"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - its the difference between the lightning bug and the lightening." -- Mark Twain
Today, we had a rather open discussion on ways to improve communication. These include:
1) Using I-statements. This is the practice of only talking about what you know about - which is your own thoughts and feelings. Statements, therefore, begin with "I," as in "I think...." or "I feel..."
2) Active Listening. This is the practice of paying close attention to what is being said to you, rather than taking a defensive posture and only half-listening while planning your reply. Active listening can be accomplished by listening well enough to paraphrase, reflect, or summarize what was said to you.
3) Ask Questions. If you don't understand something, or if there seems to be a discrepancy between speech and body language, then ask questions to clarify the message.
4) Empathy. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes.
5) Focus on Shared Goals. This is one means of resolving conflict, or, at least, being able to discuss conflicts without anger interfering in the message.
Some Examples:
Dr. Shelly Gable has been researching what goes right in close relationships for many years and has found that partners' reactions to good news is a better predictor of the quality of the relationship and whether it will endure than partners' reactions to bad news. For example:
Your spouse comes home and announces that he or she got a great promotion at work. You could react with:
Active Constructive Response (correct): "That's great, you've earned it, I'm so proud of you!" followed by asking questions. This conveys enthusiasm, support and interest.
Passive Constructive Response (incorrect): "That's great. What's for dinner?"
Active Destructive Response (incorrect): or "finding a cloud in the silver lining" like, "Does that mean you'll be working later hours? Are they going to pay you more? I can't believe they picked you out of all the candidates!"
Passive Destructive Response (incorrect): which can be either, "Wow! Wait until I tell you what happened to me today." or ignoring the event all together, "What's for dinner?"
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Show Notes for October 6, 2009: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Some current publications from the American Psychological Association are linked here:
The Mind of the Batterer.pdf
Partner Violence: What you can do
A good website for the State of Kansas is:
helpchangekansas.com
Statistics:
A United States Department of Justice study found that 22% of women and 7% of men had been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. The study also found that 1.3% of the women and 0.9% of the men had been abused within the past 30 days. Of those abused, 39% of the women and 23% of the men were injured.
Effects on the victim:
Physical abuse is often accompanied by humiliation, manipulation, and economic control. The effects on the victim include fear, the belief that escape is impossible, post-traumatic stress symptoms and sometimes substance abuse.
The risk of death or serious injury increases once the decision to leave is made.
How to respond if someone tells you of domestic violence:
DON'T minimize the abuse
DON'T blame the victim
DON'T shift the focus (to alcohol or some other problem)
DO be empathetic
DO tell the victim it is not her fault
DO offer to get her help (if you can)
Important Phone Numbers:
As always, if you are in danger, dial 9-1-1
Area Mental Health Center, Ulysses outpatient office for Grant, Stanton and Morton Counties:
1-620-356-3198
Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter (DoVES) of Grant County:
1-620-356-1049
Kansas Crisis Hotline:
1-888-END-ABUSE (1-888-363-2287)
National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Show Notes for September 1, 2009: The Schools of Psychotherapy
Today we talked about the three main "schools" or types of psychotherapy. Most therapy done today is an eclectic mix drawing on ideas from each of the schools to the extent that the ideas fit the problem that the client wishes to address.
The psychodynamic-systems schools:
Largely the product of early 20th Century European psychiatry, this view conceptualizes that each person or system (which can be a family, a workplace, or so forth) contains a given amount of energy (libido) that never leaves the system but that can be channeled to productive pursuits or psychiatric symptoms. The direction of this energy can be changed by gaining insights in fixation within a person or boundaries within a group. If this is not done properly, a person may substitute one symptom for another, or a different person in a family or group may develop symptoms.
Key figures: Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Dennis Dailey
Scientific note: The concept of symptom substitution has failed to be verified experimentally. Other concepts cannot be empirically tested.
The cognitive-behavioral schools:
Largely the product of mid-20th Century American psychology, the behaviorists hold that only observable (overt) behavior that can be measured is the proper subject matter for scientific psychology. This lead to the development of Learning Theory. The cognitive therapists believe that unobservable (covert) behavior (thinking, feeling) may be measured indirectly through verbal report and that covert behavior follows the same principles of learning theory as does overt behavior.
Key figures: J.B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck
Scientific note: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is scientifically validated for the treatment of depression and many forms of anxiety.
