Category: Psychotherapy

Posts about the practice of counseling and psychotherapy.

Expert Witness: What Psychotherapists Need To Know About Testifying In Court

Posted on by Leland Hoover
expert witness

Psychotherapists, have you been asked to testify in court as an expert witness?

Testifying in court is an adversarial process and not for the faint of heart. Before committing to appear as an expert witness get informed!

Attorney Jim Carr, CAP’s legal advisor to the board, graciously provided these resources to prepare you to testify in court.

Jim responded to questions about appearing as an expert witness in CAP’s Sep 2021 Town Hall Meeting. To see Jim’s response, click on the link to the video recording of the meeting and skip to the time 1:11:33.

Jim Carr serves on the Advisory Board of CAP and is an attorney handling practice issues and cases with DORA. He can be contacted at:

Business Email:

jimcarrlaw@live.com

Business Phone: 

(303) 513-0026

How Does Coaching Differ From Therapy?

Posted on by Debbie Love Coach
Debbie Marielle Elzea

By Debbie Marielle Elzea 

As a pleasurable, loving, and s ex ual romantic partnership is wonderful for well-being, health, happiness, and family stability, there is certainly overlap in end goals between therapy, marriage counseling, and life/relationship/embodied coaching. 

In therapy, a clinician generally treats a mental or psychological disorder or illness, thus treatment is often covered by health insurance.  Therapists are highly trained to treat trauma, heal past wounding, and help a client process why she feels the way she does; a responsible coach refers these situations out.  Yet healing the past and emotional distress does not necessarily create a robust, enjoyable s ex life. Many women have worked on their issues for years, and still have a mediocre sex life! 

Coaching does not focus not on the past or disorders, but provides support, guidance, and accountability for a mentally healthy client to set and achieve her vision for the future. Beyond talk, it uses life coaching methods, and somatic, embodied practices to help women shift mindsets, attitudes and behaviors about their bodies, se xuality, and relationships.  While therapy is often about “healing,” in coaching it is “empowering” to achieve one’s goals, gain confidence, skills, and be cherished by her partner! 

There are many “blocks” to female sexual pleasure, such as boredom, not knowing what she likes, or the inability to get “out of her head” of judgment, body shame, and other distractions, and into the present moment, body and senses, where se xual pleasure takes place. Talk-based and cognitive methods only go so far; “of the body” mindful coaching practices are proven to calm and rewire the brain for greater focus and pleasure, enabling her to overcome the most common female s  ex ual challenges: low desire, low pleasure and even pain.

A coach often specializes; and so my focus is not only s ex uality, but also what I know best: women in committed relationships with a man! So in addition to overcoming se xual blocks, as the ‘Romantic Sex and Intimacy Coach” I also help women get the emotional connection they crave through time-proven gratitude, respect, and communication practices.

My philosophy is it only takes one partner to change the loving dynamic of the relationship!  So while approaches are different, they can be very complimentary, and both therapists and coaches provide great benefit to their clients in healing, empowerment, happiness and self-growth!

or if your love life could be better, I invite you to contact me for a complimentary one-on-one talk!Book a talk

Video Training for Mental Health Professionals

Posted on by Leland Hoover

COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:  CAP wants to help you use this downtime for training and education. Despite having to cancel CAP’s monthly lunch and breakfast events hosted for mental health professionals, CAP remains committed to offering education to help professionals maintain and enhance their competency. CAP is fortunate to have Advisory Board Members who are the founders of schools used by mental health professionals throughout Colorado and nationally. This email provides an introduction to two schools offering online classes and programs that you can use to enhance your practice.  
 
THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR FAMILY THERAPY

12101 East Second Avenue, Suite 101, Aurora, CO 80011-8328
Phone: (720) 253-4831 * FAX: (720) 859-2970
E-mail: leslieinstitute@cs.com  * www.familyplaytherapy.net
 
CAC/LAC  Classes  ONLINE THROUGH ZOOM PROFESSIONAL 
 OBH has ordered all CAC classes be online at least until May! You can sign up now to finish your CAC or LAC while at home.
 
