Hypnotherapy for Remembering a Traumatic Event

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Hypnotherapy for remembering a traumatic event

When some people experience a traumatic event, they repress that memory far back in their mind so they don’t have to think about it. This can result in not even remembering the trauma for most people. Unfortunately, repressing a bad event in the back of the mind can result in a lot of future problems. Each person is different, but the mind normally works in similar ways for most people. Hypnotherapy for remembering a traumatic event can be very useful.
Suppressed memories could manifest themselves into making an adult obese, untrustworthy or even a criminal. Sometimes traumatic events can subconsciously change the way a person thinks, which is why these issues arise. There are a lot of people who walk around having absolutely no idea that they had a traumatic event happen in their past. Getting help is important for anyone that wants to recover from issues they are having in the present.

 How Hypnotherapy for Remembering a Traumatic Event Works

When someone goes to therapy like this, otherwise known as regression therapy, they will be put in a relaxed state. This isn’t like hypnosis that is seen on television when someone has to walk around and act like a chicken. The Hypnotherapist will gradually work up to accessing different memories. This works much like a tape recorder does since most memories will be played back with vivid detail. The patient will still be awake and able to respond, but they will be accessing different parts of their memory.
Normally these memories are huge events that happened during childhood. This could mean being raped, being abused, having a family member die or a number of other things. The therapist is going to ask questions that will lead to the patient remembering these things from their past. Sometimes it can be too much for them to handle; which means it could take several sessions to fully get the entire story. When the patient is woken up out of the relaxed state, they will be able to remember all the memories they pulled from their past.

 How Hypnotherapy can help Someone?

This therapy can help people navigate through their past and find out why they act the way they do today. For example, some people who are dangerously obese eat their feelings because they were raped in the past. Instead of dealing with the emotions of being physically abused, they repressed all of them and started eating. Normally this is a gradual weight gain that is obvious from right after the abuse happened. This is just one example of how trauma can affect someone without them even knowing it. There are a lot of other ways this can affect each individual and change their life. In fact, many serial killers have pasts that involved traumatic events. These events and not dealing with their emotions are what make them so violent and unhinged.
Being able to work out feelings with a therapist is extremely important. Once all the memories have been brought to the conscious mind, they can start to work themselves out. The therapist is going to work with their patient to determine what needs to be done. It is going to take many sessions for most people to come to terms with the events that happened in their past. Talking out these things can make a big difference with the way someone acts in the present and future. Most patients end up shedding a lot of tears and feeling relief by letting these memories come to surface.
Therapy can result in a person having a better attitude, not being violent, quitting certain behaviors and so much more. The patient is able to talk out memories and feelings, which is probably something they weren’t able to do in the past. The therapist is going to ask a lot of questions and become an active role in their life. Having a safe space where the patient can talk about their trauma is extremely important when it comes to the healing process. After the emotions from the past have been worked out, the future can become a lot brighter. It does take a while to re-build, but it can be done with the help of a therapist. Without hypnotherapy it might be impossible for some individuals to remember any trauma at all.
Interested in learning more, click this link: Hypnotherapy

Legal Nurse Consulting: Expert Witness

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Legal Nurse Consulting: The Nurse as Expert Witness

Exploring The Nurse As An Expert Witness

It is not unusual for an attorney to utilize a nurse as an expert witness when the malpractice issue involves another nurse. There was a time when the attorney would have sought this information from a physician, but times have changed, and many states have ruled that expert testimony about a nurse should come from a nurse. The need for expert nurse witnesses is growing, and the job is not as easy as some might expect. The requirements to be an expert witness are many, and the job responsibilities are even more demanding once received. Let us explore the journey to becoming a nurse as an expert witness.

 The Nurse

The registered nurse is a highly sought after profession that involves providing personal health care to patients in a wide range of health care applications. To be a nurse one must complete the educational requirements necessary for specific specialties and degrees. There are various levels of credentials that can be earned in nursing that cover some 200 areas of certification. The more credentials a nurse have the better should they desire to become an expert witness.

 The Nurse As An Expert Witness

Some believe that an Expert Witness Nurse must be credentialed as a Legal Nurse Consultant. However, the two are not necessarily the same. The legal nurse consultant may well be an expert nurse witness. But, conceivably, any nurse may serve as an expert witness in a malpractice case and deliver an expert opinion.  An expert witness must maintain all of their existing credentials, qualifications, and be clinically active at the time of testifying. It is best if the nurse is certified, and current on the most recent procedures and related information. The basic mission of the expert witness is to conduct a review of the case and decide if the case should be pursued.
Should witness testimony be required from the nurse, they would utilize their experience, training to provide a scientific and technical opinion on whether or not there were deviations in the heath care standards surrounding the issue involved. Some malpractice areas where the expert witness nurse might be required include falls, misuse of medication, bedsores, or any deviation in the nurses function of adhering to applicable health care standards.
The expert witness is often used to show that the patient was not protected because a colleague administered substandard care. They may also determine if charts were accurately filled out, and to report incompetence by the nurse involved in the issue.

 The Role Of A Nurse As An Expert Witness

The expert nurse will review all records associated with the medical issue in question, and then provide their professional opinion to the retained attorney, as to whether or not the given case should be pursued. This requires a great deal of research to ensure the expert can see all aspects of the case clearly. In most cases the expert will review the Administrative Code of the Board of Nursing for the state in which the issue occurred. Any pertinent information discovered by the expert witness should only be provided to the attorney on the case.
Many states ask that a Certificate of Merit be filed by the expert witness. This will be used by the state to determine if the case should be pursued. The expert will either need to deliver a written or oral report on their opinion. They may need to gather information involving the relevant standards regarding the issue in question. All information must be handled with care. Court decisions have been decided all too often because paperwork was mishandled or filing dates were not met. The expert must be prepared for extensive questioning on the stand in reference to their credentials and professional opinion.
It can easily be determined that the responsibilities of an nurse as an expert witness is not easy in any form or fashion. These expert witnesses can earn a lot of money for their efforts, but they develop a sound reputation for honesty, and sustain the credentials to back up their testimony. Whether they work for the defense or the prosecution, it is imperative that their homework has been done. A malpractice decision may very well rest on the expert opinion they provide.
Registered Nurses may learn more about doing expert witness work as well as legal nurse consulting by access information: click here.

Legal Nurse and HIPPA

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Legal Nurse Consulting Corner

HIPPA Privacy Rules In Simple Terms

HIPPA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act, which was passed into United States law in the year 1996 under the mandate of President Bill Clinton, is intended to do several things at the same time. HIPPA is a very complex act that can seem inaccessible and difficult to understand to patients, entities and even some physicians. HIPPA privacy rules for health care are simply, when it comes down to it, a federal law used to protect patients from their information being used or released without their consent to other entities. This article discusses issues related to HIPPA as a review for practicing legal nurse consultants.

What Is Covered Under HIPPA

All your medical charts, your medical history, any conversation you might have with a medical professional, your billing information and any information on your insurance company’s computer systems are all protected by HIPPA from being shared to anyone unless it is necessary to do so.

When Is It Necessary?

When it comes to your care, if you are ever in an emergency, HIPPA allows for your medical history and information to be shared. Your information can be shared with your family or other caretakers, but you can stop this by putting a request in writing. Health professional are also allow it to be shared for billing, to protect the public’s health (if they think you might have an infectious or highly contagious disease, like the virus that causes SARS) or for the police to make reports on wounds. Doctors are not allowed by law to share any of this information with your employer and the information cannot be given to third parties that would use it for marketing or advertising.

Who Is Governed by HIPPA?

Not all health organizations that you are involved it will answer to HIPPA. Doctors, hospitals and insurance companies will, but if any other companies have your information like the place where you purchased life insurance, your employer, your school or even state agents, they do not have to abide by HIPPA.

What Are You Entitled To?

You can see your health records whenever you want, but you must submit a written request to get this done. You must say how you are going to use this information and who is going to see it. You may be charged for copies of your records.

What is a HIPPA form?

Health care providers need to inform patients how their information will be used and could possibly be shared. Health care providers must also ensure that the patient is always aware of his or her rights. This would usually be done in a HIPPA form. This is a document written in simple and straightforward language and it should ensure that the individual knows of his or her right to complain about any information being shared regarding medical records.

What Constitutes As A HIPPA Violation?

You might be accidentally violating HIPPA if you show your own medical records to a friend after having obtained them. Doctors and health insurance companies might be committing one if they are discussing your condition verbally or in a written form without your consent. A good indication of a HIPPA violation is if your medical records have been accessed too many times – this can happen due to curiosity and patients with very rare conditions are particularly vulnerable to this type of HIPPA violation.
Since its start, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) has been a rather controversial law. Although many patients like the protection it provides, it can be difficult for physicians to make the right judgment calls when they do not have all the information available to make a difficult decision. There can be a court summons of someone’s medical records, but this is a complicated and very long process that hinders how effectively doctors can do their job.
It has also affected some medical researches because they are no longer allowed to look at statistical data on medical charts to provide a historical sample of significance in their studies. This means that doing a historical study of a particular type of disorder or disease could be near impossible.
Additionally, HIPPA is very complicated and it can be quite difficult to follow. That is why many people in the health industry need to have extensive training when it comes to it. Many legal nurses are well versed in HIPPA and provide consultations to health care organizations regarding the many issues involved in the Act. They also provide staff education and training seminars related to HIPPA issues. To learn more about legal nurse consulting, access here.

How To Deal With Grieving Children When A Pet Dies

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Pet Loss Grief

The final ending of life is death. This concept may be easy to grasp but its effect may leave people devastated. The bond between children and their pets are unique and special. For a child his pet may provide companionship, love, entertainment, friendship etc. A child may consider his pet to be the closest living thing with which he can share his secrets, emotions, thoughts and such other feelings. Pets for children may be a perfect example of unconditional love, affection and loyalty. Children generally spend a lot of time with their pets, like playing with them, going for a walk with them, sleeping with them, watching television with them and so on. When the beloved pet of a child dies the special bond that they shared is broken and the child does not know how to tackle the situation. This article offers some suggestions for how to deal with grieving children when a pet dies.
Parents may ask how to deal with grieving children when a pet dies? The reality is there is no definite answer to this question as different children may react in different manner, depending upon the depth of the relationship that they shared with their pets, their age, and personality. A child on the death of his pet may feel sad, guilty, depressed, lonely, angry, betrayed and anxious, all at the same time. Such a situation is very tough for a child to handle and parents must provide the utmost support, understanding and sympathy.

 Feelings of Grief

In order to comfort their children parents should not give them false hopes, or try to replace the old pet with a similar looking one. The death of the pet may be a good time to reveal the true facts about life. The example of changing seasons can be a good way to make a child understand about life and death. The spring season can be compared with birth and winter season with death. Small children at first may not be ready to accept the truth and they may ask numerous questions. It is very important to answer these questions with patience and honesty.

After the death of their pets some children may exhibit drastic behavioral changes like getting angry regarding trivial matters, isolation from friends and family etc. Parents should note these changes and take time to talk with their children. Children should be encouraged to speak about their emotions, to express their fears and sorrows. Criticizing or judging a child for his reactions may not give favorable results. Grief is the natural outcome of the death of a loved one; therefore children should not feel ashamed to cry as it is a natural process to vent such feelings.

Parents must involve their children and ask for their suggestions regarding the funeral or memorial service for their pets. Family members and friends can write special massages regarding the good moments that they had spent with the pet. The child whose pet has died can be encouraged to write a good bye letter to his pet. It is very essential to make the child realize that the pet was loved by the entire family and everyone is sorry about the loss. Parents often have video recordings of special times that their children have spent with their pets. Showing such recordings can bring back the sweet memories which can be comforting for the child.

 Strategies to Deal with Pet Grief

Drawing pictures of the pet, placing a headstone at the site of burial, planting small plants in memory of the pet, donating money to charity for animals etc. are activities that a child can do in memory of his dead pet. Children may have their own ideas of what would give peace to the spirit of their dead pet. Parents should not ridicule should ideas. As a way of comforting their children parents can also share their stories of how they reacted to the death of their favorite pet or how they dealt with the situation.
Time is the biggest healer and this is the foremost point that should be considered while answering the question of how to deal with grieving children when a pet dies. With time the child will learn to live without his pet but the memory will always stay. Sympathy, love and compassion of parents can quickly heal the wounded heart of a child who has lost his or her beloved pet. To learn more about pet loss grief counseling, access here.

What Is The Difference Between Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

What is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy? This is a common question that most of us ask while seeking options to better our health and our lives in general. Although these two terms sound just about the same, each stands for an entirely different meaning, with the common relationship between the two being that they both refer to ways of altering the state of the mind. So, what exactly is the difference between these two terms?
The Difference between Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
The simplest way to go about expressing the actual difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy is by defining them. The definitions provide a hint for the different meanings of these two terms in relation to the mind and consciousness.
To start with, hypnosis is simply a consciousness state where your mind becomes receptive and open to suggestions. It is a state of mind that most of us go through on a daily basis, for instance when daydreaming, when watching a movie, or when you fall asleep while reading a book!
Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is a therapy form whereby a hypnotherapist and you both apply the hypnosis technique to try and identify your false beliefs with an intention of changing them so that you may move on in life.
Using a garden analogy to explain the difference in the above definitions, hypnosis is like sowing the seed and watering it so that it can germinate and grow in to a healthy plant. Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is like weeding the garden so that you can remove any unwanted plants, the weeds.
What do each of these techniques do?
With hypnosis, there is an induction process, just like the process of sowing a seed, where you move in to a state of consciousness and through positive affirmations and suggestions, you change the things in your life that you are ready to change. You can get in to this conscious and relaxed state yourself or through the help of a therapist. The end result is a relaxed mind, a pleasant feeling, and openness to thought and behavioral changes.
Though not a substitute to professional medical and health care but a complimentary procedure, hypnotherapy is used to help people improve their lives through a number of ways. These include simple stress reduction and relaxation, helping individuals to withstand and manage pain, helping with trauma, coping with medical procedures, reducing functional disorder symptoms and the general well being of a person. It is a therapy option used to help people cope with emotions and trauma.
Who practices these techniques?
Anyone can go through hypnosis without the assistance of a second party. It is a relatively simple technique that can come in to play even when one is doing the simple daily activities like watching movies or reading books, with better effects being achieved if it is practiced consciously. However, a person who practices hypnosis on others is called a hypnotist.
With hypnotherapy however, you need the help of a hypnotherapist, who is a trained person to assist others with this technique. Besides hypnotherapy, a hypnotherapist usually has certifications and qualifications in some other professional training like mind science, counseling and therapy.
These qualifications allow a hypnotherapist to provide very in-depth inquiries and consultations before the actual therapy sessions so that they can tailor the most appropriate care procedures for a particular patient. Actually, most of these hypnotherapists work together with physicians where they receive referrals for patients who need such care.
Good to note here is that hypnosis should not be confused with the kind of hypnosis employed in entertainment, otherwise called stage hypnosis. This discussion focuses on the therapeutic hypnosis that helps a person to improve on a certain area of their life by clearing their mind and concentrating on activities and a mindset that may lead to possible solutions to their problems, which is more like meditation.

Are these techniques right for you?
Truth be told, hypnosis and hypnotherapy have had their share of controversies. However, they have been proven, time and time again, to produce much better results in resolving some disorders and diseases. For instance, hypnotherapy has been shown to be more effective than medication at treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These methods are safe, side effects free, and if anything, they lead to a better sleep and a more relaxed you.
To answer the question of what is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy, we can simply conclude that it is the approach and the intended purpose, with the basics being almost the same. For information on hypnotherapy courses, access here.

