Word of The Day - Introjection

Introjection - in-tro-jec-tion (intrəˈjekSHən/) - Introjection is the tendency to uncritically accept other's beliefs and standards with assimilating them to make them congruent with who you are.  To unconsciously accept the ideology, principles, attitudes of others.

Therapy Techniques - Systematic Desensitization

By:  Kimberly Swanson, M.S. – Psychology, CNA

Systematic desensitization is a behavioral therapy that is based on the ideology of classical conditioning.  It is the foundational root of counter conditioning.  This type of therapy technique works on reducing anxiety by linking negative stimuli with positive outcomes (Rosenthal, 2008).   

During the 1950s, Wolpe created systematic desensitization in which the objective is to elevate fear when reacting to a phobia. Often times these phobia reactions are replaced with conditional stimuli eventually leads to counter conditioning (McLeod, 2008).  There are three steps for this type of treatment (McLeod, 2008):

• 1.      Patients learn to do relaxation and breathing exercise (e.g. medication and yoga).
• 2.      Patients develops a fear ranking system starting with the stimuli that creates the least amount of anxiety (fear/stress) and leading up to the things that leads to the highest level of fear (fear through visual imagery).  This step is critical because it provides a foundation for the therapy treatment.
• 3.     Patient works up the levels of rankings and starting with less fearful stimuli through the use of relaxation strategies.  As they overcome one fear level, then they are ready to tackle and conquer the next level.  If clients regressed to lower fear level, then they must repeat the relaxation techniques until they are ready to move forward.

References

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Systematic Desensitization. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/Systematic-Desensitisation.html.

Rosenthal, H.  (2008). Encyclopedia of counseling (3rd Edition).  New York:  Routledge.

Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

Therapy Techniques - Family Sculpting (Psychodrama)

By:   Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Family Sculpting was developed by Duhl, Kantor, and Duhl (1973).   This technique is used when a family member recreates their family system and gives a demonstration of their family relationships during a specific time frame within their life.  The family therapist can use  sculpting by asking family members to physically arrange the family through psychodrama like postures (Rosenthal, 2008).  This is techniques is good for adolescents because it gives them a chance to nonverbally show their perception and emotions about the family.  Family sculpting  is an effective diagnostic instrument that gives the opportunity to expand to further therapeutic interventions (Duhl, Kantor, Duhl, 1973).

Reference

Duhl, F. S., Kantor, D., & Duhl, B. S. (1973). Learning Space and action in family therapy: A primer of sculpting. In D. Bloch (Ed.), Techniques of family psychotherapy: A primer. New York: Grune & Stratton.

Rosenthal, H.  (2008).  Encyclopedia of counseling (3^rd Edition).  New York:  Routledge.

Virginia Satir (Psychotherapist) Bio

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Virginia Satir was a psychotherapist who developed and pioneered family therapy. She was born, on June 26, 1916 in Neillsville, Wisconsin.  Satir was the youngest sibling out of thirteen siblings.   She grew up with an alcoholic father (Suarez, 1999).  Suarez (1999) mentions that  that Satir disliked her father’s problems with  alcoholism.

Once Satir graduated from high, she attended Milwaukee State Teachers College and earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1936.  Satir had the opportunity to work at an African American community center called Abraham Lincoln House; she wanted to learn and understand different cultures and ethnicities.  Satir shared her experiences and voiced her views about the racial disparities (King 1990).

After Satir finished her master’s thesis, she earned her master’s degree in 1948.  She then went into  private practice and later accepted a position  with the Illinois Psychiatric Institute.  While at the institute, she taught other therapists the essential need of  focusing in whole family during therapy sessions,  not only for the individual (Good Therapy, 2015).  She identified that the issues of  the clients often times stems from the family.

Satir created a new approach to counseling.  She felt that the client’s dilemma and circumstances were seldom the root of the problem, instead she believed that it was much deeper.  Virginia suggested that mental health issues stemmed from negative family dysfunction and believed that the whole family needs treatment and not just the individual.  Satir developed Transformational Systemic Therapy,  also called Satir Growth Model, which focus on the inner-self, and  examining personal choices and decisions (Good Therapy, 2015).

