February 05Need A Mental Health Professional? Here are the Big Three As a mental health consultant, I'm often asked by my clients to make a distinction between the three major types of mental health professionals. The three major types of mental health professionals are psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers. Here is the difference between the three. Psychiatrists are physicians who have graduated from medical school and practice the branch of medicine involved with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders. Most physicians, regardless of specialty, go through more or less identical training in medical school and postgraduate internship then specialize during a period of advanced training called a residency. A psychiatric residency is usually a three-year program. Because their primary training is medical, few psychiatrists undergo in-depth, specialized preparation in psychosocial treatments and those who do usually learn traditional psychoanalytic or psychodynamic methods. Therefore the first line of treatment for most psychiatrists would be to prescribe drugs, engage the client in lengthy analytic therapy, or to combine drugs with a shortened form of psychodynamic treatment. Clinical psychologists are trained in the art and science of applied psychology – the study of human thought and emotion, behavior, and relationships. A clinical psychologist usually holds a doctoral degree, PhD, PsyD., or Ed.D from an accredited graduate school and has had at least two years of supervised postdoctoral internship experience in clinical settings and is licensed to practice under state law. Clinical psychologists apply psychological principles to the therapeutic management of mental, emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems of individuals and groups. They are trained in diagnosis, assessment, psychological testing, research methodology, and nonmedical–psychosocial therapies and treatment methods. Clinical social work is the professional application of social work theory and methods to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychosocial dysfunction, disability, or impairment, including emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders. They assist people by helping them cope with and solve issues in their everyday lives, such as family and personal problems and dealing with relationships. All States and the District of Columbia have licensing, certification, or registration requirements regarding social work practice and the use of professional titles. Most States require 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience for licensure of clinical social workers. Their orientation views the client as part of an environmental system. It encompasses reciprocal relationships and other influences between an individual, relevant others, and the physical and social environment. They are trained to develop a therapeutic relationship with the client to help resolve symptoms of mental disorder, psychosocial stress, relationship problems, and difficulties in coping in the social environment. Clinical social workers may use individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, cognitive–behavioral therapy, psychosocial therapy, and couples therapy. There are others engaged in mental health practice such as marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors, pastoral counselors, and others. It is my bias that clinical social workers are best qualified to deal with mental health concerns. 9:07 PM GMT | Read comments(0)January 02Black-eyed Peas and New Year's Day As I was growing up, my mother always served us black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. This has been one of many long held traditions African-Americans brought with them from the South. If you ate black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, then you can expect to have good luck throughout the rest of year.However, whether you believe it bring you good luck or not, black-eyed peas is a nutritious food - high in protein, high in vitamin A, high in folic acid, and an excellent source of calcium. While there aren't many recipes for black-eyed peas in the average cook book, some traditional ways of preparing them includes using them in other peas or beans recipes like red beans and rice or baked beans. Black-eyed peas don't have a distinctive flavor so they can be easily used in place of any other beans and are prepared in the same way. 1:35 AM GMT | Read comments(0)December 20Five Healthy Must Eat Foods Must eat foods are those that should be included in your diet at least three or four times a week. No flesh foods of any type are included in this group. As a vegetarian of four decades plus, I have consistently followed this regime and have realized healthy living as a result. The food types that I have identified here are those that you can buy at any regular grocery store. There is no need to go to stores that cater to vegetarians and sell “organic foods” for much higher prices. Again these are healthy foods that you can buy at regular grocery store. The five healthy food types along with examples are: Whole grains - oats, whole wheat bread, and brown rice Dark leafy green vegetables - spinach, collard greens, and broccoli Fruits and vegetables - tomatoes, oranges, sweet potatoes, and bananas Milk and yogurt – low fat milk, low fat yogurt, and all cheeses. All beans - black beans, peas, lentils, pinto, kidney, and lima beans Some of these foods are particularly important. Grapes and grape juice have bioflavonoid which prevents cholesterol from sticking to your arteries. Moreover, regular consumption of grape juice lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. The vitamin C in oranges, as in many other fruits, inhibits the process of artery clogging and lowers blood pressure. Consuming vitamin C regularly has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and premature death. Folate, which is a form of vitamin B, reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. Tomato, leafy green vegetables, and beans decrease levels of an amino acid that can contribute to the process underlying heart disease and stroke. And, consuming foods containing lycopene such as tomato and tomato products (spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup, and pizza sauce) have shown to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. 