Depth of Life
January 9, 2012
A little about Internet Safety…
November 28, 2011
A few months ago I attended a workshop on internet safety. I was very impressed with this speaker and learned a lot more than I thought I would. I grew up during a time where computers were first coming out and was not until well after I graduated High School that they started to show up in everyone’s home. The internet was only starting to be used by universities and colleges. Internet was not something everyone had or even wanted. Now it’s pretty much in most people’s homes, schools and businesses. Internet is something we take for granted. It’s like TV remote controls are now. Yep, most of us my age can remember when we were the remote control for our parent’s TV’s!
Since now my profession is working with children I have seen many of them, including my own, not only very adapt at the internet, and computers but also their cell phones. Most cell phones now come with internet access. And if you aren’t aware of it by now you soon will be. The social world as many of us parents and now grandparents grew up in is long gone. It’s different now and we can’t change it. We can only learn to accept it and grow with it. But we need to learn how to keep ourselves and our children safe.
Anyway, my thoughts on that workshop was that if someone like me who tries to keep up with internet and social media safety did not know some of this stuff, many others do not either. Simple things such as reading the 100 pages or more of “user agreement” stuff when you sign up for any social network (SN) such as facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. need to be read or at least looked at. Just because over a million people are using it doesn’t mean it’s safe. And those User Agreements change way too often. Things I learned that really opened my eyes were that these SN’s keep everything, forever, and can always access them. When you close something or delete it, it’s not gone. In speaking with the children I work with the majority of them do not believe this. We tell them over and over but unless it’s told in a way that will affect them in some way, such as future jobs or college, they are not going to believe it. When several HS students were told that the new trend for “head hunters”, human resources in business, and even some colleges can and do hire someone to search prospective employees you should have seen their faces. They were disbelieving. Yes, there is now a new nitch out there in the job world: find and research prospective college student, possible scholarship recipient, and job applicant. These people find all those “hidden” & previously thought “deleted” pictures of them which were once posted on their favorite SN and that they might not want their parents to see, or comments they have made can be found. These days in this vast world of information, prospective employers and colleges want to know the applicant and what better way than searching those social networking sites?
There is so much about the internet that we take for granted. It can be a positive experience; keeping up with family far away, locating employment, research, finding the best prices on the newest items we want for home, and of course shopping. But we need to learn to be safe as well.
This week marks the 37th National Suicide Prevention Week.
September 6, 2011
This week marks the 37th National Suicide Prevention Week. I know this because as a child therapist I am often receiving information regarding mental health issues, especially when the issue could involve children. So, for this reason, I did some research of my own to see how much I actually knew about the subject. I want to share some facts I found and insights of my own. Suicide is something that most do not want to talk about or think about and often feel that that it won’t happen within their own family. There are way too many statistics and facts out there to list them all but the ones which I thought were the most alarming was that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among the ages of 15 – 24. Accidents are the #1 cause and homicide is the #2 cause but not by much more than suicide. Some reports indicated that every 15 minutes in the U.S., someone commits suicide with males being a higher risk than females.
Among students, 30% of those who have said they are being bullied have also reported depression and out of those 11% have thought about suicide or made attempts. What about those who are doing the bulling? 19% of those bulling others reported depression and 8% out of those have thought about or made attempts of suicide. Suicide affects all ages, genders, races and religions all over the world. Since I work with children I also found information showing that students who have good self esteem, good social skills, problem solving skills and supportive friends and family are at a lower risk for suicide than those who do not posses such skills. While it is not a total prevention it was worthy of noting.
A “suicide survivor” is the family and friends of those who are impacted by the death of a loved one by suicide. These are often the children, spouses and families of the deceased and there are, on an average, 6 survivors per death. Survivors are often left with feelings of anger, guilt, pain, self-blame, rejection, and confusion. For those who are left it is important for them to know that though they never stop missing their loved one and are forever changed, they do survive. But they may never stop asking the question “why” and often need the help of a support group or counseling to help overcome the grief.
Do you think you or someone you know may be thinking of suicide? Many times there are warning signs. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide. The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk.
• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or
having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or
in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden
to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:
• Do not leave the person alone
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
• Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
Contact one or more of the following for help
• A community mental health agency
• A school counselor or psychologist
• A suicide prevention/crisis intervention center
• A private therapist
• A family physician
• A religious/spiritual leader
Don’t think it can’t happen within your own family or friends. No one is immune. The other reason I wanted to know more is because I have lost a family member to suicide.
Want more information: contact: www.nimh.nih.gov or The Jason Foundation at www.jasonfoundation.com. Are you a suicide survivor? Here’s are some links to help: http://survivorsofsuicide.com/ and http://www.dougy.org/ .
Reference for facts were found at: www.suicidology.org
Lisa Patterson is a licensed counselor in Alabama & Florida, Nationally Certified Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist who specializes in play therapy and children’s issues. She is in private practice in Andalusia and may be contacted at 334.222.7094.
About play…..
August 30, 2011
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” – Plato
about stress
August 16, 2011
I reeived one of those “forwarded” emails today from a friend. Normally I don’t pay a lot of attention to them but this one was different and it was about Stress. Something we all deal with.
A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’….. she fooled them all… “How heavy is this glass of water?”, she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night… pick them up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you’ve rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now ‘supposed’ stress that you’ve conquered!”
Why should you seek the assistance of a professional counselor?
August 11, 2011
If participating in a support group, or reading self-help information, is all
the help you need, then that’s wonderful.
However, certain situations and difficulties are tougher to deal with.
Specialized techniques of caring have been developed which have the potential to
change your life, even when you have deep and persistent problems. This includes
the practice of psychotherapy — the intervention of a human being who has the
specialized knowledge, training, skill and experience to help.
The assistance of a professional can help you identify your needs, enabling
you to deal with them faster and more reliably through specialized treatment
techniques.
If you needed an antibiotic for an infection, you wouldn’t hesitate to go to
your doctor for the right treatment. Why deny yourself proper care for your
emotional health?
Unfortunately, most people take better care of their cars than their own
emotional health. Every once in awhile your psyche needs a tune-up too.
Believe me, a good therapist is worth every penny.
new window for waiting room
July 12, 2011
We finally got the new window put into the office waiting
room! Still needs some finishing touches
but one more thing done for the remodeling process. I’ve decided now to hold back on the “open
house” until October where it will then be my 10th year anniversary
in business! So much to do to get ready
for it! Promotional items are in. I’ll
have “green” (of course they are royal blue) shopping bags, pens, and coffee
mugs to give away at the anniversary celebration……
remodeling going well…..but slower than expected
May 6, 2011
The new, and improved playroom is almost ready. A few small touches and it will be done. New reception area is almost complete. now working on my new office space. Hopefully I will be ready to begin looking for another therapist to begin working with me in the near future.
Last of the “elevator speach”
April 11, 2011
last bit on the “elevator speach” and “about me” stuff….
My Philosophy
Children learn from their surroundings and interactions with others. Problems rarely occur in a vacuum and often change is necessary in many areas of a child’s life before positive change can occur within the child. Family members are often asked to participate in their child’s treatment.
Child’s Play Counseling Services officially opened in October 2001 on a part time basis and is now open full time from 9 – 5 most days. Some insurances are accepted.