In 1964, Satir wrote the book Conjoint Family Therapy which focused on  personal self-worth.  With her work, Satir tried to assist individuals in accepting life and having peace and prosperity.  She  inspired clients to incorporate meditation, breath work, positive visualization with their  daily life.  She also recommended affirmations in improving ones self-esteem  (Good Therapy, 2015)

References

Good Therapy.  (2015).  Virginia Satir (1916-1988).  Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/virginia-satir.html

King, L. (1990). Woman Power. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.

Suarez, M. M. (1999). A Brief Biography of Virginia Satir. [On-line]. Available http://www.avanta.net/BIOGRAPHY/biography.htm

Word of the Week - SOAP Notes

SOAP Notes – SOAP stands for Subjective Information, Objective Information, Assessments, & Plan. SOAP notes is a type of clinical note format that therapists use as a documenting methodology for tracking their therapy sessions and the progression of their patients.

What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)?

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

When it comes to Rational  Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Albert Ellis (1957, 1962) suggests that individuals holds a certain set of  belief systems that stems from their upbringing, culture, environment and their life experiences.  With these belief systems, it guides people in making life decisions and it becomes a determining factor as to how these individuals reacts to certain situations.

It is believe that some people’s personal beliefs and mindsets can be irrational and may cause them to react in certain unfitting ways; these negative behaviors can prevent them from excelling and achieving their goals.  This dysfunctional behavior is what Dr. Ellis termed irrational assumptions (McLeod, 2015).

There are times when some individuals have the belief system they are not a true success when they don’t have someone to love them; these individuals are continuously looking for acceptance and are constantly rejected.  Due to these rejections, their behaviors begins to reflect their negative beliefs about themselves and they feel unhappy due not receiving affection or reciprocated love in return.

The following are some examples of Ellis’s irrational thinking:

·         You have to be knowledgeable and know everything.

·         Believes that no one has control over their joy and happiness.

·         Believes that your past mistakes rules your present and future circumstances.

·         Believes that you have to find the solution to everything and if you don’t find it everything is in total chaos.

Dr. Ellis believed that individuals often times cling to their irrational thought processing.  Ellis’s REBT therapy incorporates emotive strategies to assist clients in changing their negative way of thinking (McLeod, 2015).

References

Ellis, A. (1957). Rational Psychotherapy and Individual Psychology. Journal of Individual Psychology, 13: 38-44.

Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy. New York: Stuart.

McLeod, S. A. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.html

Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a trauma and stress related disorder.  Trauma stress related conditions are a group of disorders that involves psychological distress followed by anxiety, fear, depressive, anhedonic, or dissociative symptoms, with certain similarities in symptoms and behaviors (e.g. psychological distress) (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), 2013).

Symptoms of PTSD

The DSM-5 (2013) states that a critical component to PTSD is the symptoms that may occur after being exposed to one or more traumatic occurrences.  Patients may feel emotional feelings  from the traumatic event (e.g. scared,  horrified, vulnerable) is not in Criterion A because PTSD is clinically varied.  For instance some people may feel scared mostly when having flashbacks of the tragic incident.  Whereas for others,  they may have mostly anhedonic or dysphoric moods with a negative insight of what took place (DSM-5, 2013).

Commonality of  PTSD

According to the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R), it is believed that  the lifetime cases of PTSD within the United States is at 6.8% (Kessler, Berglund, Demler, et, 2005); these figures does not show the gender differences when it comes to the commonality of PTSD (Butcher, Mineka, Hooley, 2013).  The NCS-R outcomes revealed that women have higher cases of  PTSD than men.  Throughout their life span, women were at 9.7% and men were at 3.6%. 

