What is Mindfulness-based stress reduction? Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a program that combines mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people manage stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions. It was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and has since been used in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, and corporations. The MBSR program typically consists of eight weekly sessions, each lasting two to three hours, as well as a full-day retreat. During these sessions, participants learn a variety of mindfulness meditation techniques, such as focused breathing and body scans, and are encouraged to practice these techniques daily at home. They also engage in gentle yoga and other mindful movements designed to increase body awareness and reduce physical tension. Research has shown that MBSR can be effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. It has also been shown to improve attention and cognitive function, reduce chronic pain, and lower blood pressure. MBSR is now widely available and is considered a mainstream form of stress reduction and mindfulness training.

Shervan K Shahhian

What is Multisystemic therapy? Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an evidence-based, family- and community-based treatment approach that is used to treat young people with serious emotional, behavioral, and/or substance use problems. MST is typically delivered over a period of 3-5 months by a team of specially trained therapists who work with the young person and their family, as well as with other key systems such as schools, juvenile justice, and child welfare services. The therapy is designed to address the multiple factors that contribute to the young person’s problems, including their family, peer, and school environments, as well as their own behavior and thinking patterns. MST is based on the principle that the best way to address the complex problems of young people with serious emotional and behavioral problems is to intervene in the natural ecology of the young person’s life. The therapy aims to empower families to develop the skills and resources they need to address these problems in a sustained way and to build positive relationships with the key systems in the young person’s life. Research has shown that MST is an effective treatment approach for young people with a range of emotional and behavioral problems, including conduct disorder, substance abuse, and depression. It has also been shown to be cost-effective and to reduce the need for more restrictive interventions such as residential treatment and hospitalization.

Shervan K Shahhian

What is Multitheoretical psychotherapy? Multitheoretical psychotherapy (MTP) is a therapeutic approach that integrates concepts and techniques from multiple theoretical perspectives in psychology, such as cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, and existential. MTP seeks to provide a comprehensive and flexible approach to therapy that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual clients. The idea behind MTP is that no single theoretical perspective can fully explain the complexity of human behavior and mental processes. By integrating multiple perspectives, therapists can draw on a wider range of tools and techniques to help their clients. For example, a therapist using MTP might use cognitive-behavioral techniques to help a client challenge negative thought patterns, while also drawing on psychodynamic concepts to explore unconscious motivations and conflicts. MTP emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment plans and recognizes that different clients may respond better to different approaches. The goal of MTP is not to fit clients into a particular theoretical framework but to use a flexible and collaborative approach that meets the unique needs of each client. Shervan K Shahhian

What is Metacognitive training? Metacognitive training refers to a set of techniques and strategies that aim to help individuals develop greater awareness of their own thinking processes and cognitive abilities. The goal of metacognitive training is to help individuals learn to regulate their thinking and problem-solving processes more effectively, leading to better learning outcomes and improved performance. Metacognitive training can take many forms, but some common techniques include:

1. Self-reflection: This involves encouraging individuals to reflect on their own thinking processes, identify areas where they may be struggling, and develop strategies to address these areas.
2. Goal setting: This involves helping individuals set clear goals for their learning or problem-solving activities, and developing plans to achieve these goals.
3. Strategy development: This involves teaching individuals specific strategies for learning or problem-solving, such as how to take effective notes or how to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts.
4. Feedback: This involves providing individuals with feedback on their thinking and problem-solving processes, helping them identify areas where they may need to improve and providing guidance on how to do so.

Overall, metacognitive training can be a powerful tool for improving learning and performance, as it helps individuals become more aware of their own cognitive processes and develop strategies to improve these processes.

Shervan K Shahhian

What is Metaphor therapy? Metaphor therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses metaphors to help individuals explore and work through emotional, behavioral, and psychological issues. Metaphors are powerful tools that can be used to help individuals gain insight, increase self-awareness, and develop new perspectives on their problems. In metaphor therapy, a therapist may use a variety of techniques to help clients identify and explore metaphors that are relevant to their experiences. These metaphors may take the form of stories, images, or symbols that represent the client’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Through the use of metaphors, clients are able to explore their experiences in a more creative and imaginative way, which can lead to greater insights and understanding. Metaphor therapy can be used to address a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship problems, and self-esteem issues. Overall, metaphor therapy can be a powerful and effective tool for individuals who are looking to gain greater insight and understanding of their own experiences, and who are seeking to make positive changes in their lives. Shervan K Shahhian

