✭ SERVING ALL AGES ✭

Help TherapistJANUARY 2020

MENTAL HEALTH

COUNSELINGSERVICES

In-Home, In-Office, In-Facilityand Telebehavioral Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every four older adults falls every year, and 20 percent of those falls are serious, resulting in a broken bone, head trauma, or a similar injury. And, seniors who experience a fall double their chance of experiencing another fall in the future. Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely avoid the risk of falling, so it’s crucial to provide immediate help and assistance if and when a fall happens – this is where home medical alert systems can be invaluable.

Medical alert systems allow seniors to retain their independence at home and in their communities, while minimizing the risk of further injury or death from falling being unable to receive immediate help.

While there are many quality, above-board companies in the home medical alert industry, there are also those that are overpriced, misleading or profiting from hidden fees. We’ve created this review to shed light on the top home medical alert options so that seniors and their loved ones can easily choose a reputable and affordable home medical alert company that works for them.

https://www.caring.com/caregivers/best-medical-alert-systems/

Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses and other loved ones. We have been featured by AARP, The Administration for Community Living, The National Legal Resource Center, and Forbes, as well as referenced by many governmental agencies and organizations across the Internet.

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Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with great food, fun, and friends at the Help Therapist Holiday Party!

MENTAL HEALTH ISPART OF EVERYONE’S LIVES

Feel BetterGet started today at

www.helptherapist.com

HELP THERAPIST3636 Fourth Avenue, Suite 302, San Diego, CA 92103 • O 858-481-8827 F 858-244-0990 Toll Free 1-855-760-HELP (4357)

• We have given our website facelift and are making it more user friendly

• We are improving our social media presence, please check out our Facebook and Linked-In pages

• New administrative support

• We have now started advertising on Psychology Today

• We are recruiting new clinicians in all areas of California

• We are currently contracting with Magellan and Fresenius Health Plans

• We are expanding to Orange County

• We are Extending our Telehealth services to other states

Welcome our newest providers:Michael McGinty,PsY- SDBijan Rahmani, PhD - North County Allison Patch, LMFT - SDGabriela Hirsch, PsY- SDMelissa Paulson, LCSW- OCJean Priscella, LCSW- RiversideJames Goethel, LMFT- SD Danielle Burns, LCSW- N. County

INSIDE HELP:

The apparent suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade shows that untreated mental illness can affect anyone — regardless of their gender, the color of their skin, or the size of their bank account.

Many news reports found that Spade had been suffering with her mental health for a long time. According to the Kansas City Star, Spade’s older sister said that her suicide was, “was not unexpected by me.”

As a practicing psychologist, I find that most people with mental health disorders do not seek out or receive effective health-care services and treatments.

Most people who meet criteria for a mental disorder or have significant related difficulties do not actively try to find specialty mental health care. More typically, they are seen in general practice medical settings, like primary care. Indeed, primary care has been called the de facto behavioral health system in our country because there are simply not enough behavioral health providers.

That doesn’t mean that going to a general practitioner for a mental health evaluation isn’t a good thing. It just means that this is the state of our current medical system and culture when confronted with mental health problems.

In many cases, people don’t recognize that they are in psychological distress — they don’t understand that their symptoms are largely treatable and can be managed. Or they want to handle the problem on their own. And in some cases, they may be concerned about being viewed as crazy, lazy, weak or bad. The stigma of having a mental health disorder in our society is still great.

Most people with emotional or substance abuse struggles don’t tell their physicians that the have problems. Rather, they exhibit psychological issues that are part of other acute medical conditions. For example, they come in with complaints of sleeping problems, headache or gastrointestinal problems, when the underlying cause is depression or anxiety.

Untreated or inadequately treated mental health problems are a tremendous strain on individuals, societies and health-care systems. At its most extreme, there can be a loss of life through suicide and the carry-over effects of bereavement on that person’s loved ones.

In the majority of cases, however, the effects are more subtle, such as family discord or missed days at work. In these cases, though the effects may be less obvious, they are very costly, particularly if they lead to poor job performance and unemployment.

