Health Panda: Psychology News and Marketing Advice for Therapists

Joy and healing through movement in Philly

2010-05-16T12:12:00.001-04:00

Toni Bergins lead two JourneyDance™ sessions in Philadelphia this weekend. People came all the way from DC and NYC to be part of this experience. I have attended Toni’s classes for two years and notice that Toni is adding new dimensions to her unique yoga derived dance sessions that balance the chakras.

Influenced by many teachers such as Vinn Marti, Toni teaches skills that students pick up naturally in just one session. The essence of these skills is authentic movement that inspires other students to move with their natural energies.

In the workshop on Saturday, Toni added touch as a dimension that I had not experienced before. Touching has nurturing properties that calm the mind, it is also a rich exchange of information that opens up the senses. Towards the end, the group had created a beautiful energy. It was at this point that Toni added the element of touch. It felt incredible, like we were creating a piece of art.

Personally, this practice opened me up to forgotten levels of my inner self and the ability to communicate and have a deep experience with others. It is no surprise to me that JourneyDance™ sessions such as the one at Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia have unique healing properties that create a sense of community and wellbeing.

Psychotherapy Networker Symposium 2010 – Jerome Kagan Leaves a Lasting Impression

2010-03-29T14:07:00.002-04:00

Fellow Healthy Panda, Raymond, and I attended this year’s Pyschotherapy Networker Symposium. Even though we were only able to make the Saturday session, we had a great time, met many incredibly wonderful people and learned a heck of a lot. We splurged for the luncheon lecture by Psychiatrist Jerome Kagan and it was worth every penny.

The very unassuming Kagan took the stage and warned that he would read his 45 minute talk in order to limit his penchant for tangents. While I initially feared a snooze alert, I was soon deeply taken in by Kagan’s lecture - barely realizing his 45 minute allowance ended up being 75…

For the last 30 years Kagan’s studies have focused on understanding how both nature and nurture play a part in mental illness. He illuminated this idea with an excellent example… Kagan studied a group of suburban children for almost 18 years - from 4 months old to 18 years of age. He discovered with his initial assessment at 4 months which children were “high reactive” (easily susceptible to over-stimulation) and “low reactive” (more difficult to over-stimulate). What Kagan ultimately found was that high-reactive children have a physiological difference - a thickening of part of the brain in the right frontal lobe (don’t quote me on this fact). These high-reactive suburban children were also much more likely to have Social Anxiety Disorder. While this correlation alone is a great conclusion, Kagan goes a step further. He refutes that this physiological difference causes Social Anxiety Disorder; many other factors need to come into play - how each child grew up, their birth order, etc. The way our suburban society works allows this disorder to be a common occurrence among children with this physiological difference. He stated that if a high-reactive child grew up in different surroundings, illness would present differently - perhaps as phobias if the child grew up in a jungle with dangerous animals. Overall, Kagan’s point was that before making a diagnosis and deciding upon treatment, many factors need to be considered - not just genetics, but also surrounding & upbringing - in order to obtain a complete understanding of an illness.

Overall, Kagan’s lecture was so logical that it was eye-opening. As progress is made, the simplistic idea of looking at the “whole picture” becomes obfuscated by scientific advancement and progressive treatment options. Thanks, Dr. Kagan for sharing your incredible insight!

What are your thoughts on Kagan’s findings and theses? If you were at the Symposium, what was your favorite part?

-Tom

Website Usability Review: Belmont Behavioral Health

2010-03-27T13:10:00.002-04:00

As of an ongoing series, every few weeks I will be reviewing various psychology and psychiatry websites with an eye towards user centered design and usability. Hopefully, you'll be able to get some ideas on what to do and what to avoid when it comes to your own website

This week: Belmont Behavioral Health (http://www.einstein.edu/yourhealth/behavioral/index.html)

This site is one component of the Einstein Health System. It seems to be a comprehensive in/out patient center providing all sorts of treatment. It is a danger in this type of offering that you need to be all things to all people. However, from a usability point of view, this is one of the best sites I've ever seen.

On the front page, there are four colored boxes, each with a clear title. What makes it so special is that the titles aren't "Symptoms" or "Diagnosis". They are "I am feeling..." with links that say "Sad", "Anxious", "Stressed", "Angry" and "view More Choices." This is fantastic, because it speaks specifically to visitors in a heightened emotional state. Rather than having 20 choices on the front page, there are just 4, with a link to seeing more.

I assume that the 4 links in each box on the front page are either the most frequently needed, or the 4 main specialties that the center wants to be known for. However, by having a "View More Choices" displayed so prominently, if I don't feel sad, anxious, stressed, or angry, I know instantly that I can see they have what I'm feeling. They avoid medical jargon and stick to language patients would actually use.

They also have the call to action, the thing they want you to do, displayed prominently on every page. The telephone number appears on the left, in big, bold letters, and at the end of each description of symptom or diagnosis.

In addition, the frequent use of customer stories, personal reflections, and specific examples are brilliant. It helps visitors identify and understand the point the center is trying to make.

This isn't the prettiest website in the world. In fact, it looks like someone made it years ago and it hasn't been updated since. However, the quality of the experience offsets any lack of polish on the design.

But heck, that's just my reaction. What do you think?

Character Strengths: What are Your Top Three?

2010-03-22T16:11:00.009-04:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the science of happiness and positive psychology. I attended a lecture by Christopher Maxwell entitled, Building on Your Strengths: Lessons from Positive Psychology. Prior to attending the lecture, I completed a survey that identified my character strengths. Take the Via Institute on Character survey of character strengths test here. The test is long, but well worth the time. It is the world's most scientifically validated tool for measuring character strengths.

At the end, you receive a summary of your 24 character strengths in top-down order. Although there were few surprises in my summary, it was a fun test to take and I recommend this assessment to learn more about your strengths (if only so you can respond to that dreaded interview question about strengths/weaknesses) .

The Positive Psychology research suggests that focusing on our strengths, helps us not only endure/survive, but to flourish. That seems like common sense. But is it realistic to be positive all the time?

Well, of course not. In fact, according to Barbara Fredrickson, negative emotions help to promote survival. Fredrickson has conducted extensive research on this subject and suggests that you need a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative emotions to reach a state of flourishing mental health. You can take a positivity ratio test to find your ratio for the day. Today, my ratio is 3:7. Clearly, I'm not flourishing at this moment and can benefit from building on my strengths.

How do you emphasize and build upon your character strengths? Did your top character strengths surprise you?

Mental Health Parity Act: A New Day For Behavioral Health Services

2010-03-18T04:00:00.002-04:00

On February 6, 2010 the feds inked preliminary final regulations for the revised Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act. By as early as July 1, 2010 companies with 50 or more employees must offer mental health and substance abuse benefits that are comparable to their health and surgical benefits - meaning that behavioral health services can be no more restrictive than medical services.

While the finalization of this act will be no more than a quick blip in the news, psychologists and therapists need to realize the huge benefits this act will have on their practices. No longer do your patients have to deal with ridiculous benefits limits for behavioral health services. Going to the psychologist should now, in theory, be as easy as going to the doctor for any other illness. Also, most limits restricting services will be lifted – meaning your patients are no longer limited to X amount of sessions per year.

On a personal note, I think it’s about time mental health was taken as seriously as physical health...at least in the eyes of insurance coverage. I hope people can now feel more financially comfortable getting the help that they need.

For psychologists, now is a great time to embrace this drastic benefits change and start promoting these new, more lenient reimbursement and coverage regulations to current and future clients. A great way to do this would be to build a website for your practice or update your existing website and discuss the benefits of these changes. Also, I’d highly suggest listing your practice in an online therapy directory – this is becoming a more and more popular way for patients to find therapists. A great free therapy directory is HealthPanda - sign up today and get ready for a nice influx of new patients when this act goes into effect in July!

What are your thoughts on the Mental Health Parity Act? As a therapist, how do you think this act will affect your practice? As a current or possible future behavioral health patient, how do you think this act will affect the services you use?

-Tom

Soul Motion with Vinn Marti - Experience Your Whole Being

2010-03-14T05:40:00.003-04:00

... become aware of the space behind you (the past), in front of you (what is to come), above you (the people that stand on your shoulders), beneath you (the people on who's shoulders you stand), and besides you (the people you travel with).

Last week I attended one of the soul motion workshops with Vinn Marti. It was an experience of a lifetime. Vinn embodies his practice, which radiates through his dedicated following.

In just a few days Vinn lead us through an exploration of how to be committed, stay present, explore the omniverse, and be part of a community.

Commitment: by showing up on time and doing the work.

Staying present: by being in the moment. Not seeking (e.g., joy) rather be open to what's available. Exploring the energy: make it move you or let you be still. Be alert, be patient, and be a container for others and the entire space.

Exploring the omniverse: become aware of the space behind you (the past), in front of you (what is to come), above you (the people that stand on your shoulders), beneath you (the people on whom's shoulders you stand), and besides you (the people you travel with).

Becoming part of a community: learning to listen, to serve, to be aware of everyone, and to understand that you don't want anything from anybody (including praise). It is through the tale of your story that communication with the community occurs and the juices flow. Allowing to serve yourself by servings others.

I deeply want to thank everyone and the community that we created.

Humbly, --Raymond.

About the author

Raymond Bokenkamp, MBA, MS is the founder of Bokenkamp Consulting. He holds a Masters degree in .....Read More

Website Usability Review: The Renfrew Center

2010-03-12T07:38:00.000-05:00

As of an ongoing series, every few weeks I will be reviewing various psychology and psychaitry websites with an eye towards user centered design and usability. Hopefully, you'll be able ot get some ideas on what to do and what to avoid when it comes to your own website.