What is Music therapy? Music therapy is a type of therapy that uses music to help individuals improve their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being. It is an evidence-based clinical practice that is used by trained music therapists to address a wide range of health concerns, including mental health issues, physical rehabilitation, pain management, and stress reduction. In music therapy, the therapist uses music interventions such as singing, playing instruments, and listening to music to engage the client in a therapeutic process. The therapist may use music to help the client express their emotions, improve their mood, reduce anxiety and stress, increase their motivation and engagement, and develop their communication and social skills. Music therapy can be used with people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, and it can be adapted to meet the needs of individuals with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. It can be delivered in various settings, including hospitals, schools, community centers, and private practices. Shervan K Shahhian

What is Method of levels (MOL)?

The Method of Levels (MOL) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Timothy Carey, which is based on the idea that psychological problems arise when people become stuck in certain levels of awareness. The MOL approach seeks to help people move through these levels and gain a greater awareness of themselves and their experiences. The MOL approach is rooted in the idea that people have a natural capacity for growth and change, and that therapy can help to facilitate this process. The approach is structured around a series of levels of awareness, which range from the most basic sensory experiences to the most complex thoughts and emotions. In MOL therapy, the therapist works with the client to help them become more aware of their experiences at each level, and to move through the levels in a way that feels comfortable and natural for them. This may involve exploring past experiences and emotional patterns, as well as identifying and addressing current challenges and goals. Overall, MOL is an approach to therapy that is focused on helping clients gain a greater sense of self-awareness and move towards greater psychological health and well-being.

Shervan K Shahhian

Liberty Psychological Association

Claustrophobia is associated to multiple different anxiety-related disorders, including:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder : Generalized anxiety disorder refers to a non-stop, ongoing form of anxiety or even worrying. It maybe that generalized anxiety disorder plays a part in the development of claustrophobia. More than likely, there are some correlation between what got a person to develop the condition and his or her anxiety.
• Panic Disorder: when some person is in an small space, they become most likely to have a panic attack. Possibly the individual was at a bigger risk of panic disorder or panic attacks, which could mean that they have general anxiety symptoms.
• Social Anxiety Disorder: Those persons with social phobia more often experience a feeling of running away to escape as part of their condition, although usually this is connected to social situations and not just small spaces.

Finally, experts may not know how or why claustrophobia forms. Clearly, it maybe connected to other anxiety symptoms.

The Possible Causes of Claustrophobia:

Traumatic events seem to play a role in certain people’s claustrophobia. Children left in a room by chance or unusually punished by being placed in a small space, which would be the reason that for the development of claustrophobia in some individuals.

Or possibly, some may get claustrophobia without any traumatic experiences. Fears may also develop by learning it from someone close to them: often a mother or a father’s experiences of claustrophobia can be adopted by their child.

There are some that say that it’s an complicated phobia, where fear of small places without an escape way may have some type of survival benefit to it. As an example, claustrophobia could be adaptive because of small spaces and the persons might feel the risk of suffocation or inability to run away, which could be dangerous for them. In human history, this type of fear would have been a great advantage. But in todays world that we live in which at times is a safer world, it is less needed and it may interfere with ones life.

Does the Cause of Claustrophobia Matter:

There has been so much time spent on researching the cause, it is important to understand that not all kinds of anxiety have a clear reason, and finding the cause itself may not always be helpful. There are people that get anxiety disorders for no given reason “it could be genetically passed on from blood relatives?” as well as those people who develop them due to a series of unrelated events.

As an example, one can develop claustrophobia from any unrelated situation. If one had an anxiety attack at a wedding and then he or she left the event using a small elevator, their mind can associate the anxiety with the small elevator, but the anxiety was caused by the wedding party and not the small elevator. Trying to find the cause of claustrophobia is not an easy task.

Many believe that the cause does not always matter. There is a lot of evidence that most forms of anxiety, maybe treated with the right anxiety reducing techniques. So those suffering from claustrophobia can reduce their suffering by using certain correct strategies.

How to Reduce Anxiety and Claustrophobia:

This treatment approach is known as “exposure”: The treatment for claustrophobia is not easy because it usually includes experiencing a great amount of fear at first and then trying to cope with that intense fear. It is recommended that one tries this approach with the help of a mental health professional.

Research has shown that humans have the ability to suffer less anxiety when they are forced to face their fear for a long period of time. But this only can work if one allows themselves to experience the phobia until the phobia goes away. If one runs away from their fear, it may cause “reinforcement.”