Featured Article:If health-care providers aren’t getting to the underlying cause of a patient’s problems in general medical settings, that patient is not likely to get better, and quite possibly will get worse. This lack of recognition or misattribution of a patient’s mental health symptoms, on the part of the patient or the health-care provider, may lead to inadequate treatment plans or the administration of poorly focused or inappropriate treatments.

How do we get patients with mental health difficulties properly diagnosed? How do we get them properly treated? Where do we begin to fix this severely broken system? Of course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and healthcare systems, and involvement of patients and their families.

Kate Spade’s death by suicide is a reminder that we need to ensure access to mental health treatment and improve the quality of such treatment. Early intervention and prevention of mental health problems needs to be a priority in this country.

Joan Cook PhD is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Cook has worked clinically with a range of trauma survivors, including combat veterans and former prisoners of war, men and women who have been physically and sexually assaulted in childhood and adulthood, and survivors of the 2001 World Trade Center bombing. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Guideline Development Panel for PTSD and the 2016 president of APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology.

BY JOAN COOK

US Needs a Mental Health Care Overhaul

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, willpower plays a huge part. One’s willpower is tested every day, whether it is hitting the snooze button rather than going for an early morning run or choosing an apple over a cupcake at lunchtime.

Willpower is the ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. One reason adopting healthy behaviors may be so difficult is that resisting temptation can take a mental toll. The good news is that willpower can be strengthened to help achieve lifestyle-related goals, such as eating healthy or losing weight.

If you believe that a lack of willpower is holding you back from achieving healthy goals, there are techniques that can help strengthen self-control. Psychologists suggest the following tips for strengthening willpower:

Focus on one goal at a time: Psychologists have found that it is more effective to focus on a single, clear and modest goal rather than attacking a list of goals at once or being too ambitious out of the gate. Succeeding at the first goal will free up willpower, so it can then be devoted to the next goal. Focus on changing one health habit first, whether it’s being more physically active during the week or eating smaller food portions daily.

Monitor your behavior toward your goal:  Research shows that regularly recording behavior makes people more aware and helps to change that behavior. Don’t let inevitable slip-ups derail progress. Make a reasonable plan to meet the goal and recommit each day to making progress toward that goal.

Seek support:  Support systems have been demonstrated to help people reach their goals. Being surrounded with friends and family who will be supportive of the goals, and willing to help, can make a big difference. If people feel overwhelmed or are unable to meet their goals on their own or with their supportive family and friends, they might want to consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are trained to help with behavioral and lifestyle changes. They can help address triggers that prompt people to make unhealthy choices, identify positive ways to change unhealthy habits, and develop new skills and ways of thinking.

~FEATURED ARTICLE~Making and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Psychologists Offer Tips to Strengthen Willpower

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Help TherapistHELP THERAPIST3636 Fourth Avenue, Suite 302, San Diego, CA 92103 • O 858-481-8827 F 858-244-0990 Toll Free 1-855-760-HELP (4357)

• We have given our website facelift and are making it more user friendly

• We are improving our social media presence, please check out our Facebook and Linked-In pages

• New administrative support

• We have now started advertising on Psychology Today

• We are recruiting new clinicians in all areas of California

• We are currently contracting with Magellan and Fresenius Health Plans

• We are expanding to Orange County

• We are Extending our Telehealth services to other states

Welcome our newest providers:Michael McGinty,PsY- SDBijan Rahmani, PhD - North County Allison Patch, LMFT - SDGabriela Hirsch, PsY- SDMelissa Paulson, LCSW- OCJean Priscella, LCSW- RiversideJames Goethel, LMFT- SD Danielle Burns, LCSW- N. County

INSIDE HELP:

The apparent suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade shows that untreated mental illness can affect anyone — regardless of their gender, the color of their skin, or the size of their bank account.

Many news reports found that Spade had been suffering with her mental health for a long time. According to the Kansas City Star, Spade’s older sister said that her suicide was, “was not unexpected by me.”

As a practicing psychologist, I find that most people with mental health disorders do not seek out or receive effective health-care services and treatments.

