EMDR – it really isn’t that mysterious.

June 26th, 2018jm@ownhope.org0 Comments

The goal of EMDR is for an individual to feel no distress or the least amount of distress possible when confronted with a traumatic memory, thought or prompting event. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is still the subject of some controversy despite being recognized by the World Health Organization and the United States Veterans Affairs, Center for PTSD as one of three strongly recommended, evidence based models of care for PTSD. EMDR uses many of the same techniques as other therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. EMDR simply repackages what’s always been done in a way that is contained in …

Dr. Violina Frenkel Explains TMS

June 25th, 2018jm@ownhope.org0 Comments

I am very pleased to share an interview that Dr. Frenkel gave Jersey Matters on TMS, a relatively new option in the treatment of depression. She is an excellent psychiatrist I could not recommend highly enough – I thought so highly of her work with patients, I moved my practice into her suite! Link to Dr. Frenkel’s practice – https://ibcnj.com/

All the small things…

June 23rd, 2018jm@ownhope.org0 Comments

One really effective strategy to getting through an episode of depression and anxiety is behavioral activation and it’s really not that complicated. It usually involves looking at some of the things we let go of and, in some cases, picking the least overwhelming task then doing a small task within the task. For example, just do one basket of laundry today. Do that for a few days and eventually shoot for two. What normally happens is that we feel a little more productive, gain momentum and end up doing more without having to set a formal goal. This is also …

Sleep keeping you up?

June 21st, 2018jm@ownhope.org0 Comments

A common barrier to sleep is the worry of not being able to fall asleep. DBT encourages us to aim for restfulness when we’re having difficulty sleeping. One mindfulness activity I share with clients involves having them close their eyes and simply watch the movie in front of them, sort of like when you were a kid and tried to pick out shapes from clouds…..or maybe you were doing that yesterday, which is cool. Give it a shot tonight when you go to bed and see how it works for you.