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April 2013
The Institute Insider
Keeping you connected ~ Nurturing your professional growth
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Meet Our Faculty
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Suzanne Ricklin, LCSW-C, BCD, CEDS
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Suzanne Ricklin, LCSW-C, BCD, CEDS is one of two founding partners of Century Mental Health, Inc., a group psychotherapy practice in Columbia, Maryland. For over 25 years, she has provided counseling for children (9-12), adolescents and adults. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders (AN, BN, BED and EDNOS) and the related issues of depression, anxiety, OCD, bi-polar disorder and body dysmorphic disorder. A Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) Approved Supervisor, she chaired iaedp's annual International Forum on Eating Disorders in 2011 and 2012. Suzanne is a Board Certified Diplomate in Social Work, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and a Maryland Board Approved Supervisor.
Suzanne will facilitate a training on Wednesday, April 24 entitled "Picture This: Using Flashcard Therapy with Trauma Survivors to Enhance Problem Solving and Distress Tolerance Skills."
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Message from Lisa Ferentz LCSW-C, DAPA
Founder and President
Dear Friends,
If you are like me, you are anxiously awaiting the warmth of Spring to finally take away the winter chill. Although the weather doesn't seem to be fully cooperating yet, there is another way for us to experience real warmth, and that comes from engaging in and being on the receiving end of acts of kindness. This month's newsletter will focus on the ways in which small, spontaneous gestures of human kindness can make a difference in our lives. It truly doesn't take much to bring a smile to someone's face or to do something that makes them feel visible, respected, and appreciated. At a time when we see so much unmetabolized anger and trauma being played out through anti-social acts, the sense of compassion and empathy that is associated with and generated by acts of kindness is needed now more than ever.
Warmest Regards,
Lisa Ferentz
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 | | You never know how your gesture might impact someone's day or their sense of themselves in the world. |
This month's message is inspired by an experience my husband, Kevin, had the other day. He was in the 7-11 convenience store getting his usual morning cup of coffee to go. Other people were there for the same purpose; fueling up on caffeine to get through the day. As he approached the register to pay, another man in the store announced that he was paying for everyone's coffee. My husband said this person did not look like a man of means, and the total bill came to around $20.00, but Kevin was completely taken by this man's spontaneous and unsolicited act of kindness.
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 Is Technology Killing Kindness in Kids
by Drew Hendricks
Published June 6, 2012
It's a trend that people who've taken early childhood education courses and psychology experts can easily identify: today's kids just aren't as empathetic as kids from previous generations. Many people blame technology for the loss of compassion, and research is beginning to suggest that they may be right. Researchers who reviewed 72 studies over the period between 1979 and 2009 found that millennials scored up to 40 percent lower on tests of empathy than did previous generations. The biggest drop in empathy scores occurred after the year 2000.
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Clinician Resources
Publications
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Random Acts of Kindness, by Markova, Rose and Kingma, edited by Conari Press True stories and meaningful quotes inspire the reader to live more compassionately and give to others.
- Heartprints, by P.K. Halliman
The book offers great lessons for children about the value of acts of kindness, while broadening their sense of empathy for others.
Video
Acts of Kindness Caught on Camera 2012
You won't want to miss viewing these heartwarming and inspiring images.
- NYPD's Act of Kindness Goes Viral
NYPD Officer Lawrence DePrimo speaks about the night he bought a pair of boots for a homeless man in Times Square. His act of kindness was caught in a photo by an Arizona Tourist and has catapulted him to internet fame.
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Counseling and Self-Care Tips
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COUNSELING:
I attended a wonderful training with Linda Graham on the neuroscience of self-care. She talked about self compassion, or kindness towards self, not only as a form of soothing but as a form of containment. Helping clients practice empathy for self is a way to keep them in the optimum window of arousal and to mitigate fight/flight or freeze responses. She suggests these simple steps to help enhance self-compassion. Notice the moment of suffering, allow yourself to say, "this hurts," create a larger perspective and decrease isolation by saying, "I am not the only one, I am not alone," and then ask yourself, "What would be comforting or helpful to me right now?" This can activate a greater sense of mindfulness in clients, as well as increasing their caregiving-soothing-comfort system, which allow for the release of oxytocin.
SELF-CARE:
After spending four days with over 3,000 clinicians, and witnessing their countless acts of kindness, and their incredible dedication and commitment to their clients, I realized how important it is for us to sometimes be on the receiving end of kind words and deeds. Clinicians tend to be "givers' rather than "receivers," and that one-way dynamic can lead to compassion fatigue and burn-out. Make sure you take the time to tell the people in your personal life (not your clients) what you want and need from them. It's OK to ask for what we need- our loved ones will never be able to read our minds, no matter how much they love us! Allow yourself to notice what would make you feel more supported, or understood, comforted or respected in your various relationships. Know that you deserve the kind words and gestures that would enhance those feelings for you, and find the courage to let loved ones know how they can offer kindnesses to you.
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NEW - Talk Radio with Lisa Ferentz
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"Understanding Depression
and Exploring Treatment Options"
One in five people will experience a Major Depressive episode in their lifetime. In this hour, Dr. Ferentz, a national expert in the treatment of depression, will discuss the debilitating symptoms associated with this diagnosis. We will explore the impact that depression can have on our physical, social and emotional well-being, such as increased health problems; workplace and academic decline; and inter-personal strife. We will look at the populations that are most vulnerable to the onset of a depressive episode, and discuss some of the less healthy forms of "self-medication" that clients engage in. Dr. Ferentz will also share with us a range of effective treatment options including: medication; psychotherapy; and newer modalities designed to alleviate symptoms. Join us for this important and enlightening program.
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Treatment Strategies to Address the Lifelong Impact
of Domestic Violence on Children
Friday, April 5 - 8:30am to 4pm
Carroll Community College
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Featured Spring 2013 Trainings
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The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education, Inc. is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland. CEU approval for all trainings is also granted to Psychologists, LCPC's and MFT's. In addition, reciprocity has been granted for clinicians in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia.
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