Make a Mental Note

Make a Mental Note podcast episodes will be available via iTunes and Stitcher Radio until 2/28/17.  I plan on placing all of the episodes on YouTube for your listening pleasure sometime in March.  Just go to YouTube and type Make a Mental Note podcast and you should be able to access all 48 episodes!  Spread the word!  : )  Chris Quarto

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Erin Patel, a licensed psychologist, discusses older veterans that seek mental health care and methods of helping them improve their mental health. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * The Veterans Administration offers different types of mental health care to veterans and their families including inpatient and outpatient services and long-term treatment (e.g., nursing home-type facilities). In some cases, VA therapists provide services to veterans in their homes – either by visiting them at their homes or via telemental health (the VA system version of Skype). * Older veterans present with various types of problems such as long standing mental health problems that continue late into life

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Neil Brown, a licensed clinical social worker, discusses the characteristics of family conflict and what families can do to improve their relationships. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Families that seek therapy have developed dysfunctional patterns of interaction that are both invisible and enduring. They don't see the pattern, but are experiencing the impact of it. * Each member in the family needs to own responsibility for their participation in the dysfunctional pattern and for changing the pattern. Otherwise, one family member will blame another family member for the problem and the problem will persist. A teenager may say, "The problem is my parents. They're too oppressive and

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Susan Noonan, a physician, certified peer specialist and medical consultant discusses the nature and etiology of depression and how people can deal with this mental disorder. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * The longer depression goes untreated and the more episodes a person has the more difficult it is to treat. * Although there is a stigma associated with mental illness such as depression society is starting to move beyond this as teenagers feel comfortable talking about mental illness and approaching school counselors to get help. However, older people still grapple with the stigma of mental illness. In some cases, they fear losing their jobs if others find out that they saw a psyc

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Ajita Robinson, a licensed clinical professional counselor, discusses clients who are grieving losses – either physical or symbolic - and how they can be helped to cope with those losses. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Placing clients in the role of the expert about themselves is important to provide them with a sense of control. * Some clients come into therapy feeling frustrated with regard to how they are dealing with their losses. They feel as though they are "supposed to" grieve in a particular way and this gets in the way of them properly dealing with the loss. It is not uncommon for them to be self-critical about the way they are grieving – feeling as though they are not grie

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Dave Carbonell, a licensed psychologist, discusses the nature of worry and how people can cope more effectively with this form of anxiety. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – people who have a lot of trouble with worry. * Worry stems from irrational thoughts. * People with GAD spend a lot of time trying to get their irrational thoughts to "behave"/to not be so bothersome, which leads to them withdrawing into their own minds and away from activities and people that are around them. * They exert a lot of energy thinking about and trying to get rid of irrational thoughts. * People with GAD do a lot of "what if" thinking and try to argue with these though

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Zemeira Singer, a licensed marriage and family therapist, discusses how clients' stories influence how they function and relate to others and how therapists can help them change elements of those stories to overcome problems and make life more meaningful. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Narrative therapy – developed by two family therapists. They applied elements of post-structural and post-modernist approaches to family therapy. * In the past, the medical model was the dominant force in the field of psychotherapy in which therapists/analysts thought they knew more about the unconscious and internal drives of clients. Clients would come into therapy thinking that something was deeply

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Tamara Suttle, a licensed professional counselor, discusses the issues with which women in transition contend and how they can successfully deal with those transitions. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Adlerian therapy concepts – people can look at the rules and lessons they were intentionally (or not intentionally) taught as children and how they serve them well now or perhaps get in the way of achieving whatever it is they want to be doing. The rules with which people took with them into adulthood may no longer fit them so well. * Women deal with many type of issues and the rules they learned when they were younger impacts how they function as adults (e.g., "We help people who are l

On this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Cheyenne Carter, a licensed professional counselor and counselor educator, discusses how conducting counseling with the assistance of horses can help clients improve their mental wellness. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Equine-assisted psychotherapy – counselor, client and horse (and an equine specialist). The horse becomes a partner in the healing process. There are many ways of practicing equine-assisted psychotherapy based on the counselor's theoretical orientation. * Horses are animals of prey and so they have sensitive nervous systems. As such, they provide feedback to clients as to what it's like to be in a relationship with them. Specifically, when clients pair with horses it

No podcast episode this week in observance of Thanksgiving.  Spend some time relaxing, eating good food and conversing with family and friends! : )  Next week's podcast topic is unique!

