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Mental Health Treatments for the Whole Family

Mental health disorders can be very isolating for the individual and their family. But there are treatments available that can help everyone involved. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the different treatments available and how they can help your whole family. We’ll also provide tips for how you can support your loved one during treatment. So please keep reading!

Family therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on relationships and understanding individuals within their larger family, community or environmental systems. It can help reduce conflict between groups of people by focusing both inwardly toward self-reflection with respect for other’s perspectives while also paying attention outside oneself in order create healthier interpersonal connections.

In brief: The goal behind this type off mental health treatment isn’t just one person feeling better; instead it strives towards finding solutions across multiple stakeholders so everyone feels more content.

The following are the most popular types of therapy and family counseling:

• Structural therapy.
• Strategic therapy.
• Systemic therapy.
• Narrative therapy.
• Transgenerational therapy.
• Communication theory.
• Psychoeducation.
• Relationship/Marriage Counseling

Strategic Family Therapy

Strategic family therapy is a type of family counseling that looks at patterns of interactions between family members. Strategic behavioral therapy is solution-based, and is about identifying solvable problems, setting goals and creating strategies to achieve them. When a therapist provides family counseling services, he or she is not particularly concerned with the history and evolution of a problem within the family unit, but is more concerned with helping individuals think strategically and execute solutions to deal with them.

Systemic Family Therapy

Systemic family therapy focuses on belief systems. Family members’ perceptions and sociocultural beliefs play an important role in the family dynamic. The wider cultural context can create change in behavioral patterns and a systemic family therapist promotes family level solutions instead of perceiving something as an individual’s problem. Systemic therapy can be broken down into five parts:

• Deconstructing the problem
• Identifying patterns and feedback loops
• Beliefs and explanations
• Emotions and attachments
• Contextual factors

At its core, Systems Theory is a type of family counseling that believes the behavior of a system can only be understood by considering individual characteristics within it, and the relationship between those elements. Any problem is not specific to the individual, but part of a larger process involving many other people, behaviors, and meanings.

Narrative Family Therapy

Narrative family therapy assumes that all people are storytellers, each with their own individual narratives about how things are. Throughout the course of life, personal experiences become personal stories, and people give meaning to these stories—ultimately, they shape a person’s identity. Narrative therapy is a type of family counseling services that helps separate the person from the problem. It helps people rely on their own skills to view problems objectively, instead of through the lens of the narrative they have built up.

As the narrator of their individual story, each person has the capacity to rewrite it. Teaching a person how to make room for other stories and framing the problems within the larger sociocultural context empowers them to objectify their problems.

Transgenerational Therapy

To understand problems within the family, oftentimes it is important to first study the transgenerational history of the family. This mechanism works to understand past difficulties, which in turn allows the therapist and patient to predict future conflict. If the family has responded to past problems in a certain way, it can provide insight into predicting future dysfunction. It’s a type of family counseling that considers generational reactions and how they differ. This can be how kids react differently than their parents, for example, or how couples of different generations react differently.

Communication Theory

Communication must play a central role in the modern family. This should come as no surprise, seeing that conflict resolution usually relies heavily upon open communication. This type of therapy works by strengthening the way in which a family communicates, developing new skills, strategies, and perspectives that allow them to solve their problems.

Psychoeducation

This approach to family counseling allows those with mental health problems to better understand their condition. In doing so, the therapist can equip them with tools to mitigate symptoms, control their behavior, and ultimately function better within the family unit.

Additionally, the family is given the same tools in handling their loved one who has a mental illness. People who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions (or life threatening/ terminal illnesses) need to better understand their own condition, and they need a strong support system around them.

Psychoeducation has four primary goals:

• Open exchange of information among the family
• Medication and treatment support
• Training and self-help support
• Providing a safe place for discussion

Relationship Counseling

Even minor everyday problems and stressors can make their way into relationships. Some types of issues that can be addressed by relationship counseling include: communication, differences in culture, mental health, infidelity, sexual intimacy, financial struggles, emotional distancing, and a general lack of trust. Once a couple decides to come together and acknowledge one or more of these issues, they can begin the process of finding the right therapist to help them move forward and strengthen their bond.

Family Therapy Tactics

Now that you understand the various forms of family therapy, what type of tactics are commonly used within this branch of psychotherapy? Usually, a therapist will use most—if not all—of the below:

• Reflective listening
• Empathy
• Perspective taking
• Collecting data
• Hope and reinforcement
• Reframing
• Authenticity and flexibility

Identifying Strengths

In providing family counseling resources and services, a therapist will often look to pinpoint the strengths of individuals within the group. This strength-based approach not only builds goodwill and sets a positive tone for the sessions, it ultimately motives family members to address their most pressing issues. Therapists view the family from multiple lenses (within the family, peers, school, neighborhood/community) looking for strengths.