This week: The Renfrew Center (http://www.renfrewcenter.com/)

This site is for a residential eating disorder treatment center. As such, it is targeted to women*. With such a clearly defined demographic, steps were taken in the design to appeal to this audience: all the photos are of women, they use "she" and "her" as all pronouns, and the color palette is pink & purple.

While they are doing noble work, there several usability issues with this site.

The immediate reaction on looking at this site is its words. There are a LOT of words on the home page, and they continue on subsequent pages. While the page outlining clinical informaiton on anorexia is fine to be very wordy, a home page shouldn't be. In "Don't Make Me Think", Steve Krug suggests that in writing for the web, you should write what you want, then cut out 50% of the words. Then cut out 50% of what's left. It isn't an easy process, but it is a powerful one. This home page could benefit from it.

Jared Spool, a noted usability guru, has a technique he calls a "5 second test". If you show someone a successful web page for 5 seconds, and take it away, they should be able to tell you where to click on next to find the information they want (or that you want to direct them to). The home page of the Renfrew Center would never pass a 5 second test. There is no clear path, no clear primary thing they want to provide.

I'd guess that if I am coming to this site, my first thing is to find out availability at the center or to make an appointment. On a number of sub-pages, the direction to action is to call the center. However, on the homepage, the phone number appears is part of logo and buried in the middle of the 6th paragraph. This page could benefit from a clear, large font, set off area that said something like "Appointments? Questions? Call 1-800-RENFREW" or somesuch.

There are two sets of navigation, one for content (Locations, Careers, &tc) and one for role (For Schools, For Family, For You). While this is good, the use of "For" threw me off a little. "For Schools" means "Information for Schools and Educators who have Students with Eating Disorders". I recognize that my title is a bit long, but at first glance, I wondered if "For Schools" meant "For Educators" or "Find Schools". If I was to put myself in the role of a teacher concerned about my students, I'm not sure that this would be the automatic place I would jump. A better suggestion: "Patients" "Educators/Teachers". Leave off the "For" and be specific about who the target of interest is.

On the location page, the locations are presented as a list and in a very strange order. Philadelphia and Radnor, PA are close to one another, but Coconut Creek, FL is listed in between. The list isn't alphabetical, it isn't geographic. My only guess is it is listed in the order that they were opened. Whatever the order, it isn't listed in any order that is meaningful to users. Much better: a map that shows the locations so a user can place herself and judge which center is right for her. Also of interest: I had no idea that they had so many centers. The title of the homepage says: "Renfrew Center Philadelphia Florida" Leaving out the 7 other states. I'd certainly want to promote that fact on the home page.

So, that's the feedback:
- very wordy
- no clear calls to action (particularly on the homepage)
- choppy navigation
- poor location information and promotion

But heck, that's just my 2 cents. What do you think?

* although they point out that eating disorders are increasingly prevalent in men.

Quieting Your Mind with Journey Dance

2010-03-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

On a given day, the average person spends much of their attention in their mind with way too little attention directed to the body and to the soul. Our mind and egos are so powerful that they often make us see reality as a substantially distorted reflection.

This is a sign of our times and many of us seek to change this imbalance by practicing mindfulness, meditation and yoga. Other sports such as running, walking, or team sports can be powerful as well. The only catch is that if you get overly competitive over a prolonged period of time then your ego takes charge again.

Why should you care about Journey Dance? Your ego is so powerful that it will convince you and try to convince others of distorted realities. However when you dance, the ego has to surrender to the body and your soul. This may be uncomfortable for many, but it is an extremely powerful way of expressing and processing what is really going on in your life. And it's not about how "good" of a dancer you are. The only currency is that you bring your authentic self. It is quite natural actually, although it may feel a bit rusty at first.

Where can you attend a Journey Dance event? I attended a Journey Dance event at the Elkins Estate in Philadelphia last Friday. The Journey Dance founder, the talented Toni Bergins, took 75 people through an empowering journey. She made me feel extremely comfortable in sharing inner and outer spaces through dance and music. I loved that we peaked on "Break on Through" by the Doors. I actually felt like I was at a rock concert. The event was a great success and all 75 attendees were certified rock stars by the end of the night.

Toni travels nationally and internationally to host Journey Dance events, teacher trainings and dance related workshops. She will be back in Philadelphia on May 14th and 15th at Dhyana Yoga studio. Mark your calendar so that you can experience this great event and become rock stars, too.

What do you think about using movement/dance to reach a content state?
What do you to quiet the mind?

Shackleton’s Ultimate Leadership Tool Discovered – Whiskey!

2010-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ernest Shackleton is universally known for his incredible leadership skills. However, he will now be known for another great feat…providing the world with a taste of perfectly preserved early 19th century whiskey! According to this fascinating blog article, whiskey left behind by Ernest Shackleton and his crew during their SS Nimrod expedition in Antarctica has just recently been discovered. This blast from the past might get removed from its icy grave and returned to civilization - and I’m sure it will make one heck of an expensive old fashion (the whiskey community will surely have my head for even suggesting not drinking this rare spirit neat).

Now I only jest when I say Shackleton used Whiskey as his ultimate leadership tool. While, a nice glass of scotch whiskey is a wonderful reward for a job well done…Shackleton was not one for mere carrots and sticks. According to this excellent paper from the Wharton School of Business (1st Google result for “shackleton leadership”) about the infamous Endurance expedition, Shackleton’s leadership can be nicely, but not completely, summed up with these six ideals:

Put your people first
Be flexible in tactics
Choose your people carefully — for character, not just competence
Sustain optimism in the face of adversity;
Lead by example
Strive for equal treatment

While I highly suggest you take ten minutes and read the Wharton article, I’d like to leave you with my favorite story from it. This story exemplifies how Shackleton never accepted preferential treatment and always put his men first (some of today’s leaders should take note): “When the men took to the ice and drew for sleeping bags, Shackleton somehow ensured that he and the other senior officers drew wool bags, while the more junior men got the warmer fur bags.” I’m sure Shackleton was also low man on the totem pole when it was whiskey rationing time…

What do you think Shackleton’s greatest leaderships skills were? What lessons from Shackleton have helped you be a better leader? And most importantly, how much would you pay for a taste of the manliest whiskey on the face of the planet?!

-Tom

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

The Science of Happiness

2010-03-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

I recently attended a workshop conducted by Christopher Maxwell entitled, Building on Your Strengths: Lessons from Positive Psychology. I’ll be honest; I entered this workshop with skepticism. How can positive psychology be a field? Is it really scientifically based? It seems so, well, soft.
Well, as I learned in this workshop, Positive Psychology continually fights a stigma of being the “happy field” and its founder, Martin Seligman, points out that the practice is evidence-based, meaning that interventions have been scientifically tested to see what works. (Raymond wrote about evidence based therapy here).

And positive psychology is more than just the study of happiness. The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania defines positive psychology as the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. As I listened to this definition, I realized that I may have misjudged positive psychology. But I thought to myself, what about negative emotions and stress—how does this fit into positive psychology?

Dr. Maxwell must have read my mind because he then talked about how negative emotions promote survival and help us focus. The most interesting part of the workshop was the discussion and research on character strengths, which I’ll talk about in a later post. Positive psychology builds on character strengths to promote well-being.

After attending this workshop, I am intrigued by the positive psychology field. I left thinking that positive psychology is more than just the art of being happy. There is a science to happiness and understanding the impact of positive emotions, traits and institutions can lead to more balance in individuals and communities.

What are your thoughts on positive psychology? What do you do to keep your life positive?

Resources:Seligman and his colleagues reported on the empirical progress of positive psychology interventions in this article from 2005.
Authentic Happiness: learn more about Dr. Seligman's work

--Lisa

Website Usability Review: Council for Relationships

2010-02-25T05:09:00.000-05:00

As part of an ongoing series, every few weeks I will be reviewing various psychology and psychiatry websites with an eye towards user centered design and usability. Hopefully you'll be able to get some ideas on what to do and what to avoid when it comes to your own website.

This week: Council for Relationships

I have to say: I really like this site, when looking through the lens of usability. Here are some of the things they get really right.

Clear, consistent navigation: always in the same place on every page. Common links, including a contact method. Demographic based navigation: "for clients" "for professionals" gives visitors clues to where they should be clicking.

Updated content in common places: the Tip of the Week, In the Spotlight, and Upcoming Classes are all content that is easily updated and encourages repeat visitors to the homepage, but gives links to more information

Calls to action clearly marked: They want most visitors to do one (or more) of 3 things: sign up for newsletter, donate money, or make an appointment. Each one is clearly marked (the donate repeats), and easy to find. They stand out and draw the eye.

From a purely usability view, I'd only suggest two changes and they are pretty minor.

The first is the logo for "OPERATION Home & Healing". I understand the purpose of the words "OPERATION" are to enforce and remind of military and service. I also understand that the contrast in font from "OPERATION" and "Home & Healing" is meant to be there. However, the execution of the text makes the Home & Healing hard to read at first glance. The bisecting lines of the OPERATION text make visual disruption and effort on the part of the user to read. By moving the "Home & Healing" down just a little, less than 1/2 the height of the text, so that the full "Home & Healing" is below the "OPERATION" would make the whole logo much more legible.

The second is the menu link "Media Experts & Speakers". This title is not indicative of the content that is listed there. I expected the content to be a library or directory of experts with bios. Instead, it is a calendar of events. Even as I tried to write this paragraph, I kept reading it as "Media EVENTS". Users who are looking for events to attend wouldn't necessarily think to click on this menu. Instead, "Upcoming Events" or just "Public Events" would be much more clear and get the users to the content they want.

As I said, pretty minor items. From a purely "usable" focus, this is a very good site.

However, from a "user experience" or a "design" focus, this site is not very good. It looks much more like a print/newsletter item rather than a website. The initial reaction is not positive, as it feels crowded, "text-heavy", and jumbled. There are 5 different color blues* on the page, not necessarily complimentary. The stark contrast between the blue & the gold makes the gold the first place your eye looks, and makes the top navigation tend to disappear.

