About This Section

This section of Conscious Singles is dedicated to the support of the mental health professional and to the value of psychotherapy. I am interested in providing support to both the seasoned and the new practitioner.
 

This website has not too surprisingly attracted a substantial percentage of therapists - which seriously tickles me.

The Mental Health Professionals section will feature articles of interest regarding: various types of psychotherapy, issues facing the psychotherapist, masters pages, a mentor-mentoring section and the ways to support and protect psychotherapy, particularly long term psychotherapy.

The practice of psychotherapy in any form is dear to me, but particularly long term psychotherapy. There are many articles on the value of psychotherapy that I want to post here. (If you have suggestions, please let me know too) One perspective on this topic was written while I was standing on the "soapbox" in 1997 and came up with "Does Anybody Really Know What's Happening To Long Term Therapy? Does Anybody Really Care?"

I would also like this page to offer support to organizations which support the art and science of psychotherapy. Toward this end, I want to acknowledge the American Academy of Psychotherapy . The stated purpose of the Academy is: "To enhance the person of the psychotherapist. To challenge the experienced practitioner to professional excellence. To explore the relationship of person and process to psychotherapy." Please consider visiting their site and getting involved with this fine group.

One of the goals for this section of the site is to develop a grassroots political action mechanism to lobby for parity in mental health coverage. Here in Georgia, and I think on a Federal level, parity is a real possibility. Mental health parity means no differences between insurance coverage for mental health services and other illnesses. There are several sites now devoted to this issue and hopefully this Conscious Singles section can serve to assist the cause. If you have any ideas/suggestions let me know. You can reach me at Ask Dr. Joel

The other articles listed represent a growing list of some of the best, from my perspective, in terms of effective modalities. There are a gazillion modalities and these initial offerings represent my own personal preferences. I am also open to other approaches, so if you have written some articles on treatment methods or want to recommend some articles, again please let me know. From my own biases, the following articles, I think, are important:



"Rattling Your Soul Cages",

"The Relationship between Self Psychology and Psychomotor in the Treatment of Narcissistic Injury."

Psychotherapy is a craft very much like a guild. As such there are apprentices, journeymen and women and masters.

Masters have much to offer so I am wanting to devote a section of the this area to Masters Pages.

Right now that consists of articles written by what I consider masters in the art. Two articles by Vann Joines who has been director of the Southeast Institute for Group and Family Therapy for over thirty years. He is the co-author of "TA Today: A New Introduction to Transactional Analysis" and has conducted hundreds of trainings in T.A., Gestalt and Redecision Therapy.

At some point, I hope to collect some masters together to do a online panel discussion of some issue or answer some relevant questions. Also, I would like to provide an opportunity for newer practitioners to have a chance to mentor with the more seasoned. At a later date there will be a bulletin board for questions to be posed online and then answered by therapists who feel so moved. Also at a later point, maybe we can find a suitable and more formal mentoring format.

 

Mental Health Parity Publications & Web Sites

 

Parity Home is a wonderful resource. This site was developed to enhance policymaker's ability to architect and implement parity legislation that will promote positive outcomes for individuals and their families. We provide timely analysis of current issues, enabling legislators and policy makers to make informed decisions.

The National Center for Policy Analysis presents a dissenting opinion on the benefits of parity.