The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education Inc.
May 2015
The Institute Insider
Keeping you connected ~ Nurturing your professional growth
IN THIS ISSUE...
Meet Our Faculty
Joyanna Silberg, PhD
Joyanna is the coordinator of Trauma Disorder Services for Children and Adolescents at Sheppard Pratt Health System and the Executive Vice-President of the Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence. Her psychotherapy practice specializes in children and adolescents suffering from dissociative symptoms and disorders, and her forensic practice specializes in child sexual abuse. She is past-president of the internal Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISST-D) and contributing editor to the society's journal, the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation.  

Read more about Joyanna here.»

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Please join Joyanna when she facilitates a new training, Treating Dissociative Children and Adolescents: Treatment Resistant Symptoms on Tuesday, May 19. 

Details and register here.»
Message from Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA
Founder and President


 

Greetings!

May is "Mental Health Awareness Month."  I am grateful that an entire month is dedicated to educating the general public about mental illness and the importance of advocating for adequate resources, reducing discrimination, and promoting compassionate, fair treatment for those who struggle. Of course, this should be on our radar screens all year long! In the past few months I have been interviewed on many national radio shows and although I welcome the opportunity to answer questions and debunk the myths associated with mental illness, based on the questions I get asked, it's amazing how these disorders are still so misunderstood. This month's newsletter focuses on gaining a better understanding of mental illness while trying to discredit some of the more common myths  associated with these disorders.

Warmest Regards,

Lisa Ferentz



Please share this newsletter with your colleagues so they too may benefit from the valuable resources published.  Thank you!

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Resources for Clinicians and Mental Health Professionals
blogShining a Spotlight on Mental Health Awareness Month
by, Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C DAPA

When we focus on a person's mental health, we're looking at the ways in which it impacts their thoughts, emotions, moods, ability to relate to others, efficacy at work and school, and their behavioral choices. In essence, when their mental health is compromised, it impacts all arenas of their life as well as the lives of their loved ones. This is an issue that affects millions of people. One in five Americans struggle with mental health related issues. One in 20 Americans live with serious mental illness including schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, or recurrent major depression.

Photo: Lee Morley/Flickr
stigmaUnderstanding the Impact of Stigma on People with Mental Illness
World Psychiatry

Many people with serious mental illness are challenged doubly. On one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease. On the other, they are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from misconceptions about mental illness. As a result of both, people with mental illness are robbed of the opportunities that define a quality life: good jobs, safe housing, satisfactory health care, and affiliation with a diverse group of people. Although research has gone far to understand the impact of the disease, it has only recently begun to explain stigma in mental illness.
mythsHere are some of the more common myths that are still associated with mental illness and need to addressed by mental health professionals: 
  1. Children don't suffer from mental health issues. 
  2. Anyone with a mental illness is violent and unpredictable.
  3. Anyone with a mental health issue cannot hold down a job or make a meaningful contribution to society. 
  4. People with mental illnesses have character flaws and can control their conditions. 
  5. A person cannot recover from a mental health diagnosis. Mental illnesses cannot be prevented. 

Remember that mental illness is the result of biology and genetics, brain chemistry, childhood trauma, injury, or medical conditions. We actually can work towards reducing and preventing mental illness by decreasing adverse childhood experiences and the traumas that leave cognitive, emotional, and physical residue that all compromise mental well-being.
It's so important to help our clients reduce the sense of shame that accompanies their mental health struggles. Here are some suggestions to weave into treatment when working with a client with mental illness:
  1. Don't make your diagnosis your identity. Rather than saying "I am depressed" or "I am Anxious" say " I am experiencing depression or anxiety." You are more than your diagnosis. It's something you struggle with, not all of who you are. Shame is about who you are.
  2. Recognize it's not your fault. Mental illness has lot to do with genetic wiring, family history as well as environmental and interpersonal stressors. I always tell my clients a diagnosis is never their fault, AND it is their responsibility to get it managed and treated.
  3. Have compassion for your symptoms and your struggles. The best antidote to shame is compassion.
  4. View your diagnosis with the same thoughts and feelings you would if a best friend had the diagnosis. We are often kinder and less judgmental towards others than we are to ourselves.
  5. Focus on your strengths-your creativity, resiliency, intelligence. The contributions you make, the positive way you do relationships.
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Quick Links
Visit our website  www.lisaferentz.com    Email Lisa at lisa@lisaferentz.com
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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.