It seems that every time January comes around I spend an increased time on the phone with insurance companies. This year is proving to be no different. People's policies change, employers don't always provide clear information, and confusion ensues.
This might be a good time to take a bit of time out to do a little self-education about your own insurance plan. I've put together a list of questions to ask your insurance company. You can find that on my website, here. Additionally, I have made a glossary of insurance terms. It's helpful when you are trying to decode what it is you are reading when you receive an EOB (explanation of benefits) or are on the phone with your insurance company. Check out that glossary here.
Lastly, I've come across a helpful posting about health insurance that I thought I would share. This link will take you to it: The Nuts and Bolts: Using Your Insurance for Mental Health Services
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Repairing or Maintaining a Relationship
The longer that I am a practicing a psychologist, the more I start to take for granted the things I've learned along the way. I'm thankful each and every time something happens that reminds me not to take this knowledge for granted.
It's second nature for me to engage in "active listening." I know how to pay attention, make eye contact, and let the person who is talking to me to know that I'm alive, paying attention, and taking what they say seriously. I had a telephone conversation the other day with a customer service person and found myself incredibly frustrated. They weren't engaged in active listening. I was first just plain annoyed that I had to work so hard to get my point across. It dawned on me that the person on the other end of the line had no idea how to listen to me. I was still annoyed, but softened up a little bit realizing that there was a lack of training and knowledge: the person wasn't really trying to annoy me.
I slipped into therapist mode for a minute, stopped yelling to get my point across, and used another skill that is second nature to me as a therapist: GIVE.
GIVE is a skill that is part of a trio of interpersonal effectiveness skills that are taught in dialectical behavioral therapy. While some of the acronyms that are used are a little corny, they are a good way to be reminded how to be effective in life.
be Gentle
act Interested
Validate
use and Easy manner.
What does being gentle mean? Generally if you are finding yourself yelling, telling someone that they are dumb, stupid, or out of their minds, you are not being gentle. Take a breath. Play nice. Make a gentle joke if you are that sort or perhaps just make reference to the conversation being difficult.
Act interested? When someone is upset with you, don't say "blah blah blah", mock them, roll your eyes, twiddle your thumbs, or watch TV. Look at them, pay attention, let them know you are taking them seriously.
Take it a step further and validate what they are saying. Let them know you are alive, you hear them, and what they are saying is making some sort of impact.
Finally, use an easy manner. Make yourself approachable.
Try it out. You'll feel better about yourself and your relationships will be stronger.
It's second nature for me to engage in "active listening." I know how to pay attention, make eye contact, and let the person who is talking to me to know that I'm alive, paying attention, and taking what they say seriously. I had a telephone conversation the other day with a customer service person and found myself incredibly frustrated. They weren't engaged in active listening. I was first just plain annoyed that I had to work so hard to get my point across. It dawned on me that the person on the other end of the line had no idea how to listen to me. I was still annoyed, but softened up a little bit realizing that there was a lack of training and knowledge: the person wasn't really trying to annoy me.
I slipped into therapist mode for a minute, stopped yelling to get my point across, and used another skill that is second nature to me as a therapist: GIVE.
GIVE is a skill that is part of a trio of interpersonal effectiveness skills that are taught in dialectical behavioral therapy. While some of the acronyms that are used are a little corny, they are a good way to be reminded how to be effective in life.
be Gentle
act Interested
Validate
use and Easy manner.
What does being gentle mean? Generally if you are finding yourself yelling, telling someone that they are dumb, stupid, or out of their minds, you are not being gentle. Take a breath. Play nice. Make a gentle joke if you are that sort or perhaps just make reference to the conversation being difficult.
Act interested? When someone is upset with you, don't say "blah blah blah", mock them, roll your eyes, twiddle your thumbs, or watch TV. Look at them, pay attention, let them know you are taking them seriously.
Take it a step further and validate what they are saying. Let them know you are alive, you hear them, and what they are saying is making some sort of impact.
Finally, use an easy manner. Make yourself approachable.