What is a Living Will?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Legal Nurse Consultation

One of the most difficult things that a family member can go through is having to make a important medical decision regarding a loved one who is unable to speak for himself or herself. The stress of making such a decision in a hospital or nursing home can be overwhelming to those making the decision. Additionally, if there is any disagreement within the family about what course of medical action to take regarding the loved one, the situation can only become worse. The living will can help relieve some of the burden in difficult times when a difficult medical decision is required.
The living will is a type of advanced health care directive used to instruct medical personnel about what measures to take on a patient who is incapacitated and unable to make informed decisions about his or her healthcare. Two other forms of advanced health care directives include a power of attorney and a health care proxy. The various directive forms work alone or in tandem to provide instruction to doctors and nurses. It is important not to confuse a living will with a living trust, which is a form of estate planning that distributes a person’s assets after his or her death. This information is brought to you by our legal nurse consultation post on our blog.
It is essential to have a living will because it informs medical personnel and your family of what kind of medical treatment you want in case you are unable to speak for yourself. This can include instructions for what you want to happen in the event of an accident that leaves you in a permanent vegetative state or instructions how to handle your medical care if you have a terminal illness which progresses to the point of you being incapacitated. A living will should be written by a lawyer to ensure that it is legal and will serve its purpose if the need arises.

Understanding the Living Will

A living will generally describes the types of treatment you desire in the event you become incapacitated. For example, if you are in a vegetative state after an accident or other medical event, a living will can instruct your doctors whether or not to keep you alive through the use of ventilators, feeding tubes or other medical means. Other treatments often described in a living will include whether to administer pain relief, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or provide hydration.
The living will only becomes effective if a doctor certifies you as being terminally ill or otherwise permanently incapacitated. For example, if you have a heart attack and are unconscious laying in a hospital, but expected to recover and regain consciousness, your living will does not come into effect. You will still receive life saving medical treatment even though your living will stipulates that you do not want life prolonging medical procedures. That is an important distinction and essential to understand. A living will only comes into effect if you are terminally ill, in a permanent vegetative state or permanently mentally incapacitated.
If the situation ever arises where you are incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself, but your medical condition is not terminal or permanent, you should use a health care power of attorney or a health care proxy. Either one of these documents allow you to provide a third party, usually a family member or close friend, the legal authority to make health care decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to express your wishes.
Being proactive and having both a health care proxy and the living will is both a responsible and loving thing to do. It removes the burden of making extremely difficult decisions from your family members if and when the time arrives. You do not need to be terminally ill to have the living will.

Creating a Living Will

To set up the living will and health care power of attorney, consult a lawyer who specializes in these documents in the state where you live. But before you consult with a lawyer, talk to your doctor about the different scenarios when a living will might be needed and what your options are for each scenario. It’s important to make an informed decision now, so your wishes are known in the event the living will becomes effective. Each state has slightly different variations in terminology and living will laws so a lawyer’s help is crucial. Additionally, once your living will is written, keep it in a safe place. Make sure your doctor and the person you select to have health care power of attorney know of its existence. Your living will does no good to you if nobody knows that it has been written. For more information on health care directives, you may want to consult a legal nurse consultant.

How to Write a Grief Sympathy Letter or Note

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

 Dealing with the Grief of Others

A sympathy letter is a formal and sincere way of sending your condolences to a grieving family member, friend, or colleague. It is usually sent or emailed during the first few days after the death of an individual. Sending a sympathy letter is a great way to empathize and give comfort to a person who has just lost a loved one.  Dealing with grief is a challenging journey. Those who grieve are generally very appreciative of the notes of condolences they receive.

 How to Begin the Letter

A grief sympathy letter often opens up with the writer acknowledging the death of the person. The writer may do this with lines such as “I am so sorry to hear of your loss,” or “I was shocked to hear about X’s death.” If the writer is writing on behalf of a group or company, he or she may write something like this: “I am writing on behalf of Y company or X’s friends to express our condolences for X’s passing.”  These lines not only serve as an appropriate opening for the letter, but also set the tone for the entire sympathetic theme.

 Acknowledge the Loss

After acknowledging the death of the person and the loss of the grieving party, the writer then expresses sympathy in the succeeding sentence or paragraph. The writer may say “Please find comfort in the love and good memories we have of X,” or “I want to express my sincerest sympathy for your sad loss.”  In this part of the letter, the writer condoles with the grieving party and offers words of comfort to the bereaved family.

Share Wonderful Memories of the Deceased

A sympathy letter should also have a few lines about the deceased person as described by the writer. These lines usually enumerate the good qualities that the writer admires and will miss about the deceased. The writer may say, “X was such a sweet and hardworking colleague, and I will miss him dearly,” if the deceased was a colleague, or “X was a sincere, loyal, and trusting friend,” if the deceased was a friend. In the next line, the writer shares a wonderful memory of the deceased to the grieving party. This is an opportunity to highlight the good qualities of the person who has passed away. The writer may cite how he or she met the deceased, their friendship, working relationship, or how the late person spoke affectionately about his or her family.

How to End the Letter

Grieving families will appreciate hearing words of love from just about anyone, particularly from people they know. This may be as simple as words of encouragement. One rule of thumb, though- never make any offer that you can’t fulfill. Some lines that writers can use for this part are, “If there is anything that I can do, I am just a phone call away,” or “Don’t hesitate to call me up if you need anything from me during these tough times.”  As a closing line, writers may end their letter with phrases such as “love,” “truly yours,” and “affectionately yours.”
Here’s a sample of a short but sincere sympathy letter:
“I am saddened by X’s death. No words are adequate to describe just how special a person he was. He always had kind words to say about everyone in the office. He also often told us how he loved you and his children. If there’s anything we can do for you, just give us a call. Our thoughts are with you and your family during these difficult times. Sincerely, John.”
Oftentimes, when one is faced with a friend who is grieving, it is hard to know what to do. Knowing how to write a formal sympathy letter can help one organize one’s thoughts and feelings in a coherent manner. For someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one, reading a simple sympathy letter is sure to make the loss a little easier to bear.
If you would like to learn more on how to become certified in grief counseling, then please review.

How Stress Management Therapy Can Help

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Stress Management Therapy

Stress management therapy in it’s various forms, has the potential to do a lot of good in people’s lives. This is because stress can adversely effect our overall health for long periods of time, and have a large detrimental impact on our health during the course of our whole lives.
Many illnesses and ailments can be traced back to stress as a significant underlying cause. Increased stress levels can be a contributing cause or exacerbating factor to heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, frequent colds and many other illnesses.
Not only does stress effect us physically, but also mentally. The symptoms can limit people’s lives by causing them to avoid situations where triggers for their stress might arise. If an individual suffers from anxiety attacks or panic attacks, this can lead to them avoiding public places and becoming prisoners in their own homes.
Stress management therapy may not completely cure all the symptoms, or the underlying causes of the stress factors for everyone, but it can help people get to a stage where the effect of stress on their lives is diminished to levels where it is minimal. This will mean the impact on their lives from stress is vastly reduced, and both their physical and mental well being can improve dramatically.
It can encompass many types of proven techniques to help people suffering from stress to control and reduce the amount of stress they feel.

Stress Therapy Interventions

Relaxation therapy is one of the main forms of stress management therapy. This can help individuals feel relaxed in their normal daily lives, but it can also give the individuals a set of techniques that may help reduce their stress once the symptoms have been triggered. When a person feels a panic attack or an anxiety attack starting to occur, they can use relaxation techniques to head-off the problem before the symptoms culminate into a full-on attack.
Just as emotional stimulation can cause these attacks, there are relaxation techniques that can help manage them and prevent them from becoming a problem.
As mentioned earlier, these therapies do not only help at the time of the attack, but also help the patient be more relaxed during the course of their daily lives. A person who is in a relaxed state of mind is far less likely to suffer from these attacks. Relaxation therapy helps people reach this state of mind by simply teaching them how to relax. It sounds very simple, but during modern living we often forget how to relax. These therapies can give a person techniques to practice at home to help them maintain a relaxed and healthy state of mind.
There are many different therapies that come under the umbrella of relaxation therapy, some will be of far more benefit to one individual than to another, so different techniques can be used to tailor relaxation therapy to the individual.
Aversion therapy can also help. Some people self-medicate with various substances to help them cope with their stress. Aversion therapy helps them by forcing the mind to associate the addictive substance with a negative stimulus.
Therapy which uses a positive stimulus to help someone associate that with desirable behavior can also help. This is similar to aversion therapy in the way it works, but rather than a negative stimulus being used to prevent undesirable behavior, a positive stimulus is used instead to reinforce desirable behavior or feelings. This can help the mind change the way it feels about the triggers of your stress, and associate them with something pleasant.
Hypnosis can also help, this causes the mind to be “reprogrammed” on a subconscious level, which can both reduce stress and reduce the symptoms and frequency of the attacks themselves.
There are many more techniques that can be used. All of them can help a person manage their stress to prevent it becoming a problem. Some people turn to a pharmaceutical solution for their stress, this can help but it is only a short-term fix. It does not teach people how to manage their stress. Prescription drugs also often have serious side effects that can cause problems in other areas of your life, as well as health problems.
A comprehensive program to help people with their stress, is the best solution to the problem. If you suffer from anxiety attacks, panic attacks or other forms of stress, stress management therapy can make a major positive influence on your life.  To learn about stress management education courses, access here.

What Is The Need For Pastoral Care Of the Dying?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Pastoral care of the dying is a special type of counseling by chaplains, pastors or other religious leader to dying persons and also their friends, families and relatives. The pastor or the chaplain provides comfort, hope as well as assurance during a time of uncertainty. We all know that death is the ultimate conclusion to our earthly life and it is a phase that every living being has to go through some day or the other.
However embracing one’s own natural death or accepting the loss of a dear one is much difficult and so in such a situation we turn to religious teachings and religious leaders to find solace. The subject of death, both physical and theological has been the center of attention in the Bible. The main essence of pastoral care of the dying is showing spiritual love for fellow humans and forms an integral part of Christian teaching.
For a professional person who provides emotional and spiritual support to the dying it is very important to have a proper understanding and realization of thanatology. A person who is in his death bed looks to the chaplain or pastor for spiritual assurance and company to overcome loneliness and fear. The pastor or chaplain should help the dying person to communicate with his loved ones. The minister should also help the dying man to reflect on the quality of life that he has lived and at last prepare the person to face the final transaction of leaving the earthly body. The duty of the minister or pastor does not end here as he also needs to act as a pillar of support for the dear and near one of the dead person. The pastor can also help the bereaved family members to make various arrangements like burial, funeral planning etc.
The question of when to call for pastoral care of the dying may arise in our mind. There can be no single definite answer to this question. Pastoral care of the dying can be called for when a patient is informed of having some serious illness like cancer, AIDS etc. This type of help can be called for if a patient is in his death bed or is worried about some surgery that is going to take place in the near future. Pastoral care of the dying can be called for if the family member of a patient who is seriously ill wants spiritual guidance and support.
In the western countries pastoral care ministers constitute the health care departments of most hospitals so patients as well as their families can easily ask for their guidance. Different people have different point of view regarding death. Some view death as an unwanted intruder that hampers the natural process of life while some view death, suffering and pain as integral and unavoidable aspects of living life and a suitable ending to the journey of life. The view of a person regarding death is largely molded or shaped by different factors like social customs, religious faith or belief, cultural background, personal way of thinking etc. People who believe in the existence of God or are followers of Christianity generally call for pastoral care when they or some of their loved ones are nearing death.
For a dying man and his family a pastor or chaplain is not only a spiritual bridge with God and after-life but also a social supportive agent. When a man nears death his opinion of life can greatly change, all the materialistic things that seemed very important to him at one point of his life may then seem to be of no great importance. The person may feel a great desire to purge himself of all the sins that he has committed in his life time and so getting pastoral care for the dying can be of great help. In such critical situations friends and family of a dying man feel very close to the pastor. They start relying on the pastor for his guidance and help. The pastor may be requested to give his opinion regarding crucial matters like family, medical, moral and ethical issues. Many people believe that religious faith can work miracles where medical science fails and so they can call for pastoral care of the dying during such situations.

Grief Counseling – What is it and how can it help

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Grief counseling is in high demand today. The loss of someone close to you is a painful experience and can create many emotions such as anger, shock, sadness and guilt. Within this period, you may feel as if these emotions may never let up and come to an end. Loss is a tough thing to handle but it is something that most of us will have to face several times within our lives. These feeling are often categorized as grief and you may find it challenging to move past this phase alone. For such instances, it is recommended that you seek grief counseling.

 What is grief counseling?

Grief counseling is a type of theory that focuses on a person or people suffering from the feelings of grief and helps them get through their feelings. Often, grief counseling takes place with a group of people as opposed to individually as working through this process with loved ones will often help this process. The most common reasons that require grief counseling come after a death of a loved one; however it is not uncommon for people to seek this form of therapy after a divorce, the loss of a job, or the diagnosis of a serious disease, such as cancer and more. In any of these situations, grief counseling works to help that person or people cope with their emotions.

 Grief counseling in groups

As mentioned, grief counseling often takes place in a group setting. This is because the involvement of your peers, who can better understand what a person is going through, will minimize the feelings of isolation that is prevalent among grief stricken people. An added benefit is also that your friends and family will be able to stay with you outside of the sessions, something that a counselor is not able to do.

 What are the goals of grief counseling?

The main intent of this therapy varies depending upon the person and situation. The end goal is to best help that person recover emotionally from the particular situation. This form of counseling does not attempt to change what that person feels they want or need, however they do attempt to console and support that person as they are dealing with their intense emotions. More often than not, the simple act of talking about the situation will go a long way in helping a grief stricken person recover. For this reason, a therapist’s main intent is to accompany that person and encourage them to talk about what is going through their head. Getting that person to talk about it and having someone listen and converse with them about is the main role of a grief therapist.

 I am suffering from grief, how will counseling help me?

When a person looses someone close to them, or they go through an emotionally intense situation, they will often receive a lot of attention from their friends and family. After a few weeks, however, those people will be ready to move on with their lives even though that person may not yet be ready to. This is where grief counselors play an important role. Today, most of the theory behind grief counseling is based on the work of Elizabeth Kubler Ross, a famous Swiss psychiatrist who was able to identify the different stages of grief that a person will go though. Her findings showed that grief is not a straight line process and is not easily understood by the people who are not also going through the same feelings. This makes it difficult for a grieving person to find the full support they will need from friends and family members alone. Grief therapists are trained to work with and identify the stages of grief that a person may be going through and is better able to walk them through the entire process over the course of several weeks or months.
If you are suffering through feelings or grief, or know someone that is, it is important to seek some form of grief counseling as it is the best way to get through your emotions in the most healthy way possible. It is important to surround ones self around loved ones and continuous communication between the two parties will go a long way in helping that person recover from such emotions. You may also consider learning more about grief and strategies to deal with it. There are online grief counseling courses you can take to expand your knowledge in this area of specialty care.

Child Grief and Bereavement Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Everyone deals with death in their own way, but children are a bit different. Most young children really don’t understand death, even those who do can have a hard time dealing with their feelings. It’s important to make sure kids are getting the care they need during a time when they lost someone close to them.

Child grief  and bereavement counseling is something that any parent should seriously consider. This is a great solution since most kids don’t want to talk to their parents or other family members about their feelings. Most parents don’t even know what questions to ask to make sure their child is dealing with their feelings in a healthy manner.

 How Counseling can Help Children through the Grieving Process

Professionals have the educational background to help children deal with this sort of situation. Each child is going to grieve differently depending on their age and experience with loss in the past. If a child doesn’t feel like they have support they could end up keeping their emotions bottled inside, which could have really dire effects in the future. When kids have a third party to talk to they will be able to let their emotions out and talk about what they are dealing with on the inside. At first these visits might be difficult if the child is resistant, but in time they will get better. Some kids might end up speaking freely; it varies from each different person.
Counselors are going to ask questions to the child that do not scare them. Their main goal is to get an idea of what is going on in their head. The answers that the child gives will help the counselor tailor their questions and conversation for the appointment. Professionals do understand that each child is different, so they don’t handle each one in the same way. When a kid feels comfortable with someone, they will be more encouraged to speak with them about what is going on. No matter what type of death is being dealt with, a child needs to speak with someone about it. Child grief counseling can make all the difference with how someone grows up and deals with other situations. When parents aren’t able to get a child to talk, counseling is a great option to consider. This is a sensitive subject that many parents are uncomfortable dealing with since they aren’t sure what they should do or say.

