Blog posts with the tag "Treatment"

Staff Perspective: Faith Heals - Integrating Spirituality to Treat Moral Injury Associated with Combat-Related PTSD

By Kimberly Copeland  on 26.06.2019 9:23 am
Kimberly A. Copeland, Psy.D.

During my recent research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatments, I have been spending more time reading about moral injury and reflecting on therapeutic practices that incorporate tools such as forgiveness and spirituality into the healing process. I have worked with clients of different faith backgrounds and different spiritual practices. I am careful to ask questions in order to assess what this means to the individual, as I know my own faith expression and experience may be very different from their own. I have worked with clients who are Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish, Wiccan and all have taught me a great deal and we have worked well together. If a client tells me their faith is important to them and wishes we integrate it into treatment, we work on this.

Staff Perspective: Addressing Anger in PTSD Treatment

By Laura Copland  on 19.06.2019 8:55 am

Let’s take a look at a specific model of CBT to treat anger. The premise of this treatment model is that anger develops from unmet expectations. Norman Cotterell, Ph.D., Clinical Coordinator, Beck Institute, puts it this way: “We expect people to treat us fairly and they don’t. We expect children to respect the wishes of their elders and they don’t. We expect the government to have our needs at heart and it doesn’t. Each time there is a gap between expectation and reality, anger is more than willing to fill in that gap. We may decline. We may accept. But it’s important to know that it’s a choice we are making” *. Perceived loss of control for getting important values met causes anger. 

Staff Perspective: Is Ketamine a Cure for Treatment-Resistant Depression?

By Paula Domenici  on 03.04.2019 10:06 am

On 5 March 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the nasal spray medication Spravato (esketamine) for treatment-resistant depression in adults. Some people are applauding this new medication as a much-needed shift from the era of antidepressants, including Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. “Finally, a drug that uses a different mechanism of action than these older antidepressants,” they cheer. Esketamine is a glutamate receptor modulator that is believed to help restore synaptic connections in a depressed person’s brain cells. Other critics are more skeptical, concerned it won’t be the panacea we’ve been looking for.

Staff Perspective: Want to improve your CPT or PE skills? Start with the fundamentals!

By Jeffrey Mann  on 23.01.2019 10:37 am
Dr. Jeffrey Mann

In working with Psychology Interns, Psychiatry Residents, Social Workers, and all other types of mental health providers from the most experienced to least, I’ve found that people often forget the basis of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). CPT is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and PE is a form of Exposure Therapy. They are not unique theories.

Staff Perspective: Training the Next Generation of Military Substance Abuse Treatment Providers - 10 Things to Think About

By Kimberly Copeland  on 24.10.2018 10:13 am
Kimmberly A. Copeland, Psy.D.

I am very proud to have worked as a psychologist at the Navy’s Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Program, also known as SARP. I recall living for my patients, my team and the work; I’m pretty passionate about healing and the recovery process. The following points are some things I believe are important to consider when working with Service members struggling with a drug or alcohol problem. Some seem pretty obvious, but are still worth mentioning in my humble opinion. 

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