Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes

Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes

Counselors, coaches and sober companions help hundreds of thousands of people affected by Addictions and Mental Health issues each year. Learn about the current research and practical counseling tools to improve your skills and provide the best possible services. Counselor Toolbox targets counselors, coaches and companions, but can also provide useful counseling self-help tools for persons struggling with these issues and their loved ones. AllCEUs is an approved counseling continuing education provider for addiction and mental health counselors in most states. Counseling CEUs are available for each episode.

  1. The Relapse Trap_ H.A.L.T. Warning Signs Exposed

    1日前

    The Relapse Trap_ H.A.L.T. Warning Signs Exposed

    1. Introduction to H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T.: Mnemonic for four major relapse triggers: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These states make individuals more susceptible to stress, which can lead to relapse in various aspects of life (addiction, mental health, etc.). 2. Hunger – Physical and Beyond Physical Hunger: Basic need for food, water, pain relief. Broader Meaning: Desire for emotional, interpersonal, and cognitive fulfillment. Spiritual Aspect: Hunger for connection with others who share similar values and beliefs. 3. Anger and Anxiety – Fight or Flight Responses Anger as a Response: Linked to a perceived threat and vulnerability. Effects: Prolonged anger can cause systemic inflammation, poor sleep, and lead to relapse. Management: Recognizing anger and anxiety, using distress tolerance skills to prevent escalation. 4. Loneliness – Disconnection and Fear of Rejection Loneliness Rooted in Disconnection: Can stem from fear of rejection, lack of external validation, or diminished self-worth. Impact on Recovery: Isolation in addiction recovery or physical limitations can trigger loneliness, leading to a higher risk of relapse. 5. Tiredness – Physical and Emotional Exhaustion Physical Exhaustion: Obvious need for rest and recovery. Emotional and Cognitive Exhaustion: Overthinking or dealing with unresolved emotional issues can lead to fatigue. Recovery Strategy: Balance rest and proactive recovery actions to prevent burnout and relapse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 小時 1 分鐘
  2. Expert Advice for Navigating Family Changes

    11月19日

    Expert Advice for Navigating Family Changes

    Introduction Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes discusses helping families navigate life transitions using the Flower Empower Model. The focus is on understanding how various transitions impact both individuals and families, emphasizing the importance of supportive partnerships between clinicians and families. Defining Life Transitions What Are Life Transitions?: Transitions can be both positive (e.g., getting married, having a baby) and negative (e.g., divorce, illness). Regardless, they can cause stress. Impact on Families: Each family member is affected differently during transitions, such as moving, illness, or marriage. These changes require both individual and collective adjustment. The Flower Empower Model Core Concept: The model emphasizes the clinician-family partnership, where clinicians work with families to assess needs and foster a supportive environment. Vision and Values: The focus is on respect, individual definitions of family, and recognizing the diverse needs of family members during transitions. Principles of the Model: Emphasizes care, empathy, responsibility, and safety in supporting families through transitions. Common Life Transitions Marriage and Divorce: These significant life changes impact everyone in the family, requiring adaptation and emotional support. Illness and Caregiving: Chronic illness (e.g., cancer, Alzheimer’s) introduces new caregiving needs and role shifts within the family. Moving: Relocation brings stress related to loss of familiar environments, support systems, and routines, impacting children and adults alike. Challenges of Life Transitions Loss and Grief: Every transition involves loss, whether it’s time, friendships, or lifestyle changes. Grieving these losses is part of the adjustment process. Stress Management: Families must learn to manage the stress that comes with change, as well as the ripple effects it creates within the family unit. The Role of Clinicians Partnership and Support: Clinicians play a key role in facilitating family transitions by assessing needs, offering resources, and providing emotional support. Education and Advocacy: Families often need help navigating systems (e.g., health care, resources). Clinicians assist in linking families to appropriate services. Conclusion The Flower Empower Model offers a comprehensive framework for guiding families through life transitions. By fostering strong clinician-family partnerships and addressing both individual and collective needs, families can navigate transitions with greater resilience and support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 分鐘
  3. Psychological Abuse & Trauma Bonds in Codependency _  Interview with Lindsay Villandry (Part 1)

    11月14日

    Psychological Abuse & Trauma Bonds in Codependency _ Interview with Lindsay Villandry (Part 1)

