Category: Education

The Education of a Psychotherapist…

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You know, Everyday I work with children and their families. They come to us  (I use us…as I am part of a cohort of an awesome group) for help for something that seems to be bothering them, emotionally hurting them, moreover, someone hurting them.  And in the years I have worked in this field I have learned that Therapy is more than just providing mental health services… Therapy.  A lot has to do with the education about mental health we provide the children and families we work with. Like, What is Mental health? how does therapy work? are there consequences to being in therapy?

Various questions are always asked. So today, I applaud my fellow therapist. Because we educate. We may not be the scholarly awesome school teachers, but we are the people that educate you and yours how to label an emotion. How to better control yourself. We educate your parents, and if you are a parent we help you how to work with your child. We guide you to find your own insight and have you find your solution to your problems, issues, glitches, hiccups, mask… call it what you may. We actively listen to you, at times we are emotional punching bags for you the one grieving, hurting, in pain, even when you succeed. We applaud your success… educate you that being happy about something may not be wrong and sometimes it may not be appropriate.

So when I think of education, I think of what I do, every day! In session, with children and families. We psycho-educate you and yours with what Mental Illness is and what Mental HEALTH is. Yes, Health…as in the healthy part of you. What allows you to be a human and help you go through things you never thought you would be able to go through. So to my psychotherapist friends… I applaud your educational skills, more precisely, your psycho-educational skills. You are educators too.

And Let me not forget… we thank you for teaching us how to work with you too. 🙂 

Props.

Smile (if you want to)

Jes Sofia

Do you Belong?

I hear  lot of people… and A LOT of people always tell me that they do not feel that they belong in their family. They don’t understand how or why they were chosen to be in a family like theirs and sometimes, some people wish that they want to belong to another family. Belonging to your family… Think about it, do you really feel you belong in your family all the time? Some may say yes, others no… this really is based on your own experience and your own point of view. So I base my thoughts process today through facts…as usual.

You see… Belonging…belong…According to http://www.dictionary.com/ is:

1. to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually followed by to ): He belongs to the Knights of Columbus.

2. to have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group: You don’t belong in this club.
 
3. to be proper or due; be properly or appropriately placed, situated, etc.: Books belong in every home. This belongs on the shelf. He is a statesman who belongs among the great.
 
And all I can relate to family is being a member to a group. You see, your family is a group, weather it be two people or one person. Sometimes your family is connected by a blood line, or others, it can be an emotional attachment. Like when You don’t feel you belong to your Blood line family, are adopted, you tend to have some sore of family. According to Dictionary  #7. this also included Servants. BEHOLD Servants are family too!
Family:
1. a. a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family.

   b. a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for: a single-parent family.
 
2. the children of one person or one couple collectively: We want a large family.
 
3. the spouse and children of one person: We’re taking the family on vacation next week.
 
4. any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins: to marry into a socially prominent family.
 
5. all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor.
 
6. Chiefly British . approved lineage, especially noble, titled, famous, or wealthy ancestry: young men of family.
 
7. a group of persons who form a household under one head, including parents, children, and servants.
 
8. the staff, or body of assistants, of an official: the office family.
 
9. a group of related things or people: the family of romantic poets; the halogen family of elements.
 
10. a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals and, frequently, live together: Many hippie communes of the sixties regarded themselves as families.
 
A family usually is what you make of it. You can choose to belong and be accepted for who you are, or not accepted for who you are…regardless its your choice. Some get over their moments of not feeling belonged and then end us feeling like they do…So Like i said…The way you CHOOSE to VIEW if you belong or not, is your choice. The fact that you belong to a family is a fact. You will always be a part of a family. Weather it be your blood line, your friends, your work, something… Someone will always care for you even though it may not feel like it at times. So when you go through the moments or facts that your family doesn’t want you or care about you… you will find someone in your family, friendships or else where that usually you can call family and know you belong there.
 
Note: I never mentioned you belong to someone…the only person you truly BELONG to is yourself. No ones else. But your can always be a member of some group.
 
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong?
 
Smile (if you want)
 

Being Sad does not always mean you are Depressed.

Have you ever heard someone tell you that they are feeling depressed? And the first thing you think of is sadness? I do ALL the time, I mean after all I’m a Psychotherapist. Kinda in my Job description right?

Well, Here is a big misnomer. Being Sad does NOT always mean you are depressed.
Being sad is a feeling. Being Depressed is Diagnosis.

So What is depression? Here is what depression is…
Depression may occur at almost any stage of life. A child, teen or a middle or old age person can have it. It can be caused by various ways, which then lead to chemical changes in the brain. And example of these variables can be, biological changes, social isolation, getting older, genetic traits, emotional losses, traumatic experiences,  and dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, are some of the main common triggers for the symptoms of depression.
There are many types of depression, which include major depressive disorder, bipolar depressive disorder, psychotic depressive disorder, postpartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and seasonal disorder. All these are diagnosed through a clinician and are according to the time and length of the symptoms.  
Symptoms vary according to the individual. Five or more of the following symptoms must be present during the same 2-week period.
  • Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping (nearly everyday)
  • A dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss (5% +/- in a month)
  • Fatigue and lack of energy
  • Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, inappropriate guilt, feels sad and empty
  • Extreme difficulty concentrating
  • Agitation, restlessness, and irritability
  • Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities (loss of pleasure in things)
  • Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness (nearly everyday)
  • Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fear of dying)
Possible Situational Times:
  • During The teen years,  children go through hormonal changes… you remember those? where no one could tell you anything?  
  • Prego women…after childbirth. 
  • Women, before, during menopause.
  • Any life altering change.
  • Men during their MENopause… they begin to loose testosterone. (grumpy old men).
  • Grandparents becoming mean after 60 because their hearts don’t work the same. 
  •  Your back is in a lot of pain all or some of the time. 
  • You have cancer or any other type of medical diagnosis; this can be a hard time.   
 So next time you say I am depressed… think about it. Are you self diagnosing yourself or are you FEELING sad? 
I hope this helps.  
Smile (if you want),