 What Children Will Learn by Going to Child Grief Counseling

Losing a parent, grand parent, sister, brother, or other family members is going to be really difficult for any child. When they go to see a professional counselor they can actually come out of the experience a lot stronger than they were before. This can help them deal with death in the future, since it’s inevitable. Most kids will cry and talk about their feelings, but they need to have a well-rounded idea of what death is and how it will change their life forever. A counselor will be able to explain what death really is and help them learn tools for dealing with grief. A child needs to know that it’s alright to cry and that they should talk to someone about their feelings. When they know that it’s alright to let their feelings show, they are less likely to bottle them up inside. If they don’t feel comfortable talking with a family member, a counselor is a great alternative.
Some tools that can help any child grieve include: to be honest about their feelings, realizing that death is a part of life, crying is good and memories can help out a lot. Children can easily learn how to cherish memories and feel good about them instead of feeling sad. Some kids end up keeping a journal filled with their emotions while others find a friend they can talk to. Either of these are great to have when it comes to grieving. These tools are going to help any child deal with death instead of constantly feeling depressed.
Child grief and bereavement counseling is something that any parent should consider for their child. This will give their son or daughter a safe space where they can talk with someone about what they are feeling. They will learn tools that help them feel better about the situation. Although it’s a sensitive subject, it has to be taught to kids to give them a brighter future.

The Role Of A Nurse Educator

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

The role of a nurse educator is growing in importance today. A nurse has several different imperative roles in today’s health care system, one of which is to inform patients and their families of the diseases that they are faced with. A step above that is a nurse educator. This nurse is using all of their clinical experience and skills to properly prepare their students. They also do a great job of mentoring and teaching fellow nurses who may be new or have less experience. A nurse mentor leads a very active and fulfilling life as they are both informative and emphatic.
Nurse educators are traditionally in charge of structuring, implementing and revising the type of educational materials that fellow nurses receive. This material fits a wide range of uses, from a more academic and scholarly feel to a more concentrated and specific approach for individualistic issues. Nurse educators are often a great sounding board for issues that arise for another nurse that they may be unfamiliar with and have not dealt with in the past. Nurse educators are the keys to assuring quality and factual based content is taught to the entire department.

 Practice and Goals

Because health care is such a diverse and constantly changing field, it is important that those in this position are comfortable with constantly learning and growing. New information and changes in procedural patterns are inevitable so a nurse educator must be willing to easily adapt. Being a leader is usually at the forefront of a nurse educators job. They practice in all type of health care facilities and are generally working with fellow nurses and patients alike.
A nurse educators primary goal is to create a set of curriculum and material that is all encompassing and helpful for their students. Because of their involvement in teaching and being of service to fellow nurses, future nurses and patients, nurse educators often experience a high level of job satisfaction. They take pride in their role of helping another person learn, grow and ultimately succeed in the nursing field. Being of service to others is why many people become nurses in the first place, this just adds to that principle by helping and encouraging others who have that same deeply engrained belief.
There are tremendous benefits for those who choose a career as a nurse educator. The medical field is one of the most stable markets because certain ailments are inevitable. So no matter how badly the economy is doing, surgeons, doctors and nurses will still be around to take care of the sick and dying. Because of this, nurse educators will also always be needed. Another huge benefit of choosing this particular work as a career is the cutting edge technology and information that will be available to you. Wouldn’t it be great to be one of the first people to know about a certain procedure? What about being able to read information about a unique and rare disease? These are the types of things nurse educators do on a daily basis.
Nurse educators are always learning something new and interesting. They are apart of an ever changing and growing workplace that is perpetually knowledge based and intellectually stimulating. Usually nurse educators work in a specific field of study. They often have specialties similar to those that doctors have. These fields can range from cardiology, family health, pediatrics and much more. A general comprehensive background is necessary but usually whatever concentration you are most familiar with is the one you teach. The type of qualifications needed to become a nurse educator usually require a master’s degree but there are some exceptions to this rule.
As a nurse educator you are also entitled to a pretty flexible schedule. Many choose to teach just part time in junction with their other work. Whether that be clinical work or actually working in hospitals directly with patients. Assessing the learning and knowledge of nurses is also a duty that many nurse educators carry out. Making sure that the nurses in the field and those who deal with patients every single day are well informed and knowledgeable is imperative to the quality of care that the patients receive.
There are many different things that nurse educators do but one of the most important is that they are there to teach, answer questions and to really listen to their students and patients. The role of a nurse educator is an important one and those who are willing to do the job are needed. To learn about becoming a nurse educator, access here.

Spiritual Counseling: Rediscover Your Inner Power

Posted on by Dominick Flarey
By: Zendra Marks

What is Spiritual Counseling?

Spiritual counseling considers the soul, instead of the body and mind, as the commencing point for the sense of your true self. It has an enhanced view of life, acknowledging that this world is often confusing mystery. It considers self-belief systems, universal and personal energy systems, karmic interplay, instinctive psychic realities, subconscious states of mindset, spiritual theology, metaphysical experiences, spiritual existence and higher self-cosmic relationships.
Spiritual counseling views why life is instinctively personal and why individuals want to develop their own distinctive, graceful relationship with it, naturally and without forcefulness. As the soul is considered as the beginning point, consciousness comes from the heart, while not overlooking the head or brain, and from this heart space care for the blessed interdependence of all living existence comes to the surface.

 What does Spiritual Counseling involve?

Spiritual counseling involves a process where one person reevaluates who he or she feels about and themselves and about other persons. Care for self and care for others is the primary concept of the personal and combined growth. As the spiritual counseling is holistic, there is no separation and division, no dichotomy between individual or collective opinions and response, all is fundamentally correlated. Spiritual counseling brings about a realization that life experiences grow into the supreme tool, with the incorporation of personal problems and personal venture. The main objective of taking spiritual counseling is to convey themselves and their own world with long cherished wisdom, spiritual consciousness and personal realism using integrity.
Spiritual counseling involves the process of developing consciousness of a spiritual identity. It does so by reminding the fact that all the human beings are more than their personalities and their problems.
It gives faith in oneself so that people have within themselves the knowledge and understaning to make the right decisions in life.
Spiritual counseling also ensures that people have faith in their potentials. That means each situation has a prospect of growth for them.
It enables people to have belief in the journey which indicates human lives haves some deep meanings.
Spiritual counseling also makes people realize that that all people are in fact spiritual beings.

  Why might one seek out a Spiritual Counselor?

A spiritual counselor helps people to learn how to handle the challenges of daily life in relationship with the spiritual world. Most of the people are accustomed to thinking of themselves as alone in the world. People tend to think that they need to figure things out on their own, and fight for survival.
After spiritual counseling, people would begin to understand that spiritual togetherness is real. Then they would start to see that life can be different. They will learn that they are not alone, because everyone belongs to one world – but during the times of stress or difficulties they may forget this. That is why spiritual counseling is so important, as the long years of habit can be difficult to undo all by oneself.
A Spiritual counselor helps people to meet the challenges of life from a new consciousness of collective existence. It offers support to be a whole person – the soul and spirit, emotions, mind and body, and the practical life here on the Earth.

 What are the qualities of an expert Spiritual Counselor?

A spiritual counselor needs the cross cultural consciousness, a deep understanding around spiritual sphere and other matters of spirituality. They are well aware of, and they are devoted to a spiritual passage in their own lives as well as the lives of others. By concentrating on their deep inner relationships, forming an open connection and a unique mindfulness state, they produce a holding and blessed space for the individual and collective growth of their clients.
Finally it can be said that the divine journey can be delightful and arising, however it can also be demanding, frightening and solitary. Anyone might have the spiritual experience; however holistic self-consciousness is a completely different thing. Spiritual development best happens at the point while the soul is strong enough to take a little bewildering.
As a result, spiritual counseling can be a great tool to rediscover the potentials one have and find greater meaning of the life. However, as it deals with the deep consciousness of the mind and soul of a person, an experienced and qualified counselor can make things much easier and comfortable. To find out more about spiritual counseling and to preview online courses, you may access here.

What is Crisis Intervention Counseling?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Crisis intervention counseling is short term counseling that addresses emergency situations for people in crisis. A counselor will either speak to a person on the telephone (emergency hotline situation) or face to face, but it is better for people in crisis to have the one on one counseling, which allows the counselor to get a better gauge of the client’s demeanor.
It is difficult for a counselor to deal with a crisis over the phone because they cannot read the client’s body language or see the expression on their face; however, hotlines are important because they are a means in which to calm a person down and stop them from taking drastic and irreversible action.

There are many situations that can be considered a crisis for people. These could include:
• A woman who has been beaten once or repeatedly by her spouse. She takes the opportunity to call a crisis line while her partner has left the home, or possibly while he is pounding on the door to try to get to her and hit her again. The counselor can offer telephone support while contacting 911 and dispatching them to the address, if the counselor can manage to extract that information from the client;
• Someone who lives with a person who has a drug or alcohol problem, and they need someone to speak to because they do not know what to do about the problem;
• A person who has lost their job and is facing financial problems, including foreclosure, debt collectors and bankruptcy. Perhaps this person is unable to train for a new job and has no other prospects for employment;
• A teenager who is being bullied at school and is either terrified to go to school, or is thinking of taking their life;
• A man has just found out he has terminal cancer and has two weeks to live. He is unable to tell his family about the situation and needs to speak to someone about it. He is worried about his family and how they will get by in the future without him.
While it is not the role of the crisis counselor to “fix” the problem, they do have an obligation to provide support and explain to the client that the feelings that they are experiencing are completely normal. It is also important to point out to the client that the situation is temporary and that the crisis will eventually pass.
Crisis counselors can help their clients to develop certain skills that allow them to better cope with a situation. By open dialogue and careful discussion, they can help the client to explore various solutions to the problem while helping them to deal with the stress and think in a more positive way. The problem in a crisis situation is that people have complete tunnel vision, and they forget that there are other aspects to their life that are positive.
When a person is suicidal, they are only thinking of the current situation and how to get out of it. They are probably not thinking very clearly, and they are certainly not considering the effect that their death would have on others around them, such as guilt and remorse. The counsellor would point out all of those things to the client and help them to think of other ways to work through the situation.
People in crisis can learn skills that give them the ability to recover from their situation, but it is up to the crisis counselor to provide them with the guidance and resources to accomplish this. One important aspect of the process is for the counselor to have the client face the crisis head on, and try to move past it. The longer that the situation is prolonged, the less chance that the client has of dealing with it. Sometimes it may be necessary for some sort of confrontation to take place in order for the client to move on with their life. This can be very frightening and difficult, but the counselor is there to assist with the process.
If there is a cycle of behavior that continues to lead to crisis, it is up to the counselor to encourage the client to recognize and change that behavior. One very good example of this would be a drug or alcohol addiction and the cycle of destruction that goes with the addiction. The client is routinely causing extreme emotional pain to those around them, but they refuse to take responsibility for their part in the crisis. The counselor works with the client to break those cycles and heal the pain between the client and their family members and friends. To learn more about crisis intervention, click here.

Learn to Meditate

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

With life becoming more busy and hectic these days, it is important to take the time to care for yourself, center your body and your mind and your spirit, and the best way to achieve this is when you learn to meditate. Meditation is the process of clearing your mind of all thoughts and clutter, and relaxing into a state of clarity.
Many of us are constantly on the go, with work, children and activities outside of the home, and we tend to get extremely stressed out which has a very negative impact on our body. The body is designed to withstand a certain amount of stress; however, when we are under “attack” from every angle, our bodies can start to give in to the effects of stress. This makes us more open to disease and illness, and it is simple to avoid this by learning meditation techniques.
There is no big secret to mediation, and if you want to learn to meditate, you simply need to have an open mind. There is a certain spiritual aspect to this activity which you will tap into even if you are not the least bit spiritual. You need to find a space in your home that is quiet and well ventilated where you can sit alone for as much time as you need without being interrupted.
All that you need to do is sit in a quiet area, in a comfortable position, usually on the floor with your legs crossed. Closing your eyes, you will deep breath for several seconds, up to one minute. You will then tense up your body and then allow it to relax, letting the tension leave you with the breath you exhale as you relax. While you have been concentrating on your breathing, you can now just put that aside and let it happen naturally. You will simply think of one single thought and nothing else. Some people smile when they are meditating, while others may weep. It is a state of complete relaxation that is time you take for yourself.
If you want to learn to meditate, you must practice each day for as much time as it takes for you to feel relaxed. Taking this time for yourself will allow you to feel more peaceful and give you a much more positive outlook on life.

 Benefits of Meditation

There are so many benefits to meditation, and it is free and takes less than 20 minutes per day. Your body will reap many wonderful benefits from this practice, including:

• Increased blood flow and a slower heart rate;
• Slows down the aging process;
• A known cure for headaches and relief from migraines;
• Weight loss benefits and the normalization of your weight;
• A significant reduction in free radicals, reducing damage to tissues;
• Beneficial and lasting changes to the electrical activity in the brain;
• A significant decrease in muscle tension
• Lowers your consumption of oxygen;
• Can improve and speed up post- operative healing;
• Decreases perspiration (for those who sweat excessively);
• Can dramatically improve your immunity.

The brain is an extremely powerful organ, and when you learn how to relax it and provide it with much needed rest, it can use that reserved energy to heal other parts of your body. Stress increases the presence of free radicals and speeds up the aging process. This is why people who are under intense stress all of the time just look that much older.
In addition to the physical changes you will experience when you learn to mediate, you will also find yourself with more confidence, a greater ability to focus and concentrate and better moods. When you are in a better and more positive state of mind with good moods all of the time, you will simply feel like participating in life more. This is why mediation is a good solution for people who find themselves susceptible to depression.
Meditation can also help you to develop your creativity if you are artistic, help you to retain more (memory), help you to develop your intuition and help you to feel rejuvenated. You will gain the ability to react more effectively to stress, instead of absorbing all of the stress, you will be able to redirect it and expel it through meditation.
If you are person who worries a lot, meditation can help you to deal with your worries and fears. By centering your thoughts and focusing on yourself and positive things, you will be able to dispel all of the negative feelings and replace them with peace of mind and happiness.