3:41 PM GMT | Read comments(0)November 06Self Worth, Communication, and Rules - The Three Key Aspects of Family Life In all troubled families, self worth is low, communication is indirect, vague, and not really honest. Rules are rigid, inhuman, non-negotiable, and everlasting And, the linking to society is fearful, placating, and blaming.In vital and nurturing families, self-worth is high, communication is direct, clear, specific, and honest. Rules are flexible, human, appropriate, and subject to change And, the linking to society is open and hopeful. In all families, every person has a feeling of worth, positive or negative. The question is, which is it? Every person communicates, the question is, how, and what happens as a result?Every person follows rules, the question is, how, and what are the results? 7:17 PM GMT | Read comments(0)October 18Juggling, School, Work and Single Parenthood - A Self-Reliance Challenge As a single parent, if you have a goal of personal growth and self-reliance, you will certainly find yourself juggling school, work, and parenthood. Hopefully as your children progress through the developmental stages, become increasingly self-disciplined, and demonstrate their capabilities, you will gradually give them more responsibilities and let them help you in your juggling act. They will naturally want to imitate you as you go about doing your housework. Consequently, it offers you a great opportunity to teach them properly while they are motivated. Develop the Child into A Contributing MemberThe thing to keep in mind, however, is that while it is useful to develop the child into a contributing responsible and reliable member of the household, it is still necessary to allow time for one-on-one attention to each child, to give the child appropriate praise, to let the child express her concerns and curiosities, and to give that hug. There are three concepts to keep in mind in juggling your various responsibilities as a single parent. They are to simplify, organize, and delegate. As Cox and Evatt says in their book, Simply Organized, there are rules that will uncomplicate home management and give you more time for yourself.Organize Your Spaces While there are many systems that can be created, the key is to think through your setups and to keep in mind five rules that will help you organize spaces. Rule 1. Put like items together. Hair care items can be grouped together. For a four year old girl, keep buckets of hair ribbons, rubber bands, and hairbrushes all together. Children's toys and play items can be grouped together in one place. Rule 2. Everything needs a special place. Any time you find yourself searching for something like glasses, keys, or scissors, find a realistic convenient place and keep it there. Remember no place is convenient if it is a lot of trouble to use. You don't have to be compulsively neat, you just want to create a sensible space for everything so that when you do clean up, there is a handy place to put things. Rule 3. Buy or make organizers. Organizers hold systems together. Bins, boxes, jars, hooks, racks, dividers, labels, files, and containers separate things from each other in that special place you put them in. Without separaters, items will heap on top of one another and create that abhorrent mass called clutter. Rule 4. Store only a few items in each storage area. Do not cram things into drawers, cupboards, and closets. Its hard to be neat when there is to much stuff to be stored. This goes back to the simplicity rule: the less you have, the less you will have to care for. Remove from current storage anything you don't use at least once a month. Rule 5. Line up and stack things with care. If you have just the number of glasses you and your family use on a lower shelf and glasses for your guests on a higher shelf, it will be easy to keep them straight. If you have few linens, they will stay neatly stacked. Take pride in your stacks and lineups. To delegate is to give away all of the jobs that you do not like, are not good at, or that someone can do to your satisfaction. Consider delegation to be the final reward of simplifying and organizing. The more defined the job, the more possible it is to give it away. And, of course, the more simple the job, the more likely you are to find a competent person to do it. The point of all of this is that if you set up simple systems, you will be able to have order without effort. Any time you have done something before that you're doing now and you can project that you will be doing it again, you ought to make a system. And the simpler your basic systems are, the more adaptable they are to the changes you will encounter in your life and in the lives of others you live with.Remember to Simplify Before you make a system, remember to simplify. Get everything that is not important out of your life. It may be clothing, people, furniture, kitchenware, or whatever. Simplify your life first and then set up some workable systems and delegate as much as possible. You will be able to juggle your responsibilities much more successfully and find yourself reaching your goal of personal growth and self-reliance with a lot less stress. Simplify your life first and then set up some workable systems. 6:07 PM GMT | Read comments(0)
As a mental health consultant, I'm often asked by my clients to make a distinction between the three major types of mental health professionals.