To develop treatment goals, it is important for family therapists to establish the strengths of the family unit and the individuals within it. Therapists work to appraise each family member’s abilities and use their strengths to accomplish tasks, while simultaneously working to develop additional strengths needed to attain treatment goals.

Reflective Listening

Reflective listening is a basic clinical tactic used in family counseling that demonstrates the therapist is registering what an individual is saying. It can be as simple as regurgitating back to an individual what he or she just said verbatim, but can also just be a reflection of the sentiment to communicate understanding.

Reflective responses are especially important in the beginning phases of family counseling services. As new patients share their thoughts and feelings, it conveys that the therapist appreciates what the individual and the family are going through and leads to productive sessions in the future. It is an important trust-building exercise within the treatment process.

Perspective Taking

Perspective taking is when the therapist will try to view problems from the family member’s viewpoint. They will work with the family member and ask them to recall a time or incident that produced negativity. Then the therapist will view the “negative” incident from the person’s point of view to understand the client’s feelings.

Collecting Data

Collecting data is a basic practice of family counseling in which the therapist records the thoughts of the family members. It is a way of building evidence in order to refute negative attributions. For example, a therapist will need to record a thought (e.g. “The father doesn’t care about his daughter”) in order to work towards breaking this notion down. The therapist will then put together a list of behaviors that can help spark change. Once evidence has been established, the therapist can begin working with the family to disconfirm negative evidence. Opposite action is another strategy often used by family counseling professionals. First, the therapist records the original behavior and then elicits emotions that are opposing to that behavior. For example, a person who is feeling sad might watch a frightening movie, which will induce physical sensations that are incongruent with sadness. It’s a common-sense approach to combating negative feelings but it can be helpful. Replacing negative and stress inducing thoughts with their counterparts, especially when practiced over time, can yield great results for individuals.

Hope and Reinforcement

By the time a family makes their way into family counseling, they have likely already been told repeatedly by themselves, friends, and even other professionals how bad things have become. It is critical for the therapist to immediately counter this narrative and work towards a more optimistic outlook of the family unit. To motivate the family to change they must feel hopeful and energized. No matter the case, therapists will work to infuse positive and optimism in every stage of therapy.

Simply showing up is reason alone for hope. A family therapist will often laud members of the family for being there and being present in sessions. Regardless of what ideas are exchanged or what progress is made, by making time to sit with one another the members of the family or the couple are committing to the group—the therapist highlights this, which becomes a tactic in itself.

Reframing

Family members often view each other in a negative light. Reframing is shifting the perspective between family members, hoping to transform that negativity into positivity. Generally, it involves two stages:

First, the therapist validates the perspectives of the family members. This is an important first step and must be applied universally so all parties know that their side of the story is being received.

For example, the therapist might say to the daughter, “I understand why you get upset with your mom. She criticizes the people you hang out with and the way you dress. I understand why you think she is too protective and won’t give you the space you need.” To the mother, the therapist might say, “You do your best to give her moral values and respect, but the way she dresses is clearly her lashing out at you specifically.”

Once the perspectives have been validated, the therapist can move on to stage two: alternate perspectives. The therapist will show how benign the issues are by reframing the perspectives. From there the family members can start to see the other’s side in a positive light. Perhaps the underlying reason the daughter feels like her mom is nagging her is just a sign of her love. Also, perhaps the daughter is only dressing differently to establish independence, which is totally normal for a girl her age. While this is a hypothetical, this is how these situations are typically explored.

Authenticity and Flexibility

A good family counselor will be authentic and flexible; working with a variety of families necessitates them to be. They have to be honest and consistent and they have to accommodate the entire family’s needs. It’s important for each family to find the professional that best fits their needs and can demonstrate the needed authenticity and flexibility.

Family Therapy and Recovery

Family therapy plays an important role in recovery. It’s no surprise that an addict’s behavior and struggles affect the well-being of their loved ones. By coming together as a unit, discussing the situation at hand and learning ways to cope, the family itself can become an even stronger support group for the addict in question. In most forms of treatment, addiction specialists will encourage the patient and their family to enroll in family therapy interventions, as it can be extremely beneficial for the healing process.

A Final Word

Family therapy takes many different forms but generally it works towards the same goal; to understand individuals within their family unit and to strengthen that system. It’s a fantastic tool for struggling couples, families, and those dealing with a loved one suffering from addiction or substance abuse. To that end, if you’re curious about family therapy, reach out to Apex Recovery to speak to their specialists, as they can provide family therapists that have a large wealth of experience!