Attention Deficit Disorder

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Attention Deficit Disorder is a behavioral pattern characterized by hyperactivity or hyperkinesias of brain activity resulting in inattentive and impulsive behavior. Officially, Attention Deficit Disorder is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.), but commonly people use the term A.D.D. to refer to the disorder.
Typically A.D.D. is a psychiatric disorder diagnosed and treated in children. This is important because it is a developmental disorder that can have unhealthy effects into adulthood. Many people that have been diagnosed in childhood with A.D.D. tend to lead chaotic lifestyles and become much disorganized at times. Most of these symptoms go untreated which can lead to unhealthy choices such as reliance on non-prescription drugs and impulsive behavior, especially under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It remains unclear how many adults are diagnosed with A.D.D. because many people were not diagnosed as children. It is known however that boys have A.D.D. three times as much as girls according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It’s also known that A.D.D. crosses all ethnicities and countries in about the same numbers.
The causes of A.D.D. are still relatively unknown, but the Professional Group for Attention and Related Disorders have noted that scientific studies show that the disorder is genetically transmitted and result in a chemical imbalance and deficiency in neurotransmitters. A study completed by the National Institute for Mental Health concluded that the rate that the brain uses glucose, its primary source of energy, is lower in children with A.D.D. Although it is not officially known the direct cause, a number of detailed studies have shown A.D.D. is not environment based, and therefore not caused by parents or teachers.
What are the symptoms of A.D.D.?
The three main signs of Attention Deficit Disorder are inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. While usually focused on a child’s behavior, these signs can apply to adults as well.
Inattentiveness
– Does not pay attention to detail and make careless mistakes in schoolwork or menial tasks.
– Does not listen when directly spoken to.
– Does not follow through with instruction and fails to finish schoolwork or assignments.
– Has difficulty organizing tasks
– Easily distracted by small stimuli
– Forgetting tasks in a daily routine
Hyperactivity
– Fidgets with hands and feet
– Talks excessively
– Always “on the move” to do something new
– Restlessness in adults and excessively running and movement in children
Impulsiveness
– Often intrudes and interrupts
– Acting before thinking
– Difficulty waiting one’s turn
– engaging in risky behavior
It is important to note that most people experience these symptoms from time to time. Some people many exhibit this behavior consistently. It does not mean these people have A.D.D. People including parents and teachers, should not be making any diagnosis themselves. Those concerned with the potential of the disorder should seek a medical professional.
How is A.D.D. treated?
Standard treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder are medication and counseling.
Medications
Medications are only prescribed when diagnosed by a doctor. If needed, a doctor will prescribe either a stimulant, non-stimulant, or anti-depressant based on the person’s condition and medical history. As with any medication there can be side effects but with A.D.D. medications they are rare if taken properly.
Counseling and Social Training
There are various types of counseling available to treat A.D.D. sufferers and their family members. These include family therapy, behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, parenting skill training and social skills training. All of these treatments tend to be successful as it involves all members of the family working with mental health professionals.
Support Groups
These can be a great source of comfort for parents or adults with A.D.D. to bond and sort out issues affected by the disorder. Fears, concerns and other problems can be addressed in a compassionate environment where everything can be voiced and no one feels alone.
Attention Deficit Disorder is a real concern for parents with children that excessively display the signs of the disorder. At a crucial developmental stage, this disorder can have lasting effects. It’s important to seek a mental health professional if the behavior is unmanageable.

Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis Explained

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

If you are curious about hypnotherapy and hypnosis, wondering how they work, this article will give you a basic understanding of the subject and enable you to decide whether it’s for you.
Hypnotherapy is an effective method of resolving some psychological problems and assists in personal development. As the term suggests, hypnotherapy is a combination of hypnosis and therapy. Hypnosis is used to induce relaxation and make the mind more receptive to therapeutic suggestion. It is not associated in any way with stage hypnosis which has different aims.

 Is Hypnotherapy for You?

People who choose hypnotherapy are seeking to change the way they feel, think, or behave. They may wish to lose weight, quit smoking, be more confident or perform better. They might want to develop particular personal qualities or change unhelpful patterns of behavior, which they see as necessary to move forward in life. If this strikes a chord, hypnotherapy may well be for you.

How Does Hypnotherapy Work?

Having a clearly defined goal is the first stage in the process and provides the direction your therapy will take. If, for instance, your goal is to be more assertive it should include how you will feel, and the ways in which your life will be different, once you have achieved it.
Hypnotherapy can be used to overcome the blocks to achieving your goals, in a number of ways. It builds self confidence and esteem, can help you change limiting beliefs, and resolve underlying issues. The roots of any block lie beneath conscious awareness. Hypnosis enables access to the unconscious mind so therapy can be applied to the problem at this fundamental level.
The therapeutic process may involve direct or indirect suggestion, visualization or imagery, story-telling metaphor and a range of other techniques designed to bring about psychological change.
Hypnotherapy re-programs your mind and modifies feelings and behavior in alignment with your goals and wishes. The internal changes produced then need to be grounded in real-life situations for the process to be complete. If your goal was to lose weight, you will need to weigh and measure yourself, and buy smaller clothes to know how much lighter and slimmer you have become. If your goal was to overcome your flying phobia, you will need to experience a flight to know you are now a confident air traveler.

 What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness experienced as deep relaxation with a focused awareness. It is induced by shifting the activity of the brain from the left, more logical side, to the right side. Here the unconscious mind can be accessed, and creative solutions to problems sourced. This shift can be achieved in a number of different ways including the use of relaxing music, descriptive imagery, rhythmic phrasing, suggestion, or plays on words to induce the hypnotic state.
While you are in hypnosis you may have useful insights or recognize truths which help you change in the way you desire. However, healing can take place and problems be resolved without you being aware of such processes.

How is Hypnotherapy Delivered?

There are three ways to receive hypnotherapy. You can visit a qualified therapist who tailors the therapy to your individual and specific needs. You can buy and listen to hypnotherapy audio recordings which deal with your particular problem. The therapy content is necessarily generalized to suit the majority of users, but it can still be effective. You can also learn self hypnosis and apply your own therapy.

Will it work for You?

Hypnotherapy has much to offer as a tool for healing and personal development. If you have a clear goal, are motivated to change and willing to try something new, you have the ideal conditions for it to work for you. This may be the life-changing catalyst you are looking for. You may also search out hypnotherapy courses that you can take from a qualified provider of education.

The Role of The Legal Nurse Consultant

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Whenever some medical-related litigation cases occur, it is often the job of the legal nurse consultant to work hand in hand with attorneys to be able to review and evaluate the case. They usually deal with medical and nursing malpractice, personal injuries or almost any medically-related case which calls for a sufficient medical knowledge from the field. But before anything else, perhaps you might be wondering what these legal nurse consultants are and what they tend to do for a living. To provide insight into their practice, let us take some time to understand this practice specialty.
A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse and will be the one to perform such tasks as critical analysis of clinical and administrative practice and deal with any other healthcare issues. They act as the bridge between the medical and legal system. They often possess professional insight in both health and medical aspects and legal guidelines at the same time. However, you have to take note that these consultants are nursing experts and not merely paralegals. That is, they specialize more on the field of nursing and health care and are often considered to be experts in these fields.

 What are the roles of a legal nurse consultant?

There are indeed a lot of important roles of the legal nurse consultant. To provide you with a deeper understanding of the various important roles that a legal nurse consultant plays, let us review them.

1. Reviewing and Researching Medical Records

Medical records are among the most important things to consider in any medical-related case. As legal nurse consultants, it is their responsibility to review and research medical records which are relevant to the case. This will help in determining the type of medical negligence as well as to identify any medical records which might possibly have been missing or else tampered. The medical records in turn will also provide the legal nurse consultant additional knowledge regarding the type of service being provided to the client. They will often develop time-lines for the incident of care in question so that attorneys may better understand the process of care and determine issues of negligence.

2. Investigation and Thorough Analysis of the Case

It is very vital for a legal nurse consultant to make several investigations and analysis of a particular case. Being a case investigator, there are in fact a lot of services which a legal nurse consulting should be able to provide to his/her clients. These may include such services as the investigation of any fraud within the government funded agencies and also researching whether or not the victim is applicable for compensation and claims. They particularly focus on standards of care related to the case they are working on. They provide expert analysis on defining the appropriate standards of care and assisting the legal team to identify the types of testifying experts to call into the case for deposition and trial testimony to support allegations of deviations from standards of care.

3. Expert Witness Testimony

Attorneys frequently hire legal nurse consultants to provide actual expert witness testimony. In such cases, the legal nurse will provide a deposition and actually testimony in trials. In these cases, the legal nurse may only testify to deviations from standards of nursing practice and not issues of medical standards of care. They may be retained to provide testimony for either defendants or plaintiffs. Their testimony can be invaluable to the outcomes of such cases.

4. Deposition and Trial Consultant

It will be somewhat challenging for an expert attorney doing all of the tasks themselves regarding a particular case. That is why retaining a legal nurse consultant can be extremely beneficial. Legal nurses assist in the preparation of depositions for trial. They assist attorneys in developing appropriate questions to ask in depositions related to the medical and/or nursing aspects of the case. They are frequently seen with the attorney’s team in the court room during a malpractice or personal injury trial.

5. Research and Education

One of the primary roles of the legal nurse is to conduct extensive research for the legal team. Along with this role they also function as primary educators for the legal team. They will review and study many sources of standards of care and then educate the team on how the standards related to the case in question. They teach the legal team the meaning of important medical terms related to the case as well. The legal nurse is the health care expert on the team and her/his knowledge and research and teaching abilities are central to the legal team pursuing a litigation or a defense.

Where do they Practice?

There are many areas that legal nurse consultants practice in today. Some include the following:
In their own practices as independent contractors
In legal firms
In hospital risk management departments
In personal injury and malpractice insurance organizations
In nursing education and staff development
In government agencies
In firms specializing in trial consulting
In legal research departments
The role of the legal nurse consultant isn’t just an ordinary practice. It is a high-level practice that merges the legal world with the health care world. Over the years more and more registered nurses are choosing to enter this specialty practice. While the stress in this position is very high, the rewards and economic benefits can be excellent. Do you want more comprehensive  information about legal nurse consulting? Access here

CASE MANAGEMENT in NURSING

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Case Management in nursing is an evolving practice specialty. The role of nurses in case management is to supervise and coordinate healthcare for patients with long-term illnesses. Such patients require long-term therapy and careful planning of all aspects of treatment. For instance if there is a patient suffering from cancer , the nurse who is assigned the role of the nurse case manager must arrange for doctor’s appointment, drugs, radiation, surgery or chemotherapy. A nurse case manager usually works in a specific practice specialty such as cancer, pediatric or cardiovascular disease.
Among the goals of case management nursing is to coordinate the care of patients. Since there are other specialists involved such as therapists, surgeons and other doctors, a nurse in case management will coordinate and keep the records of all their activity while updating the patient accordingly on the progress. According to the health problem at hand, the nurse can also decide what the other specialists should examine the patient so that there is collaboration of efforts by all. The nurse also ensures that all the procedures performed on a patient are at the highest level, increasing the chances of the expected outcome. In so doing, all the resources are used efficiently without any wasted or over usage of care resources.

Case Management in Nursing

The role of the nurse in case management can be defined in 3 basic ways, or a combination of any, according to the individual hospital setting as follows:

Quality Management

In larger hospitals, this aspect of quality management may be separated from the normal case management. The nurse is assigned the role of ensuring that all the services provided are of high standards. In smaller hospitals though, the finances may not allow for separation of duties and the case management nurse does all the work involved. The nurse is responsible for the general quality of health care being delivered, and can also assist in the risk management office when legal matters arise during a patient’s treatment.

Utilization Review

This type of case managers review different elements of the various hospital systems, guided by the terms of the hospital or the insurance company that is in charge. Prompt service delivery as well as adequate and safe utilization of the service is also a responsibility under this docket. The nurse is specially of essence in relation to insurance, because he/she approves and certifies acute and non-acute admissions. This information is then passed on to the insurance company under which the patient is covered. The nurse uses what is known as ‘InterQual Criteria’ which is a standardized method of identifying diagnoses, probable complications, procedures required and the timelines during which to account for a shifting diagnoses.
The Utilization Review nurse coordinates with the quality manager physician to administer high quality services to the patient. For instance if the patient has improved and no longer needs acute care, the nurse can consult the QM physician to see if the patient can be transferred to outpatient care or other suitable services. Before making a decision, the physician will review the patient’s chart, current situation and discharge plan. If in agreement the recovering patient can be moved to a lower level of care. To qualify for a post of Utilization Review Manager nurse, a three-year experience in  an acute hospital setting is advisable.

Discharge Planning

The role of this nurse in case management is to coordinates all the elements of admission or discharge of a patient. According to the InterQual Criteria, this nurse deals with the high risk patients with chronic diagnoses such as complicated pneumonia or stroke. The nurse combines all the available social and financial services to come up with a viable and safe discharge plan. A discharge planning nurse can cover up to forty patients at a time depending on the individual hospital policy. It is ideal however to have no more than twenty patients. Past experience together with assessment abilities are used to review the patients current situation, medical history and family support before formulating a discharge plan. A discharge planner should be familiar with Medicare guidelines, InterQual Criteria as well as fees for service items that enable a patient to be given a different level of care. These are some of the important things that should be known.
Nursing case management is a growing practice specialty. Many registered nurses are taking advanced case and care management programs to increase their knowledge and skills to practice in this area. As health care continues to reform, we will see this nursing specialty increase in demand and in importance.

Holistic Nursing

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Holistic nursing is a type of nursing in which the care and wellness of the patient as a whole being is provided. This means that the nurse will provide healing for the full body and not just one part that regular nurses may attend too. This type of nursing encompasses the full body and all of its functions including the body, mind, spirit, relationship and environment. A holistic nurse is an instrument of healing for the patient and they will ensure that the patient is being treated from all aspects including the inner and outer body. The mind and spirit will also play a large part in the therapeutic healing that a holistic nurse will provide.
Holistic nursing has been around for many years but was first recognized as a valid nursing practice in 2006 by the American Nursing Association. The training for a holistic nurse is similar to that of a regular registered nurse in addition to having training of other types of therapies that may be experimental. These can include several types of complimentary alternative modalities such as acupuncture and aromatherapy. The training of this type of nurse will also involve understanding the connectedness of the body, mind, spirit and environment and it’s effects on a patient’s health and well being.

 Holistic Nursing and the Body-Mind Connection

One of the most important aspects of being a holistic nurse is understanding your patient and the way that their body and mind interact with each other. This is one of the most important aspects of understanding what types of treatments will best work for the patient. They will also ensure that the basic care and medical procedures are completed and used to ensure that the patient is receiving the best care and attention that they need in addition to offering healing and care for the mind and consciousness. It is a well documented fact that healing and health is entwined and an important part of the healing process is believing that the treatments in which you are receiving will work for you. This is why a holistic nurse takes the time to get to know her patient’s body, mind and soul. They will use many alternative therapies in a patient’s care like the use of water therapy.
Nearly all types of patients and diseases can benefit from the care of a holistic nurse. They take the level of care and attention to their patients back to the first days of medicine. They offer the attention and understanding that a lot of doctors these days do not have. They also provide the patient with someone that understands what they are going through and is there to lend a calming hand to them during the treatments that they are receiving. Holistic nursing is available for all types of patients including children and the elderly.
But it is not all alternative therapies and understanding that this type of nurse provides. They also understand and administer all the normal aspects that a registered nurse would do for a patient. The level of care that they provide is half alternative methods such as water therapy and understanding the patients needs and half approved medical care such as setting bones and taking vitals and updating patients charts. There is a balance of medical and alternative methods that you will receive from this type of nurse and they are on the same level as receiving care from a registered nurse. They just provide some added alternative therapies like acupuncture that may also aid in the wellness of a patient. Some of the more common therapies that they will use are massage, water therapy, acupuncture, meditation, relation and exercise therapies.

Integrative Care

Providing both medical care and alternative therapies for patients makes the job of a holistic nurse the overall best type of care for any patient. No matter if the disease is new or in a well advanced stage the level of care that is provided will help to calm the patient and keep the spirit of the patient intact. This is one of the most important parts of being a holistic nurse. A holistic nurse not only treats the body but also treats the mind and the consciousness by offering other ways to administer medicine and care to their patients.
If you are thinking about becoming a holistic nurse it is important that you understand to be successful it is vital that you have the right mindset. This will include high levels of patience, understanding, a great bedside manner, and great organization and critical thinking skills. To learn more about holistic nursing, click here.