I don't claim to have any expertise in pure design. I always say: I design experiences and interactions, I don't do fonts, colors, or logos. I don't have any clear suggestions on how to improve, other than "it needs some work."

Ultimately, any website carries on a conversation with its user. It sends a message to the user. What message is the Council for Relationships sending to their visitors?

But heck, these are just my opinions. What do you think?

* Dark blue in top navigation, medium/dark blue in the logo banner, medium/light blue in the newsletter signup, light blue in the Upcoming Classes and Spotlight, and the electric blue of the links. The blue of the borders appears to match either the logo blue or the link blue, but it could be a 6th blue.

Is the world really coming to an end in 2012 ?

2010-02-22T04:31:00.000-05:00

Frequently I see messages on Facebook or other that suggest the world coming to an end in 2012. If this is referred to as the Aquarian age that spiritual seekers predict will start in november 2011, then there seems to be quite some misunderstanding. The notion is that we will shift into a new era of a higher consciousness. This era is identified by an increase in sensing, being and mindfulness. As opposed to the current Piscean age which is goal focus, hierarchical, competitive, machine oriented that we will emerge from. Of course the latter will still be ingrained, but a shift will take place that simply will tip the balance to experiencing the journey rather than getting there.

So, good news, the world is not coming to an end. The prediction is that we are moving into a new realm of consciousness, where truthful actions matter and not the masks that you represent. The immense popularity of the movie Avatar is an indicator that many people relate to the notion of a rich fantasy world and that humans are have primordial powers beyond our current understanding (see post on Kundalini & Carl Jung). Perhaps this is a sign for what is to come. I hope that cleared up some of the misunderstanding.

--Raymond.

Rated Xfinity: What's the Psychology behind Comcast's New Brand?

2010-02-18T07:05:00.000-05:00

Verizon has FiOS, AT&T has U-verse, Cablevision has Optimum…now Comcast has Xfinity? Make sense? Hmmm…not really…

Xfinity is the new name for Comcast's internet, phone and TV services (the former Comcast Triple Play). According to Comcast: "Xfinity communicates Comcast's constant product upgrades and innovation." But most importantly, Comcast says the name is NOT a futile effort to escape its image as a horrible service provider (even though its customer-satisfaction rating is among the lowest in the industry).

So why did Comcast change the name of its services and why the heck did it chose such a weird, sci-fi, quasi-pornographic moniker like Xfinity? I personally believe Comcast made the change because it's feeling the pinch from Verizon’s FiOS brand. FiOS has great brand awareness, and Verizon's done a great job marketing the product as a fun, complete and improved solution to cable. So for Comcast to fight the stigma of being "the cable company" they had to do some re-branding. Oh and I have no doubt Comcast would love to shed some of their poor reputation – just like when Philip Morris became Altria and Blackwater became Xe.

So why Xfinity? To most at first listen, this new brand name sounds like an adult film production company (here is a hilarious Time/CNN blog about this confusion). While I don’t believe Comcast was shooting for a porn reference, I do believe they might have hired a few too many pharmaceutical brand consultants. So many branded pharmaceuticals include either an X or Z in the name. So many in fact, the FDA had to put a moratorium on using these letters in branded drug names to stop confusion (z 's and x's sound alike...don't want to get your Zantac confused with your Xanax). According to a great Stanford Medical Magazine article, Z's and X's imply speed. So next time you're taking Zyrtec, XYZal, Zoloft, Zocor, Clarinex, Xopenex, or Zithromax see if you feel the drug kicking-in extra fast….just like your cable and internet thanks to Comcast's "constant product upgrades and innovation." OHHH…I get it now!

Overall, here is my humble opinion on Comcast's new brand. Other than sounding like something you’d find on the front of a dirty movie box, the name Xfinity describes a techie's dream…something that’s going to bring you more bytes and gigahertz. FiOS on the other hand sounds playful - something fun and entertaining; something that’s going to make your life more enjoyable not just increase your connectivity statistics. Seeing that there aren't nearly as many techies out there as people that would like their $150/month Xfinity bill to bring more fun to their lives…I think Comcast might have missed the boat with this name change. But with a roughly infinite (or should I say Xfinite...sorry for the cheese, I just couldn't help it) marketing budget, I’m sure we’ll choke down Xfinity in whatever way Comcast wants us to…and with a stranglehold on most markets (for the time being), Xfinity is all we got.

What do you think about the Xfinity brand? At first listen, what emotions and images were triggered by this name in your mind? How is this new identity going to affect Comcast's reputation and more importantly, bottom line (is it waste of advertising money or valuable defensive measures against the emerging FiOS brand in major markets like Philadelphia)?

-Tom

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Behavioral Health Care in a Primary Care Setting?!

2010-02-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

This seems like a genius idea. How great would it be to receive comprehensive care during a visit to your primary care doctor? Not only would your body receive a wellness exam, but your head, too! What if you could develop a relationship with an on-site behavioral health therapist who you could talk to you about your fears about medical procedures or who could help you create lifestyle changes such as improving diet or exercise?

Three years ago, the Health Federation of Philadelphia started such an initiative to promote the integration of behavioral health into primary care settings. The Federation works with community health centers that serve uninsured and under-insured in Philadelphia. Details about this initiative are featured in this month's edition of the online Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal. The article highlights the development of this model of care, its implementation in the Philadelphia community health centers, the process of creating a reimbursement mechanism, and indicators of success. By all measures this initiative has been successful. Conservative estimates suggest that this model saved 3.7 million dollars in 2008. (The article details the formula used to establish this estimate.) In addition, the patients reported they were helped by the services and they would recommend the service to a friend or family member.

Given these results, I wonder, why are we (i.e., society) not investing in clinics that integrate behavioral and physical health? What are your thoughts about integrating behavioral health into a primary care setting?

posted by Lisa

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Motivation when Down in the Dumps

2010-02-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

So, a few days ago, I woke up in a bad mood. Nothing I could tell was particularly wrong, I was just grumpy and unhappy. The day just wasn't good. The feeling persisted through the day and into the evening. I know you aren't supposed to go to bed angry, but I wasn't particularly angry. Just pissy. The next day, the same thing. Just grumpy, pissy, frustrated, and quick to anger. I didn't know what the deal was.

I started throwing a pity party for myself, and really felt down in the dumps. I wasn't sure how to break out of it. Then I found two quotes that just changed the whole situation:

"Action is the Antidote to Despair." - Joan Baez

"We cannot do everything at once, but we can do SOMEthing at once." - Calvin Coolidge

I don't know why they affected me so, but it was a complete reversal. In the course of maybe 90 minutes, I felt totally different. Engaged, excited, and eager for the next thing.

Did you ever have a similar experience? What reversed it for you?

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Flower Power: The Philadelphia Flower Show Kicks The Winter Blues – It’s a Fact!

2010-02-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

The annual Philadelphia Flower Show is a staple of spring time in the city. I know so many people who look forward to this event every year, including myself. I’ve always wondered about the almost addictive attraction of this wonderful show. I knew there had to be something more to it than just a lovely evening at the convention center…

A little Googling later, I found a study conducted by Rutgers psychologist Jeannette Haviland-Jones. Her paper entitled “An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers” was published in Evolutionary Psychology in 2005. Haviland-Jones concluded that “Flowers have immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood, social behaviors and even memory for both males and females...cultivated flowers are rewarding because they have evolved to rapidly induce positive emotion in humans.” Her paper puts some scientific reasoning behind the almost unexplainable mood booster of being surrounded by flowers.

I wanted to verify my finding so I decided to call the sponsor of the Philadelphia Flower Show, the Philadelphia Horticulture Society, to do some additional investigating. I spoke with their PR manager, Alan Jaffe, about the study and it seems as though the horticultural society has never heard of Haviland-Jones’ paper. However, they already reached the same conclusion without any scientific research. Jaffe told me people come to the Philadelphia Flower Show to “escape the winter humdrum and embrace spring…the flowers bring a surge of energy and optimism.” I really couldn’t have said it better myself.

Why do you visit the Flower Show? Why do you think flowers make us feel better?

The 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show takes place from February 28th through March 7th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. See you there!

Tom Murtaugh

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Jung & Kundalini Conclusions

2010-02-07T05:49:00.000-05:00

Jung was ahead of his time by recognizing the psychological value of the chakra symbols in Kundalini and had the courage (heart chakra) to broadcast it to the world.

I strongly resonate with Jungs emphasis that we are primordial beings with extra-ordinary powers, as a society we have an opportunity to learn to embrace that even more than we are already doing today.

Avatar (2009) has the best all time box office ratings of any movie ever made (over $2 billion dollars world wide). It would be an understatement to say that western beings on this planet only mildly resonate with archetypes, primordial beings and a rich inner fantasy world.

Kundalini means awareness. Kundalini yoga is a set of techniques that help awaken you awareness and take you to your original self.

Moving through the chakras is not a race to the top, even though it may appear like that. In karate, a person's level starts with the white belt, through progression white turns into yellow and eventually into the black belt. However the fabric of the black belt, over time, will lose its black stain and turn back into white. You can look at this as going from the muladhara (root) to the ajna (crown) but energy then floats back to the root. It is simply to flow of life that is circular in motion. Just like water that evaporates into the clouds and eventually comes back to the sea. Just like the aftermath of a carefully build up climax that returns back to earth, etc.

It doesn't really matter what your starting point is, you are always part of the flow. And we all get stuck (individual/society), the key is to find ways to move energy through the places that are stuck. When you experience flow, you can feel it and this is called the naad (flow of universal energy or perhaps for us Westerners zeit-geist). Tantric yoga is really about the fabric. When society moves with the naad (flow of universal energy) then the fabric is balanced and strong. When strong, the fabric of society is better equipped to face challenges and external forces.