 

Source:
https://apex.rehab/treatment-therapy/types-of-family-counseling/

 

A Breakthrough Alternative: Ketamine Therapy for Depression Treatment

Ketamine therapy has shown excellent results in clinical trials with depression sufferers! With our program, we offer ketamine treatments for people who are struggling. In just one session you
could feel relief from your symptoms and start living again on a more level playing field without any side effects or concerns about whether it will work – because these methods have worked wonders before when others didn’t give them enough time (or at all).

Ketamine therapy is an innovative alternative to traditional treatments that can relieve patients in a shorter amount of time. Studies have also shown it works better than most antidepressant drugs, especially when taken orally instead on injection or tablet form.

How to get a prescription for ketamine therapy

Any medical doctor can prescribe ketamine. However, as ketamine is only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved as an anesthetic in a medical procedure, you can’t just walk into a pharmacy and buy it.

Typically, ketamine is given via an intravenous (IV) infusion over about 45 minutes. As ketamine can potentially be dangerous, people being given an infusion are closely monitored during and after the procedure.

In a few cases, doctors may elect to provide ketamine via an intranasal or intermuscular route, but this, too, would be done in a medical setting.

Tips for better sleep, moods, and anxiety relief
While you’re waiting for your ketamine therapy appointment, there are some things you can do to help improve your mood and anxiety levels. Here are a few tips:

• Get good sleep. You sit for a while during your ketamine infusion. It’s best not to be overtired or stressed to relax during your treatment.
• Most people need around eight hours of sleep per night.
• Eat healthy foods. Avoid processed foods and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Wear comfortable clothing. The treatment takes about 90 minutes from start to finish. Ketamine can have a sedating effect. Since you sit in the office for some time in a relaxed state, you shouldn’t wear any binding or uncomfortable clothing.
• Have a driver that can take you home. After the treatment, you should not drive for the rest of the day, so ask a friend or family member to accompany you to your treatment and drive you home.

How to Get Ketamine Prescribed

As any licensed medical doctor can prescribe ketamine treatments, you can go to your family doctor and get a prescription. However, family doctors do not typically perform the procedure, so they will refer you to a specialty doctor or clinic. Referrals are filled out by your doctor and then faxed to the specialty doctor’s office or clinic. Referrals typically indicate what you’re being treated for and what treatments you have previously tried.

Once you have a referral, the specialist doctor or clinic will do their assessment of you to ascertain whether ketamine is the right treatment for you. Assessments are designed to determine information such as:

• Your psychiatric history such as your current and past diagnoses, hospitalizations, suicidal behavior, etc.
• Your social histories such as your social support and living situation
• Your family psychiatric history
• Your current and past medications/treatments
• Your use of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, etc.
• Your medical history, including experience with anesthesia

People who should avoid ketamine treatments, according to Boston Mind Care, a ketamine clinic, include:
• Those with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia
• Those who experience seizures
• Those taking aminophylline for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

People with uncontrolled high blood pressure, cardiac disease, or pulmonary problems may need additional treatment before getting ketamine infusions. Once you have gone through this psychiatric and medical assessment and have clearance, you can proceed to get ketamine infusions. People can expect about six infusions over the first two three weeks.

A breakthrough alternative to treating depression is ketamine therapy. Ketamine has been around for years as an anesthetic, but it’s now being used off-label to treat depression. If you think you might be a good candidate for ketamine therapy, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting a prescription:

1. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and practicing healthy habits like exercise and meditation.
2. Keep track of your moods and anxiety levels so that you can provide accurate information to your doctor.
3. Spread the word about ketamine therapy!

Let your friends and family know that this treatment is available and could help them get their lives back on track.

 

Can my job give me PTSD?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 protects people with PTSD from discrimination in the workplace. PTSD is considered a disability under the ADA, which means your employer cannot discriminate against you because of your diagnosis.

An employer may need to make reasonable accommodations for an employee with PTSD. This may include allowing them to take breaks during the day or work from home on days when they’re feeling particularly symptomatic.

If you develop PTSD while working, the next step depends on several factors. If your career choice causes it, dealing with this can be challenging but still possible to manage through treatment options available for different kinds of professionals, including police officers and first responders who experience traumatic events at work regularly, which may lead them to develop post- Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But just like these people do in their respective careers; many other folks also have successful existences despite facing similar challenges due not only from recurring frightening situations experienced during jobsites or even before starting one.

If a traumatic event happens while you’re at work and working, resulting PTSD may qualify you for benefits like worker’s compensation. But there is a catch. The rules surrounding workers comp claims separate mental health-related injuries into mental-mental and physical-mental claims.

Mental-mental claims involve mental health problems that are caused by mental strain. Physical mental claims involve mental health problems caused by physical injuries or trauma. Unfortunately, mental-mental claims are more difficult to prove than physical-mental claims. Both physical and mental trauma can cause PTSD.

A firefighter may develop PTSD after witnessing death, even if they didn’t experience any personal injury or danger. In many cases, you may be compared to coworkers with the same duties, even though two people can experience the same trauma while only one develops PTSD.

