescribe medications for mental health concerns, but do not have specialized training or background in treatment mental disorders.) Most psychiatrists focus on prescribing the appropriate medication that’s going to work best for that individual and their concerns; a few also do psychotherapy.


Psychologist - A psychologist is a professional who does psychotherapy and has a doctorate degree (such as a Ph.D. or Psy.D.). Psy.D. programs tend to focus on clinical practice and result in the professional having thousands of hours of clinical experience before they enter practice. Ph.D. programs can focus on either clinical or research work, and the amount of clinical experience a professional will gain varies from program to program. Psychologists receive specific training in diagnosis, psychological assessment, a wide variety of psychotherapies, research and more... [Read More]

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Reference:
          Grohol, J. (2006). Types of Mental Health Professionals. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 9, 2011, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/types-of-mental-health-professionals/

Understanding Different Approaches to Psychotherapy

There are many different approaches to psychotherapy. Use of one method or another depends on the psychologist’s or therapist’s training, style and personality. Some psychologists use one approach with all patients; others are eclectic, and some tailor their approach based on particular patients’ needs, symptoms and personality.


Although the approaches are often seen as distinct, in the implementation and even theoretically there is often overlap. Rigidly adhering to one way of thinking or approaching therapy often limits results and misses the whole picture, and may result in an approach that feels foreign or false to the patient... [Read More...]

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Reference: 
     Margolies, L. (2010). Understanding Different Approaches to Psychotherapy.Psych Central. Retrieved on August 9, 2011, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/understanding-different-approaches-to-psychotherapy/