Substance Abuse Addictions Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Prescription drugs when misused can cause serious addiction problems. Please also review AIHCP's Substance Abuse Counseling CertificationThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Substance Abuse Addiction Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Stress Management Consulting

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Companies need to help employees succeed with better stress management in mind. Stress kills output and companies should seek to limit stress as much as possible for their employees

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Stress Management Consulting. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Spiritual Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

pray togetherThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Spiritual Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Pet Loss Grief Support

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Children need help grieving pets. Please also review AIHCP's Pet Loss Grief Support

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Pet Loss Grief Support. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Pastoral Thanatology

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Palliative Care addresses serious illness at any phase. Please also review our Pastoral Thanatology Program and see if it matches your professional goalsThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Pastoral Thanatology. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Nurse Patient Educator

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

young african nurse helping senior woman with medical formThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Nurse Patient Educator. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Meditation Instruction

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Consider becoming a certified Meditation Instructor and bring the health and benefits of meditation to multiple clientsThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Meditation Instruction. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

American College of Legal Nurse Consulting

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Nure next to a scale and gavelThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Legal Nurse Consulting. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

American College of Hypnotherapy

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

two heads full of gearsThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Hypnotherapy. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Holistic and Integrative Health Care

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Please also review our Holistic Nursing Certification for nurses and see if it meets your goals and needs

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Holistic and Integrative Health and Nursing Care. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Health Care News

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the latest health care news from around the world. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Health Care Life Coaching

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Wellness goals can be reached with life coaching help. Please also review our Healthcare life coach programThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Health Care Life Coaching. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

American Academy of Grief Counseling and Program in Grief Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Prolonged Grief Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder are different but closely related. Please also review AIHCP's Grief Counseling CertificationProgram in Grief Counseling

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Grief Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

In the meantime, please review our program in Grief Counseling and see if it matches your educational and academic needs.

Practice of Grief Christian Counseling Blog

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Practice of Christian Grief Counseling Blog

Many church candles in yellow transparent chandeliers

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Christian Grief Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

American Institute of Funeral Service Associates

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Grieving and funerals during COVID face challenges for the bereaved to properly express themselves. Please also review our Funeral Associate CertificationThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of funeral services. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Forensic Nursing Specialty Practice

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Forensic Nursing. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

 

Crisis Intervention Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Crisis Intervention Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Trying to recover from PTSD can be delayed over distortions about the event. Licensed counselors through Cognitive Restructuring can help individuals find the truth to move forward. Please also review AIHCP's Crisis Intervention Program

 

Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Education Program

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

lonely sad girl on the dark beach

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Education Program. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

To become certified by the Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Education Program, one needs to take the core courses.  Those qualified can become certified. Certification lasts three years and must be renewed.

Also keep in mind, the program is for certified grief counselors who wish to make child grief a specialty area.

American Academy of Case Management

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Nurse Discussing Records With Senior Female Patient During Home VisitThank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Case Management. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Attention Deficit Consulting

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Attention Deficit Consulting. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Christian Spiritual Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Spiritual Counseling Program

Thank you for visiting our AIHCP web blog. This category of the blog focuses on the specialty practice of Christian Spiritual Counseling. Our blog provides our visitors and professional members and students an ever expanding platform for related articles, information, discussions, event announcements and much more. We invite your participation by posting comments, information, sharing and authoring for our blog. Please visit us often and be sure to book mark us!

Christian Spiritual Counseling is a specialized form of counseling that focuses on Christian morals and theology to handle personal problems.  The Bible and Christ are the sources to this type of counseling.

To become certified in Christian Spiritual Counseling at AIHCP, one must be qualified as a minister, in ministry, or have the proper academic background.  After completion of the courses, one can become certified.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please let us know.  Enjoy the blog!

Trauma Informed Care: PTSD vs C-PTSD

Posted on by Mark Moran

Stress induced responses are the same responses experienced with trauma.  When stressors strike, the human body responds, but unfortunately, the human body responds to all stress the same and the autonomous nervous system activates the sympathetic branch to induce fight or flight responses which carry the price of pumping nor-epinephrine and epinephrine (also adrenalines) with cortisol into the body.  This takes blood away from the core of the body and pumps it into the limbs for action.  In addition, the human body’s blood pressure and heart rates increase to assist in the survival response.  Inside the brain, the amygdala becomes more active, while the prefrontal cortex becomes less active.  Less thinking, conserving energy and promoting a primal and instinctive ability at a more physical level are all the results of this activation.  While in occasional and short spurts, this is not dangerous but when the body enters in a chronic or consistent state, then long term issues arise.  The body is not intended to remain in survival mode, the survival mechanisms of fight, flight, freeze, fawn or fade are healthy responses in the moment but can become detrimental long term.

What is the difference between PTSD and C-PTSD. Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program as well as its healthcare certification programs

Hence long term stress is very dangerous to over health, but what about long term trauma?  Since they both induce the same reactions, the body not only consistently enters into unhealthy physical states with constant trauma but becomes subject to the consistent presence of survival mechanisms that become the new reset.  The body rarely returns to a state of homostasis and attempts to learn how to adjust and change to ever present but non-existent threat that the brain perceives.  Contreras refers to this as allostasis where the body constantly adjusts to the changes of stressful present trauma  or stability through change(2024, p. 195).   When the prolonged stress or trauma reaches an overflow to the allostatic load, then the system breaks down and the body gives into a trauma disorder.  According to Contreras, C-PTSD is a type of prolonged stress and chronic trauma that dysfunctions the ANS through a prolonged cumulative burden of allostatic changes that eventually results in overload of the system (2024, p. 198)

PTSD vs C-PTSD

There is no diagnosis in the current DSM-5 for C-PTSD but there are characteristics that separate it from PTSD itself.  PTSD according to the DSM-5 is a disorder that follows an event or extreme event that is life threatening and horrific that negatively effects the ANS placing the person in a constant state of survival mode (Contreras, 2024, p. 198).   Like stress, trauma effects individuals differently, so some individuals will develop PTSD while others will not.  Initial survival responses that manifested during the traumatic event, return as survival strategies and overtake the person and create a new and pathological way of life that is in constant danger from threats that resemble or may not even be present to the initial trauma.  So for many, fight or flight and other survival mechanisms and responses become a permanent part of one’s life.  C-PTSD was coined by Judith Herman to explain the higher severity beyond basic PTSD to those who existed in a constant state of survival mode and long-term traumatization.   Due to these overactive survival responses becoming the new baseline, individuals with PTSD as well as C-PTSD experience emotional dysregulation due to hyper arousal and hypo arousal states induced by the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems.

In reviewing C-PTSD, all of these criteria are met, but in addition, the person experiences more severe emotional regulation, as well as low self esteem and lost world view and difficulties maintaining relationships (Contreras, 2024, p., 198).  Some even contend, that this resembles a type of borderline personality disorder or at least sharing a similar pathological umbrella.  Unlike PTSD, which involves a singular event, C-PTSD is a prolonged series of traumatic experiences that build up over time.  Individuals who are exposed to sex trafficking, genocide,  child abuse, torture, war and  prolonged and repeated emotional, physical or sexual abuse can this disorder. Children with multiple adverse childhood events (ACE) are also more closely subject to C-PTSD.  What makes it particularly harder to treat is that there is no one date or source that broke the allostatic load.  Unlike a cut or physical wound that has a definitive mark, C-PTSD is more likened to a wound that is constantly scratched over and over.  This repeated damage does not permit any wound to heal and instead it festers until it reaches overload. Obviously an individual in a constant state of trauma and prolonged stress can suffer internal injuries to the body from the endocrine system and its lasting effects due to higher blood pressure, but it also can harm the hippocampus and in younger children affect proper development of the prefrontal cortex.

Different individuals may respond differently due to existing in constant survival mode.  Survival mechanisms become survival states that have numerous behavioral responses.  From the initial survival response of freeze, one in chronic trauma may enter into a mode of lock where the individual tries to adjust the adverse situation by accepting the worst and hoping for the best despite the innate desire to fight back.  Some move from fawn into a complete appeasing strategy. others with fight, become aggressive socially to try to regain some control.  Flight becomes escape and avoidance of certain scenarios to diminish the abuse or trauma.  Some in this mode may turn to substances or sex or gambling to escape.  With tonic immobility or collapse immobility, one sees a parasympathetic dominant strategy of submit and fade.  An individual in these cases portrays dissociation and becomes disengaged.  When these survival mechanisms become survival strategies, homostasis becomes an impossible goal and almost a new personality emerges as the person looks to cope.  The individual can have  poor self esteem, lose meaning, become detached, lose emotional regulation and have a difficult time maintaining relationships with others.

Conclusion

When understanding trauma and PTSD, one must understand that the event, experience and effects all play out different within the subjective nature of the person.  Regardless, when a stressor or traumatic life event does occur, survival mechanisms occur.  These mechanisms are healthy in themselves and help the brain and body to respond to a potential threat.  Many are able to regain homostasis over a couple weeks or months, but others develop a trauma disorder such as PTSD which keeps the body in a perpetual state of trauma response that is no longer present.  In cases of complexity due to ambiguity of an exact event but chronic abuse, the human body can eventually overload and exhibit a new way of existing in regards to C-PTSD.  The wound is more complex because it festered over a long period of time with no clear delineator of what caused the trauma.  The mere existence of a constant trauma and multiple events creates the more severe reaction.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program

Helping individuals heal from C-PTSD obviously involves more intense and longer psychotherapy than traditional PTSD.  Herman suggested a three phase treatment which included safety and stabilization, trauma processing and integration and rehabilitation.  In addition, various therapies such as emotional regulation, grounding, EMDR and attachment focused interventions look to help the person process the trauma but also learn to regulate the symptoms and help the person reach homostasis.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care program as well as its numerous behavioral health and healthcare certifications.

Additional Blog: Grooming.  Access here

Resource

Contreras, A. (2024). Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systematic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders”

Additional Resources

Tull, M (2025). “How Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) Differs from PTSD”. Very Well Health.  Access here

Complex Trauma (Complex PTSD) (2025). Psychotraumatology.  Access here

Wiginton, K. (2024). “Complex PTSD and Its Symptoms” WebMD.  Access here

“Complex PTSD” Psychology Today.  Access here

 

 

 

 

Integrating Incident Reporting, Root Cause Analysis, and Legal Preparedness in Hospital Safety Programs

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Law book and stethoscope

Written by Jordan Hale,

Healthcare facilities are intended to be places where experts treat patients in an effort to heal injuries and cure illnesses. Unfortunately, safety is not guaranteed in this context, so hospitals need procedures in place to deal with incidents as and when they occur.

Likewise, there’s an impetus to scrutinize these issues after the fact to understand what caused them and what action might be taken to prevent a recurrence in the future. And of course the legal side of dealing with the fallout of safety-related incidents cannot be ignored, even if it brings its own challenges and costs to bear on proceedings.

With all that in mind, here’s an overview of what it takes to integrate this holy trinity into hospital safety programs so you can take this path in your own organization.

The Top-Level Importance of Integration

It’s a given that modern hospitals with a solid underpinning of administrative excellence, or at least an aspiration of attaining one, will have standard procedures in place to formalize incident reporting, along with steps to perform subsequent root cause analysis and even take legal risks management into account. What’s less common is finding that these three are properly integrated with one another; more than likely they’ll sit in separate silos with little to no overlap.

Risk management may review events without clinical context, quality and safety teams may complete root cause analyses without input from legal or compliance professionals, and frontline staff may submit reports according to incident management best practices, but never hear back about outcomes. Worse still, legal teams may prepare for claims without understanding the internal safety lessons the organization has already learned.

When all three components are linked, the hospital gets the fullest picture of why incidents happen, what patterns exist, what system-wide changes are needed, and how to prepare for potential legal exposure responsibly while keeping patient safety at the center.

Evaluating Incident Reporting Efforts

First and foremost, there’s an innate need to make sure that incident reporting is dealt with efficiently, and that moreover there’s sufficient cultural motivation to follow the rules and procedures that define it.

Consistency must be encouraged, not just in terms of how reports are made but the kinds of incidents that get flagged. You want team members to know that they should be drawing attention to the minor issues with as much regularity and rigour as the major disasters. That’s the only way you’ll spot warning signs associated with system-level imperfections, as these might not be apparent in one-off catastrophes.

Simplicity is another core principle of effective incident reporting, so offering staff a way of submitting an overview of issues they encounter via digital forms and providing clear details of what happens in the wake of submission should be prioritized. That way you’ll get more reports because there’s less friction, while also demonstrating that you actively want team members to speak up, as opposed to feeling that they should be sweeping smaller snafus under the carpet.

Data quality is the final pillar of incident reporting, particularly from an integration perspective, so your framework must include noting details of what took place, the environmental conditions at the time, which team members were present, what equipment was involved, and whether this is an issue that has arisen in the past or a unique occurrence.

Exploring Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis (RCA) and incident reporting are important bedfellows, since the former is the natural consequence of the latter in any hospital that sees its role in improving safety culture as active rather than passive.

The idea is simple; take the lessons from previous incidents and extrapolate the contributing factors so that systems and processes can be ameliorated, rather than allowed to persist imperfectly.

It’s not enough to blame something as broad and intangible as ‘human error’ for incidents, especially since in a healthcare context there may actually be systemic issues at the root, whether in the form of gaps in training or problems with staff-patient communication.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement cites research that reveals how newer event review frameworks focus less on blame and more on system-level contributors. Moreover, they encourage multidisciplinary participation and emphasize actionable follow-through rather than long reports that sit untouched. This is fundamental to what RCA must look like, and how integration is instrumental in improving its efficacy in the long term.

In addition, decision-makers must ensure that insights derived from RCA processes are deployed directly to change day-to-day practices. This can be in the form of updated policies or redesigned workflows, and might even extend to revised training efforts for those that need it.

Looking into Legal Preparedness

It’s naive to assume that having an incident reporting and RCA framework in place is sufficient to keep hospitals out of legal hot water, as the proportion of healthcare organizations caught up in courtroom battles at any one time evidences.

For instance, it makes sense for facilities to regularly evaluate their exposure to premises-related incidents, and in some situations, they may even consult a slip and fall lawyer to better understand how hazard documentation, facility maintenance protocols, or witness statements might affect premises liability cases.

This ties into the necessity of complying with regulations, whether these come from the state or federal level, or are associated with achieving and retaining accreditation with any number of healthcare industry bodies. Being able to consult with and work alongside legal experts allows hospitals to both organize their incident reporting and RCA processes in a compliant way, and ensure that they have the right specialists on tap if and when litigation arises.

Of course, this might sound like hospitals should be gearing up to do battle with patients that bring lawsuits against them at every turn, but that’s not the case. The ideal outcome is the creation of incident reporting and risk management processes that benefit the hospital and the patients it serves in equal measure. Studies show that this is directly correlated with improved outcomes, so it’s certainly a positive step for all parties.

Unifying Safety Practices Successfully

We’ve talked about the need to effectively integrate various distinct aspects into a holistic hospital safety program, and there are a few more points to make about how this benefits organizations, individual team members, and of course patients.

Most of all, it makes sense to centralize how incident reporting is managed, so that all stakeholders have access to the same communication platform. This enables multidisciplinary teams to collaborate efficiently and join forces to sniff out systemic issues together, rather than being hamstrung by the aforementioned silos.

The same goes for information access, meaning that when everyone is sharing the same interface and foundational data, processes and procedures get followed more consistently and there’s less chance of different teams doing the same work twice.

Lastly, unified safety practices enable staff to take positive action more quickly and confidently when incidents are in progress, rather than there being additional layers of bureaucracy or uncertainty standing between them and the ideal outcome. And when it becomes obvious that changes to plans must be made to prevent identifiable issues, these can also be formulated and rolled out with less red tape.

Investigating The Cultural Aspect

Before we wrap things up, it’s a good point to reinforce the idea that these procedural changes to hospital safety programs cannot exist in a vacuum. The only way to wring true value from what they promise is to combine them with cultural reinforcement, which can be done in a few key ways.

Top of the list is training that both informs team members of their responsibilities and provides them an opportunity to discuss their reactions to and concerns with incident reporting and RCA openly, rather than feeling that they have to tow a particular line.

Additionally, team members must know that speaking up about perceived or actual problems will not result in negative repercussions or blame; rather they’ll be making a positive contribution to the organization as a whole, as well as to the patient experience.

Finally, there’s the role that leaders must play in all this, which has to be conspicuous and consistent, as team members will only feel that conversations about organizational culture are legitimate if those at the top are also in the mix, and also obliged to adhere to the same processes.

