Month: October 2013

Medication Management Medication Management October 28, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

The Importance of Medication Management

Why Medication Management Matters

Few things stir as much controversy as Medication Management for psychiatric and psychological conditions. Some people are completely against the use of medications for any reason, believing that those that use them are weak and those prescribing them are merely just drugging people with Medication Management. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. When used appropriately, Medication Management can literally make the difference between life and death for many people. Read more

Marriage Counseling Marriage Counselor October 21, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

Tips on Finding a Marriage Counselor

When a couple decides to seek marriage counseling, finding the marriage counselor that will be the best match for them can be an overwhelming task. To aid in your search, we’ve come up with several tips to help filter your search and produce the marriage counselor that will best serve you and your spouse. If you’re going to put the time, effort and money into your marriage counseling experience, you want to have the best possible experience.

There are a wide variety of mental health professionals in the field, but only a select few work specifically with couples. A great first tip to find a marriage counselor would be to make sure that the individual works with couples and has a significant amount of experience doing so. You also want to ensure that your marriage counselor is pro-marriage. Though this may seem like a silly question, there are many marriage therapist who equally split their time between helping couples save their marriage and helping them divorce amicably. Make sure your intentions are known and that your marriage counselor will be there to support you.

Another tip for finding a marriage counselor is to inquire about the amount of experience they have working with your particular issue. It could be infidelity, abuse, phase of life changes, blended family issues, or an overall lack of fulfillment in the relationship. Whatever your presenting problem may be, you want to ensure that your chosen marriage counselor will be able to treat it effectively.

A very important tip to finding a marriage counselor, and a foundational issue, is whether or not the marriage counselor has the specific education and training to effectively treat couples. Inquire about the professional’s educational background and where he or she completed practicums and internships. You are looking for someone with not only practical experience in the field, but also the education and training to create a solid foundation of professionalism and knowledge.

Practicality may also be a concern for you and your spouse. Ask yourselves about the location, hours of availability, and financial commitment that you are willing to make. Your marriage is the most important relationship in your life, so in this area, you may need to make some sacrifices. Just make sure you aren’t sacrificing so much that you create an additional problem for yourselves.

Finally, the best tip we can give you is that once you choose a marriage counselor, make a personal commitment to the goals you set with your spouse. This relationship is your top priority and the right marriage counselor will be able to provide you the support to improve it, but can’t do the work for you. Get ready to make some changes and compromises, but know that the end result may give you the marriage you’ve been hoping for!

Clinical Psychology Clinical Psychology October 14, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

A Brief History of Clinical Psychology

Have you ever wondered how Clinical Psychology came to be what it is today? You’re not alone! We thought it might be interesting to give you a brief history of Clinical Psychology to help give our patients a better understanding of what we do and how we can help you!

The birth of modern and experimental psychology began in 1879 in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig. This is often discussed as the birth because of the deep links to research and experimentation in Clinical Psychology. The first psychological clinic was opened in 1896 at the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Lighner Witmer. Witmer treated a boy that struggled with spelling, which made the university known for treating learning disabilities. That same year, Sigmund Freud first coined the term “psychoanalysis,” making 1896 the official beginning of Clinical Psychology. Within 10 years, several Clinical Psychology clinics were opened, however psychiatrists and neurologist remained the standard professionals to treat mental illness and distress.

The term “Clinical Psychology” was born in 1917 when the American Association of Clinical Psychologists was formed. Though this organization dissipated, the American Psychological Association (APA) soon formed a Clinical Psychology branch and began to offer a certification. This branch is now known as Division 12 and is the leading professional organization in the field.

A surge in the use of Clinical Psychology and psychologists occurred during World War II when the military relied on them to treat soldiers who returned from war with what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (formerly shell-shock). These soldiers began to show significant improvement, giving the professional great credibility. The National Association of Women Psychologists was soon formed to address the stress of the war on families. The United States started a trend in this area as Britain started a similar program within their military that was modeled after the American approach.

In order to train clinical psychologists, the Veterans Administration funded PhD training programs at various universities. Because the clinical practice piece was missing from these programs, the first to offer a practice-based PhD was the University of Illinois in 1968. This program provided a structure for other universities to follow, which led to the development of the Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) degree, first recognized in 1973.

The field of Clinical Psychology as grown dramatically since the 1970s and has expanded into a variety of other fields such as criminal justice, sports, and health. It has achieved greater success as time goes on with more research awareness and acceptance, better understanding of cultural differences, advancements in psychotropic medications and it’s recognition within managed care. We hope this gives you a comprehensive, yet brief, understanding of the history of Clinical Psychology and we invite you keep researching for further information!

Life Coach Relationships October 7, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

Getting Over a Breakup

One of the things I often hear in my office from people who are working on getting over a breakup is a sadness that they can no longer be in or go to a certain place they used to love. The reason is that while getting over a breakup they associate it with a lost love they no longer date or a trauma they experienced at that certain place. Human nature being what it is, in getting over a breakup they have a tendency to just avoid it or leave it (in the case of a home). While this is unavoidable for some people in getting over a breakup, depending on the situation, another option is to “reclaim” the place by creating new memories in it.

This can be a good option in getting over a breakup if you used to like to go to a favorite restaurant; park or such with a former love and avoid it so as not to remember that person. The way to do this is by taking your new love interest or even a friend or two to that place. At first, in getting over a breakup, it will be awkward for you, but if you do it over and over again you will find that as new enjoyable memories are created the old ones will begin to fade and you will have your place back.

What about if in getting over a breakup the place is your home and you have certain bad memories associated with it, such that you want to move? Obviously, in getting over a breakup everyone is different, so that in the case of extreme trauma (death, divorce, etc.) you may need to move. However, if that is not an option for you in getting over a breakup, you can take steps to reclaim your home. Again, the key in getting over a breakup is to create new pleasurable memories in your home, over and over again. Redecorate, change things around, get rid of old things and objects, move things and most importantly have people over that can make you smile and laugh in your own place. In time, during the process of getting over a breakup, the newly created visual environment and memories will supersede the old and you will have your home back. Give it a shot and know that while getting over a breakup may be a struggle there are people that can help you through it. If you find that is the case give us a call today. We at Proliance Center are here to help!