Jung & Kundalini - Lecture 4 : November 2nd, 1932

2010-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

The psyche is so complex and interwoven that the chakra system offers useful symbols to see sub systems as a whole. Jung makes a quick parallel that modern philosophy has formulated Gestalt therapy as a way of looking at sub systems as a whole. In the East, especially India, psyche means the intuition of the self. The ego and consciousness are parts of the self.

Jung brings back the aspects stuhla (actual), stuhla (concept) and para (metaphysical) and states again that western society lives in the anahatha chakra from a stuhla aspect. From a stuhla aspect, the East, as a society lives in the muladhara chakra, animals and humans that live in harmony with nature and earth.

However, from a stuhla perspective the west as a society lives in the muldhara chakra since it is mainly ego conscious and it’s primary pursuit is material things. Even though western individuals may live vissudha or even the ajna chakra.

The west can only move to a higher chakra from a stuhla perspective when (a) it has lived the muladhara to the fullest and (b) it recognizes that in fact it is actually in the muldadhara chakra (self-realization). The east, as a culture traditionally starts by seeing the world from a cosmic point of view (ajna).

Kundalini is a useful tool for the west because it introduces concepts and language to describe experiences with the unconsciousness.

Carl Jung on Kundalini : Lecture 3, October 26, 1932

2010-02-05T08:58:00.001-05:00

Purusa or “the essence of man” symbolizes that we are all primordial beings with infinite powers. Purusa becomes first visible in the anahatha chakra. Jung finds that as a society, the west has reached anahatha. Our civilization has overcome the manipura (solarplexus) which was prevalent during the old Greeks in the Homeric time.

The first five chakras symbolize transformation from earth to ether. The first chakra is symbolized by the elephant, the second by the levitian or makara (water elephant). This is where the conscious world ends. In the third chakra or manipura, the elephant transforms into a new form, the ram. No longer a insurmountable power, rather a sacrificial animal. Learning that you have overcome the worst danger when you are aware of you fundamental desires and passions.

In the heart chakra, the ram (elephant) transforms into a gazelle. Continuation the transformation of the original force and like the ram, living on the surface of the earth. It is not offensive, rather shy and illusive. It can vanish in no time. This transformation is us. When the psyche manifests in reality it appears usually against us. When we need to do things that are really important, we often feel something demoniacal, something that steers us away from this action. For example, just saying the wrong thing at important crossroads, words are turned in our mouth.

The transition to the psychological chakras (anahatha and up) chakra is difficult because the consciousness of self ends and higher consciousness begins. It’s unlearning what was important in the conscious world, since it is a hindrance now. It is the realization of the world as your story. People will now reflect like mirrors as a fabric of your subjective experience.

In visuddha, the elephant appears again, however not supported by the earth but by volatile human thoughts, united by the concept of energy.

Jung argues that as a society we have made to the anahatha so we can see the visuddha but have not yet arrived as a society. Speaking of the next chakra therefore becomes more abstract. The symbol for Ajna is linga. The ego disappears completely and the experience is a full blazing white light. In shahasrara there is no experience. It is dormant, one, and … nirvana.

As long as you live you are naturally in muladhara, you go about this world, be conscious and let the gods sleep. However you journey through the chakras and although it appears as if you are moving up and down, you do not return. It is an illusion because you have left something of yourself in unconsciousness. Nobody touches the unconsciousness without leaving something of themselves there. Forgetting oppressing it will no longer make you whole.

There is no return after reaching a higher chakra. Part of you can split off, but the farther you have reached, the more expensive is the return.

Reaching a higher chakra includes all the lower chakras. Reaching the ajna center, the state of complete consciousness (not self-consciousness) is a realization that everything is you. Every tree stone, breath there is nothing that is not your true self.

Carl Jung on Kundalini - Lecture 2, 19 October 1932

2010-02-03T03:34:00.000-05:00

Building on the first lecture, Jung explains the psychology of the first 4 chakras: the muladhara, swatistana, manipura and anahatha. The muladhara, is the symbol of consciousness of the early personal existence (roots). One of the symbols is the elephant which signifies the carrying power.

In the muladhara, the gods are asleep. This includes Kundalini, the sleeping beauty, the possibility of a world yet to come. A mere seed of the future, that man can awake and manifest to potential by awakening Kundalini.

The muladhara is the three dimentional world of personal consciousness. Through Kundalini, the impersonal (higher chakras) can be developed through dreams and experiences. However it is essential to have a solid foundation in the rational, three dimensional world. The germ of life (entelechia) can grow out of a solid foundation, for the spark to come out of it through Kundalini needs to be grounded. Man can leave a trace in this world by: believing in this world, making roots, doing the best that one can, and believing in the most absurd things.

People with a problematic nature have a deeper understanding of these worlds because they can see the other sides and can judge by comparison to their own experiences. It is important not to identify with (personalize) with the dreams and Kundalini for they are impersonal and out of the human realm. Personal attachment leads to inflation. Becoming so inflated that you burst is schizophrenia.

In lecture one, Jung spoke of moving from the muladhara (earth) to the swatistana (water), a symbol of conquering the personal world and being reborn into the impersonal world. The manipura (third chakra or solar plexus) represents the sun that rises up out of the water. It is associated with the fullness of jewels, fire, the world of emotions, desire and illusions. The sun can rise into the air, which brings it to the anahatha (fourth or heart chakra).

The anahatha symbolizes the divine self that rises from the emotions, a germ like appearance of the self. It is the ability to reason/judge through the development of the true self (personality), rather than solely reacting to instincts and emotions. This is not to be confused with the ego, a disconnected version of the true self that sits deep down in the muladhara.

Carl Jung & Kundalini : Lecture 1 on 12 October 1932

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jung starts by pointing out significance of tantric yoga, which seeks an equal interchange between male and female energies. In the west, tantric yoga is often misunderstood to be about sex. Jung refers to tantric yoga as mandala (circle) psychology. An example he gives is how patients often seek to unite with their inner child and it’s uninfluenced development.

The Sanskrit term “klesa” is translated to dividing/separation/discrimination. Jung points out that in it’s purity, we have a seed or germ of personality that ideally seeks to grow in it’s own form because of the urge of realization (entelechia). However this has paradoxical relationships to the “participation mystique” in which we seek to interact with others. Eastern culture distinguishes different aspects to the word “klesa” which are: sthula (physical, literal), suksma (conceptual, platonic, personality, wisdom), and para (metaphysical). The western urge for individualism/dividing can also be because of fear or hatred. Greek mythology has an in-between view and recognizes phobos and eros (hate and love) for dividing versus integration.

Jung proceeds by introducing “samskara”, a word that the West does not have language for to describe. Perhaps the closest concept is the unconscious mind, a creative fantasy with a rich world of archetypal images.

In the West we that moving to the sub-conscious (*) is going downward, which is opposite from going upward as seen in the East. The muladhara or root chakra is best described by earth. It’s the entanglement of our personal life that we have responsibilities to and can’t get away from. The second chakra, svatistana is best described by water. It’s the rebirth and baptism of new life associated with the moon or female energy. Jung points out that really it’s about the challenges of moving from the root chakra to the next chakra svatistana. Being re-born, moving from earth to water. Jung points out that there is no sense in taking these eastern concepts too literal or logical because you likely will go nuts.

In Kundalini, sleeping beauty or creative energy rests at the base of the spine. The serpent has to aroused to move the Kundalini energy up from the base of the spine to the next chakra, the svatistana. The serpant is only aroused by a purified spirit with a spark that is superior to the will. Kundalini makes you go on great adventures, but once in motion you have to face the music and you can’t go back.

It’s a divine urge, the second chakra is associated with the moon, it receives the souls of the death and rebirths them passing them by passing them on to the sun. Moving up from the second to the manipura and anahatha chakras.

(*) One way of thinking about moving to the sub-consciousness is described in Jim Morrisson in his song “breaking on through to the other side”.

Introduction to Jungs view on Kundalini Yoga

2010-01-31T06:30:00.000-05:00

Carl Jung's interest in Kundalini was awakened around the first World War. During this time he was frequently "wrought up" and experienced that yoga helped him deal with his emotions. Since he was studying his own processes, he often forced himself to get centered without yoga to learn. Jung favored Kundalini yoga. To him it presented a model for the developmental phases of higher consciousness. This was entirely unavailable in western psychology.

Jung was attracted by the rich symbolism and cakra "energy" system that Kundalini offers. The seven cacras are: muladhara (root, at the base of the spine), svathistana, manipura, anahatha, visuddha, ajna and sahasrara (top of the head). These major energy centers are connected through thousands of nadis (channels).

Kundalini represents coiled energy that sits at the base of the spine. Through guided practice this energy can be raised which manifests shakti. Shakti is the primordial cosmic energy that is associated with powerful female creative energy that leads to manifestation. The object is to ascent this energy all through the cakra system which would lead to the blissful union of Siva and Sakti. Eventually leading to transformation of personality.

Jung pointed out that symptoms of the psychologic disease process have meaning when seen through the symbolic cakra processes of Kundalini. He warned against the bio-chemical approach for mental disorders and the pursuit of "wonder" drugs. Jung was ahead of his time as his remarks are even more applicable today.

Jungs interest in yoga was not as a "philosophy and religion", but as a psychology. He saw yoga as the natural process of introversion recognized pathways into the collective unconscious. Working on the internal processes can eventually lead to transformation and changes in personality.

Eventually Jung developed a archetypal regional typography of the psyche through which individual transformation can occur.

