Therapy Handouts & Worksheets

As a therapist I am forever looking for good handouts and worksheets to use with my clients.  In my search for good worksheets/handouts I've managed to come across some GREAT web sites which offer numerous handouts to choose from depending on what specifically you need or are looking for.  I took the liberty of posting the links to some of my favorite worksheets/handouts web sites below.

Hopefully, these links can benefit you as well.

www.therapistaid.com
www.cci.health.wa.gov.au   - Click on the "workbooks" tab for this web site
www.getselfhelp.co.uk
www.psychologytools.org  - Offers CBT handouts
www.im4us.org  - "Integrated Medicine for the Underserved" - Offers numerous handouts for various health topics

www.beckinstitute.org    - Offers CBT handouts
www.iveronicawalsh.wordpress.com     - see the "Self Help Downloads" section near the bottom
www.morninglightcounseling.org    - look for the "handouts" tab
www.webs.purduecal.edu   - Look for the "Helpful Handouts for Parents" section

Thoughts Are Not Facts

I once heard a therapist say "thoughts are not facts."  She was a very wise woman.  Because thoughts and what we think produce the emotions we feel, there is a tendency to believe that the thoughts we have are true.  They are viewed as facts which should not be challenged, argued with or debated.  Actually, thoughts are usually the exact opposite.  They are more like opinions...... and we all know the cliche they say about opinions...

At any rate, many people have extremely self-destructive thoughts which they come to believe as fact.  Take the following thoughts for example, "I look fat in this (opinion)," "She'll never go out with me (opinion)," "I'm such a looser (opinion)," and the list could go on and on.  Because these thoughts produce intense emotions it is easy to misconstrue them as being factual truth.  The emotions they produce make them seem even more believable.  Typically, it's just a matter of time before a person comes to believe that others around them have the same negative view.  It's difficult to get past these thoughts, much less challenge them by asking where the evidence is that supports them.

For example, what evidence is their that you are a looser? Where's the evidence that you 'look fat' in this?  Or better yet, if you haven't asked a girl out yet then where's the evidence she will say no?  Often the answer to these questions is where the process of something called cognitive behavioral therapy begins.  Our thoughts often stem from our beliefs.  These beliefs influence the way we percieve and view things which leads to the thoughts we have which produces our emotions which influences the way we behave... whew!... It's like a stack of dominoes and when one falls in the right direction the others will come crashing down too.

There is however, one major thing to remember when these hurtful thoughts come through our brains... Thoughts are NOT facts.

Eating Dirt.....

December of 2011 has finally arrived.  iPhone 4's are exploding, the Santa Ana winds are hammering the west coast and among other odd news hospitalizations for eating dirt has increased.  Yes, there are no typos there.....hospitals have reported an increase in the number of patients being treated after eating non-nutritive substances.



It's called Pica.  Individuals with Pica feel compelled to eat substances such as dirt, chalk, toilet paper and other items.  I have also seen individuals with this disorder eat hair and denim.  Those who eat things such as hair and denim will often seek hospital treatment as the body isn't capable of digesting these things.

These individuals experience their "desire" to eat these items as almost one of compulsion.  I suppose you could say it is similar in some ways to that of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in that sometimes they obsess over eating the item and then feel compelled to eat with may temporarily relieve the obsessive thoughts or anxiety.  At any rate.... you can see where this has the potential to be a real medical emergency.



Patients most likely to experience this are children, pregnant women and those with Autism.  Other individuals may also eat non-nutritive substances requiring hospitalization but they do so for different reasons.  For example, a dementia patient who believes a plastic piece of fruit is a real one or either an individual with an intellectual disability who may do the same thing.

Amongst exploding iPhone 4's, west coast winds and other strange news.... Pica is on the rise and the DSM-V will hopefully offer some insight into this disorder although it isn't scheduled for release until May 2013.

Black Friday



Thanksgiving conjures up images of thankfullness, family, eating turkey.... and then..... "Black Friday."  A day after everyone has gathered to give thanks, they gather again, in long lines, parking lots and outside the doors (of whichever retailer who has yet to open) to shop for deals and kick off the Christmas season.



Sadly, it is also the perfect example of what can happen when the demand for a product vastly out numbers its supply.  So far, store associates have been trampeled to death, mace and pepper spray have been used along with stun guns.... and we can't even begin to include the numerous fights, grabbing, snatching, yanking and pulling that ensues as consumers grapple for their items.

Part of this frenzy and mayham can be attributed to the retailers who have high demand items at extremely low prices but with one major dilema... a very limited supply.  Shoppers realize the supply is limited and their need and/or desire to secure these items sometimes trumps logic as they resort to petty, criminal and sometimes lethal means to obtain the goods.

The amount of aggressiveness used to purchase some of these not so necessary items makes me wonder what exactly would happen if the items in demand were, in fact, necessary.  I wonder what would happen if the demand for food or medicine drastically exceeded the supply? Would people resort to lethal or deadly means to secure items which are necessary?  It makes one ponder whether or not mankind has become so unthankful and insensitive that they are willing to trample on others all for the sake of a good deal on an item they probably don't even need to begin with.

As black friday adds continue with stores opening earlier than ever and some even on Thanksgiving day it is unlikely that this will change any time soon.  I would imagine that in the near future security guards as well as police departments will become increasingly involved in order to keep order within the public.