CSFT offers distance learning opportunities for school certificate programs in Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Sandplay Therapy, Marriage and Family Therapy, CBT, Motivational Interviewing. Other classes such as Jurisprudence Exam Preparation Workshops are also online now.
 
Are you getting ready to take a national test for a license or certification? You’re in luck! CSFT offers various workshops to prepare you for the test and propel you into your future. CSFT instructors are experts in the material they present and are committed to your academic success. To review offering of classes go to www.familyplaytherapy.net  
 
Call or email Dr. Leslie to enroll at (720) 253-4831 or leslieinstitute@cs.com.
 

BOULDER PSYCHOTHERAPY INSTITUTE
1140 Lehigh St #6351, Boulder, CO 80305
Phone: 303-494-0393
E-mail: boulderpsych@gmail.com        Website:    www.boulderpsych.com
 
Classes  ONLINE THROUGH ZOOM PROFESSIONAL
BPI is offering its small groups for therapists online over with via Zoom video conferencing. Group classes include:  Practice, Process, and Supervision/Consultation Groups. Small groups are limited to 4 for supervision and to 6 for practice and process. BPI is starting a couple of new groups and has openings in some existing groups. All group classes count toward Advanced Certification in Applied Existential Psychotherapy at the Institute and toward Continuing Competency Credits for most licensed groups. 
 
To get more information go to  www.boulderpsych.com. There you will find links to classes and workshops, buttons for joining and posting on the BPI NetList and Community Calendar as well as a button for joining the Therapist Directory. 
 
To register or learn more about classes contact BPI by phone at 303 494 0393 or by email at boulderpsych@gmail.com.
Betty Cannon, PhD, President and Founder 
Reed Lindberg, MA, LPC, Managing Director 
Robyn Chauvin, MA, LPC, Senior Trainer 
 
Watch your email. We will be sending you more updates on professional competency training as well as updates on legislative developments impacting the right to practice psychotherapy. 

Social Media Addiction – A National Crisis

Posted on by StevenBlakely@transformations.net

Steven Blakely, CCHt, Registered Psychotherapist

Urgent measures are required to address this crisis that affects virtually every member of society particularly our youth.  A headline in Nation on June 18, 2019, describes this crisis. “Suicide among teens and young adults reaches the highest level since 2000.”

Social Media addiction (SMA) is just as addictive as drugs and alcohol. The intrusive nature of Social Media into our lives and the psychological effect and dependency cannot be overstated.  It is mood-altering and offers immediate gratification while also offering the illusion of being closely connected when in fact it is isolating at an emotional level. As with any addictive relationship it takes more and more of the ‘drug’ to achieve the level needed to feel the euphoria until the cycle repeats requiring even more. I recently completed a day-long course titled “Overcome Social Media Addiction with Hypnosis” given by Don Mottin, CCH with Mottin and Johnson Institute of Hypnosis, who practices near Orlando, Florida and teaches workshops across the United States. As Don Mottin explained “According to the World Health Organization, in the year 2019, approximately 1.53 million people will die from suicide. The number related to social media is increasing every year.”  

As Don Mottin further explained, “Positive interactions on social media can trigger the same kind of chemical reaction (in the brain) that is caused by gambling and recreational drugs”. Recent research he cited during the workshop indicates that an average of 2.35 hours is spent accessing social media at work every day. According to Nielsen, “the average American spends more than 11 hours per day in front of a screen. … Even children from two to five years old are spending over 26 hours each week in front of a screen or a smartphone.”

There are other causes of suicide, including increased anxiety and stress related to the Climate Disruption caused by global warming and the daily reports of the political chaos at the highest levels of our government. Other causes of death besides suicide include the “Hundreds of people die each year by taking selfies in a dangerous place, even more are injured”.  Many people are injured or killed because of texting while driving or just walking across the street. 

