Blog posts with the tag "Treatment"

Staff Perspective: Clinical Skills and Optimizing Treatment - The Case for EBPs

Jeffrey Mann, Psy.D.

Over the years I’ve worked with a variety of patients and learned a few lessons along the way about efficiency… especially when it comes to the use of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBPs). As a graduate student, I had very little exposure to EBPs and I was thoroughly immersed in existential and client-centered therapy. As I entered the military for my internship year I had my first introduction to protocol-based treatment and I was very skeptical. That year and the subsequent years have been transformative in the way I approach my patients' problems.

Staff Perspective: Motivational Interviewing - Just Good Clinical Skills

Dr Diana Dolan

You have probably heard of motivational interviewing (MI), a therapeutic approach to working with patients who are considering making a behavior change. Initially developed with alcohol use disorders, it has spread to other types of behavior change, including health-related behaviors. The goals is to help patients generate change from within, arguably making it more lasting.

By the Numbers: 10 May 2021

556%

The percent increase of telemental health appointments in the VA Health Care System from January to April of 2020. Although this level has likely fallen off as in-person appointments become more available, it’s clear that telemental health will be a much larger part of mental health care than it has been. In a recent study consumer openness to telehealth jumped from 11% pre-COIVD to 76% post-COVID.

Staff Perspective: Couples Counseling During COVID-19 - Telehealth Lessons Learned

Dr. Jenny Phillips

It has now been over a year since the majority of behavioral health providers have moved to predominantly or exclusively providing therapy via telehealth. This week’s blog will examine several publications sharing initial findings about the experience of online couples therapy by providers and patients as well as some lessons learned over the past year.

Staff Perspective: Sleep Can Put up a Good Fight and Not Improve Following a Trauma-Focused Treatment

After 14 sessions of an evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) for PTSD, my patient’s improvement was undeniable. His score on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) had decreased from 62 at baseline to 18 at our final session. He described that his trauma memories no longer had a hold over him, they were fading away in a healthy way. When I looked at his final PCL-5, I was pleased to see he had rated all of the items 0 or 1, except for item #20 (trouble falling or staying asleep), which he rated 4. I had hoped this symptom would have improved as treatment progressed, yet no matter how well our work was going, it hardly budged.

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