Most people who meet criteria for a mental disorder or have significant related difficulties do not actively try to find specialty mental health care. More typically, they are seen in general practice medical settings, like primary care. Indeed, primary care has been called the de facto behavioral health system in our country because there are simply not enough behavioral health providers.

That doesn’t mean that going to a general practitioner for a mental health evaluation isn’t a good thing. It just means that this is the state of our current medical system and culture when confronted with mental health problems.

In many cases, people don’t recognize that they are in psychological distress — they don’t understand that their symptoms are largely treatable and can be managed. Or they want to handle the problem on their own. And in some cases, they may be concerned about being viewed as crazy, lazy, weak or bad. The stigma of having a mental health disorder in our society is still great.

Most people with emotional or substance abuse struggles don’t tell their physicians that the have problems. Rather, they exhibit psychological issues that are part of other acute medical conditions. For example, they come in with complaints of sleeping problems, headache or gastrointestinal problems, when the underlying cause is depression or anxiety.

Untreated or inadequately treated mental health problems are a tremendous strain on individuals, societies and health-care systems. At its most extreme, there can be a loss of life through suicide and the carry-over effects of bereavement on that person’s loved ones.

In the majority of cases, however, the effects are more subtle, such as family discord or missed days at work. In these cases, though the effects may be less obvious, they are very costly, particularly if they lead to poor job performance and unemployment.

Featured Article:If health-care providers aren’t getting to the underlying cause of a patient’s problems in general medical settings, that patient is not likely to get better, and quite possibly will get worse. This lack of recognition or misattribution of a patient’s mental health symptoms, on the part of the patient or the health-care provider, may lead to inadequate treatment plans or the administration of poorly focused or inappropriate treatments.

How do we get patients with mental health difficulties properly diagnosed? How do we get them properly treated? Where do we begin to fix this severely broken system? Of course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and healthcare systems, and involvement of patients and their families.

Kate Spade’s death by suicide is a reminder that we need to ensure access to mental health treatment and improve the quality of such treatment. Early intervention and prevention of mental health problems needs to be a priority in this country.

Joan Cook PhD is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Cook has worked clinically with a range of trauma survivors, including combat veterans and former prisoners of war, men and women who have been physically and sexually assaulted in childhood and adulthood, and survivors of the 2001 World Trade Center bombing. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Guideline Development Panel for PTSD and the 2016 president of APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology.

BY JOAN COOK

US Needs a Mental Health Care Overhaul

HELP THERAPIST3636 Fourth Avenue, Suite 302, San Diego, CA 92103 • O 858-481-8827 F 858-244-0990 Toll Free 1-855-760-HELP (4357)

• We have given our website facelift and are making it more user friendly

• We are improving our social media presence, please check out our Facebook and Linked-In pages

• New administrative support

• We have now started advertising on Psychology Today

• We are recruiting new clinicians in all areas of California

• We are currently contracting with Magellan and Fresenius Health Plans

• We are expanding to Orange County

• We are Extending our Telehealth services to other states

Welcome our newest providers:Michael McGinty,PsY- SDBijan Rahmani, PhD - North County Allison Patch, LMFT - SDGabriela Hirsch, PsY- SDMelissa Paulson, LCSW- OCJean Priscella, LCSW- RiversideJames Goethel, LMFT- SD Danielle Burns, LCSW- N. County

INSIDE HELP:

The apparent suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade shows that untreated mental illness can affect anyone — regardless of their gender, the color of their skin, or the size of their bank account.

Many news reports found that Spade had been suffering with her mental health for a long time. According to the Kansas City Star, Spade’s older sister said that her suicide was, “was not unexpected by me.”

As a practicing psychologist, I find that most people with mental health disorders do not seek out or receive effective health-care services and treatments.

Most people who meet criteria for a mental disorder or have significant related difficulties do not actively try to find specialty mental health care. More typically, they are seen in general practice medical settings, like primary care. Indeed, primary care has been called the de facto behavioral health system in our country because there are simply not enough behavioral health providers.

That doesn’t mean that going to a general practitioner for a mental health evaluation isn’t a good thing. It just means that this is the state of our current medical system and culture when confronted with mental health problems.

