Archive for Counseling

Vicarious trauma: When we feel the pain of someone else’s trauma

Posted by Lindsay Perry on

May 21, 2020

Being on the front line in times of crisis can be difficult and draining. For those in helping fields, these kinds of crises can be an everyday experience. When does it become too much to carry? How do we know when the stress goes from what’s expected from the work we do to something that is significantly impacting our lives? If this feels familiar, you may be experiencing vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue.

During this time when the world is experiencing a health crisis, is it possible to feel someone else’s trauma from the news stories we see?

What is vicarious trauma?

Vicarious trauma can be described as the direct or indirect exposure to someone else’s trauma that impacts one’s own physical and/or psychological well-being. This is also known as compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. Those who are in a helping or rescuing role are at risk for experiencing vicarious trauma. You may be thinking this sounds like burnout, but burnout can be described as workplace stress that impacts one’s physical or psychological well-being. The important difference here is that, unlike burnout, compassion fatigue involves being exposed to someone else’s trauma. In being exposed to someone else’s trauma, your life can be negatively impacted by what you’ve seen or heard in those helping or rescuing experiences.

Signs of compassion fatigue

We can start to understand whether our experience is workplace burnout or vicarious trauma by being aware of how we think, feel, and behave in our everyday life. There are multiple signs of dealing with compassion fatigue. These include, but are not limited to:

Physical exhaustion
Mental and emotional exhaustion
Insomnia
Nightmares
Use of or dependence on alcohol, drugs, or addictive behaviors
Lack of ability to empathize with others
Workaholism
Hyper-vigilance (constantly being worried about the safety of yourself and others)
Cynicism (a belief that everyone is acting out of self-interest and outlook of the world is bleak)
Anxiety (often feeling nervous, scared, or constantly thinking of things that could go wrong)
Depression (feeling numb, unmotivated, and exhausted)
Anger (getting easily angry to a degree that is inappropriate to the situation)

What if this is you?

Experiencing vicarious trauma can take a toll on your overall well-being, but there are things you can do to prevent and cope with it.

Contact Fuller Life Family Therapy

Here at Fuller Life Family Therapy, we have a group of trained professionals who can help individuals who are dealing with vicarious trauma. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please email us at info@fullerlifefamilytherapy.org or call our main number (855) 245-5433.

Resources

Good Therapy – Vicarious trauma

Psychology Today – Vicarious trauma and the professional interpreter

Psychology Today – When vicarious trauma victims suffer from PTSD

Psychology Today – Trauma workers at risk for compassion fatigue

Contributed by Lindsay Perry, LPC Intern

Clinical supervision by Amy Fuller, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC-S

Categories : Counseling, Mental Health, Self-Awareness, Sticky, Trauma and Loss

Tags : mental health, self-awareness, trauma

When Grief and Spirituality Intersect

Posted by Stephanie Jordan on

March 30, 2020

· No Comments

In light of the recent global novel Coronavirus pandemic that spread and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in local communities, cities, states, and countries around the world, many individuals are experiencing grief in the midst of this calamity. Some have lost loved ones due to the virus, are unable to have or attend funerals for the deceased loved one, are personally suffering from or know someone suffering from the virus, are dealing with the psychological and emotional effects of “social (physical) distancing,” and are worried about meeting the most basic needs for their family’s survival and livelihood. These concerns, among others, have caused many to experience some form of personal grief, or an existential crisis in spirituality.

Death itself, whether untimely or anticipated, sometimes leaves unanswered questions. Dr. Mark Kellenman, author of the book, “God’s Healing For Life’s Losses” examines the complexities of life’s unanswered questions; in the midst of death and in the midst of human suffering. His book offers readers a perspective on grief, spirituality, and hope through the Divine Redeemer. Although the book is specifically written for individuals of Christian faith, the concepts and perspectives shared may be applicable to other religious faiths as well. This blog will share grief perspectives from the book on how to move from depression to hope on one’s grief journey.

Traditional Perspectives on Processing Grief

Many people are familiar with the five stages of grief model first introduced by psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. She speculated that an individual experiences denial (stage one), anger (stage two), bargaining (stage three), and depression (stage four), before coming to acceptance (stage five). The model suggested that grief occurs in a sequential process until they reach the final stage.