The humanist-existentialist schools:
Largely the product of late-20th Century American psychology, the humanists and existentialists believe that something is unique about human beings that cannot be explained by learning theory. They hold that human beings have potentials that need to be made real (actualized). The humanists and existentialists base their understanding of the human being on a priori philosophical ideas such as free will and the existence of the human spirit.
Key figures: Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Viktor Frankl
Scientific note: Members of these schools tend to research the results of psychotherapy. Their philosophical assumptions are not able to be empirically tested.
The psychodynamic-systems schools:
Largely the product of early 20th Century European psychiatry, this view conceptualizes that each person or system (which can be a family, a workplace, or so forth) contains a given amount of energy (libido) that never leaves the system but that can be channeled to productive pursuits or psychiatric symptoms. The direction of this energy can be changed by gaining insights in fixation within a person or boundaries within a group. If this is not done properly, a person may substitute one symptom for another, or a different person in a family or group may develop symptoms.
Key figures: Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Dennis Dailey
Scientific note: The concept of symptom substitution has failed to be verified experimentally. Other concepts cannot be empirically tested.
The cognitive-behavioral schools:
Largely the product of mid-20th Century American psychology, the behaviorists hold that only observable (overt) behavior that can be measured is the proper subject matter for scientific psychology. This lead to the development of Learning Theory. The cognitive therapists believe that unobservable (covert) behavior (thinking, feeling) may be measured indirectly through verbal report and that covert behavior follows the same principles of learning theory as does overt behavior.
Key figures: J.B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck
Scientific note: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is scientifically validated for the treatment of depression and many forms of anxiety.
The humanist-existentialist schools:
Largely the product of late-20th Century American psychology, the humanists and existentialists believe that something is unique about human beings that cannot be explained by learning theory. They hold that human beings have potentials that need to be made real (actualized). The humanists and existentialists base their understanding of the human being on a priori philosophical ideas such as free will and the existence of the human spirit.
Key figures: Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Viktor Frankl
Scientific note: Members of these schools tend to research the results of psychotherapy. Their philosophical assumptions are not able to be empirically tested.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Show Notes for August 4, 2009: Viktor Frankl and Logotherapy
About Viktor Frankl
Viktor E. Frankl, MD, PhD (1905-1997) is the founder of Logotherapy. He practiced psychiatry and neurology in Vienna, Austria throughout the middle of the 20th Century, interrupted by internment in four Nazi concentration camps. Frankl’s experiences in the camps provided the proving ground for his assertion that human life has meaning under any and all circumstances, no matter how grim, and that the human spirit has a defiant power to take a stand in the face of any adversity.
Frankl is the author of 31 works on psychotherapy, philosophy and neurology. His books have been translated into 31 languages. His classic Man’s Search for Meaning has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. A 1991 Library of Congress/Book-of-the-Month survey rated Man’s Search for Meaning as one of the ten most influential books in the United States.
The work of Viktor Frankl is carried on by Viktor Frankl Institutes around the world. The Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy in the United States is located in Abilene, Texas. One therapist from the Ulysses Office of the Area Mental Health Center receives training there and recently returned from the 17th World Congress on Logotherapy. The coursework of the Viktor Frankl Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association and the National Board of Certified Counselors. Logotherapy is a recognized treatment by the American Psychiatric Association.
About Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a meaning-centered or existential form of psychotherapy. The “logo” in logotherapy comes from the Greek word logos which means word, meaning, or philosophical argument. Unlike many other forms of existential therapy, Frankl’s logotherapy is down-to-earth and practical. It works in a complementary way with a variety of other therapies, including the cognitive therapies most often used in the United States today.
Logotherapy teaches that the human spirit is incorruptible and can be a source of strength and health despite the weaknesses of the body and the mind.
The three basic tenets of Logotherapy are:
The Meaning of Life: Logotherapy holds that human life is meaningful under any and all circumstances.
The Will to Meaning: Logotherapy believes that part of what makes us human is an innate pull to discover the meaning of our lives.
The Freedom of the Will: Logotherapy holds that human beings have the ability to choose to live meaningful lives by actualizing values.
Three classes of values lead to the discovery of meaning in life:
The creative value is the work that we do as only we can, that which we create in life.
The experiential value is the love we discover in relationships, or the beauty we find in the world around us through nature, art, music, and so forth.