The three major types of mental health professionals are psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers. Here is the difference between the three. Psychiatrists are physicians who have graduated from medical school and practice the branch of medicine involved with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders. Most physicians, regardless of specialty, go through more or less identical training in medical school and postgraduate internship then specialize during a period of advanced training called a residency. A psychiatric residency is usually a three-year program.
Because their primary training is medical, few psychiatrists undergo in-depth, specialized preparation in psychosocial treatments and those who do usually learn traditional psychoanalytic or psychodynamic methods. Therefore the first line of treatment for most psychiatrists would be to prescribe drugs, engage the client in lengthy analytic therapy, or to combine drugs with a shortened form of psychodynamic treatment.
Clinical psychologists are trained in the art and science of applied psychology – the study of human thought and emotion, behavior, and relationships. A clinical psychologist usually holds a doctoral degree, PhD, PsyD., or Ed.D from an accredited graduate school and has had at least two years of supervised postdoctoral internship experience in clinical settings and is licensed to practice under state law.
Clinical psychologists apply psychological principles to the therapeutic management of mental, emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems of individuals and groups. They are trained in diagnosis, assessment, psychological testing, research methodology, and nonmedical–psychosocial therapies and treatment methods.
Clinical social work is the professional application of social work theory and methods to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychosocial dysfunction, disability, or impairment, including emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders. They assist people by helping them cope with and solve issues in their everyday lives, such as family and personal problems and dealing with relationships.
All States and the District of Columbia have licensing, certification, or registration requirements regarding social work practice and the use of professional titles. Most States require 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience for licensure of clinical social workers.
Their orientation views the client as part of an environmental system. It encompasses reciprocal relationships and other influences between an individual, relevant others, and the physical and social environment. They are trained to develop a therapeutic relationship with the client to help resolve symptoms of mental disorder, psychosocial stress, relationship problems, and difficulties in coping in the social environment. Clinical social workers may use individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, cognitive–behavioral therapy, psychosocial therapy, and couples therapy.
There are others engaged in mental health practice such as marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors, pastoral counselors, and others. It is my bias that clinical social workers are best qualified to deal with mental health concerns.
As I was growing up, my mother always served us black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. This has been one of many long held traditions African-Americans brought with them from the South. If you ate black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, then you can expect to have good luck throughout the rest of year.
However, whether you believe it bring you good luck or not, black-eyed peas is a nutritious food - high in protein, high in vitamin A, high in folic acid, and an excellent source of calcium. While there aren't many recipes for black-eyed peas in the average cook book, some traditional ways of preparing them includes using them in other peas or beans recipes like red beans and rice or baked beans.
Black-eyed peas don't have a distinctive flavor so they can be easily used in place of any other beans and are prepared in the same way.
Must eat foods are those that should be included in your diet at least three or four times a week. No flesh foods of any type are included in this group. As a vegetarian of four decades plus, I have consistently followed this regime and have realized healthy living as a result. The food types that I have identified here are those that you can buy at any regular grocery store. There is no need to go to stores that cater to vegetarians and sell “organic foods” for much higher prices. Again these are healthy foods that you can buy at regular grocery store.
The five healthy food types along with examples are:
Some of these foods are particularly important. Grapes and grape juice have bioflavonoid which prevents cholesterol from sticking to your arteries. Moreover, regular consumption of grape juice lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The vitamin C in oranges, as in many other fruits, inhibits the process of artery clogging and lowers blood pressure. Consuming vitamin C regularly has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and premature death.