Dr. Kelleman, however, viewed the five stages of grief model as too one-dimensional. Noting that individuals tend to deal with their grief in separation from others which leads to feelings of spiritual abandonment, social betrayal, and feelings of shame and self-contempt. Dr. Kelleman believes this causes spiritual depression.

Spirituality Perspectives on Processing Grief

Dr. Kellenman’s grief model, which he describes as God’s Positioning System (GPS), explains grief as a multi-dimensional process, where individuals respond to grief by integrating spirituality into their grief process. The model introduces eight stages. Four stages address hurt and four stages address hope.

Four Stages of Hurt	Four Stages of Hope
Candor: Practice honesty with myself.	Waiting: Groaning with Hope.
Complaint: Honesty with God.	Wailing: Trusting with Faith.
Cry: Ask God for help.	Weaving: Perceiving with Grace.
Comfort: Receive God’s help.	Worshiping: Engaging with Love.

The eight stages describe how grievers can suffer a loss and come face-to-face with God. The traditional grief responses, introduced by Kübler Ross, are not to be minimized. Dr. Kellenman encourages grievers to learn how to move from denial to personal honesty, from anger to honesty with God, from bargaining to asking God for help, and from depression to receiving God’s help.

Moreover, the four stages of hope describe how grievers can take God’s hand and journey forward in life (acceptance) while facing the realities of their loss. Dr. Kelleman, calls this “creative suffering.” That is, creative suffering converts the suffering that batters and causes depression, into hope that, The Redeemer can bring healing to hurting hearts.

Journeying in Hope: An Alternative Perspective

Dr. Kelleman, explains the journey of grief can be emotional, complicated, and messy. It comes with hills and valleys and good days and bad days. It is normal to feel hurt and it is necessary to grieve. Remember that taking the journey with God places one’s trust and faith in His good character and his good heart that better days will come. Likewise, contemplating suffering from a grace perspective nurtures alternative ways to view life’s losses where hope can flourish, and spiritual growth can mature.

Reference:

Kellemen, R. W. (2010). God’s healing for life’s losses: How to find hope when you’re hurting. Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books.

Categories : Anxiety Issues, Counseling, Covid-19, Depression, Depression, Bipolar, Mental Health, Spirituality, Trauma and Loss, Unemployment

Tags : anxiety, death, depression, grief, Grief Models, healing, loss, mental health, spirituality, trauma and loss

Fuller Life Family Therapy: Covid-19 Update

Posted by AmyFullerPhD on

March 17, 2020

· No Comments

updated 3-31-20

A Letter to Our Clients

This message is to all our clients and potential clients at Fuller Life Family Therapy.

We know that there’s widespread concern in our community about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and we want you to know that your health is our top priority at Fuller Life Family Therapy Institute. Please refer to the CDC website and the World Health Organization website for up to date information.

We are available

During this unprecedented time, we are working hard to make sure access to therapy is available. At Fuller Life Family Therapy, telemental health therapy sessions are now in place through our HIPAA-compliant video conferencing tool. Existing clients will be contacted with details or can call the office for set-up instructions. New clients are encouraged to call and set an initial appointment which can be conducted through our telemental health platform. All clients will need to read and sign our Telemental Health Informed Consent.

For now, our physical offices are closed but our staff is still available. Please let us know what we can do to help you and yours during this difficult time.

Online Therapy is Effective and Secure

Research shows that technology assisted therapy can be just as effective as in-person appointments, and we can continue your care without interruption. The online therapy will be offered through a HIPAA compliant program. With many schools and companies going online, some of these programs are becoming overloaded and as we work through this transition, we may offer more than one online option as we try to find the best fit. Please accept our apology for unexpected technical difficulties for those we do see online.

No cancellation fees

All cancellation fees due to illness will be waived through April 30th, 2020 and may extend that date as needed. We will inform everyone of any additional changes and we hope to help each and every one of you get through this difficult time.