    Introduction Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes discusses psychological abuse, trauma, and the healing process. The focus is on different forms of abuse, relational trauma, and their long-lasting impacts on mental health and interpersonal relationships. Types of Abuse Forms of Abuse: Abuse can be emotional, physical, financial, or sexual. Emotional abuse and neglect are particularly harmful, often having more severe long-term effects than physical abuse. Impact of Words: Hurtful words from significant others or caregivers can have deep emotional consequences. Victims may start doubting their own self-worth, questioning their perceptions of love and safety. Relational Trauma and Hypervigilance Relational Trauma: Emotional abuse leaves individuals feeling unsafe and powerless, affecting their ability to form healthy relationships. Hypervigilance: Survivors of trauma often become hyper-aware, constantly scanning for threats in relationships and interpreting benign actions as harmful. Psychological Manipulation: Gaslighting Gaslighting Defined: A form of manipulation where the abuser tries to make the victim doubt their own reality, making them feel crazy or powerless. Example: The victim might feel confused and question their own memory or sanity when told that their version of events never happened. Trauma and Addictive Relationships Addictive Behaviors: Trauma often leads to addictive behaviors, not just with substances but also with relationships. People may remain in harmful relationships despite negative consequences, mirroring the cycle of substance addiction. Emotional Attachment: Addictive relationships can be illogical, where individuals keep returning to toxic relationships because of emotional trauma, even when it’s harmful. Narcissism and Personality Disorders Narcissism vs. Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Narcissistic traits and behaviors, while common, do not necessarily mean someone has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). True NPD involves grandiosity, lack of empathy, and a tendency to manipulate others for personal gain. Behavior as Communication: Narcissistic behaviors may communicate insecurity, fear, or the need for validation, and are often misunderstood as purely selfish or arrogant. Attachment Theory and Personality Development Attachment Styles: Early relationships with caregivers shape attachment styles, which influence how individuals form relationships later in life. Anxious Attachment: Involves constantly seeking validation from others. Avoidant Attachment: Results from neglect or criticism, leading individuals to avoid emotional closeness. Disorganized Attachment: A combination of anxious and avoidant tendencies, often developed from inconsistent caregiving. Impact of Insecure Attachment: When children experience inconsistent or neglectful caregiving, they struggle to form secure attachments, leading to emotional difficulties as adults. Trauma and Personality Disorders Personality Disorders and Trauma: Personality disorders, like NPD or borderline personality disorder, often stem from early childhood trauma and chaotic environments. These disorders are coping mechanisms developed to survive difficult situations. Healing and Recovery Healing Through Self-Awareness: Understanding attachment styles, trauma, and the effects of emotional abuse is the first step in healing. Enmeshment and Boundaries: Enmeshment, where caregivers overly control a child’s thoughts and emotions, can lead to difficulties in forming autonomy. Healing involves learning to set boundaries and develop a healthy sense of self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 分鐘
  4. Overcoming Adversity_ Resilience Tips Unveiled

    11月12日

    Overcoming Adversity_ Resilience Tips Unveiled

    Introduction Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes introduces the concepts of hardiness and resilience. Hardiness and resilience are essential for coping with stress and bouncing back from adversity. The goal is to explore ways to strengthen these traits through various psychological tools and practices. Defining Resilience and Hardiness Resilience: The capacity to bounce back from challenges, much like a beach ball rising to the surface when pushed underwater. Hardiness: A psychological toolkit that helps foster resilience, consisting of three components: Commitment, Control, and Challenge (the "Three Cs"). Characteristics of Resilient Individuals Awareness of Vulnerabilities: Resilient people recognize and minimize their physical, emotional, and mental vulnerabilities. Secure Attachment: Strong relationships with self and others; reliance on internal validation, not external approval. Healthy Self-Esteem: They do not depend on others for validation and maintain a positive sense of self-worth. Self-Awareness: Just like maintaining a car, awareness of personal needs and stress levels helps prevent burnout or breakdown. Self-Efficacy: A belief in one's ability to influence outcomes and handle adversity effectively. Hardiness: The Foundation for Resilience Commitment: Being deeply involved and committed to important aspects of life, like family, work, or personal values, helps in maintaining perspective during tough times. Control: Focusing on what can be controlled rather than wasting energy on what cannot be changed. Challenge: Viewing difficulties as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles. Enhancing Resilience Acceptance: Resilient individuals accept the reality of situations, focusing on what they can control and how to move forward. Problem-Solving Skills: Flexibility in problem-solving is key to resilience. This includes thinking outside the box when a standard solution isn’t available. Distress Tolerance: Learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions without acting impulsively is crucial for maintaining balance. Managing Energy and Vulnerabilities Energy Management: Like a smartphone battery, energy is limited and must be conserved. Poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress all drain energy, making it harder to bounce back. Physical and Emotional Stressors: Awareness of environmental, physical, and emotional triggers helps individuals manage their vulnerabilities and maintain balance. Building Resilience in Everyday Life Interpersonal Relationships: A strong social support system is crucial, but relationships also require energy. Setting boundaries with others is essential to prevent burnout. Cognitive Strategies: Resilient people practice optimism, avoid catastrophic thinking, and focus on practical, positive problem-solving. Conclusion Resilience is not about eliminating stress but learning to manage it effectively. With awareness, acceptance, and the practice of problem-solving, individuals can enhance their ability to bounce back from life’s challenges. The PIECES model (Physical, Interpersonal, Emotional, Cognitive, Environmental, and Spiritual) helps guide a comprehensive approach to resilience-building. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 小時 5 分鐘
  5. Changing Expectations_ How Beliefs Impact Mental Health

