Soul pain and the therapeutic use of ritual

Abstract

This paper will explore the relationship between ritual and transformation. It will show how a therapist and a monk work together to create sacred spaces in which individuals can experience transformation of and through their personal histories, linking their past, present and future to address their soul pain through ritual.

It is illustrated with case studies which will demonstrate the phases of ritual work which are collectively important as part of the psycho-dynamic therapeutic process.     

Chapter 7 The Gay Therapist's Response to a Gay Client Practicing Unsafe Sex

Abstract

The significance of psychoanalytic perspectives for brief psychotherapy is discussed in the report of a gay man practicing unsafe sex (known colloquially as “barebacking.”). The paper focuses both on understanding transference and counter-transference issues in work with this man.     

Couple Therapy in the Presence of Mental Disorders

Abstract

Mental disorders and relationship discord commonly occur together and couples where one or both parties suffer from a mental disorder are commonly seen in couple therapy. Symptoms of mental disorders can usefully be conceptualized cybernetically and viewed as part of negative feedback loops that couples become trapped in without denying the potential contribution of biological or other types of knowledge. Most of the existing research focuses on couples and depression and couple therapy has been found to have efficaciousness as a treatment of depression especially when depression occurs along with relationship discord. There is less research on couple therapy and other mental disorders but general guidelines are offered that couple therapists can use with any of the mental disorders.     

Evaluating School Readiness to Implement Positive Behavioral Supports

ABSTRACT

One state's efforts to assess school readiness to implement a comprehensive mental health innovation are described. To determine the likelihood of achieving success with positive behavioral supports (PBS), a process to identify school buildings ready for planned organizational change was designed and implemented within a large-scale system of care initiative in southeastern Kentucky. The salient features of the innovation are discussed, the process used to design and implement the approach is delineated, and limitations and implications of this method are considered. This multi-systemic intervention can serve as an example of the practice of organizational school psychology.     

The Estimated Impact of Performing Arts on Adolescent Mood Within a Community Sample of Mental Health Professionals

ABSTRACT

In a brief survey, the authors solicited professional opinions regarding the probable impact of performing arts on adolescent mood stability using a hypothetical scenario where 20 moderately depressed 15-year-olds agreed to participate in a high school play, musical, or other singing performance. The results of the survey indicated that clinicians generally believed performing arts could be helpful for depressed adolescents. The authors discuss the potentials for implementing school and community based performing arts as an adjunctive approach to help adolescent clients cope with emotional problems.     

Shattered Dreams of Professional Competence

Abstract

This article reviews the frequency of suicide, compares and contrasts suicide prediction to suicide assessment and provides a succinct overview of suicide high risk factors that mental health practitioners should be aware. Finally, the article describes common symptoms experienced by mental health practitioners who survive their clients' suicides, and presents a Pre-suicide Preparation Plan that mental health practitioners can implement prior to a crisis to hopefully enable them for a less demanding post-suicide experience.     

Using a Creative Intervention to Increase Self-Disclosure Among Mandated Juveniles with Co-Occurring Disorders

Abstract

Counselors providing treatment within the juvenile justice system encounter numerous challenges that are inherent in working with this population. One of the challenges includes providing treatment to adolescents who are entering the juvenile justice system with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Given the challenges, creative interventions that enhance client motivation and the therapeutic relationship are especially needed. The purpose of this article is to propose a creative intervention that may enhance the therapeutic relationship, increase client investment in treatment, and facilitate client self-disclosure. A case illustration will be used to illustrate the intervention.     

Mental Health,Culture and Spirituality: Implications for the Effective Psychotherapeutic Care of Australia's Ageing Migrant Populations

SUMMARY

In this essay, attention is given to discussing the notions of and influences of culture, mental health and spirituality. Research shows that people who came to Australia either as immigrants or refugees are at risk of suffering a disproportionate incidence of mental problems relative to the rest of the Australian population. Older male immigrants are particularly at risk. A key variable influencing the mental health of immigrants/refugees in Australia is the social conditions in which they live. Another largely unrecognised variable influencing mental health is spirituality. The extent to which the expression of spirituality promotes mental health and healing, however, will depend on cross-cultural perceptions of what spirituality is, and how it influences mental health, illness and recovery. Whatever the perceptions of spirituality, it is important to understand that its roots are cultural, and its influence is on meaning construction. Meaning construction, in turn, is itself culturally mediated and framed. Given this, it is crucial that culture-what it is and how it influences human experience-is understood by health professionals if they are to be able to provide meaningful and therapeutically effective care to culturally diverse people and their mental health problems. A central aim of this essay is to facilitate this understanding.     

Counseling and Mental Health Care for Transgender Adults and Loved Ones

SUMMARY

Increasingly, transgender individuals and loved ones (partners, family, and friends) are seeking assistance from mental health professionals working in the community rather than in university or hospital-based gender identity clinics. Drawing on published literature specific to transgender mental health, interviews with expert clinicians, the authors' clinical experience, and three key guiding principles (a transgender-affirmative approach, client-centered care, and a commitment to harm reduction), we suggest protocols for the clinician providing mental health services in the community setting. Practice areas discussed include assessment and treatment of gender concerns, trans-specific mental health issues, and trans-specific elements in general counseling of transgender individuals and their loved ones.