Stress and anxiety are also the result of arguments within families and between couples over what is seen on social media and are occurring with increased frequency. This can tear apart relationships and friendships based on information purported to be true but often not verifiable.  All of this is creating more stress and alienation. I believe the material Don presented and his approach and techniques for solutions to the problem of SMA is something all of us can benefit from even if not certified as a hypnotherapist

One of the elements of countering SMA that can be most helpful is using the material in the context of determining what needs are being met by SMA that can be met in more healthy, productive ways particularly by using suggestions for change in behaviors and setting appropriate boundaries around time spent with social media.  Encouraging social interaction in groups and one-on-one activities, for instance, is a powerful counter to the subtle isolation that occurs with SMA. 

This is not just for hypnotherapists.  When you are in session with a client both of you are automatically engaged in a mutual light trance of highly focused attention with a strong intention and desire to accomplish a particular goal.  The techniques and the way you speak in that trance can be enhanced by studying this material and using it regardless of your modality, education, and training. You might like it so much that you could even consider adding hypnosis to your toolbox of therapeutic interventions and as a powerful enhancement to your current client sessions. 

I believe that because this issue of Social Media Addiction is so endemic and deleterious to our communities and families and individuals that it is incumbent on us as mental health professionals to reach out to our communities to inform them of our availability to help them cope with this insidious and widespread problem.

Thus, it is most important for us to inform ourselves of the extent and depth of the problem by reaching out to local church leaders, social system professionals, and the legal and law enforcement professionals to determine their understanding and knowledge of local issues arising out of SMA. Further, I would like to think we could arrange to have meetings like a ‘mental health town hall’ to inform them that we are working toward providing help and solutions.  I would like to think that the local social assistance agencies would also welcome an opportunity to participate.

Toward that end I am going to see if Don Mottin would be willing to come to Colorado to some of these meetings to discuss the breadth of the problem of SMA and to describe how hypnosis and therapy can help the victims of SMA to be able to meet their needs and at the same time decrease the hold SMA has over their lives. 

I welcome questions and comments about this article. In addition to being a Registered Psychotherapist with DORA,  I am a member of the National Guild of Hypnotherapists.  I am available through the CAP website to discuss this article and answer questions. 

You can reach Steven Blakely at:

Email: steven@transformations.net 
Website:

Transformations.net

 

Phone: 303 913-8370

Mold a Silent, Hidden Problem in our Environment

Posted on by JenHansen

 

Mold is a silent, hidden problem lurking in 50% of our homes and workspaces. It is stated up to 28% of the U.S. population or 80 million people are profoundly affected by mold toxins with symptoms that are both physical and psychiatric.

Now we are learning mold can affect everyone to some degree when chronically exposed—yet we have no idea of the number of those affected. That’s because those suffering, without the classic symptoms of a mold allergy, are chronically misdiagnosed by the medical community. They do not test positive for any typical medical tests, leaving them feeling even more confused and depressed.

Cherry, a resident in Denver, suffered for many years. When she had tested negative for a mold allergy, her doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

Her symptoms included, developing sleep apnea, inflammation issues, weight gain, fatigue, and immune issues.

Finally, after getting a diagnosis of CIRS from a functional medicine Doctor,  she received special testing and it showed high levels of mold toxicity in her system.

Cherry moved out of her home of 15 years (built in the 1910’s) into an apartment (built in the 1930’s) but it tested even higher for mold.  The landlord gave her the option of a newer apartment (built in the 1980’s) and this one tested higher than the first two! “The age of the house has nothing to do with it” Cherry stated. However, landlord liability can be loose in being required to remedy the issue and she doesn’t want to go through moving again until she can figure out her environmental needs. She has decided to purchase an air purification system costing $1000 that can move with her. At this point there is not enough proof for the medical and housing/building communities that mold is really that big of a problem to start legislating responsibility.

Residential home and building construction methods drastically changed in 1970. New innovations and technologies made it possible to build virtually with paper, also know as drywall, sheet rock and particle board cabinetry. All buildings are susceptible to water damage but many of the homes in Colorado’s building boom were after 1970s. With age and poor material, there’s an increased possibility of a leaky roof, flooded basement and plumbing problems. That leads to one major issue: Once water touches cellulose material, harmful mold can grow unseen. Occupants get sick and have no idea why.

