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Mind and Body Connection: Healthy Body Healthy Mind

 

Body Mind Connection Healthy Body Healthy Mind

When I was in graduate school one of the concentrations I had was called Body Centered Therapy.  This program is described as “a program designed to prepare students with an understanding of creative and expressive processes within the context of the mind and body connection”.   I look back on my experience in graduate school fondly and continue to learn more and more about this idea of body and mind connectivity.  This is a large topic with lots of debate and areas of discussion.  I am writing this article as a short introduction to this idea, with some examples of how body and mind are connected.

In my professional experience there certainly seems to be a connection between an individual’s physical experience and emotional well-being.  For example, the article HERE points to the fact that there may be a physical component related to the onset of depression, but this generally speaking is not a new finding.  Research has been connecting physical experience with mental health issues for many years. For example, this article by the National Institute of Mental Health reviews some of the conclusions related to diabetes and depression.  A great map of physical experiences brought on by depression can be found HERE.  There are often connectivity examples between depression or anxiety and physical symptoms resulting from them.  We commonly understand that anxiety and depression can bring on physical symptoms of stomach ache, sweating, headache or a number of other symptoms.

It seems that the more we understand about connectivity between experience, thought, behavior and emotion, the more we may gravitate towards a mind and body connection paradigm.  Popular culture tends to separate body and mind, but many believe this is shifting.  Depression is a condition that impacts how we feel, think and act (all involving the mind).  However, emotions like sadness or worthlessness, found in depression, can bring on real physical symptoms such as pain or nausea.  In this way, depression is present in both the body and mind.  For another example of mind and body connectivity, consider this article on chronic illness and depression.

There have been many theories posed as to the cause of depression, anxiety, panic disorder and other mental health challenges.  However, regardless of the cause, it seems that an overwhelming number of people respond well to lifestyle change.  In my personal and professional experience, I see that people often respond well to lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and improved nutrition. I think that this strengthens the argument even more that there is a definite connection between body and mind.

So what does one do with all of this information about the body and mind connection?  It seems that one way to actively incorporate the belief that there is truly a cross over between our body and mind is to do just that: change our belief.  One way of changing our belief is to change how we respond.  When we are faced with different experiences we may begin to ask how is this impacting both body and mind.

The mind and body connection is certainly not just seen in mental health issues like depression or anxiety.  We see examples of body/mind connection in our everyday lives, if we know where to look.  The next time you are faced with a really challenging decision, consider how your body responds.  Often times our body can give us clues about decisions to make or hunches about directions to take, we just have to learn to listen.  Being more aware of our whole experience in any given situation will bring on more understanding, and more of an integration of body and mind.

Stay Healthy,

Michael

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Counseling Skills in Business

When considering how a field like counseling or psychology may be relevant in business, one thing that comes to mind is the idea of change.  In the fast pace environment that most companies exist in, change is one constant that we can count on.  Whether this means a merger, a management shift, an organizational restructuring or simply a new hire, the business’s challenge is how to adjust to these shifts regularly.  Those in a supervisory role are tasked with how they can improve management skills to impact employee performance.  The following is an example of a management skill that supervisors can utilize to impact change.

An orientation in counseling that also works as a people management skill, is an approach called Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is defined as “A collaborative conversation to strengthen a person’s own motivation for and commitment to change”.  This approach focuses on ambivalence towards change and works with an individual to increase motivation for change.  When discussing the ambivalence towards a change, one strategy to consider within MI, is called “OARS” (Open Ended Questions, Affirmation, Reflections and Summary).  The communication style of “OARS” is only a small part of MI.  However, when working with employees, managers and executives, “OARS” can be utilized to help understand why/how a change is taking place and what obstacles stand in the way.  The idea behind “OARS” is that the person using this strategy is asking open ending questions, affirming what the other has to say, reflecting on their statements and summarizing what they are saying in order to build clarity.

For example, a manager is trying to decide the most effective way to approach an employee and address performance issues.  The communication style of “OARS” utilized in MI may be particularly helpful when looking at what kinds of changes this employee needs to make in order to get the expected results.  A challenge many managers face is how to elicit a change without making the employee resentful or offended.  If a manager is particularly savvy, they will understand the value of inspiring an employee to make a change, rather than coercing. MI can help make the process of inspiring change more effective, through reducing an employee’s ambivalence and address the advantages of making this change.  MI has been effective in helping people address a change they are uncertain of, as well as address how to go about making it.  For more information on MI, please see- www.motivationalinterviewing.org

Thank you!

