Tag: trauma and ptsd

Black People and Mental Health: Transcending the Stigma

by Sharde Taylor, LPC-Intern, Supervised by Shelley Zavodney, LMFT-S, LPC-S

There is no denying that in recent years more and more Black people are bravely seeking out mental health services for themselves, but many of us remain reluctant or even adamant about not getting the help we need. Here are some of the factors and barriers that contribute to this long-standing issue:

TRUST

The lack of trust between Black people and those in the medical and mental health fields is completely understandable and even heightened in this current political era. Given our lengthy history of oppression by judges, police officers, scientific researchers, educators, and others in positions of authority, it is not difficult to see why some may be leery of mental health providers. This very reason for not seeking help also happens to be ...

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Finding the Right Therapist by Clayton Isiminger, LPC-Intern, Supervised by Shelley Zavodny, LMFT-S, LPC-S

Finding the right therapist can feel like a daunting task. For many, it's already a time of great stress, and stopping to consider relevant factors in choosing a therapist can be overwhelming when you may already have so much going on that's causing you to seek therapy to begin with. Yet, there are some important things to consider to ensure you get the help you need when searching for the right match. First and foremost, it's important to verify that your therapist is indeed licensed, which you can check by going to the first link listed below. You can also check to see if they have had any disciplinary taken against them by the state board in the second link.

https://vo.ras.dshs.state.tx.u... to ...

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Codependency and Our Addicted Loved Ones

written by Monica Giuffre, UHV Supervised Practicum Student

           

Codependency is already an intricate issue, but it becomes even more complex when it involves an addicted loved one. Codependency, according to Melody Beattie, resembles grief in regards to the feelings and emotions, such as guilt, obsessions over what went astray, denial, bargaining, controlling, sadness, and anger. Further, it is a type of dysfunctional helping relationship and we start to lose our identities once we are wrapped in the vicious cycle. Addiction, on the other hand, is a disease that incorporates denial and the loss of control. We become invested in our addicted loved ones while our self-love dissipates. The good news is that ...

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