The difference in commonality of gender based PTSD is intriguing, due to some studies showing that males are more prone to  traumatic events (e.g. war and combat) (Tolin & Foa, 2006).  Research has shown that gender differences may be a contributing factor  that women are at a higher risk to certain types of  traumatic experiences (e.g. rape) (Cortina & Kublak, 2006).  Females tend to demonstrate a higher level of PTSD and are prone to having more severe symptoms (Tolin & Foe, 2006).

References

American Psychiatric Association (APA).  (2013).   Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5^th  edition (DSM-5). 

Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., Hooley, J.M.  (2013).  Abnormal Psychology 15^th edition.  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Education, Inc. 

Cortina, L.M., Kubiak, S.P.  (2006).  Gender and post-traumatic stress:  Sexual violence as an explanation for women’s increased risk.  Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 753-759.

Kessler, R.C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Walters, E.E.  (2005b).  Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distribution of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6):593-602.

Tolin, D.F., & Foe, E.B.  (2006).  Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder:  A quantitative review of 25 years of research.  Psychological Bulletin, 132, 959-992.

Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

Albert Ellis (Psychologist) – Biography

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Albert Ellis (Psychologist)

Albert Ellis was a renowned psychologist who launched and created Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT); which started the movement towards cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Good Therapy, 2015).

Dr. Ellis was born in 1913 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He was  not  emotionally close to his parents; he mentioned that his mother struggled with bipolar disorder (Good Therapy, 2015).  Even though Ellis had to face some health issues, he assisted in raising his younger siblings until he had the opportunity to attend City University of New York.  He earned  a bachelor’s degree in business and later attended  Teachers College at Columbia University where he earned his doctorate in clinical psychology

He later taught at  Rutgers and  New York University. He questioned the reliability of many psychological theories especially Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis.    He decided to follow a different path and call  his therapeutic technique Rational Therapy.  Ellis later changed the name to  Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). His therapy technique was not popular at first but now it began to gain more  ground within the field of psychology.  Dr. Ellis  founded the Institute of Rational Living in 1959.

Ellis’s REBT is what lead to the development of CBT.  Instead of looking at early childhood experiences, psychoanalysis, interpreting dreams, or family relationships, REBT targets and focuses in on troubled belief systems which lead to self-destructive behaviors (Good Therapy, 2015). An intricate part of  cognitive therapy is  Ellis’s ABC Technique of Irrational Beliefs (Albert Ellis, 1957).

References

Ellis, A. (1957). Rational Psychotherapy and Individual Psychology. Journal of Individual Psychology, 13: 38-44.

Good Therapy.  (2015).  Albert Ellis (1913-2007).  Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/albert-ellis.html.

 Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

How to cite this article:

Swanson, K.  (2016).  Albert Ellis (Psychologist) – Biography   Psychology Essence (Messenger Publishing, Inc.).  Retrieved from http://psychologyessence.blogspot.com/2016/09/albert-ellis-psychologist-biography.html.

Word of the Week - Permutation

Permutation - pərmyo͝oˈtāSH(ə)n/  (Noun) - Tells or shows how many ways a set of items can be numbered or arranged.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an umbrella term that for many types therapeutic approaches that has some similar qualities (McLeod, 2015).  There are two early forms of CBT and they were (McLeod, 2015):

·         Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), which was created by  Albert Ellis during the 1950s;

·         Cognitive Therapy, was created by Aaron T. Beck during the 1960’s.

Rational emotional behavior therapy (REBT) is a behavioral technique that blends behavior and cognitive approaches for therapy (Grand Canyon University, 2014).  REBT is used in populations of individuals who have a problem with disputing negative irrational thinking (Grand Canyon University, 2014).  These individuals feel like that they have to be accepted by others in order to have feel self-worth.   They feel that they are the cause of other people’s actions that which causes negative actions.  They put extreme pressure on themselves that may lead to anxiety and depression.

According to Ellis (1999), there are three types of people who may need REBT:

1.            Individuals who put extreme pressure to do well to please others.  And if they do not reach others approvals they feel worthless, which can lead to anxiety, depression and are not asserting themselves.