Michael

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How to Choose a Therapist

 

how to choose a therapist

As I have been working through setting up this practice I have been reminded of an article I wrote a couple of years ago.  The article was designed as an overview of the different mental health professions that exist, educational requirements, as well as how the profession would fit into a hospital setting. To read the article, see this link – http://www.hughsdigest.com/mental-health-workers-an-overview-of-education-qualification-and-licensure/  This article seems relevant to me because one of the most common questions I hear regarding my profession is the question of how to choose a therapist.

While I think the article has some valuable information in it, I want to take a different approach here when discussing how to choose a therapist.   I have had many people ask me what is the difference between various kinds of helping professionals, and how to choose the best one.  For an overview of the fields within mental health that provide different kinds of therapy, see the article.  Typically though, when someone is looking for a mental health professional, the therapist or professional is either a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Social Worker, Counselor, Marriage & Family Therapist or in some cases a Life/Leadership/Executive Coach.  Even though to be a coach, no licensure is required, I add it into the mix because I think it’s relevant for this discussion.

I mention the idea of “goodness of fit” on my Psychology Today profile as well on my website.  The term “goodness of fit” when referring to choosing a helping professional, is just as it reads; how good is the fit between the two people?  I think this idea is one that may be overlooked sometimes, but is a very important component.  When searching for a helping professional, one of the strongest variables that may determine success is the fit.  The question then becomes – “How do I decide if this professional is a fit for me?”

Most of the time there are websites, some online presence, or at least a phone call that can be accessed for free, in order to get a better idea of who the person is that you may be working with.  In my professional experience, as well as my own personal experience with coaches, mentors and therapists, I see a number of factors that may be important in identifying fit.  Here are 4 questions that may help to identify some of the nature of the fit, when speaking with or meeting with a prospective helping professional:

How does this person communicate?

When speaking to this person or having the opportunity to meet with them, what kind of communicator do I think they are?  There is probably not a wrong answer here, necessarily.  However, how the answer is interpreted will determine what kind of communication is important for you.   Some people like more direct interaction, some people prefer more inquisitiveness or curious nature, while others prefer someone who will just listen and reflect.

What is their philosophy about where growth and change comes from, and does this philosophy align with mine?

While there are many theories about what elicits change and what leads to progress, working with someone that has a similar philosophy may be beneficial.  If a helping professional holds the belief that change comes from working through someone’s past issues to uncover the meaning behind behaviors so that they aren’t repeated, and you identify with this, then perhaps this is a great fit.  Alternatively, some people approach change from a forward facing lens, where strengths are identified and built upon and past stories and behaviors are looked at limitedly.  Neither approach is wrong, there may be some people that will have greater success with one or the other.

Are the service details in line?

The details of the prospective helping professional’s services can be an important factor.   Some of these details may be price, location, availability, practice modality and experience.  Practice modality and experience may be important if you are specifically looking for someone that has experience in working with trauma for instance.  Making sure that someone does have the experience in dealing with the issue that you would like to address can be an important piece to consider.  Reading about the person’s background or asking lots of questions to clarify the person’s background can be an effective approach when evaluating this part of the “goodness of fit.”

How do I feel when I am speaking with this person or in their presence?

Trusting our gut can be a challenge.  However, asking ourselves the question of – how am I feeling in this moment? – can be valuable.  If we feel at ease, comfortable, curious or eager to share with this person, then these may be good cues that this may be a good fit.  Of course, our first impression can sometimes be off, but adding up our general gut feeling combined with some of the other questions, can add a sense of security in our decision making.

 

I’d like to add that there are many wonderful helping professionals out there with a wide variety of experiences and approaches.  Remember, that if you have an experience that is not what you are looking for; this may be a reflection of the “goodness of fit” and not the profession itself.   Seeking out a professional that is a great fit may bring up just as many questions about ourselves as it does for the person we are looking for.

Enjoy the journey!

Michael

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