Try it out. You'll feel better about yourself and your relationships will be stronger.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday News Roundup
Sleep: Are We Depriving Our Teenagers of Mental Health?
A study analyzed data taking from 15,569 U.S. students in grades 7 through 12 during a two year time period. The average teenager reported getting seven hours and 53 minutes of sleep a night. As a reference point, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests teens get nine or more hours of sleep.
Here is the take home message: adolescents who slept five or fewer hours a night were 1.71 times more likely to suffer from depression and 1.48 times more likely to to think about committing suicide than those who got eight hours of sleep a night.
Of course, one symptom of depression can be difficulty sleeping. The survey data might simply be recording that depressed teens sleep less than non-depressed teens (which would be obvious). Without closer research it would be hard to draw the conclusion that lack of sleep can cause depression.
Regardless, it's a good idea to encourage our teens (and ourselves) to get a good night sleep. It helps reduce emotional vulnerability and just might even help insulate someone from depression. Want to know more about what is considered a health night sleep? Check out this link that discusses sleep hygiene.
Exercise Preserves Memory
This is less news (at least to me) and more of a reminder. According to two reports that appeared in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, moderate levels of physical activity during middle age or later appears to have a protective effect: it can reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment which is a common condition preceding dementia. Further, six months of high-intensity aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in individuals who already have the condition.
This makes me glad I went running this morning!
A study analyzed data taking from 15,569 U.S. students in grades 7 through 12 during a two year time period. The average teenager reported getting seven hours and 53 minutes of sleep a night. As a reference point, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests teens get nine or more hours of sleep.
Here is the take home message: adolescents who slept five or fewer hours a night were 1.71 times more likely to suffer from depression and 1.48 times more likely to to think about committing suicide than those who got eight hours of sleep a night.
Of course, one symptom of depression can be difficulty sleeping. The survey data might simply be recording that depressed teens sleep less than non-depressed teens (which would be obvious). Without closer research it would be hard to draw the conclusion that lack of sleep can cause depression.
Regardless, it's a good idea to encourage our teens (and ourselves) to get a good night sleep. It helps reduce emotional vulnerability and just might even help insulate someone from depression. Want to know more about what is considered a health night sleep? Check out this link that discusses sleep hygiene.
Exercise Preserves Memory
This is less news (at least to me) and more of a reminder. According to two reports that appeared in the January issue of Archives of Neurology, moderate levels of physical activity during middle age or later appears to have a protective effect: it can reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment which is a common condition preceding dementia. Further, six months of high-intensity aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in individuals who already have the condition.
This makes me glad I went running this morning!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
My 5 For Education: Part Two
Earlier today I posted a video of Queen Rania. She has made a request for people to tell her in five words or five seconds why they think education is important. Having both adequate sleep and coffee this morning, I knew right away both what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.
Be More Than Your Dreams
It wasn't hard because this is very close to what I often will tell people about psychotherapy: it offers us the potential to be bigger than we thought possible. Is good education really all that different than good psychotherapy?
There is a fence around a reservoir where I frequently walk Maggie. In my mind's eye I saw the words printed out and fluttering along the fence atop the hill. It is a setting that speaks directly to the challenge, hope, and difficulties of education.
Easy image to dream, somewhat more difficult to execute. It's all of eleven degrees outside and windy. Try getting paper to flutter in the right direction so you can capture a five second video, managing a puppy who wants to sled with the neighborhood children, and avoiding frost bite.
I'm editing the video and photos. I'll post them here when I am done. In the meantime, what are your five words/five seconds for education? Are they similar to what you'd describe as the potential of psychotherapy? If you you are feeling so motivated post your five on Queen Rania's website. If you are so inclined, and feel it speaks to therapy as well, send it to me and I'll post it here on my blog.
My 5 For Education
Now here is an interesting campaign for education. I follow Queen Rania on twitter and this caught my eye right away. It seems like a great way to quickly capture people's attention and have them think about an important topic. I personally am enjoying the opportunity to think about my own five for education (five words/five seconds). Watch this space for my response!
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