In order to utilize technology assisted services please read and sign the Consent form for Telemental Health. This consent is in addition to our current consent form. Please talk to your therapist if you have any questions or concerns about using technology assisted therapy services.

Refer your friends

If you know anyone that is having a difficult time, please have them reach out to us and we will do our best to help.

We’ve included some resources below to help you maintain your mental health during this challenging time.

Thank you from the therapists at Fuller Life Family Therapy.

Here are some articles you may find helpful during this time:

Categories : Counseling

The unexpected reality of intimate partner violence

Posted by Terry Hoisington on

February 16, 2020

· 2 Comments

Sometimes relationships are surprising – and perplexing. What begins as an ideal match in the eyes of others, can be a disappointing world of nightmares.

When this relationship with an intimate partner appears different in public than it is in private, it may be time to examine the direction that the relationship is growing into.

How do you know when it is time to examine your relationship? One red flag is when the “ideal” relationship only exists in public. Sometimes, the private relationship is very different than the one shown to others.

Is there reason for discomfort?

If examining the relationship brings definite feelings of discomfort, there may be valid reasons for that feeling. Consider the following points.

Does your partner:

try to control what you are doing, check your phone, e-mail or social media without your permission?
force you to have sex when you don’t want to?
attempt to control your birth control or perhaps insist that you become pregnant before you are ready?
decide what you wear or eat?
decide or how you spend money?
humiliate you in front of others?
prevent or discourage you from seeing or visiting with friends, or family.
unfairly accused you of being unfaithful?

If you can answer yes to any one of these questions, you are likely experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence (IPV).

IPV is sometimes difficult to identify. Many people have a reaction of “Whoa, not me, my husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend loves me.” Love is not just about romance though. It is about respect, and respect has no room for violence in any form.

IPV is about control and abuse in any part of a person’s life. This control or abuse may be experienced in social activity, finances, religion and even sexual activity. What is helpful to understand is that IPV is very subtle and progresses over time.

What is Intimate Partner Violence?

Society tends to think of violence as being solely physical abuse. However, emotional abuse can be just as, or even more, damaging. IPV is a physical episode of being hit, beat, or pushed. It may be a situation of being blamed for a partner’s violent outbursts. It is important to realize that IPV is not limited to physical violence. Statements such as “If I can’t have you, then no one can” also qualifies as IPV. Verbal insults, humiliation and put-downs are also forms of IPV. It can also involve hurting or threatening someone’s children or pets.

As defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Intimate Partner Violence is

“…violence or aggression that can vary in frequency and severity and occurs on a continuum ranging from one episode that might or might not have lasting impact, to chronic and severe episodes lasting over a period of years.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that IPV can be four types of behavior:

Physical violence is when a person hurts or even tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking or using any other type of physical force
Sexual violence is forcing or trying to force a partner to take part in a sex act, touching or sexting when a partner does not or cannot consent
Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention/contact by that causes fear or concern for safety of self or someone close to the victim
Psychological/emotional abuse occurs when a person is verbally humiliated, shamed, controlled or isolated from family or friends

What is emotional abuse?

Emotional abuse often leads to any one of the other three types of IPV. It is far more subtle and less talked about since it leaves no scars on the outside. Emotional abuse can be just as damaging. Katie Ray-Jones, president of the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) stated in an interview with Cosmopolitan.com that one woman told her…

“I can still hear his voice in my head. Even though I’ve been out of the relationship for three years, I still feel like I’m sitting there.”

Another individual relayed a similar experience indicating that trauma from emotional abuse was evidenced 10 years after the event.

In many cases, the victim’s confidence, self-esteem and perception of their world are slowly undermined by the partner’s need to dominate or control. Counseling psychologist, Carmel O’Brien, Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, says

“…what comes across again and again is that there’s someone in the relationship who thinks that their views are more important, their needs have to come first, and they basically should be making the decisions and the other person should be toeing the line.”

How does IPV impact its victim?

