The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley curates videos, articles, and podcasts about happiness. The short videos are presented by prominent researchers, therapists, business leaders, and educators. They include a wide range of topics such as “How to check in with Yourself” and “The Biology of Mindfulness and Compassion.” There are hundreds of happiness videos here. The information is not a substitute for therapy–a process that can investigate specific traumas and the complexity of a person’s unique life. However, the videos can help people remember their wisdom and encourage action.
Category Archives: continuing education
Lies and Infidelity Training
I took a webinar training last week on everyone’s favorite topic: “Lies, Deception, Infidelity, and Jealousy.” Ellyn Bader of The Couples Institute facilitated the discussion. One of the most interesting parts of the training was her model for determining whether a relationship is likely to recover from deception:
- How high are the partners’ desires for honesty?
- What are the partners’ beliefs in the likelihood of success?
- What amount of unwanted effort is it going to take?
- How willing are the partners to take emotional risks (self-exposure rather than avoidance, denial, minimizing)?
The answers to these questions can help evaluate the relationship’s potential and pinpoint particular areas for development.
Technology-Assisted Treatment
Many psychology researchers, including the Veterans Administration, are studying the effects of mental health applications. While indiscriminate screen time is widely known to reduce peoples’ focus, some research indicates that consistent, intentional use of some mental health apps tends to boost self-awareness; effectiveness; and happiness. The Veterans Administration is specifically studying the app PTSD Coach, which I would like to use with a client. Please let me know if you would like to participate in that process! Here are some applications I already find useful with many of my clients:
- Narrative Therapy Questions: helps the participant conduct a deep self-interview about their preferred life direction and related obstacles
- Calm: 100+ guided meditations to choose from. The app will track the dates and lengths of of your meditations
- Relax: helps practice diaphragmatic breathing, which is good for nervous system regulation and panic-attack prevention
- Mood Tracker: charts symptom severity/remissions/patterns based on pre-programmed OR customized data schemes
Sexuality Education
I attended two great conferences related to the intersection of sexuality and mental health:
- the LGBT-Affirmative Therapist Guild annual conference
- 5th Annual Sexuality conference at KU Med
Both conferences included great panel presentations: Race Relations Under the Rainbow; Identity Development and the Therapeutic Alliance; Eating Disorders and Sexuality; and Being HIV+ in Today’s World.
Daring Greatly
I am currently re-reading the wonderful book Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown. If I only had a single therapeutic tool or paradigm, Dr. Brown’s work may be the one. Dr. Brown examines yucky problems like scarcity, shame, and defense mechanisms with finesse and humor. For those of you who have not seen her first viral video, here it is: vulnerability .
Trauma and Restoration
When you experience a negative memory, do you experience an inability to move or take action? These “stuck” or “frozen” states are indicative of trauma. The trauma may be related to a single overwhelming event and/or it may be from a developmental disturbance, like childhood abuse or neglect. Trauma is about powerlessness, not being able to DO something helpful within the original situation. A traumatized person’s challenge is to re-train their mind AND body to take calm action when they are triggered into these states. Sometimes, traumatized people over-react to situations, understandably not wanting to be revictimized. Some interventions that help relieve (rather than re-live) trauma are: meditation (noticing disturbing mind/body cues while regulating breathing and heart rate); identifying and using self-soothing stimuli (perhaps a comforting smell, texture, visualization); and articulating the trauma experience within a safe and responsive context.
I recently completed a continuing education training with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score.
Lessons from Improv
I am currently taking an introduction to Improvisation Comedy class. Improv is a fun way to practice…
- awareness: it’s hard to keep people’s attention if your own attention is wandering
- listening: respond to a group story rather than one’s own preoccupations
- acceptance: in improv, you working as a team–and other people have some weird ideas
- healthy risk-taking (AKA healthy vulnerability): it gets the dopamine going; it builds competence and resilience
Sensation-Seeking
I recently completed a training with Dr. Ken Carter about Sensation-Seeking behavior. We explored healthy and/or problematic sensation-seeking constructs like adventure & thrill seeking; novelty & unique experiences; disinhibition; and boredom susceptibility. Some emerging research indicates that healthy sensation-seekers reduce anxiety through their sensation-seeking and are less likely to experience PTSD in their lifetimes. However, unhealthy sensation-seekers may be more prone to addictions.
Play Time
I attended an InterPlay workshop recently, based on the principals of Interpersonal Neurobiology. We experienced firsthand how “mindfulness” can be fun. And “playfulness” is not an escape from reality. In this workshop, we played (connected, laughed, moved) and built (inter)personal awareness. Intentional play is an antidote for depression and anxiety.
Additional Licensure
After completing a Clinical Supervision Training Plan this summer and passing the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam this October, I have achieved the highest level of licensure in my field: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.