Monday, July 20, 2009
Yoga for wellness
Check out the website yogapsychology.org for some good information about the integrated effects of yoga and mental health. Also check out Baron Baptiste's book, 40 days to personal revolution!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Trainee Impairment
The Graduate Student Guide to Navigating Impairment by Dr. Brenna Tindall, Arete Psychological Services, LLC
1. Consult, consult, consult! The bottom line is that two heads are always better than one. If you think that you are in over your head; that you are having a hard time balancing school/work/family/relationships/etc.; that you are struggling to hold it together – then ask someone else for their opinion on how they think you are doing and/or what they think you should do. If we leave the question to our own mind, solely, we will probably justify whatever it is we probably should not be doing. Consult with a professor, a field placement supervisor, your own therapist, another graduate student, etc.
2. Go back to the Ethics Code! Re-read the principles and frame the question of your impairment in the context of the ethical principles. For example, “If I don’t write my progress notes right after a session with a client, is this really doing harm?” Yes, in fact, you are doing harm because it is unprofessional behavior and counter to the code of conduct that guides us as future professionals. You are held to the code of conduct even though you are a trainee. If you take the privilege of your role seriously, then you will write the note right away because it means you care about the client enough to record what you worked on so you do not forget and because it matters, so you are protecting yourself against lawsuits (in the instance of suicide assessments), and so on.
3. Utilize Karen Kitchener’s critical-evaluative level of decision making rather than your own intuition! Research shows that most professionals rely on their own sense of morals/ethics when faced with a dilemma rather than on their professions code of conduct. This is not okay because our own moral code might differ from our professional code. We have a responsibility to do what our ethical code says not what we think is the right thing to do. Kitchener’s model of decision making helps professionals utilize a systematic method of decision making which incorporates ethics, professionalism, school policies, etc. rather than relying on one’s own intuition on the best course of action. Check out Kitchener’s 1984 work.
4. Someone will find out if you are impaired and acting in an unprofessional manner! Even if you believe that no one is watching you or that no one is aware that you are not showing up to class, that you are cutting appointments short, that you are wearing inappropriate clothing – someone, somewhere always is. Even if professors or supervisors cannot pinpoint a specific problematic behavior, your impairment will leave them feeling like something is missing and that something is not quite right.
5. If you are having personal problems or encounter a crisis while in graduate school (and most of us will), you should consider seeking professional guidance! It is somewhat ironic that counselors, psychologists, psychology trainees, etc. are the most skeptical of therapy and therapists. How can we expect our clients to trust us when we are unwilling to do the same? There are numerous GSPP alumni who offer pro-rated therapy to students. Check out the list provided in your handbook.
1. Consult, consult, consult! The bottom line is that two heads are always better than one. If you think that you are in over your head; that you are having a hard time balancing school/work/family/relationships/etc.; that you are struggling to hold it together – then ask someone else for their opinion on how they think you are doing and/or what they think you should do. If we leave the question to our own mind, solely, we will probably justify whatever it is we probably should not be doing. Consult with a professor, a field placement supervisor, your own therapist, another graduate student, etc.
2. Go back to the Ethics Code! Re-read the principles and frame the question of your impairment in the context of the ethical principles. For example, “If I don’t write my progress notes right after a session with a client, is this really doing harm?” Yes, in fact, you are doing harm because it is unprofessional behavior and counter to the code of conduct that guides us as future professionals. You are held to the code of conduct even though you are a trainee. If you take the privilege of your role seriously, then you will write the note right away because it means you care about the client enough to record what you worked on so you do not forget and because it matters, so you are protecting yourself against lawsuits (in the instance of suicide assessments), and so on.
3. Utilize Karen Kitchener’s critical-evaluative level of decision making rather than your own intuition! Research shows that most professionals rely on their own sense of morals/ethics when faced with a dilemma rather than on their professions code of conduct. This is not okay because our own moral code might differ from our professional code. We have a responsibility to do what our ethical code says not what we think is the right thing to do. Kitchener’s model of decision making helps professionals utilize a systematic method of decision making which incorporates ethics, professionalism, school policies, etc. rather than relying on one’s own intuition on the best course of action. Check out Kitchener’s 1984 work.
4. Someone will find out if you are impaired and acting in an unprofessional manner! Even if you believe that no one is watching you or that no one is aware that you are not showing up to class, that you are cutting appointments short, that you are wearing inappropriate clothing – someone, somewhere always is. Even if professors or supervisors cannot pinpoint a specific problematic behavior, your impairment will leave them feeling like something is missing and that something is not quite right.
5. If you are having personal problems or encounter a crisis while in graduate school (and most of us will), you should consider seeking professional guidance! It is somewhat ironic that counselors, psychologists, psychology trainees, etc. are the most skeptical of therapy and therapists. How can we expect our clients to trust us when we are unwilling to do the same? There are numerous GSPP alumni who offer pro-rated therapy to students. Check out the list provided in your handbook.
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