Social Intelligence

Social Intelligence

What is it about social intelligence that some people get and others don't?  Those who are considered to be "socially intelligent" often seem to "walk among the rain drops".... excuse the pun.  If you are extroverted, social and able to navigate complex social situations with relative ease you may indeed be someone who ranks pretty high on the scale of social intelligence.  One scale used to measure this capacity in individuals is the George Washington Social Intelligence Test (GWSIT).  There are several subtests to this scale and they include the categories of

1) Judgment in Social Situations;



2) Memory for Names and Faces;


3) Observation of Human Behavior;


4) Recognition of the Mental States Behind Words;


5) Recognition of Mental States from Facial Expression;


6) Social Information; and


7) Sense of Humor:



I suppose whether or not you consider the following categories to be indicative of social intelligence is a matter of opinion.  Many professionals have since scrutinized the (GWSIT)  because of its strong correlation to abstract intelligence.  J.P. Guilford researched the topic and developed his Structure of Intellect Model which postulated there were approximately 120 different "intellectual abilities."

At any rate, however the concept is measured, it would be nice if these skills could be taught, either in school at some point or at the local college.  Not that this is likely to happen any time soon but it would sure be nice for individuals such as myself.  With this in mind, I took the liberty to google what can be done to help those (such as myself) who are socially inept.  This is where I discovered the work of another blogger who beat me to the finish line.

I'm not sure what the rules are when it comes to using another blogger's name and/or work on your own blog so I thought I'd include the web address and allow you to read for yourself some fantastic ideas for developing social intelligence.

 http://minorquestionsoflife.blogspot.com/2008/12/thorndike-in-1920-divided-intelligence.html

Finding Your Personality

          I recently purchased a book written by authors Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson titled "Personality Types: Using The Enneagram For Self-Discovery."  I have to say... it was actually a very intersting book in regards to personality and can be very informative if you find yourself dealing with difficult and challenging individuals.  The Enneagram is a tool used to explain the different and various personality types.  Further, it goes on to explain that their are nine different levels to each of the personalities.  The first three levels are considered to be "healthy" while the middle three levels are considered to be "average," and the last three levels of the personality describe the "unhealthy" characteristics of the personality.

          Each of the personalities belong to a Triad.  There are three "triads" the first of which is "The Feeling Triad" consisting of Personality Two: The Helper, Personality Three: The Motivator, and Personality Four: The Individualist.  The second triad is "The Thinking Triad" which consists of Personality Five: The Investigator, Personality Six: The Loyalist, and Personality Seven: The Enthusiast.  The third triad is considered to be "The Instinctive Triad" which consists of Personality Eight: The Leader, Personality Nine: The Peacemaker and Personality One: The Reformer.

          In brief, each of the personality types possesses characteristics which are unique to that personality.  The author also goes on to explain why some personalities are prone to experiencing neurotic and psychotic type behaviors.  He elaborates in detail with why some individuals experience sever anxiety and depression and why some may decompensate to a state of utter psychosis, completely absorbed with their delusions and hallucinations.

          Although I don't necessarily think it's precise or exact to lump individuals into one of nine categories the authors make a compelling argument by using the Enneagram (pronounced ANY-uh-gram) to explain personality types as well as how the fit with the current DSM manual and other forms of mainstream therapies.

The Psychopaths Among Us

          Occasionally, as I navigate the world that is cyber space, I come across an article that completely nauseates me and then, infuriates me.  Such was the case when I came across an article about Robin Greinke.  A 26 year old Illinois woman who, along with her boyfriend, 33 year old Steven Neil, beat her 3 year old son (yes three) Noah Fake to death for wetting his pants.  They then sat down to a pizza dinner, drank beer and watched a movie.

           Later in the night the mother called authorities to report that "her son was wheezing" and that "she couldn't sleep."  Medics initially believed he was suffering from Meningitis due to the bruising but an autopsy later confirmed he had actually died of blunt force trauma to the head.  Robin Greinke then admitted they had beaten, tossed and punched three year old Noah Fake for wetting his pants.  Robin Greinke beat him for approximately an hour after which her boyfriend then stepped in to continue the beating for another hour.

          I can not imagine what little Three year old Noah endured during his last moments of life.  Although I'd like to believe that he was surrounded by the loving comfort of God and His angels as Noah obviously could not have experienced the loving comfort of a mother.  Not only does my heart ache for Noah, my mind races in an effort to determine what type of person could do such a thing?

          The only answer I can muster for such a question is that there are obviously psychopaths amongst us.  They are raising children, working in our communities and in some cases even attending our churches (as was the case of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer).  The one glaring trait of a true psychopath is a blatant disregard for the rights of others.  The traits that allow most psychopaths to perform unspeakable acts on others are two fold 1) they are often impulsive and fail to plan ahead and 2) they are often irritable and aggressive.  The formula of aggressiveness combined with impulsivity and a blatant disregard for the rights of others makes a perfect recipe for disaster.

          Psychopaths (also known as Antisocial Personality Disorder) often display a lack of empathy for others and have an inflated sense of self.  It is not unusual for them to display grandiose behaviors or even appear cocky and self-assured.  They are typically consistently irresponsible, especially when it comes to job responsibilities or those of raising children.

          In short.... they are members and citizens of society and at times, when the circumstances align themselves accordingly... their explosive, unempathetic nature, rears its ugly head and most of the time, it is the innocent, who are caught in their crosshairs.