The attitudinal value is the stand we choose to take toward pain and suffering in our lives that we cannot change.
More can be learned about Viktor Frankl and Logotherapy at:
The Viktor Frankl Institut (Austria)
The Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (United States)
LogoTalk.net
About the Logo
The logo of the Viktor Frankl Institute is pictured above.
The BOAT, seen in the image, is the Greek symbol for wisdom.
The OIL LAMP, also seen, is the Hebrew symbol for eternity.
L-O-G-O-S is what you are really seeing superimposed on the globe above, the letters L-O-G-O-S.
“En archa ain ho Logos, kai ho Logos ain tou Theou, kai ho Logos ain Theo.” John 1:1
In the beginning was the Logos (word, meaning, that which is meant), and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God.”
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Show Notes for July 7, 2009: Welcoming Katie Noriega to AMHC
My name is Katie Noriega and I am originally from Ulysses, Ks. I just started working at AMHC at the end of May as the new Mental Health Assistant. I'm no stranger to AMHC, as I worked here last summer as a Group Aid for the Get Set Summer Program.
After graduating Ulysses High in 2002, I attended Fort Hays State University on a volleyball scholarship where I dabbled in a couple different majors, mainly Graphic Design and Marketing. Five years later and still unsure of my 'life calling' I took a year off from school and moved to beautiful Colorado Springs to spread my wings and 'find myself'. A year of coaching high school volleyball, waitressing, hiking, and camping.
I moved back to my home town and as a summer job choice I applied at AMHC. Since then, it seems as if my life had just taken off! My experience working in the mental health field not only fascinates me but it fulfills my desire to help children in need. I have found that my greatest passion is teaching and helping others to cope with the struggles of life, as I know from my own experiences how hard living life and feeling alone can be.
In order to be considered for the MHA position I was required to have another years worth of experience working with children, so I was hired on at Hickok Elementary School as a para working with 1st and 2nd graders. As soon as the school year was up, I reapplied to AMHC and voiced my strong desire to learn and grow within a company that has such great values and working environment. Since last summer, I was inspired to return to school to finish my degree in Psychology and now I'm considering going all the way for my doctorate! Although I'm keeping my future plans open for consideration, my next professional goal is to graduate this coming May and continue on with AMHC as a Children's Case Manager.
After graduating Ulysses High in 2002, I attended Fort Hays State University on a volleyball scholarship where I dabbled in a couple different majors, mainly Graphic Design and Marketing. Five years later and still unsure of my 'life calling' I took a year off from school and moved to beautiful Colorado Springs to spread my wings and 'find myself'. A year of coaching high school volleyball, waitressing, hiking, and camping.
I moved back to my home town and as a summer job choice I applied at AMHC. Since then, it seems as if my life had just taken off! My experience working in the mental health field not only fascinates me but it fulfills my desire to help children in need. I have found that my greatest passion is teaching and helping others to cope with the struggles of life, as I know from my own experiences how hard living life and feeling alone can be.
In order to be considered for the MHA position I was required to have another years worth of experience working with children, so I was hired on at Hickok Elementary School as a para working with 1st and 2nd graders. As soon as the school year was up, I reapplied to AMHC and voiced my strong desire to learn and grow within a company that has such great values and working environment. Since last summer, I was inspired to return to school to finish my degree in Psychology and now I'm considering going all the way for my doctorate! Although I'm keeping my future plans open for consideration, my next professional goal is to graduate this coming May and continue on with AMHC as a Children's Case Manager.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Show Notes for June 2, 2009: Stress Management
The stress response is known as the Generalized Adaptation Syndrome. It consists of three stages:
Stage 1: The Alarm Stage (also, the fight-or-flight reaction)
This stage helps us respond in the event of a physical attack. Heart rate and blood pressure increase, breathing becomes rapid, there is a sudden rush of strength, digestion is slowed as resources are directed away from the immune and digestive systems to the muscular system. In this stage, we can fight better or run-away faster.
Stage 2: The Resistance Stage
If stress is prolonged, the body returns to what appears to be a resting state. However, chemicals in our blood keep us on "hair-trigger alert," and we feel as if we are waiting for the "other shoe to drop." We may be jumpy and are ready to go back into the fight-or-flight stage much faster. Resistance to disease initially rises during this stage.
