Final Thoughts on Counseling and Technology

This class and website creation project have been great experiences. At first I was resistant to learning about a variety of new technologies. I had made it a mini unspoken goal to never use Twitter in particular. I realized that as I progressed through learning to use each type of technology however that it is all relatively easy to use and beneficial within the counseling profession.

My favorite assignment was completing the email counseling. This was a beneficial experience because it integrated a technological tool that I was very familiar with and helped me apply it to my field. I liked that I could go back and reread the emails and not lose any of the details. One drawback I found was that it took longer to make progress because of the time lapse that occurs in between email exchanges.

It was fascinating to realize how many apps, Instagrams, Pinterest pages, and twitter accounts exist in relation to mindfulness and mental health! Having to explore the options opened up so many opportunities for resources that I can recommend to clients. This will be helpful in providing client support in between face-to-face sessions.

Exploring the Technology Sandbox in the College of Education was a fun and educational experience! It is amazing how far technology has progressed and what there is available. My favorite was the Oculus Rift! One application of this I though would be great to integrate into practice would be using the Oculus Rift into treating phobias! Doing in vivo desensitization therapy can be unrealistic and expensive. with the Oculus Rift you can provide that right in the office!

It has been wonderful being exposed to such a variety of different types of technological options! I was exciting to have our online classes where we could explore different website options (such as the Stickies), and showed me that there are so many options for communication available. With this knowledge we can help provide mental health care to a wider base of people.

Mindfulness and Substance Abuse

Hello everyone! This week I have been looking for resources to incorporate further mindfulness into substance abuse counseling. I found a wonderful article from Berkeley University of California written by Emily Nauman, and based on the studies of Dr. Sarah Bowen. I would like to share what I learned about incorporating mindfulness into relapse prevention and will also provide the link the the article (it is a great read).

Fundamentally we know that substance abuse is an example of the human drive towards pleasure and away from pain. When it becomes trick is when that urge takes over the limbic system and controls the decision making. Traditionally substance abuse counseling focuses on identifying triggers that result in craving and then substance use.

Dr. Sarah Bowen sought to work mindfulness (cultivating moment-to-moment, nonjudgmental awareness of surrounds, emotions, and thoughts) into making substance abuse counseling more effective, and to help prevent relapse. Dr. Bowen and her colleagues have developed a program called Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). This approach aims to help clients learn to identify  and tolerate negative emotions and to tolerate their cravings.

This program seeks to alter the way clients relate to their thoughts. One example cited in the article was about a client Dr. Bowen worked with who was struggling with an addiction to alcohol. The client was invited toa party that she knew would provide her plenty of access to alcohol. The client's mind starts racing and going through how she "knew" the night would go. The client would drink all night. She would drink during the party setup, drink throughout the entire party into the wee hours of the day, and then would not be able to go to work the next day. The client realized that she was telling a story of what she thought would happen. Through using techniques she had learned in her MBRP support group she decided that she did not believe her story. She had a choice not to drink. She realized she had written out how she thought things would go in the split second from when she was invited to that party, and that she could change those automatic thoughts. Dr. Bowen referred to the technique her client used as "telling a new story."

Using mindfulness the clients can be aware of their thoughts and triggers and realize they are trying to seek pleasure and avoid pain. They can then be aware of these automatic urges and make choices to not engage in substance abuse. Dr. Bowen also emphasized that with the awareness of these thoughts and feelings and responding to them with compassion the clients will be less likely to engage in the automatic addictive behavior.

There is still much research to be done in regards to MBRP. The main advantage this approach is that it provides day-to-day coping skills that will be applicable even years after receiving treatment. The self-awareness gained in mindfulness is beneficial to continuously keeping track and control of triggers and responses to those triggers.

Motivation to engage in this type of treatment is important of course. Mindfulness skills can be taught almost anyone but not everyone is willing to participate. This is important to consider when working with clients because you always want to keep in mind what is best for their treatment.

Sources:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_mindfulness_help_stop_substance_abuse
http://realcurehomeopathy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Mindfulness-Definition11.png

Seven Ways to Maximize Studying for Final Exams!

I know as we all approach final exam week we are overwhelmed with papers to write, tests to study for, and preparations for whatever the future may hold. Today I am going to cover a few brief strategies for dealing with end of the semester stress.

(1) Avoid cramming!
-It is best to study in 20-50 minute intervals with 5-10 minute breaks in between intervals. It is also helpful to give yourself a week or two at least to complete your studying.

(2) Avoid all-nighters!
-Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but for your mental/emotional/physical well being it is best to give yourself enough time in advance to be able to avoid staying up all night. All-nighters interfere with your sleep schedule and have negative effects on your memory, reasoning, and mood.

(3) Time management!
-This goes hand and hand with the first two. Appropriately planning out assignments and studying is a great way to reduce anxiety. It can be helpful to have a planner or calendar with all your assignments written out to best comprehend how much work you have and when to begin working towards each assignment.

(4) Change up where you study!
C litter change of environment can help you feel less bored and aid you in focusing. Try out different locations such as your room, the library, a coffee place, a friend's place, etc.

(5) Do practice tests and use flashcards!
-These are highly effective studying techniques and are beneficial because they test what you know instead of what you recognize.

(6) Exercise!
-It make feel wrong to make time for exercise instead of studying, but a bit of exercise (especially cardio) can help to improve your memory!

(7) Eat healthy! Pack snacks!
-It feels good to eat comfort food under the duress of finals stress, but eating properly will help you brain and body to function more efficiently.

Sources:
http://blog.suny.edu/2013/12/scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams/
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Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Today in supervision we were lucky enough to have Dr. Linda Miles sit in on our class session. It was a little nerve wracking because my presentation date was moved to today and I had no idea she would be sitting in! She provided great feedback during my presentation and one thing that stuck out to me was her mention of Mindfulness CBT. I have looked into it a bit in the past but do not know too much about it. I decided to do some research!

Mindfulness CBT originates from Eastern Buddhist meditation.Research on mindfulness has been picking up in recent times and it has been found to be helpful dealing with many issues such as: personality disorder, social anxiety, depression, stress, general anxiety, and OCD.

Mindfulness itself is the process of experiencing/observing thoughts, feelings, and the environment without attaching to any of those and looking at it without judgment. CBT comes into play because while practicing mindfulness you are not engaging with those thoughts/feelings/environmental cues; CBT is the act of challenging those negative/irrational automatic thoughts that you are observing through mindfulness.

Traditionally the tendency in CBT is to identify negative thoughts and reframe them in a more functional/balanced way. Many of our automatic thought processes stem from experiences that happened a long time ago, and can be a challenge to approach in a problem solving mentality.

Mixing CBT and Mindfulness looks at how the person interpreted the event versus the event itself.

Instead of engaging with negative thoughts/images/emotions or trying to distract oneself from those you choose a third option: allow them to be there, accept them but do not neglect them. 

This is the sitting with those negative thoughts, feelings, etc and observing them without being attached. Accepting that they are present but do not profess truth.

Sources
http://www.centreforcbtcounselling.co.uk/mindfulness_cbt.php
http://www.enthusiasticbuddhist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/mind-full.jpg