Reinforcement: is the process, that ones mind is 100% convinced of their fear being legitimate, because he or she ran away from it, then it must be something very dangerous that is why they ran away from it. It is like as if ones behavior has an effect on how ones mind sees the scary situation. If a person continually avoids the scary situation, he or she will never get a chance to face the source of their fear and prove to themselves that he or she can survive it.

This can be complicated, we need to look at an example of claustrophobia:

The small elevator as an example. If one has a fear of small elevators, and he or she walks inside of one and feels claustrophobic, they could have the chance to run right away. But, if they leave the small elevator as fast as they can, they will “reinforce” the phobia. Why is that? In running away, he or she has confirmed to themselves the idea that small elevators represent fear so they have to be avoided it at all costs.

On the other hand, if one stays in the small elevator for an extended period of time, and accept their fear, and anxiety by controlling it, by using different anxiety reduction strategies, one can show his or her self that it’s okay to ride small elevators and that they are not dangerous.

For those people with extreme claustrophobia, this technique is not easy to do. This process is known as “exposure therapy,” and but this is something one can slowly adapt to it, rather than all of a sudden jumping into it and hoping it will all go away. It takes patients, courage, time and practice, but the guidance of a mental health professional could be required if the persons symptoms are severe.

one also needs to learn to control his or her anxiety disorders that could be linked to their claustrophobia. This could be especially true if the person is having a panic attack because the above types of conditions that maybe unlikely to go away by them self, “until” their claustrophobia is being managed.

Psychotropic medications might help reduce the symptoms, please see a psychiatrist.

By: Shervan K. Shahhian

Liberty Psychological Association

By: Shervan K. Shahhian

History:

Dr. Carl Rogers is known as one of the greatest psychologist of the 20th century. Dr. Carl Rogers was a humanist thinker and believed that people are generally good.

Dr. Rogers also said that people are fundamentally good, or a need to fulfill their human potential and become the best that they can be.

Dr. Rogers called his technique non-directive therapy at the beginning. His aim was to be as non-directive as possible, he saw that psycho-therapists guide their clients in some way. He also said that clients mostly look to their therapists for some type of advice or direction.

What is Client-Centered Therapy:

Finally, the Dr. Rogers technique came to be known as Rogerian, client-centered therapy or person-centered therapy.

Dr. Rogers used the term client rather than patient. He thought that the term patient implied that the person is sick and seeking a cure from a therapist.

Dr. Rogers used the term client instead of patient, he emphasized the importance of the person in seeking help, controlling their future, and overcoming their problems. This self-direction is a important part in client-centered therapy.

Like psychoanalyst Dr. Freud , Dr. Rogers thought that the therapeutic interaction could find insights and lasting changes in clients. While Dr. Freud focused on giving interpretations of what he thought were the unconscious problems that led to a patients troubles, Dr. Rogers believed that the therapist should stay non-directive.

This is to say, the psycho-therapist should not direct the client, should not give judgments on the client’s feelings, and should not give suggestions or alternatives. Instead, the client should play an equal part in the therapeutic sessions.

How Does Client-Centered Therapy Works:

Psychology professionals who utilize this technique strive to create a therapeutic environment that is relaxing, empathic, and non-judgmental. 2 of these key elements of client-centered therapy are:

• It’s non-directive. Therapists let clients lead the talk and do not try to direct the client in a certain direction.
• It emphasizes unconditional positive regard. Therapists is completely accepting and supportive of their clients without judgment.

Three Key Qualities of Client-Centered Therapists:

What Is Genuineness?

The therapist needs to speak of his or her feelings honestly. By showing this behavior, the therapist can help show the client and to also help the client develop this important skill.

What Is Unconditional Positive Regard?

The therapist must understand that the client needs to know who they are, show them support and care for them no matter what the client is experiencing in their life. Dr. Rogers believed that humans often develop issues because they are used to only getting conditional help; being accepted only if the person conforms to certain expectations.

By creating an environment of unconditional positive regard, the client is able to speak his or her true feelings without fear of being turned down.

Dr. Rogers also explained: “Unconditional positive regard means that when the therapist is experiencing a positive, acceptant attitude toward whatever the client is at that moment, therapeutic movement or change is more likely. It involves the therapist’s willingness to support the client no matter what feeling is going on at that moment – confusion, resentment, fear, anger, courage, love, or pride…The therapist prizes the client in a total rather than in a conditional way.”