IPV does not discriminate! It can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of gender or sexual preference, economic status, religious, ethnic or cultural group. In whatever form it takes, IPV is never OK, and can result in consequences such as, but not limited to

poor physical health
depression and/or anxiety
trauma or posttraumatic stress
feelings of guilt or shame
low self-esteem or self-harm
an inability to trust others

It is important to understand what IPV looks and feels like. Resources are available to find help when discomfort in a relationship occurs. If you or a person you know is involved in Intimate Partner Violence, please reach out for help. A few resources, both national and local, can be found below.

Resources to find help

The resources below are good places to start reaching out for help or to receive guidance:

National Domestic Hotline – call 1-800-799-7233 or use the secure online chat in English or Spanish
ACF’s (Administration for Children & Families) Family Violence Prevention and Services Program administers the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and related assistance for victims of domestic violence and their children.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: State Coalition List provides a directory of state offices that can help you find local support, shelter, and free or low-cost legal services. This includes all U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Find help in the Houston area:

Bridge Over Troubled Waters (713)473-2801 in Pasadena, Texas – Provides residential shelter in a family atmosphere for women & children in crisis, as well as counseling and educational services
Family Time Crisis and Counseling Center (281)446-2615 in Tomball/Humble, Texas
Houston Area Women’s Center (713)528-2121 is a Hotline
Houston Area Women’s Center
Domestic Violence Hotline: (713)528-2121, Rape Crisis Hotline: (713)528-7273
The Montrose Center (713)529-0037 on 701 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas77006 – Population: Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual and Transgender survivors of domestic violence can call the Gay & Lesbian Switchboard (713)529-3211
The Montrose Counseling Center provides around the clock, scattered site emergency shelter for LGBT survivors of domestic violence, as well as transitional housing. Advocacy & counseling services also are available.
Bay Area Turning Point Webster, Texas(281)286-2525 – Provides emergency shelter for battered women and children
Fort Bend Women’s Center located in Richmond, Texas, (281)342-4357 Provides safe shelter for battered women and children (under 18 years of age). Counseling and referrals provided to shelter residents.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers (713)228-0732 Provides pro-bono civil legal services, including family law, for low-income residents of Harris County who meet eligibility requirements.
Legal Line (713)759-1133

Contributed by:

Terry Hoisington, LPC-Intern

Under Supervision of Amy Fuller PhD, LPC-S

Categories : Boundaries, Counseling, Couples, Domestic Violence, Marriage, Relationships, Trauma and Loss

Tags : abuse, boundaries, couples, Domestic Violence, intimate partner violence, trauma

A Growth Mindset Can Prevent Burn Out!

Posted by Angela Blocker on

September 5, 2019

· 1 Comment

This month, Fuller Life connected with first year pre-med students at Prairie View A&M University to discuss how to avoid burn out by working hard while staying true to one’s values.

Why A Growth Mindset Matters

Many high achieving students find it is easy to coast through school on talents alone. However, many experience burn out when their mindset and focus become fixed on maintaining labels like “smart” or “talented.” Dr. Carol Dweck identified the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. When one chooses to hold a fixed mindset, they give up easily, strive for success over growth, avoid failures, and ignore useful negative feedback. This is in stark contrast to a growth mindset. In her book Mindset, Dr. Dweck explained that “…people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

How Values Affect Growth

Additionally, students were encouraged to consider the importance of remaining true to what they value. If a growth mindset is the fuel that keeps a car going; then, staying authentic is the compass that points towards the destination. Values motivate us and living authentically to our values can lead to a fuller life. When we do not uphold the values we believe in, it can lead to lack of integrity, feeling confused about who we are, and a tendency to allow others to direct our lives. Taking time to identify the values that are most important to you can reinforce a growth mindset and help prevent burn out!

Avoiding Burn Out with Fuller Life and Prairie View A&M University

References

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Robinson.

Leiter, M. P., Frank, E., & Matheson, T. (2009). Values, Demands, and Burnout: Perspectives From National Survey of Canadian Physicians. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi: 10.1037/e604522009-001

Categories : Counseling

Tags : failure, growth, growth mindset, resilience, stress, values, wellness

Real Talk: Should you Talk with Your Partner about Porn?

Posted by Manet Castaneda on

August 28, 2019

· No Comments

Real Talk: Should You Talk with Your Partner about Porn?