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Lori Vann, a licensed professional counselor-supervisor, discusses the nature of non-suicidal self-injury, reasons why people engage in this practice, and how they can use more adaptive methods of dealing with distressing feelings. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) was referred to as self-mutilation, self-abuse and self-harm in the past. It's also been referred to as "cutting," but NSSI can be much broader in practice. * Lori addresses 17 different types of NSSI in her book, "A Caregiver's Guide to Self-Injury." (See link to book below.) * People who engage in NSSI are not attempting to commit suicide. There must be intent to kill oneself in order to cla

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Laura Choate, a counselor educator and licensed professional counselor, discusses the challenges that parents experience in raising girls in a social media generation and what they can do to help them successfully manage the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Today's culture is toxic in many ways for girls and this is exacerbated by pubertal changes as well as academic and social pressures. Some girls have difficulty handling these pressures and experience problems such as depression, self-injury, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use problems. * It's important for parents and helping professionals to understand human development so they can

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Raychelle Lohmann, a professional school counselor and licensed professional counselor, discusses the experiences of women who were sexually abused as children and adolescents and helping adolescent girls cope with these experiences. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * If at any point in life a person really wants something and makes a conscious choice to change they can do it. * Raychelle interviewed fifteen women who are survivors of sexual assault and abuse – including incest, date rape, and relationship abuse. * The women experienced guilt, shame, self-defeating thoughts and depression. * One thing these women shared in common were the questions "Why me? Why did this happen to me? Wh

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Jeff Tarrant, a licensed psychologist, discusses some of the basic elements of neurofeedback and methods of helping clients experience positive changes. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Measuring a client's brain wave activity and comparing that to a normative base provides an understanding of how that client's brain is behaving differently than what is expected. * A common element among clients who have anxiety, depression or AD/HD is that their brains (and the nervous system) "get stuck." The brain is repeating a pattern that is not efficient or adaptive. Jeff's goal in using neurofeedback and other strategies is to help clients get their brains to become more flexible and adaptive

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Diann Wingert, a licensed clinical social worker, discusses the characteristics of women in mid-life transition and how they can "navigate the waters of change." Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Mid-life women come into counseling with similar issues – anxiety, depression, marital difficulties, conflict with family members, dissatisfaction with careers, etc. * Women are going through many changes biologically during middle adulthood, which influences how they feel about every aspect of their lives. * Some women who are in marriages that have been functioning well may not feel fulfilled and start questioning whether they want to continue in their relationships. * "Grey divorce" – the r

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Sheri Pickover, a licensed professional counselor, discusses characteristics of children who are in the child welfare system/foster care and the basics of helping them and their parents. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * There is not a straight line between problems that people have and the solution to those problems. * A common theme of children and their parents in the child welfare system: "People do the best they can with what they have." * Empathy is foundational to working with clients. * Parents of kids in the child welfare system feel helpless and hopeless. In addition, they feel ashamed, guilty and even angry because they may feel as though they are being judged for being a ba

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Matt Boone, a licensed clinical social worker, discusses the basics of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * ACT = Acceptance and Commitment Therapy * Critical incidents/significant events that occur in life can have an impact on one's career choice as a therapist. * ACT – comes from CBT tradition – in particular, the behavioral side of that tradition (e.g., classical and operant conditioning; exposure to things that are usually avoided) but not direct efforts to change thoughts and feelings. Help people develop a different relationship with thoughts and feelings – in particular, no thought or feeling is bad. * ACT also grounded in mindfulness. He

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Jill Littrell, a licensed clinical psychologist, discusses the mind-body connection and ways people can enhance their mental wellness. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Psychoneuroimmunology – the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body. * Psychosis, depression and anxiety are related to inflammation so if people exercise and eat non-inflammatory foods then they will be much more resilient to stress. * Negative experiences increase inflammation. * Gut microbiota predicts how people respond to stress, whether they gain weight and other things. * Inflammation is related to many psychological disorders. * The integratio

In this episode of the Make a Mental Note podcast, Duane France, a licensed professional counselor candidate, discusses the issues with which veterans and their families contend and how therapists help them resolve their issues. Give it a listen and find out why this episode is worthy of a mental note!  Get the show notes on the "Make a Mental Note" page at http://www.chrisquarto.com/ Click here to subscribe to the Make a Mental Note podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/make-a-mental-note/id1035476864?mt=2 Mental Notes: * Being familiar with the culture of the military helps therapists have a better understanding of the issues of military personnel and veterans. This does not mean that therapists without a military background cannot help military personnel and veterans. Rather, they just need to have an interest in learning about the culture of the military. * Not everyone can or should counsel veterans (similar to how not everyone can or should counsel children or adolescents). * Typical issues