What Is Empathetic Understanding?

The therapist needs to be reflective, meaning: acting as a mirror of the client’s thought and feelings. The goal of this technique is to allow the client to gain an open understanding of their own inner feelings, emotions and perceptions.

By showing these 3 characteristics, therapists can assist clients to grow psychologically, become self-aware, and change his or her behavior by self-direction. In this type of therapeutic relationship, a client feels safe and free from judgment. Dr. Rogers believed that this type of environment allows clients to make a healthier view of the world and a less cloudy view of one self.

What Is Self-Concept:

Self-concept also an important part in person-centered therapy.

Dr. Rogers believed that self-concept as an organized set of beliefs and ideas about the self. The self-concept plays an important role in determining not only how people see themselves, but also how they view and interact with the world around them.

At times self-concept could be similar to reality, which Dr. Rogers referred to as congruence. In some cases, self-perceptions are sometimes not real or not in reality with what exists in the actual world. Dr. Rogers believed that most people distort reality to some amount, but when self-concept is in conflict with reality, incongruence can come true.

As an example, a young lady might perceive herself as a great athlete, despite the truth that her actual performance on the track reveals that she is not skilled and could use extra training.

Through the therapy of person-centered therapy, Dr. Rogers believed that people can learn to change their self-concept to achieve congruence and a true view of themselves and the world. For example, imagine a young man who views himself as not interesting and a poor conversationalist despite the fact that others find him fascinating and quite interesting.

Because his self-perceptions are not real and not congruent with reality, he might experience poor self-esteem and self confidence as a result. The client-centered process focuses on providing unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuine support in order to help the client in therapy to reach a more congruent view of himself

Client-Centered Therapy Role in the TV Culture:

Actor Bob Newhart portrayed a psycho-therapist who used client-centered therapy on “The Bob Newhart Show” which aired from 1972 to 1978, which was popular.

The Effectiveness of Client-Centered Therapy:

Many major research studies have shown that the 3 qualities that Dr. Rogers emphasized, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathetic understanding, are all helpful. However, some negative based studies have showed that these 3 factors alone are not necessarily enough to promote long lasting change in clients.

One study that checked the effectiveness of person-centered therapy concluded that Dr. Rogers approach is effective for persons suffering from the common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and could even be helpful for those persons experiencing more moderate to serious symptoms.

By: Shervan K. Shahhian

By: Shervan K. Shahhian

Liberty Psychological Association

Codependency is mostly used to describe a relationships where one is needy, or dependent upon, another.

The term codependency is more than an everyday clinginess. A codependent relationship is far more extreme than clinginess. A codependent person will plan their entire life around pleasing the other person, or the enable the other person.

A codependent relationship is a relationship where one needs the other person, who in turn, needs to be needed. This codependent circular relationship is the foundation of what many experts refer to when they talk about the “cycle” of codependency.

The codependent person’s self-esteem and self-worth will come only from sacrificing themselves for their significant other who is glad to receive their sacrifices.

Certain Facts About Codependency:

• A codependent relationships can be between romantic partners, family members, or friends.
• Often, a codependent relationship includes emotional or physical abuse.
• Most of the time friends and family members of a codependent person may see that something is wrong.
• Like any other mental or emotional health problem, the treatment protocol requires time and effort, as well as the help of a professional.

Dependence vs. Codependence

One should know the difference between depending on another, which can be a positive thing and an desirable trait, or codependency, which is harmful.

Examples that can illustrate the differences:

Dependent: 2 people rely on each other for love and support. Both partners can find value in their relationship.

Codependent: The codependent one feels worthless and unless they are needed by the other person and they are making drastic sacrifices for the other. The enabler gets gratification from getting their every need met by the codependent.

The codependent person can only be happy when they are making extreme sacrifices for their partner. The codependent feels they must be needed by the other person to have a purpose in life.

Dependent: Both partners make their relationship a priority, but they can also find joy in outside activities and interests like: other friends, and hobbies.

Codependent: The codependent person has no self identity, interests, or values outside of their destructive codependent relationship.

Dependent: Both partners can express their needs, emotions and find ways to make their relationship work better for both of them.

Codependent: The codependent person feels that their needs, desires are not important and they will not express them. They may have a difficult time to recognizing their own feelings or needs.

One or both sides can be codependent. A codependent individual will let go of other important areas of their life to please their partner. Their sick and extreme dedication to the other person may cause damage to:

• Their other relationships.
• Their work, school and career.
• Their everyday self care responsibilities.