    11月7日

    Changing Expectations_ How Beliefs Impact Mental Health

    Introduction Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes discusses the impact of schemas on anxiety and depression. The presentation explores how schemas (mental shortcuts or belief systems) are formed, how they affect the mind-body connection, and strategies to address unhelpful schemas. Understanding Schema Definition: Schemas are mental representations or beliefs about people, events, or places formed from past experiences. They help predict future situations based on these past experiences. Example: Driving to a stoplight – based on previous experience, you know a yellow light signals that it will soon turn red. Similarly, life experiences shape our expectations in relationships, work, and personal safety. Formation and Impact of Schema Schemas develop from cultural messages, personal experiences, and interpretations of those experiences. Over time, schemas may become inaccurate or outdated, leading to faulty predictions. Trauma: Trauma can lead to schemas where individuals feel powerless and unsafe, contributing to chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. These schemas can cause overgeneralization, making a person feel like no one is trustworthy or that no place is safe. Negative Impact on Health: Chronic stress from faulty schemas affects the gut microbiome, alters neurotransmitter levels, and impairs sleep, exacerbating mental health issues. Addressing Faulty Schemas Cognitive Restructuring: Identifying faulty schemas and challenging their accuracy in the present context is essential. For instance, realizing that past experiences may not accurately reflect current realities helps reduce anxiety. Distress Tolerance: Learning how to manage emotional distress enables individuals to avoid automatic, stress-based responses, allowing them to make better decisions in the moment. Environmental and Situational Analysis: By acknowledging that not all situations or people are the same, individuals can adjust their schema based on new, more accurate information. Examples of Faulty Schemas Generalization: Previous negative experiences with authority figures (e.g., doctors or law enforcement) can lead to a generalized distrust, even when the current situation may be safe. Self-Schema: Individuals may develop beliefs about their self-worth and competence based on negative feedback from past relationships, leading to anxiety and depression in current situations. Safety Schema: Children or adults with a history of trauma may develop hypervigilant responses to everyday situations, constantly interpreting them as dangerous due to ingrained safety-related schemas. Strategies for Schema Modification Schema Awareness: Recognizing when a schema is being triggered by monitoring emotional reactions. Schema Journaling: Writing down experiences and examining whether the schema applied to the situation was accurate, helps in modifying outdated beliefs. Therapist Support: Professionals can guide individuals through the process of schema identification and restructuring, helping them replace maladaptive beliefs with more constructive ones. Conclusion Schemas are powerful lenses through which we interpret the world. While they provide mental shortcuts, they often need to be revised as we gain new information or encounter new situations. Through cognitive restructuring, distress tolerance, and a supportive therapeutic environment, individuals can modify unhelpful schemas, leading to improved mental health and resilience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 小時 2 分鐘
  6. Transform Your Mental Health with the PIECES Method