In many cases, people don’t recognize that they are in psychological distress — they don’t understand that their symptoms are largely treatable and can be managed. Or they want to handle the problem on their own. And in some cases, they may be concerned about being viewed as crazy, lazy, weak or bad. The stigma of having a mental health disorder in our society is still great.

Most people with emotional or substance abuse struggles don’t tell their physicians that the have problems. Rather, they exhibit psychological issues that are part of other acute medical conditions. For example, they come in with complaints of sleeping problems, headache or gastrointestinal problems, when the underlying cause is depression or anxiety.

Untreated or inadequately treated mental health problems are a tremendous strain on individuals, societies and health-care systems. At its most extreme, there can be a loss of life through suicide and the carry-over effects of bereavement on that person’s loved ones.

In the majority of cases, however, the effects are more subtle, such as family discord or missed days at work. In these cases, though the effects may be less obvious, they are very costly, particularly if they lead to poor job performance and unemployment.

Featured Article:If health-care providers aren’t getting to the underlying cause of a patient’s problems in general medical settings, that patient is not likely to get better, and quite possibly will get worse. This lack of recognition or misattribution of a patient’s mental health symptoms, on the part of the patient or the health-care provider, may lead to inadequate treatment plans or the administration of poorly focused or inappropriate treatments.

How do we get patients with mental health difficulties properly diagnosed? How do we get them properly treated? Where do we begin to fix this severely broken system? Of course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and course, proper diagnosis and receipt of care still depends on one’s wealth and access to insurance.

This ongoing systemic issue needs addressing, for sure. But, in addition, a group of national experts recently explained that improving the quality of mental health care is a team sport. We need better coordination across medical and mental health providers, incentives and coordinated efforts among employers and healthcare systems, and involvement of patients and their families.

Kate Spade’s death by suicide is a reminder that we need to ensure access to mental health treatment and improve the quality of such treatment. Early intervention and prevention of mental health problems needs to be a priority in this country.

Joan Cook PhD is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Cook has worked clinically with a range of trauma survivors, including combat veterans and former prisoners of war, men and women who have been physically and sexually assaulted in childhood and adulthood, and survivors of the 2001 World Trade Center bombing. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Guideline Development Panel for PTSD and the 2016 president of APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology.

BY JOAN COOK

US Needs a Mental Health Care Overhaul

3636 Fourth Ave., Ste. 302, San Diego, CA 92103 • Off. 858-481-8827 • Fax 858-244-0990 • E-mail: info@helptherapist.com • Get started today at www.helptherapist.com

To learn more about willpower, please visit http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-overview.aspxFor additional information on mind/body health, visit http://www.apa.org/helpcenter

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes more than 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

Alvarado Parkway Institute provides services for both mental health and addictive disorders. Our inpatient does medical stabilization and detox. We have outpatient program for everything from chronic mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, etc…) to depression/anxiety and also substance abuse. Insurances we take: Aetna, Alignment Healthcare, Beacon, Blue Cross of CA, Cigna, Community Health Group, HMC, Holman Group, Magellan (MHSA), Medicare, Mental Health Network, Molina, Multiplan, St. Paul’s Pace, Sharp Healthcare, Tricare, USBHS Plan of CA. If anyone has a referral they can call our intake team at 619-832-0737, option #1

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

WHAT’S NEWCongratulations to Dr. Annette Conway,

a recipient of the 2019 San Diego Psychological Association Fellow Award

Fellow is the highest category of membership in SDPA. Fellows are nominated by the Fellows Committee and certified by the Board. A Fellow is a psychologist who can serve as a model to others. To be a Fellow, a psychologist must excel in one of the following areas or a combination of those areas: exceptional service to the community (this could include serving on boards, developing community programs, helping shape policy, or being influential in some recognizable way); making a significant contribution to the profession of psychology (this could include outstanding performance in teaching, research, or writing); making a contribution to the local, state, or national psychological associations (this could include filling leadership positions, creating programs, or being influential in some recognizable way).

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Thank you, Annette, for anotherfabulous Help Therapist

Team Holiday Lunch!You always make it such a

special ocassion!

Alicia, Annette, Denise, Dawn, NancyDeb and Gina (not pictured)