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing particularly glamorous or immediately impactful about integrating incident reporting with RCA and legal preparedness, but that doesn’t change the fact that the long term benefits of doing so are clear for hospitals that are serious about safety.

The aim is to put systems in place that can constantly be reviewed, revised and improved with the passage of time, while still recognizing that mistakes can happen and that there’s no point simply pointing the finger elsewhere and moving on without looking for ways to improve the status quo.

Treating minor incident with as much care as major ones is good for everyone, enhancing patient outcomes and building trust in the hospital as a whole, while also bolstering staff morale. So if you aren’t already approaching this in an integrated, holistic way, now is the time to redress the balance.

About the Author

Jordan Hale is a healthcare safety consultant and former clinical operations manager with more than a decade of experience helping hospitals strengthen incident reporting systems, improve root cause analysis practices, and build aligned safety and legal readiness programs.

References

American Hospital Association. (2025). Improvement in safety culture linked to better patient and staff outcomes. AHA Guides & Reports. https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/2025-03-11-improvement-safety-culture-linked-better-patient-and-staff-outcomes

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2025). Redesigning event review: Root cause analyses and actions (RCA2). https://www.ihi.org/learn/courses/redesigning-event-review-root-cause-analyses-and-actions-rca2-september-2025

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2024). Patient safety and quality: Annual review of harm trends. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK619048/

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2025). Patient centered safety approaches and event disclosure practices. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43618/

Advisory Board. (2025, July 31). Why many hospital harm events go unreported. https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2025/07/31/harm-events-ec

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Health Care Legal & Malpractice Consultant Certification program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

Regulation Emotion and Grounding Video Blog

Posted on by Mark Moran

Helping clients regulate their emotion during counseling is critical in helping them heal. This video looks at a variety of grounding techniques.

Please also review AIHCP’s TRAUMA INFORMED CARE CERTIFICATION as well as its SPIRITUAL TRAUMA INFORMED CARE PROGRAM.  AIHCP offers a variety of healthcare certifications to review.  Please click here

Oral Health and Its Role in Immune Function and Disease Prevention

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Patient visiting the dentistWritten by Veronica Turner

People today invest a great deal of time, effort, and money in having a beautiful smile. As a result, the global dental industry is expected to reach $87.65 billion by 2032, from $37.86 billion in 2024.

But oral health is not just about pearly-white, straight teeth, and minty-fresh breath. There’s a lot more going on under the surface. Between 1913, when Alfred C. Fones opened the first dental hygiene school, and today, we’ve gathered enough data to know there is a strong connection between oral and systemic health.

 

A growing body of scientific literature shows that the immune system and oral health are closely interconnected. In today’s piece, we’ll analyze this connection between oral health and the immune function, what good oral health is, and the role nutrition plays.

The Connection Between Oral Health and the Immune System

The oral cavity is the entryway to our internal systems. We use it primarily for nutrient intake, but it’s also the gate for a wide range of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and foreign antigens. The mouth is one of the most heavily colonized sites in the body, right after the large intestine, and its health is critical in managing a massive microbial population.

First on the defense lines is the oral mucosa (the lining of the mouth), acting as a physical and immunological barrier. Its job is twofold as it has to limit microbial colonization and prevent penetration into deeper tissues, while also tolerating the ones that are beneficial for the gut.

Coming to its aid are the salivary glands and saliva, which contain a range of antioxidants (like uric acid and antioxidant enzymes) that protect the oral tissues from oxidative stress. Saliva continuously flushes non-adherent bacteria and food debris, while its mucins lubricate the oral mucosa, protecting it from mechanical irritation and dryness.

The oral mucosa contains immune cells, such as innate lymphoid cells. These act as a rapid defense system and modulate tolerance to the normal microbial flora. However, if oral health is compromised, such as through periodontitis (gum disease), severe decay, poor hygiene, smoking, or systemic diseases (diabetes), a breach occurs. 

This allows oral pathogens and their inflammatory byproducts (like lipopolysaccharides (LPS)) to enter the bloodstream (a process called microbial translocation or bacteremia), triggering a systemic immune response and inflammation.

This low-grade, sustained inflammation elevates systemic inflammatory markers (like IL-6 and CRP), taxing the overall immune system and setting the stage for systemic disease.

 

The Link with Chronic Systemic Diseases

Data shows there is a clear bidirectional connection between poor oral health and certain systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. 

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

Studies consistently show that individuals with periodontitis face an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and myocardial infarction. That’s because chronic periodontal inflammation promotes endothelial activation and atherogenesis (plaque formation in arteries), which is the central process underlying CVD.

If initiated early, periodontal treatment may reduce systemic inflammatory markers and improve vascular parameters.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM)

Periodontitis is often cited as the “sixth complication of diabetes mellitus”. This is a strong, well-studied, bidirectional association. 

DM increases the risk and severity of periodontitis by impairing blood flow, weakening the immune response, and leading to high sugar levels in saliva. Conversely, periodontitis exacerbates DM by contributing to systemic inflammation, which is directly linked to insulin resistance (a hallmark of Type 2 DM), worsening blood sugar control.

Other Associated Conditions

Scientific literature also links poor oral health to:

  • Respiratory infections: Aspiration of oral bacteria into the lungs can worsen conditions like Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or increase the risk of pneumonia.
  • Adverse pregnancy outcomes: Systemic inflammation caused by oral health diseases leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may affect fetal development.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis is specifically implicated in generating peptides that may trigger RA markers.
  • Neurodegenerative diseases: Oral bacteria, including P. gingivalis, have been identified in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Oral Health Prevention and Treatment

Oral diseases are largely preventable, yet, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay is one of the most common health conditions across the world.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 3.7 billion people suffer from oral diseases, which could have been prevented with good oral care. 

This is, in large part, due to a lack of access to professional dental services (in many low- and middle-income countries) or high costs. Advanced dental services can be expensive and are not typically covered by national universal health coverage (UHC) benefit packages.

The good news is that good oral hygiene habits and regular dental screenings can drastically improve oral health worldwide. 

Mechanical cleaning habits such as brushing, interdental cleaning, and tongue cleaning disrupt and remove the plaque biofilm, which is the main cause behind decay and gum disease. According to the American Dental Association, cleaning one’s teeth twice a day is optimal for reducing the risk of caries (decay) and periodontitis.

It’s important to use a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride promotes enamel remineralization and inhibits the metabolic activity of cariogenic bacteria, helping keep teeth healthy and strong. 

The Importance of Regular Screening

Adequate oral care requires proper mechanical cleaning and regular screening. Daily mechanical cleaning helps keep bacteria in check at home, while regular dental screenings help detect and treat any underlying issues before they become a problem.

In a country like the US, where there are over 139k delta practices, getting a regular screening is not that difficult. A local practice, like this Sarasota Dentist cabinet, can see 10 to 15 patients per day, which means it can oversee regular screenings and treatments for around 1,600 patients per year. 

Dental professionals are trained to spot subtle, early indicators of disease that an individual may not notice at home. For example, some individuals have genetic, systemic, or lifestyle risk factors that can lead to periodontitis, even if they have impeccable oral hygiene. On the other hand, correct brushing can miss deep pits, grooves (fissures), or areas where teeth touch. 

Dentists also perform a thorough soft-tissue examination to look for suspicious ulcers, lumps, or discolorations that may indicate oral cancer or a pre-cancerous lesion. Early detection significantly increases survival rates.

Professional Calculus and Biofilm Management

Once a year (or more often if needed), dentists must remove calculus (hardened dental plaque) and certain biofilms from their patients’ teeth. These build up in time, no matter how diligently one brushes and flosses. If left unaddressed, they can cause additional damage. 

Calculus cannot be removed by brushing or flossing once it forms, and it creates a rough surface that allows plaque to accumulate rapidly. This is why professionals use specialized ultrasonic and hand instruments (scaling) to remove this material above and below the gumline.

In summary, regular screenings serve as an essential quality-control measure and early-warning system, providing diagnostic tools (X-rays, probes) and therapeutic services (calculus removal) that turn good home care into comprehensive preventive care.

The Role of Nutrition in Oral Health

The scientific consensus is that nutrition influences oral health, but oral health also affects the nutrients we consume. It’s a bidirectional relationship that requires a state of balance to function optimally. 

During the development phase, calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D are essential for proper tooth mineralization (calcification). Once permanent teeth are fully formed, the same nutritional elements are needed to support the protective layer (enamel) and maintain integrity.

Vitamins and minerals support the resilience of the gingival and mucosal tissues, influencing wound healing and immune function in the mouth: 

  • Vitamin C is crucial for collagen synthesis, which forms the structural basis of healthy gingival connective tissue.
  • B Vitamins (especially B12, Niacin, and Riboflavin) are essential for maintaining healthy epithelial tissues and preventing lesions like angular cheilitis or glossitis.

Furthermore, what you eat every day shapes the oral microbial environment. 

Frequent intake of sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose) and refined starches (fermentable carbohydrates) lowers the pH in the mouth, weakening tooth enamel and creating a favorable environment for tooth decay. 

On the other hand, a diet rich in antioxidants (found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) is crucial for controlling oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamins E and A, Beta-carotene, Zinc, and Selenium support the immune system’s ability to regulate inflammatory responses in the gums.

Research also suggests that increasing the intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., from fish oil) may have a protective effect against periodontitis due to their known anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving effects.

When it comes to oral health, nutrition is not just about avoiding sugary foods and snacks; it is about providing the essential building blocks for repair while minimizing the fuel for pathogens.

Conclusion: Oral Health is Essential for Disease Prevention

Healthy gums and teeth maintain a protective barrier, preventing oral pathogens from entering the systemic circulation. Compromised oral health can lead to the seeding of pathogens that may aggravate conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and more.

Good oral hygiene, regular screenings, and a healthy diet help prevent the formation of cavities (dental caries) and gum disease, which are the leading causes of acute dental pain and abscess formation. 

Author Bio: Veronica Turner is a health and lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience. She creates compelling content on nutrition, fitness, mental health, and overall wellness.

References

Dental market size, share & growth: Industry trends [2032]. Dental Market Size, Share & Growth | Industry Trends [2032]. (n.d.). https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/dental-market-106251 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About cavities (tooth decay). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/about/cavities-tooth-decay.html 

Pelaez-Prestel, H. F., Sanchez-Trincado, J. L., Lafuente, E. M., & Reche, P. A. (2021). Immune Tolerance in the Oral Mucosa. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(22), 12149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222212149 

Saini, R., Saini, S., & Sugandha, R. (2011). Periodontal disease: The sixth complication of diabetes. Journal of family & community medicine, 18(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.4103/1319-1683.78636 

Fábián, T. K., Hermann, P., Beck, A., Fejérdy, P., & Fábián, G. (2012). Salivary defense proteins: their network and role in innate and acquired oral immunity. International journal of molecular sciences, 13(4), 4295–4320. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms13044295 

Matsuoka, M., Soria, S. A., Pires, J. R., Sant’Ana, A. C. P., & Freire, M. (2025). Natural and induced immune responses in oral cavity and saliva. BMC immunology, 26(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12865-025-00713-8 

Bida, F. C., Curca, F. R., Lupusoru, R. V., Virvescu, D. I., Scurtu, M., Rotundu, G., Butnaru, O. M., Tudorici, T., Luchian, I., & Budala, D. G. (2025). The Systemic Link Between Oral Health and Cardiovascular Disease: Contemporary Evidence, Mechanisms, and Risk Factor Implications. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 13(11), 354. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases13110354 

D’Aiuto, F., Suvan, J., Siripaiboonpong, N., Gatzoulis, M. A., & D’Aiuto, F. (2025). The root of the matter: Linking oral health to chronic diseases prevention. International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease, 19, 100574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcchd.2025.100574 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.-b). Preventing oral diseases and conditions in communities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/prevention/index.html 

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Oral Health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Oral Hygiene. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/oral-hygiene 

James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, M. (n.d.). The hard facts about fluoride toothpaste. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/facts-about-fluoride-toothpaste-4587999 

 

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Case Management Certification program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

Technology Driven Strategies to Strengthen Denial Management and Improve Revenue Cycle Performance

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Medical Coding Bill And Billing Codes SpreadsheetsWritten by Ricky Bell

Healthcare organizations lose a significant portion of their revenue each year because of preventable claim denials. Even highly experienced billing teams struggle with the increasing complexity of payer requirements, regulatory changes, fragmented documentation, and rising administrative burdens. As margins continue to shrink, providers are no longer looking at denial management as a back office activity. It has become a core financial priority, directly linked to the long term sustainability of medical practices and healthcare systems.

Over the past five years, the most forward thinking organizations have shifted toward technology enabled denial prevention. Instead of reacting after claims are rejected, they have incorporated tools that provide the revenue cycle with visibility, predictive insight, and structured accountability. In this article, we will discuss how healthcare companies can improve their denial management systems by using technology, increasing documentation accuracy, and applying workflow strategies to minimize unpaid claims.

Why Denial Prevention Needs a Technology Focus

Revenue cycle teams continue to face challenges that manual processes alone cannot solve. Payer regulations are continuously changing, there is a differentiation in authorization needs for different insurance plans, and even a little inconsistency in documentation can result in costly redoing of the work. When the review of such tasks depends entirely on humans, the load can become too much to handle.

The technology does not substitute for the skills of the clinical and administrative staff. It instead supports the professionals by recognizing trends, pointing out the claims with the most risk for being denied, and providing the teams with very timely information that would be hard to track through manual methods. A well implemented digital strategy can help organizations prevent denials before they occur, reduce administrative strain, and improve overall financial performance.

 Understanding the Most Common Denial Drivers

Organizations need to identify the reasons that lead to claim rejection before they can enhance denial management,. Although these reasons are different in every case and they depend on the specialty, payer, and the patient population, the most common ones are the following:

  • Lack or insufficient clinical documentation
  • Wrong or obsolete patient eligibility data
  • Coding mistakes that do not represent the clinical encounter
  • Nonexistent prior authorizations
  • Claims submitted after the deadline
  • Billing for the same item or service twice
  • Incorrect use of modifiers
  • No justification for medical necessity

These problems have been around for a long time. The only differences are the number of claims, the rapidity of payer transformations, and the mounting pressure on revenue cycle teams. Cutting-edge technology offers a degree of accuracy and immediate accessibility that empowers teams to resolve these problems at an early stage in the workflow.

How Technology Strengthens Key Stages of the Revenue Cycle

1. Front End Eligibility and Authorization Checks

Many denials originate long before claims reach the billing team. The front desk and intake departments have a big part in getting the right information. The use of automated eligibility verification tools enhances the reliability of this process. They give instant updates about the coverage, the status of the deductible, the referral requirements, and the rules of authorization.

Some organizations also integrate automated authorization systems that help staff track required approvals before services are delivered. These tools reduce confusion created by payer specific rules and help clinical teams remain compliant.

 2. Clinical Documentation Improvement

Documentation quality directly affects coding accuracy and ultimately determines whether claims are reimbursed. Technology that supports documentation improvement can guide clinicians with reminders, templates, and real time prompts that reduce ambiguity. It does not interfere with clinical judgment. Instead, it ensures the documentation correctly supports the care provided.

Natural language processing tools, structured templates, and integrated EHR prompts all help reduce missing information. They also support coding teams by making it easier to translate clinical details into accurate billing codes.

 3. Coding Accuracy and Compliance

Manual interpretation of thousands of pages of clinical notes by coding teams leads to mistakes. Coding tools can assist in spotting the gaps that exist between the diagnoses, procedures, and documents. They bring to attention the inconsistencies that have a risk of causing payer audits or denials. The use of these systems speeds up the whole coding process, accuracy is improved, and costly appeals are minimized.

Organizations that use technology supported coding systems report lower denial rates, fewer compliance issues, and better communication between coding specialists and clinical teams.