    11月5日

    Transform Your Mental Health with the PIECES Method

    Introduction Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes introduces the PIECES model for understanding mental health and life balance. The PIECES model examines six key dimensions of life: Physical, Interpersonal, Emotional, Cognitive, Environmental, and Spiritual. The aim is to look beyond singular or dual approaches to treatment by considering how these dimensions interact. PIECES Model Overview Physical Dimension: Health, energy, and pain management impact overall mood and cognitive function. Chronic conditions or poor health exacerbate mental health issues. Interpersonal Dimension: Relationships, attachment, and social support are key to emotional stability. Healthy attachment increases neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin, contributing to better moods and higher pain tolerance. Emotional Dimension: Addressing distress tolerance, regulation, and emotional intelligence is essential. Negative emotions like anger, guilt, and resentment need to be understood and managed effectively. Cognitive Dimension: Thoughts based on past traumas or outdated schemas contribute to ongoing distress. Cognitive distortions can throw hormones and neurotransmitters out of balance, affecting mental and physical health. Environmental Dimension: Factors like light, air quality, and temperature directly impact mood and energy. Simple changes in environment, like improving light exposure or reducing pollutants, can improve mental health. Spiritual Dimension: Connection to one’s values and a sense of belonging play a significant role in mental health. Misalignment between values and behavior can lead to moral injury and feelings of isolation. Issues with Current Treatment Approaches Many current treatment methods, such as antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), show limited effectiveness, helping only 40-60% of patients. Medications like antidepressants, while helpful, do not work for everyone and often leave a significant percentage of patients still struggling. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; many people benefit more from multidimensional approaches than from medication alone. Interaction of PIECES Dr. Snipes emphasizes the bidirectional interaction between the PIECES dimensions. For example: Pain affects mood, which increases inflammation, worsening the pain. Anxiety makes it difficult to implement cognitive-behavioral strategies, particularly during high-stress periods. Treating just one dimension (like prescribing medication for mood) may not be enough without addressing other contributing factors, such as lifestyle, physical health, and environmental stressors. The Role of Counselors and Therapists Multidisciplinary Referrals: It’s essential for therapists to work with other professionals (e.g., dieticians, physical therapists) to address a client’s physical health and environmental factors. Therapeutic Relationship: The bond between client and therapist is more crucial than any specific technique in achieving long-term success. Client-Centered Approach: Dr. Snipes stresses the importance of involving clients in their treatment plan, empowering them to decide what dimensions of their life they are most motivated to address. Conclusion The PIECES model encourages a holistic, transdiagnostic approach to mental health, recognizing that multiple life dimensions interact to contribute to distress. By focusing on personalized, multi-dimensional treatment plans, therapists can help clients achieve more meaningful, sustainable improvement in their mental health and overall well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 小時 2 分鐘
  7. Flex Your Mind_ Techniques for Psychological Strength

    10月31日

    Flex Your Mind_ Techniques for Psychological Strength

    Introduction Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes discusses psychological flexibility. Key focus: defining, applying, and identifying strategies for psychological flexibility. What is Psychological Flexibility? Acceptance of the present moment: Recognizing and accepting emotions and situations as they are. Purposeful Action: Making conscious choices that align with personal goals and values. Reciprocity of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors: Understanding how they influence each other. Challenges in Implementing Psychological Flexibility Impact of Trauma: Trauma can make it hard to feel safe and accept the present moment. Resistance to Change: Often due to fear, lack of energy, or a belief that the current state is safer. Steps to Foster Psychological Flexibility Define a Rich and Meaningful Life: Clarify what a fulfilling life looks like (e.g., relationships, health, hobbies). Use visual aids like collages to represent goals. Identify and Nurture Key Relationships: Prioritize self-care and significant others. Recognize and address aspects of relationships that cause distress. Clarify Values: Determine which values will guide decisions. Visualize energy allocation like managing a cell phone battery. Coping Strategies and Behavioral Adjustments Avoid Energy-Draining Activities: Unproductive coping mechanisms like avoidance or numbing behaviors. Focus on Energy-Enhancing Behaviors: Engage in activities that build toward personal goals and values. Managing Distress and Negative Emotions Accept and Sit with Emotions: Acknowledge feelings without judgment and focus on what can be controlled. Avoiding Cognitive Distortions: Challenge thoughts that are exaggerated or unhelpful. Practical Applications Daily Mindfulness: Start the day with intention, focusing on actions that align with goals. Positive Triggers: Incorporate elements in the environment that promote happiness and well-being. Implementing Psychological Flexibility Shortcut Question: Ask, "Are my current thoughts, feelings, and actions moving me closer to or further away from my goals and values?" Conclusion Commitment to Purposeful Action: Focus on using energy to move toward goals rather than getting stuck in unproductive behaviors or thoughts. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Teaching Psychological Flexibility 00:06:54 - Improving Relationships Through Communication and Energy Management 00:13:38 - Using Energy to Achieve Goals 00:20:21 - Letting Go of Negative Emotions 00:26:45 - Understanding the Importance of Alignment 00:33:35 - Purposeful vs. Purposeless Behavior 00:40:40 - The Fallacy of Control and Change 00:47:38 - Building Happiness through Purposeful Actions 00:54:40 - Choosing the Right Response 01:01:06 - Embracing the situation and taking action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 小時 3 分鐘

關於

Counselors, coaches and sober companions help hundreds of thousands of people affected by Addictions and Mental Health issues each year. Learn about the current research and practical counseling tools to improve your skills and provide the best possible services. Counselor Toolbox targets counselors, coaches and companions, but can also provide useful counseling self-help tools for persons struggling with these issues and their loved ones. AllCEUs is an approved counseling continuing education provider for addiction and mental health counselors in most states. Counseling CEUs are available for each episode.

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