Jung recognized the enormous difference between the western world that pursuit a three dimensional model and the eastern world that essentially seeks nirvana. Jung was criticized for his remark that he didn't think that the age old lineage of Kundalini yoga could be adopted by westerners (Christian) and he argued that eventually the West would come up with it's own form of yoga. In addition, the essense of Kundalini yoga is the experimentation and embodiment and not the intellectual pursuit.

The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga

2010-01-28T18:42:00.000-05:00

In 1932 Carl Jung presented four seminars on the Kundalini Yoga to the Psychological Club in Zurich. This seminar was in response to six lectures given by Wilhelm Hauer. I just started reading Jung's response in a book edited by Sonuy Shamdasani, The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga.

So far, this book is an interesting read about the intersect of Kundalini Yoga and Psychology--two of my passions. In true Jungian form, the text can be dense and difficult (see Diary of a Mad Man? Carl Jung's Red Book Finally Published) to understand. But I'm definitely enjoying the book and it inspires me for my journey this coming week: I will be participating in a Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Level 1 at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Personally, I have practiced Kundalini Yoga for almost two years and look forward to immersing myself into the teacher training. Stay tuned as I blog live from Kripalu about the psychology of Kundalini Yoga and my personal experiences starting Saturday.

Raymond Bokenkamp

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Study Shows Antideprresants Work Best for Severe Depression

2010-01-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania just published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that examined 30 years of antidepressant-drug treatment data. The researchers found that patients with less severe cases of depression showed little to no improvement in their depression compared to those patients with severe depression. The researchers concluded that, "The ability of the antidepressant medications to reduce depressive symptoms varied considerably. For people whose depression was considered to be mild, moderate or even severe, little evidence showed that the medications yield specific benefit beyond what is provided by engagement in treatment and the resulting boost in the patient's expectation for improvement."

This study presents interesting findings that both patients and clinicians should consider during treatment. There are numerous scholarly articles and personal commentaries on the efficacy of antidepressants in adults, just Google this and more than 700,000 links come back. While the stigma of Mental Illness is still pervasive in our culture (see: To Tell or Not To Tell: Mental Illness in the Workplace), I believe that antidepressants actually present less of a stigma. TV is saturated for ads promoting a pill to reduce symptoms of depression, flip through any magazine and you are bound to see an ad for an antidepressant. In addition, many general practitioners will prescribe antidepressants upon request from their patients. Given the authors' findings, it begs the question, are antidepressants over prescribed? Is the physician really looking at the patients' best interest?

For those who deal with mild to moderate depression (and medication just isn't working), there are lots of methods to help ease the symptoms of depression. For example, exercise (see: Choreographed Dance Movement to Promote Health and Balance), mindfulness meditation and talk therapy have been shown to be effective treatments for symptoms of depression.

But to be clear, the Study's lead author, Jay Fournier asserts that “For very severe depressions, the benefits of medications are clear and substantial.”

What are your experiences with antidepressants? Do you think that anti-depressants are over-prescribed?

Website Usability Review: BeckInstitute.org

2010-01-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

As part of an ongoing series, every few weeks I will be reviewing various psychology and psychiatry websites with an eye towards user centered design and usability. Hopefully you'll be able to get some ideas on what to do and what to avoid when it comes to your own website.

This week: The Beck Institute (http://www.beckinstitute.org)

The Beck Institute has a world-wide reputation for excellence and groundbreaking work in CBT. Not being a CBT specialist, I can't evaluate the quality of the content presented. However, as a usability professional and an interaction designer, I can evaluate some of the user experience expressed on the website.

There are many things good about this website from a usability perspective, but right off the bat, there are a couple of strange things that catch your eye. First, when you navigate to the home page, you are greeted with an extremely long URL. I initially thought I was linked into the wrong place. While it isn't strictly an error or a major problem, it made the experience strange and made me question where I was. Never a good thing on an initial visit.

The other thing that I immediately picked up on was the dual navigation. There is navigation along the left side, and the same navigation elements on the top. At first, I thought there might be different ones, or I was missing something. But no, the two sets of navigation are identical.

There are problems with horizontal navigation, as the website already has run up against. Namely, when you run out of room on horizontal navigation, what do you do? You can allow users to scroll, you can make the font size smaller, or you can make multiple rows of navigation. The Beck Institute decided to do multiple rows. But when they are inconsistent in spacing between each one, you have to read each individual item and evaluate if it is what you are looking for.

But enough about the difficulties, what does the site do well?

Some of the basic design elements are good:
1) dark text on light background, makes it easier for reading
2) a clearly identified logo and title, to indicate where you are and the owners of the site
3) User based navigation

That last requires a bit more explanation. The "For Journalists", and "For Professionals" lets me as a user know that I should click there, that I would find links of interest for me. Theoretically, I would know if I am a journalist or a professional, so I can quickly find what is of interest to me.

While there is some attention paid to denoting where you are, with the top navigation including an underline on the page that you are on, and a sort of breadcrumb visible at the top of each page of content, much of those clues are very subtle on this site. As a result, they can get lost.

Ultimately, this site suffers from some of the same problems that commercial sites do: lost in trying to provide too many things to too many audiences. As a visitor, on the landing page, I am not sure where I want to click next. I'm not sure where the Beck Institute wants me to click next.

One of the most important things to think about: what is the conversation your website is having with your visitors? What is the tone, the style, and the interaction? The Beck Institute seems to be speaking to multiple people all at the same time, and the voices get confusing.

But heck, that's what I think. What do you think?

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Ayn Rand: The Personal Toll of Brilliance & Influence

2010-01-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

Ayn Rand is often touted as a proponent of destructive selfishness and her fiscal philosophies are cited as a cause of the recent collapse of the financial markets. Like most authors who challenge engrained societal beliefs, Rand gets a bad rap. However, some of her proponents are no better. They love to use Rand’s writings to support ultra-conservative ideals. Poor Miss Rand can’t seem to win.

After taking four months and pounding through all 1300 pages of Atlas Shrugged, I believe Ayn Rand is an incredibly misunderstood author who provides brilliant insight into our society and human nature. Needless to say, I’ve become a big Ayn Rand fan. As with most authors I become obsessed with, I’ve been craving to learn more about her personal life. My good friend sent me an email entitled “Ayn Rand is as ass” (he’s not a fan) with a link to a great interview with author Anne C. Heller who recently wrote a biography about Rand entitled “Ayn Rand and the World She Made.” The interview is wonderful and gives an extremely balanced overview of Rand and her philosophies. But more interesting is Heller’s discussion about Rand’s personal life. According to Heller, Rand had a friendless, torrid childhood in Russia, an open affair with a much younger man, a cult-like group of followers (which included Alan Greenspan), and an undying love for herself and her ideas. My favorite part of the interview is a story Heller tells about an 11 year old Rand writing a paper for school and citing Pascal and Descartes to support the thesis that “childhood is just a bunch of silly games that you play while you wait to grow up.” Maybe Rand’s overly developed sense of reason led not only to her brilliance but also to her delusional narcissism and tattered personal life.

Do you know of an influential philosopher/writer who does not come from a mess of a home life? (I don’t.) Do these influential people create such incredible works because their personal lives are in shambles or do their personal lives get crushed by a self-fulfilling prophecy of never being as great as their creations?

Oh and by the way, poor government regulation of our financial markets did not cause the current economic disaster. Relentlessly question anyone who says otherwise.

Tom Murtaugh

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Frontier of Trauma Treatment

2010-01-11T05:51:00.000-05:00

In the morning session, Bessel showed several incredible videos. These were case interviews from several extraordinarily skilled therapists. These were the kind of videos of which you want to study every frame.

One of the videos showed a 15 month (or so) old boy with his mom. They were very connected, playing, humming and in synchronicity. At some point the mom had a traumatic memory and she froze. The boy kept humming along, but suspecting something was wrong. Then he started trying to get his mom's attention. Realizing something was wrong he would look to the camera man, but then quickly back to his mom. He would say in semi baby words: "mommy it's me! mommy it's me!!" and cried for a few seconds.

After a minute or so, the mom came back online and quickly returned to synchronicity. When the boy came back for the next visit one month later, the researchers measured increased cortisol when he entered the same room. In other words, the boy remembered and had a traumatic reaction to the previous session. To me this story illustrates how easy it is to cause trauma even by capable, loving parents that are dealing with their own trauma and how much work we have to do on this frontier to break this chain of passing on trauma.

Bessel talked a little bit about Personal Biology. Humans seek social synchronicity and try to get on the same page with others. In fact we have mirror neurons in our brain that get activated when other people act. This explains why so many people enjoy watching TV. Our brain actually sends out mirror signals very similar as if we were doing it ourselves.

The left and right outer brains all deal with social interaction. This is such a big part of human existence. However, the middle part of the brain deals with the self. Specifically, the prefrontal cortex, which gets activated through the Amygdalia. This part is usually under-developed in trauma patients (since a lot of their attention is spent in fight or flight mode). Developing this area is key to trauma patients. It can be accessed through yoga and movement. NOT through social interaction!

In conclusion, I thank both Bessel van der Kolk and Dana Moore for their hospitality and for being on the frontier of trauma treatment. They give us the confidence that trauma can be "out-grown" and there are effective tools available that take 8 weeks to 18 months but will be effective (EMDR, Yoga, IFS, Meditatation, Martial Arts, dance and other movement) under the guidance of a skilled therapist and a positive support system. I witnessed on video how one girl that was severely abused as a child was able to finally return to brain synchronicity and get access to the frontal parts of her brain. Hearing her tell her story with such articulation, authenticity and confidence is incredibly empowering.

I sign off from this assignment with a picture I took in the AM of the beautiful mountains of the Berkshires. To me right now, this picture symbolizes the frontier of human capital. I report to you that I saw it this weekend, it is beautiful and it exists out there, on the horizon. What do we do today to start moving in that direction which, deep down, we all know is the right direction?