Folate, which is a form of vitamin B, reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. Tomato, leafy green vegetables, and beans decrease levels of an amino acid that can contribute to the process underlying heart disease and stroke.
And, consuming foods containing lycopene such as tomato and tomato products (spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup, and pizza sauce) have shown to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.
In all troubled families, self worth is low, communication is indirect, vague, and not really honest. Rules are rigid, inhuman, non-negotiable, and everlasting And, the linking to society is fearful, placating, and blaming.
In vital and nurturing families, self-worth is high, communication is direct, clear, specific, and honest. Rules are flexible, human, appropriate, and subject to change And, the linking to society is open and hopeful.
In all families, every person has a feeling of worth, positive or negative. The question is, which is it?
Every person communicates, the question is, how, and what happens as a result?
Every person follows rules, the question is, how, and what are the results?
As a single parent, if you have a goal of personal growth and self-reliance, you will certainly find yourself juggling school, work, and parenthood. Hopefully as your children progress through the developmental stages, become increasingly self-disciplined, and demonstrate their capabilities, you will gradually give them more responsibilities and let them help you in your juggling act. They will naturally want to imitate you as you go about doing your housework. Consequently, it offers you a great opportunity to teach them properly while they are motivated.
Develop the Child into A Contributing Member
The thing to keep in mind, however, is that while it is useful to develop the child into a contributing responsible and reliable member of the household, it is still necessary to allow time for one-on-one attention to each child, to give the child appropriate praise, to let the child express her concerns and curiosities, and to give that hug.
There are three concepts to keep in mind in juggling your various responsibilities as a single parent. They are to simplify, organize, and delegate. As Cox and Evatt says in their book, Simply Organized, there are rules that will uncomplicate home management and give you more time for yourself.
Organize Your Spaces
Rule 1. Put like items together. Hair care items can be grouped together. For a four year old girl, keep buckets of hair ribbons, rubber bands, and hairbrushes all together. Children's toys and play items can be grouped together in one place.
Rule 2. Everything needs a special place. Any time you find yourself searching for something like glasses, keys, or scissors, find a realistic convenient place and keep it there. Remember no place is convenient if it is a lot of trouble to use. You don't have to be compulsively neat, you just want to create a sensible space for everything so that when you do clean up, there is a handy place to put things.
Rule 3. Buy or make organizers. Organizers hold systems together. Bins, boxes, jars, hooks, racks, dividers, labels, files, and containers separate things from each other in that special place you put them in. Without separaters, items will heap on top of one another and create that abhorrent mass called clutter.
Rule 4. Store only a few items in each storage area. Do not cram things into drawers, cupboards, and closets. Its hard to be neat when there is to much stuff to be stored. This goes back to the simplicity rule: the less you have, the less you will have to care for. Remove from current storage anything you don't use at least once a month.
Rule 5. Line up and stack things with care. If you have just the number of glasses you and your family use on a lower shelf and glasses for your guests on a higher shelf, it will be easy to keep them straight. If you have few linens, they will stay neatly stacked. Take pride in your stacks and lineups.
To delegate is to give away all of the jobs that you do not like, are not good at, or that someone can do to your satisfaction. Consider delegation to be the final reward of simplifying and organizing. The more defined the job, the more possible it is to give it away. And, of course, the more simple the job, the more likely you are to find a competent person to do it.
The point of all of this is that if you set up simple systems, you will be able to have order without effort. Any time you have done something before that you're doing now and you can project that you will be doing it again, you ought to make a system. And the simpler your basic systems are, the more adaptable they are to the changes you will encounter in your life and in the lives of others you live with.
Remember to Simplify
Before you make a system, remember to simplify. Get everything that is not important out of your life. It may be clothing, people, furniture, kitchenware, or whatever. Simplify your life first and then set up some workable systems and delegate as much as possible. You will be able to juggle your responsibilities much more successfully and find yourself reaching your goal of personal growth and self-reliance with a lot less stress.
Simplify your life first and then set up some workable systems.