Stage 3: The Exhaustion Stage
If stress is still not resolved, the body gets profoundly fatigued. Resistance begins to fail and we are at risk of "diseases of adaptation." These include a greater change of physical problems like heart disease, and also emotional concerns like anxiety disorders.
To deal with stress, we can cope directly or indirectly. Direct coping skills involve removing or modifying the source of the stress, such as leaving a stressful job or reducing the pace of change in our lives. When this is not possible, we can manage our response to stress by any of the following:
1. We can learn to voluntarily control the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, the systems that control the fight-or-flight response. We can learn to do this through relaxation, deep breathing, or exercise programs.
2. We can learn to control our thoughts and emotions by developing meaningful beliefs and by countering thoughts that are meaningless or unrealistic.
Should an anxiety disorder develop, there are treatment programs that can help. Professional counseling can make you an expert at managing stress your personal stress. More information on anxiety disorders is available below:
Facts About Anxiety Disorders.pdf
Anxiety Disorders.pdf
Generalized Anxiety Disorder.pdf
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.pdf
Panic Disorder.pdf
Phobia.pdf
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.pdf
Social Phobia.pdf
Stage 1: The Alarm Stage (also, the fight-or-flight reaction)
This stage helps us respond in the event of a physical attack. Heart rate and blood pressure increase, breathing becomes rapid, there is a sudden rush of strength, digestion is slowed as resources are directed away from the immune and digestive systems to the muscular system. In this stage, we can fight better or run-away faster.
Stage 2: The Resistance Stage
If stress is prolonged, the body returns to what appears to be a resting state. However, chemicals in our blood keep us on "hair-trigger alert," and we feel as if we are waiting for the "other shoe to drop." We may be jumpy and are ready to go back into the fight-or-flight stage much faster. Resistance to disease initially rises during this stage.
Stage 3: The Exhaustion Stage
If stress is still not resolved, the body gets profoundly fatigued. Resistance begins to fail and we are at risk of "diseases of adaptation." These include a greater change of physical problems like heart disease, and also emotional concerns like anxiety disorders.
To deal with stress, we can cope directly or indirectly. Direct coping skills involve removing or modifying the source of the stress, such as leaving a stressful job or reducing the pace of change in our lives. When this is not possible, we can manage our response to stress by any of the following:
1. We can learn to voluntarily control the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, the systems that control the fight-or-flight response. We can learn to do this through relaxation, deep breathing, or exercise programs.
2. We can learn to control our thoughts and emotions by developing meaningful beliefs and by countering thoughts that are meaningless or unrealistic.
Should an anxiety disorder develop, there are treatment programs that can help. Professional counseling can make you an expert at managing stress your personal stress. More information on anxiety disorders is available below:
Facts About Anxiety Disorders.pdf
Anxiety Disorders.pdf
Generalized Anxiety Disorder.pdf
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.pdf
Panic Disorder.pdf
Phobia.pdf
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.pdf
Social Phobia.pdf
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mental Health Tuesday for May 5, 2009
May is Mental Health Month! To celebrate, Mental Health Tuesday has started its own blog here at:
Show notes from each month of Mental Health Tuesday will now be available.
Show notes from each month of Mental Health Tuesday will now be available.
Live Your Life Well is the theme for this year's Mental Health Month. The official website at
offers 10 proven tools that can help you feel stronger and more hopeful. The site offers specific, easy-to-follow tips for each tool. The 10 tools are:
1. Connect with others
2. Stay positive
3. Get physically active
4. Help others
5. Get enough sleep
6. Create joy and satisfaction
7. Eat well
8. Take care of your spirit
9. Deal better with hard times
10. Get professional help if you need it
On a previous episode of Mental Health Tuesday, we told you about a day in the life of our local Ulysses Office of the Area Mental Health Center:
http://mentalhealthtuesday.blogspot.com/2009/02/mental-health-tuesday-for-february-3_02.html
That same information is now available for our entire 13 county region.
On a random day, January 20, 2009, the entire Area Mental Health Center provided services to 209 children and 219 adults. The numbers of people who came for services on that ONE DAY with the following mental health symptoms included:
Aggression - 12
Suicidal potential - 32
Marital and family problem - 28
Substance Abuse - 28
Sexually Abuse - 12
Psychotic - 63
Bipolar Symptoms - 38
Depression - 108
Anxiety - 34
ADHD - 69
Behavior Problems - 76
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