--Raymond.

Quieting down the mind & ending the day with music and dance

2010-01-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

The afternoon session was lecture based followed by a skills learning session with pairs. Again, van der Kolk spoke intimately with his particular Dutch like sense of humor (of course I can say this because I am from Netherlands myself) and his no nonsense result driven approach.

The key for Trauma patients is to calm down the right part of the primal, reptilian brain. Once this part is quiet, processing and talking is most effective. In fact his research has shown that when the primal brain is aroused it can shut down other parts of the brain. These other areas are critical for making choices, language and creativity. Some of the cutting frontier research in trauma are on the findings that the 6 or so different parts of the brain move in synchronicity during a balanced state, but in trauma patients these part of the brains are like different islands that don't collaborate well. This is referred to as a breakdown in cortical timing. Again movement, getting into senses and feelings are key to quiet down the right part of the primal brain.

Van der Kolk suggests that language usually is to get on the same wavelength with others as we are naturally social beings. However, this group connectedness does not help release trauma. The key to safe and effective processing by the patient is when the patient is connected to their own feelings and self as well as to the therapist. Perhaps this can be described as a skillful dance between patient and therapist.

Speaking of dance, that's how the evening ended for me at Kripalu. I will sign off by including my favorite picture of the day.

--Raymond.

Restoring the primal instinct of purpose

2010-01-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

We did an early morning yoga session with Dana Moore who is the co-presenter but also a Kripalu trained Yoga Instructor. That was the start of an 8 hour day in class filled with lectures, exercise (getting into the body), as well as instruction later this evening.

The later morning session was by Van der Kolk on the basics of trauma. His lecture was easy to understand and is based both on research as well as 30+ years of working with trauma patients.

His basic premise was that even though trauma may have happened in the past, it can still be present now it there is still attachment to it. The most effective way to release this trauma is through what Darwin called the “Pneumogastric Nerve”, where the heart, guts & brain come together for all animals including humans.

The attachment is important, because when trauma happens it’s not the extend that makes it a traumatic event it’s the attachment to the unresolved issue. His examples were that soldiers in Vietnam who took heroin had much less PTSD due to the non-attachment to the experiences while there (and since heroin addition is situational, the soldiers could relatively easily kick this habit). Another remarkable example was that the level of PTSD of NYC citizens that survived 911 was very low due to the fact that this community came together and was able to resolve the internal emotions as a group in a safe environment.

When trauma is not released, the animal, back part of the brain stays in constant flux and the person lives in what can be described as a state of nothingness. This is the same for animals. Trauma disturbs the primal instinct of purpose.

The solution is through the body since the central nerve to the visceral system comes from the gut. Motion is very important factor in releasing trauma as well as getting in tune with the body. In the end it’s about giving the brain tools to restore itself as well as the primal instinct of purpose. The problem with medicine is that it’s only a bandage and it’s effect decreases quickly as time progresses.

It was a great morning session. Bessal shared his adventures to South Afrika with Bishup Tutu and Nelson Mandela as well as other remarkable experiences from his professional life.

--Raymond.

Getting Acclimated & Artistic Surprise

2010-01-08T11:31:00.000-05:00

So the workshop doesn't start till 7pm tonight. My job today was to just relax and get acclimated. Well, that is exactly the moment at Kripalu where unusual experiences are bound to happen. For example, this morning, while still very sleepy, I am heading to my usual morning Yoga practice. When I open the door to the space, I find a group of Yogi's in the space. Of course, I was immediately welcomed and in fact the group let me take pictures of their artwork that they have been drawing with Tempera water paint in the last 3 days.

Needless to say I felt extremely fortunate and humbled by this amazing group of artists. More on the Trauma workshop later tonight. Cheers, Cheers --Raymond.

Live Report: Frontiers of Trama Treatment with Bessel van der Kolk

2010-01-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

I just arrived at Kripalu after a 5 hour drive, where I am attending the Bessel Van der Kolk workshop called "Frontiers of Trama Treatment. Barely can I hold my excitement for this 2 day workshop starting tomorrow night. I will publish my experience online. Please feel free to comment, start a dialogue, or just pass this on to someone you know that might be interested.

Below you will find the full description as I am getting ready to do some yoga.

More soon!

Inspiration from Self-Inflicted Solitude: Therapy or Psychosis?

2010-01-03T17:58:00.000-05:00

I left work late one evening, jumped in my car, turned on the radio and the first thing I heard was “he lived in a cabin for a year and had no connections to the outside world.” I had caught NPR in the middle of an interview with Griffin Dunne who was speaking about his father Dominick Dunne who just passed away in August. I’ll admit I’m not as cultured as I’d like to be and never heard of Dunne (who was a famous author, television producer and personality). However, I was interested in why he decided to cut himself off from humanity and what came out of this period in his life. Doing some light research on Wikipedia, I discovered Dunne went into hiding in 1979 to “overcome personal demons.” (His son said during the NPR interview that elder Dunne was trying to stop drinking.) But most importantly, Dunne wrote his first book during this period. This self-inflicted solitude had been a huge muse for Dunne.

This perfectly timed NPR clip inspired me for two reasons. First, I’ve always had a mild obsession with cutting myself off from the rest of the world as some sort of personal experiment. Second, I have a borderline obsession with Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche wrote his most influential book, Thus Spake Zarathustra, while living in solitude after suffering some traumatic love triangle drama (Read about it here). Nietzsche, like Dunn, placed himself in voluntary isolation where he conceived and wrote the first part of Zarathustra (the best work of his career) in only ten days.

This idea of facing your demons and being left to deal only with yourself is powerful. While it definitely is mildly psychotic it can bring forth some intensely creative energy.

What are your thoughts about these forms of extreme measures to overcome issues in your life? Is the creative by-product a transmutation of negative forces into something positive? Or are such extreme measures childish, attention-driven and narcissistic?

Tom Murtaugh

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Google Sites : build your website for an unbeatable price

2010-01-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

If you area considering creating your own web site then Google Sites may be a good option for you. In this article you will learn more about the good and bad about using Google Sites, see some examples and you will be pointed in the right direction if Google Sites interests you.

The best part of Google Sites is that it is virtually free. The cost is $10 per year which includes: domain registration, hosting, multiple email addresses and much more (this is also referred to as Google Apps). Personally I find Google Sites very easy to use. You can create multiple pages, and add content such as text, images and video. In addition, you can also add useful gadgets such as blogs, forms (linked to spreadsheets), photo albums and much more, all by using a simple user interface. More savvy users can edit HTML directly (which is code to layout your website). Finally, each page on your site can be public or restricted to a select group of users. This price and flexibility is all good news and just as we are accustomed from Google it works really well.

What I don't like about Google Sites is that the navigation menu as well as the general layout is rigid and the look and feel cannot be altered much (without serious head-aches anyhow). For example it is not possible to change the padding, font-size of the menu bar or to layout the menu items horizontally. So in essence you are stuck with the Google Sites "look and feel". For more advanced users it is also not possible to add CSS (other than in attributes), JavaScript or any database back-end. However you can write your own gadgets using XML, CSS, HTML and Javascript that are hosted separately.

Overall, Google Sites is a good option to quickly design a website. If you like the hosting price and features but you don't have time to design your website then an option is to hire a graphic design firm such as Bokenkamp Consulting to help you develop your website in Google Sites.

Google Site Examples:

http://www.tandmphoto.co.uk/
http://www.konini-primary.school.nz/
http://www.chutneysofcarlisle.co.uk/"
http://www.lakedistrictwatercolours.co.uk/

Getting Started:

Sign-up
Introduction Video + 6 Additional Sample Templates

Raymond Bokenkamp MS, MBA

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

What is a good marriage?

2009-12-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

Early this month, Elizabeth Weil chronicled her attempt to improve her marriage in the New York Times article, A More Perfect Union. Ms. Weil says the idea of trying to improve her marriage came to her one evening:

I started wondering why I wasn't applying myself to the project of being a spouse. My marriage was good, utterly central to my existence, yet in no other important aspect of my life was I so laissez-faire. Like most of my peers, I applied myself to school, friendship, work,health and ad nauseaum, raising my children. But in this critical area, marriage, we had all turned away. I wanted to understand why. I wanted not to accept this.

Ms. Weil and her husband begin to examine their marriage through self-help books (Harville Hendrix, best selling author of "Getting the Love You Want"), psychoanalysis, and marriage education class. The details of these experiences are intimate and thought-provoking. As I read this article, I began to examine my own expectations about marriage.

I realized that a lot of my knowledge about marriage evolved from Disney movies, General Hospital and Ken & Barbie. Clearly, not the most reliable sources. While my parents have been married for 39 years, I never fully grasped the details involved when one commits to another person for life. I did not learn about marriage in school--although I did take a home-economics class in junior high school and can make a mean chocolate chip cookie. But cookies will only get me so far. Having been married for ten years, I have found that the following C's are important for a good marriage: compromise, communication, and commitment. If any of these are out of sync, things can get dicey.

Compromise--as I've discovered, I can't always get what I want. And even if I did that probably would make for a boring existence. Compromising is a challenge and I get the opportunity to work on it every day. From small things like dinner to larger issues like vacations, we each compromise to make our union work.

Communication--easily the most complex issue in a relationship. I've learned that actually my husband cannot read my mind much to my dismay. Given this, I've had to work on actually saying what I mean and expressing my thoughts and feelings. Sounds easy, but can be absolutely be challenging.

Commitment--to the marriage. Being committed to and trusting the relationship is crucial to a successful union. This does not mean that I should forsake all others (and individual aspirations), but that if I nurture the relationship through trust it will flourish and grow into a beautiful union.