4. Predictive Analytics for High Risk Claims

Predictive analytics tools analyze past claims data and find the reasons leading to refusals. They reveal areas of high risk, trends related to payer, and documentation gaps that happen repeatedly. Thus the teams can act before the claim goes to the payer. For instance, when a player regularly rejects certain procedures due to problems with modifiers, predictive tools can bring such claims to the attention of the secondary review process. This focused strategy not only saves time for the organization but also greatly increases the percentage of clean claims.

5. Streamlined Claims Follow Up

Manual follow up is one of the most time consuming tasks in the revenue cycle. With automated workflows, denial categories are routed to the correct staff member, response deadlines are tracked, and updates are recorded in a central dashboard. This avoids missed deadlines and improves accountability across the team.

Using software solutions, healthcare organizations can automatically route tickets, monitor denial trends, and evaluate staff performance without overloading the administration. The software solutions bring order to the chaos and allow the healthcare organizations to cut down the aging of denial.

6. Data Driven Appeals Management

An effective appeals process depends a lot on unambiguous proof, perfect records and good communication. Technology is the main player in this scenario by gathering related documents, keeping payer rules and offering templates that are in line with the law. Standardized data and transparent processes can make the appeals staff work faster. Organizations may then use this data to identify the denial categories that are the most common or the most costly, and thus direct their efforts towards actions such as training, process improvements or negotiating with the payers. This proactive strategy not only guarantees the long-term reduction of avoidable denials but also the organization’s financial health.

Building a Denial Prevention Culture Across the Organization

Technology alone cannot eliminate denials. The most successful healthcare organizations pair digital tools with a culture of accountability and collaboration. Preventing denial requires participation of various departments like clinicians, coders, billing teams, authorization staff, and revenue cycle management. Some of the main strategies are:

  • Cross-departmental meetings held regularly to discuss denial trends and common issues
  • Staff training specifically for new payer rules, documentation requirements, and compliance updates
  • Collaboration between clinical and administrative teams to verify that documentation meets coding requirements
  • Leadership oversight to monitor financial performance and enforce accountability
  • Open communication pathways which assure the staff can quickly and easily escalate complex cases

When staff understand how their individual actions impact the revenue cycle, they become active participants in reducing denials. This culture, combined with technology, produces measurable improvements in clean claim rates and overall financial performance.

 Long-Term Benefits of Technology-Driven Denial Management

Healthcare institutions employing technology-supported denial prevention methods accrue numerous long-term advantages:

  1. Increased first-pass claim acceptance rates – utilizing automated checks and predictive analytics errors are reduced, thus faster reimbursement.
  2. Decreased administrative load – workflow automation relieves staff from monotonous activities and lets them engage in high-value work.
  3. Better compliance and lower audit risk – organized documentation and coding supervision minimize variances.
  4. Improved patient experience – correct billing and financial openness lead to trust and satisfaction being built up.
  5. Sustainable financial performance – stable revenue flow means equitable treatment of staff, investments in equipment and expansion of care services.

Medical billing companies such as Dastify Solutions support these outcomes by offering workflow automation, real-time claim status visibility, predictive insights, and reporting dashboards. Through these tools, a centralized revenue cycle management approach is formed which allows the organizations to handle more claims without a rise in errors or workload.

 

Conclusion

For effective denial management, the implementation of the strategic mix of organizational collaboration, structured processes, and technology is a must. Manual processes have been rendered unfeasible as a result of ongoing payer regulations and regulatory requirements changes along with the increase in administrative workloads. Technology and structured workflows bring about the needed insight, organization, and consistency to nip denials in the bud.

The combination of an automated eligibility verification process, a documentation methodology and coding support tools, predictive analytics, centralized dashboards, and structured appeals workflows works in favor of the entire revenue cycle as all departments contribute to the success.

An integrated method leads to a better cash flow, greater operational efficiency, reduced administrative burden and quality care for the patients at the same time.

Author

Authored by Ricky Bell, Head of Operations at Dastify Solutions with 9 years of RCM experience. His writing focuses on practical, results-driven solutions for modern healthcare billing.

 

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Health Care Management Certification program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

Christian Counseling: A Physiology of the Soul and It’s Role in Human Nature

Posted on by Mark Moran

What is the human soul?  Many mistakenly equate a human soul as angelic.  As if after death, one can gain his or her wings.  While clearly spiritual, the human soul is not angelic in nature but is human in nature.  The human soul while spiritual and possessing metaphysical properties is still nonetheless a unique spiritual entity different than other spiritual entities.   While scientifically we cannot take the soul out of the box and analyze, observe, and dissect it’s physiology, we can through divine revelation, Thomistic philosophy and the science of neurobiology gain a good understanding of its existence and effects seen throughout the body.  This short blog will define the nature of a human soul, its inner physiology and how it connects to the body and needs the body.

The existence of a soul and how it is tied to the brain and body is an interesting subject. Please review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification.

The Human Soul: A Unique Spirit

It is important first to have a strong understanding of the human soul and its qualities and what makes it unique compared to other metaphysical creations.   The human soul while metaphysical or beyond physical measurement is nonetheless designed to exist within the body and flesh.  Unlike the philosophy of Neo-Platonism and other Eastern traditions that see the body as a prison of the soul, or as the soul’s evil counterpart as found in Manichaeism, Christianity sees the union of body and soul as crucial criteria for what makes human nature.  Hence, the human soul and the human body are tied together intrinsically as co-parts unique and crucial for the definition of human nature.  The metaphysical aspect of human nature is the soul but the soul was never designed to exist outside the body.

Contrary, angelic natures are pure spirit.  The angelic spirit is designed to exist without a body, while the human person’s spirit is designed to exist in perfect harmony with the body.  Does this mean the soul is drastically different than an angelic spirit?  At least within the fallen and temporal realm, there is a difference between the human soul and angelic spirit’s abilities.  The angelic nature has far greater intelligence and being free from temporal matter is able to exist every where and be anywhere at moments thought.   On the contrary, the human soul, while also made of the same energy and metaphysical “stuff” is limited to the constraints of the body due to the fallen nature of Adam.

Prior to Adam’s fall,  the body and soul were in complete harmony with each other.  The body was free from death and disease, while the soul was completely compatible with the brain in controlling passions, understanding reality, and processing information.   The knowledge and freedoms of pre fall humanity, as seen in Adam and Eve, were the final designs and gifts by God bestowed upon humanity.   Due to sin, these gifts were stripped and with the emergence of death into the world resulted in discord struck between the body and soul.  No longer could the soul control the urges of the broken body, nor access the unlimited knowledge stored in the brain.

So, I feel it is very important when defining the human soul to always illustrate and emphasize that is was always intended to exist with the body in its human nature’s pre-fall form, but with Adam, and Original sin, the soul and body both staggered in mutual discord into the temporal world of sin and death.  The resulting price of sin–death—would ironically tear the soul from the body.  This unnatural state, although we identify it as quite natural in this fallen world, separates the soul from the body, exposing it to a temporary state of incompleteness.  Without the body, the soul still exists.  It still manifests its spiritual identity, memories, and abilities to understand, but without the body, it is trapped in a unnatural state of death.  Only till the body is fully resurrected as promised in Scripture, can the soul and body again find completeness in the eschatological state of the next life.

Thomistic Philosophy and the Soul

The human being is created in the image and likeness of God.  The part of human nature that captures this image and likeness is via the soul.  The soul, like God, is a metaphysical being, void of body or shape or measurement, but as energy it exists.  While science nor metaphysics can give a clear and articulate physiology and dissection of the parts of the soul, we know more of its essence by its effects.  St Thomas Aquinas divided the soul into both the intellect and the will.  The intellect of the soul encompasses reason and thinking, while the Will encompassed desire, need and wants.  Within this, one can find the formation of the human conscience which exists within the soul.  A properly formed conscience is a soul that has a intellect grounded in good and sound moral teaching and a Will that seeks to carry out those teachings and deeds.  Obviously, the human soul is not infinitely intelligent like God, or finitely far more intelligent as an angelic nature, but the human soul, even its in temporal and post-fall nature, still has capabilities to function within a limited range of intelligence and capabilities to choose good or evil.  The ability to think beyond one’s own existence and dwell upon it and to choose freely is what makes humanity made in God’s image.

St Thomas defined these two elements as key components of the soul.  He also listed the various appetites that exist within the Will.  The Will, while in the temporal realm is hindered to do good, is nonetheless still “good” since God created it, hence it always seek what it perceives as the general good even if subjectively it may choose something that is not good.   Aquinas referred to the what the intellect sees and what the will desires as appetites within the soul.    The Concupiscible appetite refers to our sensory needs that moves one to pleasant or unpleasant things.  Passions found within this appetite include love, desire, joy, hatred, sadness,  and aversion.  Unfortunately due to humanity’s fall, one’s appetite to good and evil has been blurred and many things that the appetite may consider good or  lovely can in fact be things the soul should disregard.   The sound and good conscience helps identify for the disordered appetite what is truly pleasant or unpleasant, but the disorder due to sin still can lead the soul astray when it desires something.  In addition, Aquinas pointed out that when these basic desires are challenged, then the irascible appetite is initiated which deals with the emotions of hope, fear, anger, despair or courage in dealing with these obstacles.  This appetite helps the soul meet the more difficult good or evil that the Will seeks to find.

Also within this philosophy, the soul can vary from other souls based on virtue or vice.  Habits of the soul that produce good or evil is based on virtues and vice.  A soul that has a habitual practice that is good is aligned with virtue, while a soul that has habitual practice that is bad is aligned with vice.

The Interaction with the Body and Neurobiology

Many atheistic neurobiologists upon the dawn of neurobiology felt they had finally found the soul in the brain.  What was once credited to the soul could now be proven within the material and biological brain removing the need for the metaphysical soul.  They felt science had finally found the soul, removing the need for some metaphysical myth to describe the intangible processes of the brain.  To these individuals, everything once attributed to the soul as memory or emotion could be found within the machinery of the human brain.  Memories could now be finally mapped and coded, while emotions could be narrowed merely to the processes within the brain.  Even Freud attempted to map the soul with the concept of the Id, ego and superego.

The brain is not the soul but it definitely reflects the inner workings of the soul and helps it exist in the temporal realm

Yet, as we have pointed out, the human soul is quite different than the angelic spirit.  The human soul needs  the body to be fully human.  It is of no surprise that the advances of neurobiology show how the power of the brain complements and works with the soul making one fully human.  The brain is not the soul but it is merely the metaphysical and physical organ that walks between the realm of the physical and the realm of the metaphysical in one place.  So, the brain is not the soul, but it is the effects of the soul manifested.  It is a tool that allows both a physical and a metaphysical being to exist.

Neurons within the brain permit the mysterious function where neurotransmitters, chemicals, and thought processes connect from one piece of the brain to the next.  This large network of neurons and organs within the brain permit thought and emotion to be felt and expressed.  Since the soul is in the body and one with it, it requires, especially in our fallen state, one’s senses to take information.  Classical Christian epistemology teaches that all knowledge of one’s physical surroundings is taken in through the senses.  The five senses feed the brain the required information to understand one’s surroundings and needs.  Without this, the soul, in its current fallen state, cannot receive information.  The brain then serves the soul as a way to understand one’s surroundings but also how to process information.  The brain encodes, stores, consolidates and allows for retrieval all memories of the person.  This storage can fall into short term memories as well as long term memories.  Some may be explicit memories that are actively thought about, or others may be implicitly taken in and recorded.  Some of these memories may be episodic or semantic, regarding an event or factual knowledge.  Through neuropathways, memories and thoughts are paved chemically to form memory itself.  It is amazing how a thought, an intangible and metaphysical concept, can be physically stored and coded into the brain through various chemical reactions and neuropathways.

It is then not the brain that is the soul, but it is the metaphysical and physical organ that serves as the bridge between the soul and body within the human nature.

In looking at the parts of the brain, we can find many important parts that help the soul exist in a temporal reality, while also allowing it to express itself in the same reality.  The brain is made of three parts, the reptilian, paleo-mammalian, and the neo-mammalian.   This concept of a triune brain deals with our most primitive human development from mere creatures to eventual sentient beings.   The reptilian part of the brain correlates with the brain stem and humanity’s basic instinctive needs and involuntary functions.  The paleo-mammalian is comprised of humanity’s emotional center or the limbic system comprised of the amygdala, hippocampus and parts of the prefrontal cortex, while the neo-mammalian is strictly composed of the pre frontal cortex and the thinking parts of the brain.  Ironically,  it is the abilities of the pre frontal cortex that deal with human nature’s ability to be sentient.  In essence, without the prefrontal cortex, the human soul could not exist in the human body.  While animals have a type of soul and animation, only the human body and its brain has the capacity for the designs and needs of a soul that is created in God’s image and likeness.  Our brain is built for our soul.

The brain as a metaphysical tool also helps the soul intake information and express itself.  The amygdala within the limbic system is tied intensely to emotion.  When struck with fight or flight, the amygdala becomes over activated and is extra sensitive to storing emotional charged memories.   Likewise the hippocampus plays a key role in short term memory and processing those memories for longer term storage which takes place in the pre frontal cortex.  Eventually certain short term memories are deleted, while long term memories are stored.  Ironically, due to fallen nature, the full capacity of the brain is sometimes never met, and the soul can lose memories due to brain damage.   Memories are stored throughout the hippocampus and pre frontal cortex with more charged memories tied to the amygdala, but these memories can become lost, or even reformatted during retrieval.  Does this mean the soul is dependent upon the brain for memories?  Within human nature’s current state, the soul is totally dependent upon the storage found in the brain for memory.  If part of that brain dies, then that part of the memory is lost, however, after death, the soul is able to retain all memories it experienced on earth.  The memory may have died in the temporal reality for the soul to retrieve, but the soul after death is able to recollect all information it ever gathered and when reunited with the glorified body will have a brain that is unrestrained by the fall of Adam but instead able to work with the soul and recount without effort all information necessary.

As well as memory, the brain in the temporal realm plays a key part in the ability for the soul to process information.  The pre frontal cortex plays the most important role in executive functioning.  It is most symbolic with the intellect of the soul but also the Will of the soul.  This where thought is processed, decisions are considered and executed and where morality is judged.  Obviously, the development of the pre frontal cortex is critical for proper decision making and moral judgements.  Those with less developed pre frontal cortexes have impulse issues and less ability to rationally think.  This is just another reminder of how the body and soul, through the sin of Adam, has difficulty working together in the fallen state.  Before the fall, Adam’s pre frontal cortex was perfect and the full capability of the brain was manifested in complete obedience to the soul, but after the fall, humanity’s intelligence faded as the divide became more apparent between body and soul.   Because of this, the soul cannot have complete mastery of the brain to remember everything, or to soar to great heights of intellectual advancement.  Science has proven that humanity uses a low percentage of it total brain.  What this tells a Christian is that the brain once could do far much more but something happened.  What happened was sin and the fall which caused discord between the soul and body.

The Soul without the Body

While unnatural to human nature, the soul temporarily due to sin and the fall exists without the body via death.  This point of existence in death tears apart one’s human nature.  Unlike angelic spirits that are complete with a body, the soul temporarily is stripped of its counterpart.  Let us speculate about what happens.