Many people have all heard about fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic inflammatory response syndrome, auto immune disorder and Alzheimer’s. However, did you know mold (also known as biotin illness) could be the possible culprit of these conditions?

Or, could these conditions be the symptoms of mold illness?

“Millions of people are suffering from chronic illnesses that, unbeknownst to them, are the result of exposure to environmental toxins and infectious agents such as mold and Borrelia, which causes Lyme disease,” writes Dr. Neil Nathan in his book, Toxic. Dr. Nathan continues in the book, “Because the symptoms of these illnesses are so varied and unusual, many of these individuals have sought medical care only to be dismissed, as if what they are experiencing is ‘in their head.’ Many (if not most) have tried to tough it out and continue to function without hope of improvement. Unfortunately, their illnesses are very real.”

Because it’s not on the medical community’s radar, the medical community doesn’t generally test for mycotoxins sensitivity or bio-toxin buildup. This illness is not an allergy, it is an inflammation within the body which is caused by an immune system gone haywire.

Genetics have been shown to be a known factor for sensitivity. People can get tested for the HLA-DR gene, and researchers have found that those with the gene can have challenges removing and recovering from toxins. Cherry carries this gene. 

“A common concern for those who are trying to understand cognitive problems in moldy patients is to answer how is it that inflammation in the body is inflammation in the brain,” according to NeuroQuant links mold Illness to structural change in brain

NeuroQuant continues, “The blood brain barrier, as it is called, results from additional “tight junction features” between cells that line blood vessels. These tight junctions are loosened by particular inflammatory processes including TGF beta-1 and IL-1B. These two compounds are well shown to be significantly elevated in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndromes acquired following exposure to the interior environment of water-damaged buildings

“Mold toxins are lipophilic, meaning their molecular structure consists of fatty acid molecules. For this reason, mold toxins migrate to and deposit in the brain because the brain is the ‘fattiest’ organ, consisting of 60% fat.”

Once the mold enters the brain the swelling caused starts to destroy neurons, receptors and hormone production. One study showed that 93 out of 100 fibromyalgia patients tested positive for mold sensitivity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705282/

If you suspect a client might be suffering from mold sensitivity or bio-toxin illness, here are some common complaints to be aware of: chronic fatigue, memory issues, mood swings, skin issues, gut issues, increased sensitivity to chemicals, muscle cramps and aches, headaches, mental focus, disorientation, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and of course, fibromyalgia, CFS,  CIRS and sleep apnea. The very first line of defense is to have one’s environment tested and remediated if needed.

Erik Hansen, of Green Home Solutions in Denver, states,https://www.greenhomesolutions.com/centennial-co/  “It is a good idea for people to be mindful of any unwanted moisture or humidity inside of their homes.  Very small amounts of moisture can lead to large mold problems. Any unwanted moisture, whether it from interior plumbing leaks or exterior precipitation, that comes into contact with building materials, can cause mold start growing within 24-48 hours. Without a moisture source, toxic mold will not be able to colonize.” 

If the environment tests positive, www.survivingmold.com has a wealth of information on testing, diagnosis, treatment and remediation solutions. Dr. Nathan’s book, Toxic is a great resource for mold illness and other environmental toxins that affects us.

The good news is that once the diagnosis is made, this is a very treatable condition. The treatment must be done carefully and slowly as it can shock the system as the body detoxifies and symptoms can worsen through the process, as the mold toxins are mobilized. Cherry is feeling better with treatment, but understands that this will be a lifelong battle to find and maintain a mold free home.

People are exposed to even more mold toxins in our environment, toxins that we ingest; citric acid, magnesium citrate and zinc citrate. Today’s citrates are grown on mold for mass production because it is much cheaper to use than natural citrates that come from acidic fruit. This mass-produced citrate is now used in so much of our food, medication and supplements and vaccines. It’s almost impossible to avoid. Do folks with mold allergies and sensitivities know this?