All of these things take practice and patience. I enjoyed Ms. Weil's article because she discusses the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of marriage. It helped me to examine my own thoughts and knowledge about marriage as well as identify what I see are the key components of a successful relationship. I felt inspired at the end when she says, "I felt more committed than ever. I also felt our project could begin in earnest: we could demand of ourselves, and each other, the courage and patience to grow."

What are your thoughts about a good marriage/relationship?
How do you negotiate the balance of marriage, self, work, etc?

Useful Links:

Ms. Weil's article: A More Perfect Union

Try to See it My Way: Being Fair in Love & Marriage, book by B. Janet Hibbs

Posted by Lisa Colby, LSW

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Further Research in Consumer Mental Health Decisions

2009-12-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year, Bokenkamp Consulting conducted a research study on how consumers make mental health decisions in an online world. The point of the research was to determine, once a patient has committed to seek therapy, how does she go about finding a therapist?

The initial focus group was 12 professional women from the Delaware Valley. Aged 29-60, who all reported either comfortable or very comfortable using a computer. Based on the focus group results, we generated a survey instrument that we used to evaluate online solutions for finding therapists. We subsequently used that survey on 80 similar women.

Finally, based on the survey results, we conducted a factor analysis to determine what motivations and thought processes the consumers were using when viewing websites of therapists.

We were quite surprised by the results.

Our findings showed that two different issues are primary in users minds: data sufficiency and source trustworthiness. In other words: does this site have enough information about a therapist and do I trust where this information is coming from? These women wanted a lot of information about each therapist they might see, and they wanted to know that the site they were looking at was reputable and vetted the information.

Looking at a variety of sources including Google searches, insurance websites, health systems and private directories, we found repeatedly that what users wanted was a trusted source of lots of data.

Not surprisingly, there were very few solutions that met exactly what they were looking for. The established, recognized and trustworthy sources tended to have very little data, while the places that had lots of data tended to appear of questionable or dubious value to the users.

Additional research may be required, but we found that there was ample opportunity to build solutions that matched consumer need.

The Greatest Christmas Party That Never Was – Dissecting Disappointment

2009-12-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

Well thanks to the record-setting blizzard that struck the Northeast this Saturday, I had to cancel a holiday party that five friends and I have spent the last six months planning. With time and expenses, we’re out thousands of dollars. But most upsetting of all, we don’t get to enjoy the fruits of our labor – our friends having an amazing time, the unveiling of an incredibly intricate and creative multi-media production, and the satisfaction of pulling off something that was little more than a ridiculous, far-fetched idea in June. As I write this, I should be at the party right now – enjoying a drink and being in the midst of over a hundred people having a hell of a time. All in all, everything really sucks right now. And the worst part is I have no idea how to handle this type of extreme disappointment. I really thought I had a decent understanding of my own psyche because of my vast consumption of philosophical and psychological readings (I say this as a self-deprecating reflection on my hubris). However, as of right now, I can’t seem to apply a single damn thing I’ve read. I feel like a spoiled child who wants to run home and cry to mommy so she can rub my head and tell me everything will get better…

After 12 hours of wallowing in self-pity, the only thing I can realize is that I’m experiencing unfulfilled expectations. Our expectations can make or break us. I’ve always appreciated this idea but it's inherent truth never fully hit me until tonight. Because my expectations were so drastically unfulfilled, I’m utterly miserable. I’ve entered a temporary state of depression that has nearly brought me to tears a few times today. My pathetic condition makes me think about a talk by Psychologist Barry Schwartz on TED I recently watched. Barry asserts that the secret to happiness is low expectations. He argues that our expectations in modern, western society are too high and constantly not being met (and thus we’re very unhappy). We expect so much and rarely get to experience a “pleasant surprise.” Kind of makes sense, huh? When I originally listened to this talk I appreciated his insight but more or less scoffed at his conclusion. Tonight though, his thesis cuts right to the bone.

Overall, I’m not sure if I completely agree with the idea of lowering your expectations just to avoid disappointed; to me, it’s like settling or not striving to be your best. But I am curious about your thoughts on the conclusion of Barry’s talk. Do you truly think we should lower our expectations to be happier? Or should we keep shooting for the stars and learn how to better manage disappointment? I really crave your insight into this matter right now so please let me know your thoughts – think of it as rubbing my head and telling me everything will get better.

Tom Murtaugh

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Balancing the Left and Right

2009-12-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

I operate from my left brain and use lists, excel documents, and label makers to organize my life and house. While this certainly helps to make my life simpler, it also can inhibit my spontaneity and my ability to "just be." I never fully understood the duality that left/right brain plays in my existence until I read Jill Bolte Taylor's book, My Stroke of Insight.

In the book, Dr. Taylor, a Harvard-trained brain scientist, chronicles her experience of having a stroke in her left hemisphere. She describes the experience as: "Oh my gosh, I'm having a stroke!" followed by a more surprising thought: "Wow, this is so cool!" Because Dr. Taylor's left hemisphere experienced the trauma, her right side took over allowing her to "shift into the consciousness of the present moment."

I appreciated Dr. Taylor's book and found it provided a detailed description of what happens during a stroke and the process of rehabilitation. I also enjoyed the later chapters in which she discusses how we can all find our inner peace.

Reading this book inspired me to try to access and leverage my right-hemisphere in my every day activities. I've tried to forgo the label maker and hand-write the contents of a folder using a pen or pencil. This may sound trivial, but it is actually a challenge for me. Additionally, Dr. Taylor discusses anger and says that the actual, physiological response for anger is only 90 seconds. Anger beyond that is a choice. I try to remember her words when I become angry and let the anger go and move on.

Incorporating this awareness and balance can be challenging.
Are there methods or techniques that you use to balance the left/right sides?

Useful links:

Are you left or right brained? Take a quick, fun test here You will get a detailed report explaining the results and it is free!

More about Dr. Jill Taylor here.

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

posted by Lisa Colby, LSW

Does evidence based therapy matter?

2009-12-13T07:46:00.000-05:00

To apply science to psychotherapy generally evokes reactions such as therapy is more an art than a science. The reality for many practitioners is that scientific evidence seems too far removed from the daily realities of helping patients cope and most use an eclectic set of techniques. In addition, other significant hurdles to the scientific approach of psychotherapy exist, such as the variance that exists among patients, therapists and the way treatments occur during a session. Further more, there are many issues surrounding standards for measuring and collecting accurate and uniform data.

With that being said, many treatments that are used in therapy today do have empirical support from researchers. These treatments and their application to various diagnoses have been researched over many years. Keep in mind that the training curriculum of current and future therapists is usually highly influenced by the available research and trends for that treatment.

Both patient and therapist should care about evidence based therapy for the simple fact that we have access to treatment modalities today because of contributions by many practitioners, researchers and patients in the past. Both patient and practitioner have immediate influence over the outcome of their own therapy sessions. Evidence based therapy is the means to communicate and contribute to the effectiveness of therapy for others now and in the future.

Raymond Bokenkamp

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Useful Links

Evidence Based Psychotherapy Review

APA Emperically Supported Treatments : Publications

Why should a therapist care what they look like online?

2009-12-09T08:23:00.000-05:00

Like it or not, the Internet is here to stay. In many ways, the access to information and technology has profoundly altered our work style, our cultural attitudes, and even our understanding of ourselves. While some will want to talk about the fact that teens and preteens today see information and the access to information as a given, the more important issue is that the vast majority of Americans have access to the Internet, and that people in their 30's and 40's have grown up with computers as part of their lives.

As a professional, you need to be aware of the impact that the Internet has or can have on your business. You may personally not use Facebook or Twitter. You may not have a personal webpage or a blog. But your patients do. Or more importantly, your potential patients do.

We all know that the number one source of new patients is referrals from existing or former patients. But did you know what happens when that referral is initially offered? Bokenkamp Consulting recently conducted a focus group of 12 professional women from the Delaware Valley. Aged 29-60, who all reported either comfortable or very comfortable using a computer. We then talked to them about how they would find a therapist.

Every single one of them included an Internet search as part of their process. Other steps included talking to friends or family, looking at their health insurance providers listings, speaking to their primary care physician, and even consulting an employee assistance program. But all of them said once they got a name, they would look up the therapist online for more information.

So, based on these results, patients aren't looking up "Philadelphia Therapist" or "Depression Centers", they are looking up YOUR NAME that they got from a friend, an MD, or some other source.

When they do a google search using your name, what do they find? Can they even find you?

Why should a therapist care what they look like online? Because that's where tomorrow's patients are looking. The patients care. You should too.

Diary of A Mad Man? Carl Jung's "Red Book" Finally Published

2009-12-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Everyone’s crazy. I’m crazy, you’re crazy, the most influential person in your life is crazy. However, seldom do we ever get an honest glimpse of someone else’s craziness…until now.

I’ve been a big fan of Carl Jung for most of my adult life. I believe his psychological theories most accurately describe the inner workings of the human psyche. Luckily for me and all the other Jung fans out there, Dr. Jung’s personal journal, which documents a severe mid-life crisis, has just been published. The Red Book, as it’s called, is recorded accounts of Jung’s waking visions and encounters with the darkest figures of his unconscious. His experiences border on occult fantasy and utter psychosis however it’s hard to deny that we have all dealt with similar issues - there are just few of us who have the nerve and audacity to document it. Luckily Jung did and despite some resistant from his heirs to publish this work, we now have insight into one of the most fascinating minds of the 20th century.

Beware though, this book isn’t light reading or even comprehensible reading. It is an honest account of the darkest inner workings of a person, which makes it difficult to find any type of logical story line. I personally know one of the founders of the organization that published The Red Book and he said to me in regards to the book, “Let me know if you understand it.” As of now, I don’t and I probably never will. However, there are passages that have been utterly inspiring and moving. This book isn’t a story it’s a series of accounts, if you approach it with this idea in mind you won’t be disappointed.

