New Beginnings

Center for Conscious Living has begun its second iteration. We are now located in Oregon, seeing clients in Bend and Redmond. It has taken longer than expected to get licensed in Oregon, and while it seemed excessive, I do not at all begrudge the many hours spent reviewing ethics!

It is always good to review, and reviewing the Ethical Standards for Psychologists has given me time to review how I practice and how I want to perceive my clients. These standards cover the very basics such as, never, ever enter into personal relationships with clients, maintain high standards for privacy and confidentiality, and, most important of all, FIRST DO NO HARM, a principle that is taught to every treating professional.

Veggie Fest 2010 Aug 7-8.

For local readers, it is almost Veggie Fest time. Veggie Fest is an event designed to promote healthy vegetarian eating (not the only sort of healthy eating, to be sure, but an option). Please check out their website and drop by for food samples, demos, and more.

Holistic Psychology?

The practice of clinical psychology can involve many types of therapy as well as advice-giving and counseling. When I talk about holistic psychology, I do not mean a type of therapy, but a philosophical approach that informs my approach to therapy.

Many approaches to mental health rely upon what we call reductionism--the idea that the mind and the body are separate and can be treated separately. The whole idea that mental distress is cured by a pill falls into this category. In contrast, the holistic approach says that each individual is an indivisible whole and must be treated as such. Thus, a mental health issue such as depression is not a "mental illness", but an adaptation of some sort to the individual's current reality, and a whole picture needs to be formed of the individual in order to adequately treat the problem.

In the same way, physical ills are influenced by a variety of factors we call stressors. stressors can be internal or external, mental or physical. temporary or permanent. Even a cold is influenced by the weather and the state of your immune system, not just the exposure to a virus. Some illnesses are more multi-determined that others. Irritable bowel is more a disease of response to stressors than the flu, for example.

The holistic approach requires individual treatment planning and a collaborative relationship between professional and client, rather than a traditional doctor-patient relationship. In this regard, I often refer to myself as a teacher or even a tour guide. The client cures him- or herself--I lead the way. With this approach, you have a sense of control over your fate and gain mastery over the problem that was vexing you.