One of the most challenging conversations you can have with your partner is about pornography. While some consider it adultery to watch porn, others consider it a normal part of sexuality. Regardless where you stand, talking with your partner about porn can open doors to strengthen and develop your relationship.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when talking about porn with your partner.

Know Yourself

First, know where you stand on the issue. If you are uncomfortable with this topic, consider asking yourself what is uncomfortable. Explore what feels uncomfortable, so you can have more insight into yourself. If you are not uncomfortable, consider what draws you toward the use of porn and why. Knowing your comfort level helps you be clear about your preferences as you discuss this with your partner.

Studies show that couples who are open to discussing their porn usage are more satisfied in their relationship than those who do not. Chances are you will have different things to say about the issue, so it is important to know where you stand first.

Invite a Conversation

Second, invite a conversation with your significant other. Once you know where you stand on the role of pornography, you can then seek to understand your partners position. From this place you can discuss together if porn is something you would like to incorporate into your relationship or if it is something you definitely do not want to incorporate.

Knowing your boundaries helps with this, and can help guide your conversation with your partner. Remember your partner mayhave a different opinion than yours, so seek to ask and learn before making assumptions.

Remain Open

Keep in mind that your partner may or may not be open to having this conversation, so remain open to the possibility of your partner NOT wanting to talk about the topic. If your partner IS willing to sit down and discuss this topic with you, remain open to hearing what they have to say.

Remember this: talking about pornography in your relationship is better than the alternative of not talking about it. Many couples avoid the topic or make assumptions which can lead to misunderstanding, feelings of betrayal and hurt. If you avoid difficult topics in your relationship, you also avoid growing in your relationship.

For more tips on having conversations about pornography with your partner take a look at the following Articles:

Having the Talk about Pornography
How to Talk to Your Significant Other about Pornography
Challenging Conversations with Your Partner.

Categories : Addiction & Recovery, Boundaries, Communication, Counseling, Intimacy & Sex Therapy, Lifestyle, Marriage, Sexual Education

Tags : Addiction, boundaries, communications, counseling, intimacy, lifestyle, marriage, sexual education

Enjoy the foods you love AND be healthy: Mindful eating

Posted by Lindsay Perry on

August 22, 2019

· No Comments

“Food, glorious food!” wrote Lionel Bart, lyricist of this song from Oliver!, the British musical based on the Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. Mr. Bart knew what he was talking about.

Think of your favorite comfort food, snack, or sweet treat. What kinds of feelings arise when you think of your favorite dish? Are there feelings of comfort or safety? Maybe feelings of satisfaction or nostalgia? There are many emotions that present themselves when we eat. There may even be feelings of shame or defeat that can manifest as we eat the last chip from a newly-opened family-sized bag that we finished in one sitting.

What does all this mean? It means our emotions play an important role as we eat—whether we like it or not. From emotions of guilt when we cheated on our diet (again) to that first satisfying and indulgent bite of our favorite pasta or donut, we can pay attention to our emotions to better understand how we feel, think, and believe about what we eat. With this understanding of ourselves, we can start being mindful of what our body needs without sacrificing the foods we love.

What we’re told about what to eat

We’ve all heard it before. Carbs are bad for you. Sugar is bad for you. Wheat is bad for you. Grains are bad for you. Meat is bad for you. Processed foods are bad for you. Eggs are bad for you. Dairy is bad for you. Non-organic foods are bad for you. Too much fruit is bad for you. Certain vegetables are bad for you.

If all these things are true, what’s left to eat? If we believed that all the above were true, then to stay healthy, we all need to start on a diet of eating plain kale…but not too much, of course. How does it make sense for all these things to be bad for our health?

We see in the media how different research studies on the same topic draw entirely different conclusions. One day eggs are bad for you and increase cardiac disease, and the next day, eggs aren’t so bad for you because they contain a different type of cholesterol that isn’t bad for you.

If the science on food is so contradictory, why do we constantly make decisions to change what we eat based off them?

The body knows

This may come as a surprise, but the body actually knows which foods it needs and how much it needs. Babies know how much milk they need to feel content and stop eating when their hunger is satisfied. So, what happens to us that we lose this ability to know what we need and when we’ve had enough? We start learning to go against our body’s intuition in being told to finish our plate, told to only eat certain foods, or being shamed by parents or caregivers.