2.            Individuals believe that people should treat them nice, fairly, and with consideration or they are not bad.  This person tends to hold grudges, get angry, become hostile, and can become violent. 

3.            This is when a person has an expectation when it comes to certain predicaments situations things should be fair, simple, and life should not be filled with struggles.  This mind set is linked to having feelings of no hope, procrastinating, and having addictive behaviors.

The diagnostic mental health categories that would use REBT and behavioral theories are for anxiety, depression and addictions.  The reason why REBT and other behavioral theories would be used is to assist in changing negative or counter-productive behaviors through these therapeutic techniques.

Individual and Cultural Diversity Issues  When using REBT and Other Behavioral Theories.

There are some issues with individuals and cultural diversity when it comes to REBT and cognitive therapy.  According to Pretzer (2013) culture has a wide range of complexity.  The therapist must take into consideration their own cultural background and their client’s cultural background to see if it may affect their working relationship between each other (Pretzer, 2013). 

Pretzer  (2013) mentions that it is important that a counselor understands their client’s dilemmas and situation;  having clarity and being able to relate  regardless of their personal views is very important.  In addition, Pretzer (2013) also states that it is essential for the therapist to have an awareness of their own cultural influence and is able to identify and address them when conducting therapy session with their clients.

References

Ellis, A.  (1999). How to make yourself happy and remarkably less disbursable.  Atascadero, CA:  Impact

Grand Canyon University (2014).  Alternative to classical theories (lecture notes).  Retrieved from https://lc-grad2.gcu.edu

McLeod, S.  (2015).  Cognitive behavioral therapy.  Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.html

Pretzer, J.  (2013). Cultural differences and cognitive therapy.  Behavior Online.  Retrieved from http://behavior.net/2013/07/cultural-differences-and-cognitive-therapy/.

Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

How to cite this article:

Swanson, K.  (2016). What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?  Psychology Essence (Messenger Publishing, Inc.).  Retrieved from http://psychologyessence.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt.html.

Alfred Adler (Physician & Psychotherapist) - Biography

Dr. Alfred Adler (Physician & Psychotherapist)

By:  Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA

Dr.  Alfred Alder is the founder of Adlerian psychology which is often times called individual psychology.  In early life, children are very vulnerable; this was observed by Adler and he speculated that humans at the beginning of life feel inferior or insignificant (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956).  According to Adler, family constellations occurs when the family has determines the critical developmental stages of their offspring (Murdock, 2013); this is when the birth order theory came into play with individual psychology (Murdock, 2013)

Adler was born on February 7, 1870 in Vienna, Austria.  Adler was the second oldest of six siblings and was born to an affluent family and grew up in the outskirts of Vienna.  Throughout Adler’s youth, he was ill and it was documented that he felt closer to his father and felt like he was not accepted by this mother (Cosner, 2016).  Even though Alder was not the best student while growing up, he worked hard to excel and later went to college.

In 1888 Alfred, attended the university of Vienna Medical School.  Later he earned his degree in 1895.  Adler opened a private practice in ophthalmology.  In 1898, Alder had two articles published in “Medical News Bulletin”, an Austria’s news publication; that same year, he published his first book which laid the ground work for his theories (Cosner, 2016).

References

Ansbacher, H. & Ansbacher, R.  (Eds).   (1956). The individual psychology of Alfred Adler.  New York:  Basic Books.

Cosner, L.  (2016).  Psyography:  Alfred Adler.  Retrieved from http://faculty.frostburg.edu/mbradley/psyography/alfredadler.html

Murdock, N.L.  (2013). Theories of counseling & psychotherapy (3rd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson.

Copyright in 2016 by ©Messenger Publishing, Inc.

How to cite this article:

Swanson, K.  (2016).  Alfred Adler (Physician & Psychotherapist) - Biography.  Psychology Essence (Messenger Publishing, Inc.).  Retrieved from http://psychologyessence.blogspot.com/2016/09/alfred-adler-physician-psychotherapist.html.