Still, it’s not impossible to show that PTSD was caused at work. In many cases, the cause is apparent. An accident, assault, or harassment can be an event that is outside of the purview of your normal work duties that leads to PTSD in a way that’s easier to prove. However, more subtle causes like a period of increased stress may be difficult to prove.

Managing a work schedule can be difficult when you are dealing with symptoms of PTSD. You may find yourself overwhelmed and needing to attend treatment, but this is what’s best for your mental health!

The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is designed to help people that need to take time off of work because of a medical need or emergency in their family. A mental health issue like an anxiety attack or a PTSD episode can qualify as a health condition under the FMLA, which could qualify you for a leave of absence.

If you think you might have PTSD, it’s essential to seek help from a mental health professional. PTSD can be treated, and there is no shame in seeking help. Many people with PTSD go on to lead happy and successful lives. With treatment, you can too.

Remember, you are not alone. There is help available, and treatment can make a big difference in your life. If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. It could save a life.

What have your experiences been like living with PTSD? And if you found this article helpful, please share! Our Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/HopeForHealingCenter

Improve Your Health With Our Nutritional Wellness Program

Do you feel like you’re not performing at your best?

Are you always tired and run down? If so, it might be time to consider our Nutritional Wellness program. We specialize in holistic healing and can provide you with all the tools you need to feel better than ever before. Our Nutritional Wellness program is designed specifically for your individual needs, from vitamins and minerals to detoxification and hydration. Sign up for our free consultation today to get started on your healing journey! You won’t regret it!

Request a Consultation

Improve your health and well-being with our Nutritional Wellness program! You’ll feel better than ever before – we guarantee it! Nutritional Wellness, holistic healing, vitamins, minerals, detoxification, hydration.

Get started on your healing journey! You won’t regret it! Nutritional Wellness is a great way to improve your overall health and well-being. Our Nutritional Wellness program is designed specifically for your individual needs, from vitamins and minerals to detoxification and hydration.

Based on your history, exam, and blood work, we create a plan for supplementation, including types of supplements and schedule.

We will create a supplementation plan based on your medical history, exam results, and blood work. This may include oral or intravenous supplements to meet preferences depending on the client’s needs and an intake of diet consultation from our team, which provides for protein tailored to their goals!

Licensed ICU nurses give IV therapy in a relaxing, spa-like medical environment. The client receives cardiac monitoring throughout their treatment process. The nursing team keeps them under observation to ensure that they are safe from dilution or contamination risks associated with oral nutritional supplements. Always prescribed based on personalized plans together alongside medication management services offered at our facility, which include both IV Therapy administration and medications taken orally.

Communication and commitment are what make us successful. Our 5-step process ensures the safety of every patient, using evidence-based screening tools to measure progress toward goals with constant monitoring for you always know how your treatment is going! We can offer longterm mental health improvement beyond just during treatments, too; when there’s a need, we’re here 100%.

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Is Medication Management Right for Your Family? Questions to Help You Decide

If you’re considering medication management for your child, you likely have many questions.

What is it? How does it work? Will my child like it?

This blog post will answer some of the most common questions parents have about medication management programs. We hope this information will help you decide if this is the right option for your family!

Medications play a critical role in the treatment of various mental health issues. The proper medication can reduce or eliminate symptoms and significantly improve a patient’s quality of life. But medications aren’t a magic cure. They need to be prescribed and monitored by an experienced medical professional, especially for children and adolescents.

Medication management programs are designed for patients who require medication to treat mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). With this program, the patient will receive ongoing care from a psychiatrist. The doctor can prescribe new medications and adjust dosages to maximize effectiveness while minimizing side effects.

There are many things to consider when it comes time for you or someone in your life, but there’s one thing that should always come first.The decision about which path will lead them down can feel daunting and overwhelming at times – especially if they’re not sure how best to move forward yet from where they currently stand; however, this is an opportunity!

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What sets us apart from other providers?

We take an extra step to get to know you on a personal level. It’s essential for us to not only your name but what brings joy and where there may be areas of struggle in life so we can work together towards building up positivity tolerance! Embrace who YOU are by telling our team at Hope For Healing all about IT – don’t hold back any secrets because this is YOUR story too! 🤗

We create a foundation for decision-making through an in-depth psychiatric and medical assessment, including bloodwork. This allows our team to understand underlying conditions and any potential nutritional deficiencies that may affect mental health because each person’s experience with the treatment is individualized.

Managing mental health is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to find the right help for you and your family.

We hope that this article has helped shed some light on what to expect with our treatment program.

If you have any questions or want to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team of experts is here to support you every step of the way.

COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW AND WE’LL GET BACK TO YOU ASAP.
WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING YOU SOON!

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