When a child is told to finish all their food because there are starving children in other countries, the shame the child experiences from their caregiver can push the decision to eat past the full point and ignore the body’s indicator of being satisfied. For this person, eating may now be associated with shame. So how does someone who’s been taught to ignore their body’s natural signals of hunger and being full start to recognize these signals again?

Mindful eating

Remember the above example of eating a family-sized bag of chips in one sitting?

Think about your favorite snack that you usually power through. Think of where you are as you are wolfing down this favorite snack. Now, consider if you took a bite every 15 seconds or so. Imagine how much slower you would eat. Then, notice what the texture of your snack is like. Is it light and crisp as you take a bite? Is it soft and chewy? Notice the flavor. Is it salty? Is it sweet? Is it salty, then sweet? As you’re continuing to take slow bites, bring awareness of where you usually feel hunger in your stomach. Notice how hunger pangs fade and fullness starts to set in.

This is mindful eating. Many of us eat in front of our tv, computer, smartphone, or even while driving. We shovel food into our mouths while binge-watching, playing a game, or working. Our minds aren’t on what we’re eating. Our minds are on our screens. We’re practicing mindless eating. Mindful eating challenges us to stop multi-tasking and solely focus on what we’re eating while noticing the entire experience of enjoying a meal or snack. This can be challenging, but a way to start is to practice slowing down when we eat.

Enjoy!

The main purpose of mindful eating is to bring us back to paying attention to our body, knowing what we need or don’t need. When we start to practice paying attention to our bodies and our experience of eating, we may not feel the need to power through that family size bag chips. Rather, we can take a handful out of the bag and practice eating them mindfully one by one. Another purpose of mindful eating is to enjoy what we eat and the experience of eating. If we take time to pay attention to eating an apple with curiosity and wonder, imagine the world of flavor that awaits! Food is glorious and meant to be enjoyed for its taste and for our health. Imagine the world that awaits when we stop listening to other people about what to eat and start listening to our own bodies. Bon Appetit!

For more in-depth information about mindful eating and food and health, please refer to the below resources:

Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays

How to talk to your children about food in a healthy manner by Kristen Fuller

Contributed by:

Lindsay Perry, M.Ed, LPC Intern #79863

Clinical Supervision by Amy Fuller, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC-S

Categories : Counseling, Lifestyle, Mindfulness Practice, Self-Awareness, Sticky

Tags : mindfulness, mindfulness practice, self care, self-awareness

What to know about teletherapy

Posted by Elisa Squier on

August 2, 2019

· No Comments

In this age of ever-growing uses of technology, many medical groups are adding telehealth into their practices. Doctors have started incorporating online visits, such as video appointments to help reach more patients. This can be especially useful for those who may be too ill to make it into the office, or too busy to set up an office visit for a simple cold. Medical doctors are not the only ones using technology in this way. Therapists are also making teletherapy available to those who need the convenience. Online therapy is still fairly new, and many people may not know just how it works.

What is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy is therapy that takes place using an online video platform, a telephone, or even text or email messages. Teletherapy is a practice that has become more popular as technology advances, creating easier access to mental health care. This can be a great resource, especially for those who live in more remote areas, but teletherapy may not be best suited for everyone.

Consider Confidentiality

While traditional therapy requires you to drive to a therapist’s office, teletherapy provides a convenience of being able to meet wherever you’d like. However, this can also create some issues regarding confidentiality. A therapist’s office is a confidential meeting space in which the client can know that no one is listening in on their sensitive conversations. For teletherapy services, the therapist ensures that she is in a confidential location, such as her own office, but it is up to the client to ensure his own confidentiality, since he is not in the therapist’s physical space.

Tips for creating a confidential space:

1. Designate a room to be alone in during the time of a session

2. Use headphones to limit voices carrying

3. Limit or restrict visitors during session times

Limitations of Teletherapy

While there are benefits to teletherapy, there are some limitations. Certain presenting concerns are better served by in-office settings due to the higher levels of emotional stress. Those situations include high levels of suicidal thoughts or domestic violence. A therapist can more easily provide crisis help in person than remotely.