One should know that the enabler’s role is also dysfunctional. An individual who depends on a codependent does not learn how to have an equal, balanced relationship and is often comes to depend on another person’s sacrifices and neediness.

The Symptoms of Codependency:

It sometimes can be hard to notice the difference between a person who is codependent and a person who is just clingy or very enamored with another. But, an individual who is codependent will usually:

• A codependent person finds no joy or happiness in a life outside of doing things for the other person.
• A codependent person can stay in the relationship even if they are aware that their partner does hurt them.
• A codependent person will do anything to please and satisfy their enabler, no matter the damage to themselves.
• A codependent person feels a constant stress about their codependent relationship due to their desire to always be making the other person happy, at any cost.
• A codependent person will use all their energy and time to give their partner everything they want.
• A codependent person feels guilt about thinking of themselves in the relationship and will not show any personal needs or desires.
• A codependent person will ignore their own conscience and morals to do what the other person wants of them.

Others may try to talk to the codependent person about their concerns. But even if others suggest that the person is too codependent, a dependent person in a codependent relationship will find it difficult to end the relationship.

The codependent individual will feel extreme difficulty about separating themselves from the enabler because their own life, and identity is dependent on sacrificing themselves for the other person.

How does a codependent relationship start?

Codependency is a learned behavior that usually comes from their past behavioral patterns and emotional problems. It was once thought to be a result of growing up with an addict parent.

Professionals now say codependency can result from a range of issues.

Damaging Parental Relationships:

Substance addicted parents at many times prioritize their needs over their children’s. This very serious issue may cause the children to become codependent as adults.

Adults who are codependent may often had problems with their parental relationship as a child or teenager.

These children and teens may have been taught that their own needs were less important than their parents’ needs, or not important at all.

In these types of dysfunctional families, children may have been taught to focus on their parent’s needs and to never think of their own needs.

Very needy parents may teach their children that: if the kids want anything for themselves they are selfish or greedy.

As a result, these children learn to forget their own needs and think only of what they can do for others.

In these horrible situations, one of the parents:

• Maybe addicted to alcohol or drugs.
• Very young parents, “Kids having kids”, or just a lack of maturity and emotional development, that has resulted in their own self-centered needs and wants.

These horrible situations may cause gaps in the emotional development of children, leading them to find codependent relationships as adults.

Growing Up With a Mentally or Physically Ill Family Member:

Codependency may be a result of caring for a person who is chronically ill for a long time, or being in the role of caregiver for a long time, especially starting at a young age, this situation may result in Children neglecting their own needs and growing up with a habit of only helping others.

In some situations a person’s self-worth may come form and around being needed by others and getting nothing in return.

Not all people who live with an ill family member develop codependency. But, it can happen, if a parent or a primary caretaker in the family displays the dysfunctional behaviors as listed above.

Abusive Family Dynamics:

Sexual abuse, physical, and emotional abuse will cause psychological problems that can last years or even an entire lifetime. One of the many problems that can arise from past trauma is codependency.

A child or teenager who is abused will learn to hide their pain as a defense mechanism against the abuse. This learned behavior can result in caring only about another’s feelings and not acknowledging their own needs, as an adult.

Sometimes an individual who is abused as a child or teen will look for abusive relationships later in life, because they are only familiar with this type of abusive relationship. This will often result in an codependent relationships.

Treatment of Codependency:

In individual or group therapy could be more helpful than couples therapy, because it can help the codependent person find their own feelings and actions as a separate and outside of the codependent relationship.

These Are Some Things that May Help Toward Having a Positive, Balanced Relationship:

• Person in a codependent relationships might need to take steps to find some personal time in the relationship. They may need to explore and find a hobby or an activity that they may find enjoyable outside of the codependent relationship.
• A codependent individual may try to spend more time with supportive friends and family members.
• The enabler must realize the fact that they are damaging their codependent partner by allowing them to make extreme sacrifices for them.

Both, individual or group therapy can be very helpful for people who are codependent or in a codependent relationships. A professional can help them dig down inside and express their feelings that may have been buried since their childhood.

Persons who are or were victims of abuse will need to accept their past abuse and begin to feel their own needs and emotions again. Self care is what all humans must do for themselves.

Finally, both sides in a codependent relationship must learn to accept specific trends of behavior, such as “the urge of needing to be needed at any cost” and expecting the other person to plan their whole entire life around them.

By: Shervan K. Shahhian

• Liberty Psychological Association