Here is a great New York Times article about the arduous process of getting this work published. And also a wonderful review from The Economist. Lastly, here is a link to buy The Red Book at Amazon.

Why would you be interested in reading about someone else’s psychosis? Is there comfort in viewing the craziness of another person?

Tom Murtaugh

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

To Tell or Not to Tell: Mental Illness in the Workplace

2009-12-02T18:48:00.001-05:00

Elyn Saks, Associate Dean and Orrin B.Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California, recently wrote an article about mental illness in academe for The Chronicle of Higher Education. In the article, Dr. Saks details her own personal journey with schizophrenia and her decision to disclose the illness to colleagues. She discusses the pros/cons of disclosing mental illness while working in the often competitive academic environment. Dr. Saks also provides suggestions for how to effectively manage mental illness that transcend the world of academia---learn about the illness, understand how it impacts you, engage a good treatment team, and structure your professional life so that it works.

Dr. Saks' article raises an important question applicable to all workplaces--should one disclose mental illness to colleagues? The stigma of mental illness is alive and well in our society. Try as we might to be an open, accepting society, we are quick to judge when told that a friend or loved suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression. It's difficult to understand when one has mental illness--it's not physically visible like a broken leg or the flu.

Given the stigma, I ask...what are the pros/cons to disclosing mental illness in the workplace? Have you disclosed? How do you manage mental illness in the workplace?

Discuss...

Lisa Colby, LSW

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Thanksgiving: a good time to listen

2009-11-26T11:50:00.000-05:00

Listening is the heart of communication. Listening is an essential part of communicating and empathy is often needed. You may or may not agree with everything that is communicated to you but you can still be empathetic and listen to what someone is sharing with you. The good news is that successful and authentic communication often lead to the wonderful feeling of bliss.

I wish you and your family a great thanksgiving day and a great venue to share food, thought and love.

Raymond Bokenkamp

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

Discussion Question
How do you react when you are conversing with someone who is primarily interested in expressing themselves?

Finding a therapist: Do you see the glass half full or half empty?

2009-11-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

Parade Magazine, Dr. Ranit Mishori explains why a positive attitude can be good for your health. In her article she suggests that most people know whether they are have a positive or negative outlook on life. In addition, she cites research that shows that people with a positive outlook suffer less from conditions such as heart disease then people who think more negatively. A popular field called "Positive Psychology" focuses on the benefits of positive thinking to individual and community health. Local University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Martin Seligman is considered the father of the modern positive psychology movement. Dr. Seligman is also the Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

I like that positive psychology focuses on the strengths and virtues of individuals and that by pursuing these virtues, an individual is generally happier, open and connected to others. I would say that this powerful medicine is generally referred to as bliss. States of expansion and bliss are a natural part of life through which we can release the old and let in the new. Yes, we all need bliss in our lives!

When we get stuck in repetitive negative cycles (such as anxiety or depression), positive psychology can be a useful tool to help us move past these cycles. Seeking the support from friends and family also can help when moving through challenging times as well as the exciting times, too!

Just like birds expand and contract we all have positive and negative experiences in our lives. The cycle of life often goes through ups and downs and it is valuable to be open to all experiences. This is when you allow personal growth to happen and just as suggested in the Parade Magazine article, this process can take time and that it is important to recognize our thought patterns. Dr. Mishori adds that, “Resilience training usually requires work with an experienced therapist.”

Finding the right therapist can be challenging, but locating a directory that allows the patient to safely and confidentially review a therapist’s background and treatment approach will help speed along the process. Some directories (such as HealthPanda.com) allow you to search for all therapists by modality (such as Positive Psychology).

Raymond Bokenkamp

HealthPanda offers a therapist directory to help you find all types of Philadelphia therapists and psychologists. Find a therapist that fits all your needs in our fast growing directory today.

PS To see your strengths and virtues a test is available on the Positive Psychology website listed below.

Discussion Question:

Do you have unwanted negative patterns in your life? If yes, can you think of anything that you are prepared to do about it today?

Useful links:

The Power of Peer Relationships

2009-11-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

We play many roles in our lives such as parent, child, teacher, student, boss, employee, friend, spouse and the list goes on. The relationships that we develop in these roles can be more meaningful when we treat people as peers rather than subordinate or boss. By treating someone as your peer you share vulnerability, create a connection and develop a more authentic and meaningful relationship.

Dr. Stephen Treat suggests that parents that treat their children as peers have far more meaningful relationships with their children. Based on his experience it is the biggest factor that determines how long the marital relationship of the child lasts later in life. One of the key aspects in relationships is that power is given and not demanded. Of course this still means that as a parent you are responsible for establishing boundaries and enforcing them (consider the Art of Dialog as a useful technique). You may be surprised to see how authentic relationships that are not based on “power trips” will lead to an improvement of the quality of your life as well as the ones around you. Is this worth trying today?

Useful Links:
* http://www.councilforrelationships.org/staff/bio_treat_stephen.htm
* http://www.healthpanda.com

The art of dialog : A communication tool for improving your relationships

2009-11-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

Last night I attended a presentation by Dr. Stephen Treat that was organized by the Mount Airy learning tree. Based on his extensive therapy experience, Dr. Stephen Treat presented and discussed a model for improving relationships with loved ones through better communication.

We are all co-creators (or active participants/players) when it comes to family dynamics and interpersonal relationships and we all have choices. We can choose to get upset, angry, shut-down or be passive aggressive when our buttons are pushed. In fact that is usually our instinctual reaction. Dr. Stephen Treat offered a better strategy which is to actively participate in a dialog by returning a question about the content presented and the way it is presented (context). For example when someone says: "This is ridiculous", you have the choice to become angry, shut down, OR you could ask: "What's ridiculous about it?". The latter choice will start a dialog that usually leads to a deeper understanding of what's really going on. I compare it to a dance, rather than blocking or repressing negative energy you find a flow through which the dialog is opened and continued.

Discussion Question:
Are there situations in your relationships where opening a dialog is useful?

Did you know?:
Did you know that the Council for Relationships conducted 50,000 therapy hours last year of which 8,000 where billed at $10 or less (based on individual circumstances).
Did you know that the Mount Airy Learning tree has already raised $40,000 for the purchase of the MALT office building?

Useful Links:
http://www.mtairylearningtree.org/
http://www.councilforrelationships.org/staff/bio_treat_stephen.htm

Stephen Treat Quotes:
"The relationship you have with the opposite sex parent is a big determinate on the relationship you will have with your spouse."
"The relationship you have with the same sex parent is a big determinate on the relationship you will have with yourself."

Choreographed Dance Movement to promote health and balance.

2009-11-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

I just came back from Kripalu in the Berkshires, MA, where I completed the JourneyDance(TM) teacher training. It was a demanding experience with many gratifying moments. Mostly, seeing a group of 38 woman and 4 men coming together as one and dance like we danced together for years after just 40 hours of intensive training in 5 days.

There is plenty of literature available concerning dance and its therapeutic properties mostly concerning anxiety, depression, dementia, group dynamics, personal development, authentic communication, trans-cultural (and let me add cross-gender) relationships, and transformational leadership (i.e. Dance Movement Therapy by Helen Payne, Dance As a Healing Art : Returning to Health Through Movement & Imagery by Anna Halprin and Dance and other Expressive Art Therapies, and Therapy in Motion by Maureen Costonis). Perhaps still little is known about this “up and coming” modality called JourneyDance (TM).

Toni Bergens, M. Ed developed JourneyDance(TM) as an opportunity for personal growth and healing. Her authenticity, experience and energy draws many students and teachers into a choreographed journey of dance and music. Starting with embodiment, the student experiences movements on the floor, grounding herself into the body (and out of the mind). I valued the experience of crawling like a baby again. It made me feel in the moment without concern of future or past activities. Once embodied, the student goes through the awakening and immersion stages that (among other benefits) lubricate the spine, knees and other joints. The student is then lead into an expansion stage. Toni is a gifted leader that reads the energy of the group. She brings the students together on movement when needed, but leaves a lot of time for self-exploration. Toni refers to this powerful leadership tool as the “accordion technique.”

All stages are guided by complementing movements, music and sounds. In the expansion stage, students are encouraged to let go of the old and let in the new. This stage releases stuck energy and leaves a student feeling big and clear. The next stage, “Shamanic Empowerment” brings the student back to African rhythms and rituals. This stage stimulates release and students can go into a mild trance like state that brings them back to primordial memories. This particular stage is associated with a primordial masculine energy.

After the student has reached an expanded stage and a higher awareness, the JourneyDance teacher holds the space and safely guides the group back to a centered stage. This is done through heart and prayer dance and returning to the earth for deep relaxation. You can learn lots more about JourneyDance by visiting JourneyDance.com. You will find a listing of classes for your area. I had a great time and want to thank Toni, the staff and my fellow students for this incredible experience.

JourneyDance has had an impact in my own life to help me promote health and balance. These experiences have significantly improved the quality in my own life and made me launch a free online directory for therapists: Health Panda. The Directory makes it easy for clients to research therapist referrals and find a good match. Visit the directory by clicking here. The website is called healthpanda.com. I am always curious about your feedback. You can reach me by dropping me an email at raymond@healthpanda.com.

Raymond Bokenkamp
Founder HealthPanda.com

Health Panda: Comprehesive Online Therapist Directory Live

2009-10-31T12:54:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to announce that the Health Panda Therapist Directory went
live on Monday, October 26, 2009. We are currently doing a pilot with therapists and the feedback so far has been great.

We are still looking for therapists to join the pilotIf you know anybody in your network who is a Behavior Health Therapist or any body else who might be interested. Please forward the link to them.

http://www.healthpanda.com

If you have any questions or recommendations, I am interested!

Cheers,

Raymond
Founder, Health Panda