In the 1940s, doctors noted that individuals suffering from various mental disorders often communicated or processed emotions through artwork. This led many to explore the healing properties of art and develop a way to utilize creativity to assess and treat patients. What is art therapy? Art therapy merges therapeutic techniques with the creative process to… Continue reading How Art Therapy Provides Healing
“Therapy” can be a scary word. While some people desire to share their feelings, others may be intimidated by the thought of spilling their life story to a stranger. Social stigma and economic barriers can also make therapy seem like the wrong solution to persisting problems. But therapy can be a truly cathartic experience for… Continue reading Therapy 101
Therapy isn’t always cheap. Nearly 12% of American adults with a diagnosed mental illness don’t have any form of health insurance. For those with coverage, therapy can still be pricey if local therapists don’t accept their particular plan or a high deductible must be reached before financial help kicks in. If you’re in a position… Continue reading Getting Treatment on a Budget
Children learn a lot through play. It’s an opportunity to explore their creative side, sort out their feelings, test out ideas, and learn everything from what happens when you build a block tower too high to the result of mixing blue with yellow paint. Parents may think play as a part of therapy is a… Continue reading Perks of Play Therapy
“Music can change the world.” — Beethoven Music therapy has been studied closely in recent years, as it has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life for individuals facing everything from depression to schizophrenia. This area of research has also made significant progress in relation to Alzheimer’s, as music appears to activate the… Continue reading The Relationship Between Music and Mental Health
Research into the mysteries of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is booming. By early 2017, more than 31,000 research studies and papers had been published in medical journals about this most-common childhood mental disorder that now affects an estimated one in 12 kids and teens —and persists for one in 25 adults. Among the most recent are a… Continue reading ADHD Treatments: 5 Really Promising Research Updates
Successful treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often involves lifestyle changes. For many people with PTSD, taking steps to make thoughtful, healthy choices every day can help reduce symptoms and improve the overall quality of life. Exercise Regularly Talk to your health care provider before beginning an exercise program. Moderate physical activity—30 minutes on most days of the week—can improve health… Continue reading Reduce PTSD Symptoms Through Lifestyle Changes
People who ran prior to therapy reported fewer symptoms compared to those who underwent therapy alone. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, is published in the April-June issue of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Runner’s World included the unpublished results from this research in a March 2014 feature on the soldiers and researchers using running to combat… Continue reading Running Reduces PTSD Symptoms
Different meditation and mind-body practices may be equally effective. This post is offered as a concise review of the evidence for meditation and mind-body practices in PTSD. Future posts will review the evidence for select natural supplements, biofeedback, eye movement desensitization and reprogramming (EMDR), virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET), and ‘energetic’ therapies. Limitations of conventional treatments of PTSD invite non-pharma… Continue reading Meditation and Yoga Can Reduce Symptoms of PTSD
A review of promising emerging evidence The personal, social and economic burden of human suffering, treatment costs, disability compensation, and productivity losses related to PTSD are major issues facing American society broadly. After decades of research there is still no consensus on the causes, nature or treatment of the psychological and psychosomatic consequences of trauma. Many therapies used… Continue reading Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for PTSD in the Military