Get to Know Your Therapist

This is a good practice for any kind of therapy a person might do, whether in an office setting or online. Many therapists have specialty areas or certain ages they work with. If you can, look at a therapist’s profile or a practice’s website to learn more about who they work with and their preferred therapy style.

FAQs

1. What do I do during a visit?

An online session should be treated just like an in-office visit. Though you may be in a more familiar setting, such as your bedroom or living room, therapy is still a place to examine yourself and process thoughts and events. During online sessions limit things that might distract you or divide your attention, such as browsing the internet or checking your phone.

2. Does my therapist have to be in my same state?

Yes. A therapist is licensed to practice in a specific state and therefore must only work with clients who reside in that same state.

3. Do all therapists offer teletherapy?

No. Some therapists prefer to use only traditional forms of in-office therapy.

How to Get Started

Fuller Life now offers online therapy services with our resident therapist, Elisa Squier. You can read more about her and her therapy practices here. She is currently accepting new clients. Contact her to ask any questions or set up your initial session.

More information can be learned about our Telemental Health practices through our Telemental Health Informed Consent and Agreement.

References

AMFTRB Teletherapy Guidelines

Advantages and disadvantages of online therapy by Kendra Cherry

Contributed by Elisa Squier, M.MFT, LMFT Associate

Clinical Supervision by Amy Fuller, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC-S

Categories : Counseling, Covid-19

Tags : online therapy, telehealth, teletherapy

3 Common Misconceptions About Discipline You Need to Know – Disciplining Your Kids Well, Part 1

Posted by Tamara Tatum on

May 6, 2019

· No Comments

Disciplining your kids is a necessary part of parenting. While it is essential, discipline can often be misunderstood. In this two-part series, we will look at some of common misconceptions and some helpful tips for effective discipline. First, some common misconceptions…

Discipline is NOT about

1. Punishment

Punishment does not build skills. It often has the reverse effect of teaching children what to do to avoid getting caught next time. Punishment tends to erode relationships and does not make children want to learn from the person who is punishing them. (Siegel and Payne, 2014; Byrne Biancardi, 2014)

2.Demanding respect and obedience

Sure, you want your kids to respect you, as their parent. But, a good question to ask yourself is, “Am I acting in a manner that is worthy of respect?” meaning, “Am I responding calmly, being curious about my child’s experience or am I reacting out of anger or frustration by yelling, nagging or insulting” (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2004). Treating your children like they are worthy of respect is one sure way to teach them to treat others with respect.

3. Shaming

We all make mistakes. Giving your children the impression that they are “bad” because of their errors or poor choices is harmful and can have a long-lasting impact. While you may not approve of your children’s behavior in the moment, make it clear that you still love and value them.

If discipline is not any of the above, then what is it really about?

Discipline is first and foremost about teaching and guiding our children’s behavior (Siegel and Payne, 2014; Byrne Biancardi, 2014). Teaching about acceptable, appropriate and kind behavior may seem like a lot of time and effort at the outset. However, if discipline is done well, you will have to discipline less over time because skill-building helps children to become self-disciplined, with the ultimate goal of them developing into healthy, well adjusted, and considerate adults.

Next up, in Part 2 of this blog series, we will explore some useful tips to consider and implement when disciplining your children. At Fuller Life, we are here to provide resources and assistance to support your journey in teaching and guiding your children. Resources: . 2004 Jan; 9(1): 37–41. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719514/

Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2014). No-drama discipline: The whole-brain way to calm the chaos and nurture your child’s developing mind (First edition.). New York: Bantam.

Byrne-Biancardi, S. (2014). 6 Secrets of Highly Effective Discipline From a Seasoned Teacher. https://afineparent.com/be-positive/effective-discipline.html Contributed by Tamara Tatum, LMFT-Associate

Tamara Tatum, Resident Therapist

Supervised by Amy Fuller, PhD, LMFT-S

Categories : Adolescents & Children, Communication, Counseling, Parenting, Relationships

Tags : discipline, misconceptions, parenting

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