The soul through death experiences a unique existence temporarily when it is not with a body

In Christian theology, the soul is judged before God and given sentence to Heaven, Hell, or in some Christian thought, Purgatory.  While Purgatory is hotly debated between Protestant and Catholic schools of thought, we will employ the idea for purposes of this blog.  We know as Christians that as Christ’s Body resurrected, so will our bodies. So whatever temporary separation of body and soul occurs, eventually the DNA of the body will be re-manifested and fused together with the soul.   As we die in Christ, we also will rise in Christ.  There is speculation that how we experience time will differ in the after life and the soul following judgement will be rejoined to the body in an instant, while time on earth resumes at its slow glacier pace.  The idea of time being experienced at different levels is well known and even seen in the temporal world base on the role gravity plays on how we experience time. So it is fair to assume time and its experience is quite different in the after life.  It is presumable to believe that the time experienced after death and the reunification of it to the body will seem fast if not instant for those entering into Heaven.   As for those who choose Hell, this experience may be quite different, and it may also be quite terrifying awaiting the body to join the soul in eternal torment.  As for the notion of Purgatory, the pain of separation of soul and body could be experienced until the soul is ready to be with God.  This pushes the notion of souls on earth who need prayers — or ghosts.  The concept of a ghost in Christianity is not far fetched and this would clearly be a human soul who has yet to reunite with its body after the General Resurrection and who remains on earth purging itself.   I could not think of a more incomplete and agonizing existence, less Hell itself, than to be void of one’s full human potential of both soul and body unified.  This is why many Christian traditions pray for both the living and the dead for Christ’s grace to be upon them.

Conclusion

In this blog, for purpose of Christian Counseling education, we discussed the unique nature of the human soul as opposed to other spiritual beings.  Most importantly, we identified the importance of both the body and soul being united to fulfill the dignity of human nature.  We discussed how death tears this nature apart due to sin but also how through the general resurrection, Christ will restore our nature fully.  We also discussed the philosophical nature of the human soul, as well as its integration with the brain and neurobiology and how the brain plays a process in emotion, memory, as well as cognitive and executive functioning.  We defined clearly that the brain is not the soul but instead a physical and metaphysical organ that ties the body and soul together.  It more so shows the effects of the soul instead of actually being the soul.  We also discussed how the human body even though complete still is in discord as a result of sin and how the brain and body struggles with the soul to meet our full potential as well as abilities–abilities that will only be granted back to the eschatological body and soul after death.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification Program.

Other Blogs: Brain and Soul. Click here

Additional Resources

Soul Brain Connection (2024). Neurolaunch.  Access here

Pang, D. (2023). “Ancient Concepts of the Mind, Brain (and Soul)”. Psychology Today. Access here

Mind vs. Soul. This Vs That. Access here

Rey, D. (2025). The soul and personal identity. Britanica.  Access here

 

 

 

 

Christian Counseling and Premarital Counseling

Posted on by Mark Moran

 

I. Introduction

The intersection of Christian counseling and premarital counseling represents a significant area within therapeutic practices, emphasizing both spiritual and relational dimensions of couple preparation. This approach not only addresses the emotional and psychological aspects of forming a partnership but also integrates faith-based principles, which can enhance the couple’s understanding of commitment, love, and communication. Effective premarital counseling seeks to equip couples with the tools necessary for a successful marriage, often employing methods rooted in both traditional counseling practices and innovative strategies aimed at fostering intimacy and conflict resolution. Research indicates that incorporating evidence-based practices within counseling frameworks significantly improves outcomes, as seen in various health-related fields; for example, the application of behavior change techniques has proven instrumental in enhancing professional practices across disciplines, including nutritional counseling (Weglarz P et al., 2024). Such findings support the argument for a comprehensive model in Christian premarital counseling that recognizes the importance of both faith and psychological well-being.

Christian Counseling can emphasize the spiritual bond that is unbreakable between a man and woman.  Unlike secular marriage, a Christian marriage is a vow before God and is unbreakable.  Marriage is made sacred through the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as Christ’s blessing of the institution at Cana.  The unique bond of marriage reflects God’s natural plan for man and woman.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program.

The family unit the fundamental structure of society. In Christianity, it is sacred bond instituted by God in Eden and again validated by Christ at Cana

 

A. Definition of Christian Counseling

Christian counseling can be defined as a therapeutic approach that integrates psychological principles with biblical teachings, aiming to address emotional and spiritual issues faced by individuals. Unlike secular counseling, which may prioritize mental health independently of religious beliefs, Christian counseling seeks to align a persons mental well-being with their faith in Jesus Christ. This form of counseling is rooted in the idea that spiritual growth is essential for holistic health, and it provides a framework for understanding personal struggles through a biblical lens. Counselors often encourage individuals to explore their relationship with God while addressing their psychological needs, viewing life challenges as opportunities for spiritual development and deeper faith connections . This dual focus on spiritual and emotional health makes Christian counseling particularly relevant in contexts such as premarital counseling, where establishing a strong foundation for relationships is crucial (Onedera JD, 2007-07-19).

 

B. Importance of Premarital Counseling in Christian Context

Premarital counseling serves as a critical foundation for couples in a Christian context, as it not only addresses spiritual dimensions but also equips partners with essential interpersonal skills. By fostering discussions that encompass realistic expectations, effective communication, and conflict resolution, couples are better prepared to navigate the complexities of marriage. Studies indicate that such counseling significantly contributes to marital stability, enhancing the psychological well-being of those involved (Jemima N A A Lomotey, 2025). Furthermore, it recognizes the unique challenges faced by modern couples, advocating for a standardized approach to counseling that integrates spiritual guidance with practical strategies for maintaining relationships. For instance, research within the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi suggests that consistent communication, tolerance, and seeking divine intervention can bolster psychological well-being among married couples (Gabriel KA, 2024). Thus, premarital counseling emerges as a vital tool that supports not only marriage preparation but also long-term relational health within Christian communities.

 

II. The Role of Christian Counseling in Relationships

In the context of premarital counseling, Christian counseling plays a pivotal role in fostering healthy relationships by integrating spiritual principles and psychological understanding. By focusing on the teachings of Christianity, such counseling helps couples navigate the complexities of their relationship, providing them with tools to communicate more effectively and resolve conflicts with empathy and understanding. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of shared values and mutual respect, which are foundational to enduring partnerships. Through biblical teachings and counseling strategies, couples gain insights into their individual strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to build a solid framework for their future together. This holistic approach not only addresses emotional and relational challenges but also reinforces a sense of purpose grounded in faith, ultimately preparing couples for the spiritual and practical dimensions of marriage. Thus, Christian counseling stands as a vital resource in equipping partners for lifelong commitment and intimacy (Randolph K Sanders, 1997-06-09).

Pre Cana and Christian Counseling for pre-marital couples not only gives a spiritual view of marriage but also helps individuals with basic skills to help a marriage stay strong

 

A. Spiritual Guidance and Support

In the context of Christian counseling, spiritual guidance and support serve as essential components for individuals navigating lifes challenges, particularly in the premarital phase. Effective counseling not only addresses emotional turmoil but also integrates spiritual dimensions to foster holistic healing. Pastoral counseling, for instance, can significantly alleviate anxiety among congregants by employing Biblical principles alongside psychological techniques, ultimately nurturing a deeper faith connection with God and offering a sense of community support (Clarine M et al., 2025). Furthermore, the application of educational psychology within Christian settings enhances both the emotional and spiritual well-being of individuals, particularly in guiding educators and church leaders on how to effectively engage with and support their congregations (Nababan A et al., 2025). This integrative approach empowers individuals to confront personal issues while reinforcing their spiritual foundations, proving vital in promoting relational harmony and personal growth, especially among those preparing for marriage.

 

B. Conflict Resolution Strategies

Effective conflict resolution strategies are essential components of both Christian and premarital counseling, fostering healthier relationships and enhancing marital stability. In church contexts, counseling programs often emphasize communication techniques that help couples navigate disagreements constructively. For instance, research reveals that pre-marital church counseling positively influences family stability by teaching effective communication strategies crucial for resolving conflict ((Benjamin B et al., 2025)). This not only equips couples with the skills to address their differences but also enhances their emotional intimacy and commitment. Additionally, addressing sensitive issues such as family violence can be vital in promoting a safe and supportive environment for couples. Strategies that include transformational preaching and life-skill seminars have been instrumental in fostering dialogue about difficult topics, revealing that emotional healing often occurs through such open discussions ((Peart J)). Ultimately, integrating these conflict resolution strategies within counseling practices lays the groundwork for resilient and fulfilling marriages.

 

III. Key Components of Premarital Counseling

Understanding the key components of premarital counseling is crucial for couples preparing for marriage, especially within the context of Christian counseling. Essential components typically include communication skills, conflict resolution strategies, and education on intimacy and sexual health. Premarital counseling serves as a proactive measure to address potential challenges before they arise, reinforcing the importance of shared values and spiritual beliefs. For instance, findings suggest that comprehensive premarital examinations can significantly influence health knowledge and attitudes, influencing healthier behaviors among couples (Fares S et al., 2025). Furthermore, enhancing the quality of these counseling services requires identifying existing gaps and adapting strategies from various cultural perspectives to ensure relevance and effectiveness (Shirazi MS et al., 2025). By addressing these critical components, premarital counseling can foster stronger, more resilient marriages, ultimately contributing to healthier family dynamics and a supportive community environment.

 

A. Communication Skills Development

Effective communication skills are essential in the realm of Christian counseling and premarital counseling, as they facilitate deeper understanding and connection between participants. The development of these skills involves not only the ability to articulate thoughts and feelings clearly but also the capacity to actively listen and empathize with others perspectives. Counselors equipped with strong communication competencies can help couples navigate the complexities of their relationship, fostering an environment where both partners feel safe to express their concerns and aspirations. Furthermore, the integration of biblical principles into the communication process adds a unique dimension, as it encourages couples to engage in discussions that reflect their values and beliefs. Consequently, this holistic approach to communication not only advances relational skills but also strengthens the spiritual bond between partners, paving the way for a robust marital foundation that honors both personal and religious commitments (Randolph K Sanders, 1997-06-09).

 

B. Understanding Biblical Principles of Marriage

Understanding biblical principles of marriage is crucial for fostering healthy relationships within the context of Christian counseling and premarital counseling. These principles emphasize the sanctity of marriage as a covenant before God, encouraging couples to prioritize mutual respect, love, and spirituality. The integration of these biblical tenets in counseling helps couples navigate the complexities of marital life, allowing them to establish realistic expectations and enhance communication skills. Studies indicate that premarital counseling significantly contributes to marital stability, facilitating quick conflict resolution and greater satisfaction within the marriage (Adjei A et al., 2022). Furthermore, implementing a holistic counseling framework that includes post-marital support can bolster the initial benefits derived from premarital sessions, ultimately leading to sustainable relationships that reflect Christian values (Jemima N A A Lomotey, 2025). By grounding counseling practices in biblical teachings, counselors can better equip couples to face modern challenges while reinforcing the foundational ideals of marriage.

 

IV. Benefits of Integrating Faith in Counseling

Integrating faith into counseling, particularly in the context of Christian and premarital counseling, offers significant benefits that enhance the therapeutic experience and promote healthier relationships. This integration fosters a supportive environment where clients are encouraged to explore their beliefs and values, leading to greater personal insight and fulfillment. Research indicates that premarital counseling is positively correlated with improved marital satisfaction, quicker conflict resolution, and enhanced sexual satisfaction among couples, underscoring its vital role in building strong foundations for marriage (Adjei A et al., 2022). Additionally, employing an integrated theological approach in counseling methodologies allows practitioners to address deeper emotional connections and attachment styles, thus enriching the therapeutic process (Scott R, 2019). By aligning counseling practices with spiritual principles, counselors can effectively address the holistic needs of individuals and couples, ultimately leading to more meaningful and lasting outcomes in their relationships.

Man and woman are designed by God to find fulness in the vocation of marriage

 

A. Strengthening Couples’ Spiritual Bonds

In the context of Christian and premarital counseling, strengthening a couple’s spiritual bond is essential for fostering a healthy, enduring marriage. Think of spiritual intimacy as a deep connection built on shared beliefs and values. This connection improves how partners communicate and helps them stay resilient emotionally. Research indicates that effective premarital counseling plays a significant role in marital stability. It works by addressing key areas like realistic expectations, conflict resolution, and spiritual grounding, giving couples a cooperative framework to manage their relationship (Jemima N A A Lomotey, 2025). Furthermore, exploring the theological foundations of marriage helps couples understand the sacred nature of their union, aligning their partnership with deeper spiritual truths (Purity Mùmbi Njoroge, 2009). By integrating spiritual practices into counseling, we are not just preparing couples for the practical side of marriage. We are fortifying their spiritual journey together, which ultimately enriches their entire relationship and commitment.

 

B. Enhancing Emotional and Psychological Well-being

When we look at strengthening the heart and mind of a relationship, especially in Christian or premarital counseling, it really involves fostering intelligence in two areas: the emotional and the spiritual. Research tells us that emotional intelligence is a game changer for skills like communication, empathy, and resolving conflict, which are all vital for a marriage to succeed (Jemima N A A Lomotey, 2025). Side by side with that, spiritual intelligence adds a layer of resilience and forgiveness, helping couples stay committed to one another for the long haul. We also see evidence from religious communities that couples who actively work on their well-being, through honest communication, understanding, and seeking divine support, tend to report much higher satisfaction (Gabriel KA, 2024). By blending these approaches during counseling, couples can create a nurturing space that values both their emotional and spiritual needs, paving the way for a more fulfilling and resilient marriage.

 

V. Conclusion

When we step back and look at Christian counseling alongside premarital counseling, it becomes pretty clear that both serve a massive purpose in getting couples ready for marriage. Whether the approach is anchored in spiritual teachings or psychological frameworks, the goal is really the same. It is about understanding your own personal dynamics and building a relationship foundation that is actually strong enough to last. The research backs this up, too. We have seen that pre-marriage training based on different methods can make a real difference for couples. For instance, using Adlerian principles to work through deep seated patterns, or schema modes, has been shown to lead to much healthier relationships (Tatary N et al., 2025). Then there is the practical side. Evidence from public health shows that premarital counseling plays a critical role in tackling broader issues, like spotting hereditary conditions so couples can make choices with their eyes wide open (Isamil IK et al., 2025). Ultimately, bringing these perspectives together just enriches the whole experience. It paves the way for marriages in the Christian community that are not just resilient, but genuinely fulfilling.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

A. Summary of Key Points

When you get down to it, Christian counseling and premarital counseling serve as the anchors for a healthy marriage rooted in faith. Both approaches zero in on the things that actually make a relationship work, like honest communication, handling conflict constructively, and setting expectations that make sense for both of you. Christian counseling brings a unique depth by weaving in spiritual elements, helping couples navigate forgiveness and growth in a way that feels holistic. Premarital counseling, on the other hand, is about loading up your toolbox before the journey really begins. It focuses on compatibility and practical skills so you are prepared for the long haul (Everett L Jr W. et al., 2013-10-04). Ultimately, the goal with both is to lay a foundation that supports not just your relationship, but your spiritual walk together. It is about nurturing a connection that lasts because it is built on trust, love, and a shared belief system.

 

B. The Impact of Christian Counseling on Healthy Marriages

People are increasingly realizing just how vital Christian counseling is for building marriages that last. By getting guidance that aligns with biblical principles, couples learn to communicate better, tackle financial concerns, and manage conflict in a way that actually resolves things. The research supports this, showing that premarital counseling sets the stage for a satisfying marriage by giving couples the right tools to navigate the complexities of life together. Specifically, (Boggs F et al., 2025) highlights why this prep work is so necessary. It strengthens the relationship dynamic by helping partners talk through their goals for family and finances before problems arise. On top of that, findings from (Gichuri L et al., 2024) remind us how important it is to just be open with one another. Couples who go through premarital counseling often see a real improvement in how they relate to each other. This kind of understanding helps partners approach marriage with more empathy and a stronger commitment, creating a healthier, more resilient partnership.

Additional AIHCP Blogs: Forgiveness 

Additional Resources

“What is Pre-Cana in the Catholic Church?”. The Marriage Group.  Access here

Blain, T. (2024). “What Is Christian Marriage Counseling?”. VeryWellMind. Access here

Pace, R. (2025). “11 Christian Marriage Counseling Tips for Stronger Love”. Marriage.com.  Access here

Moran, M. (2024). “Christian and Biblical Counseling in Marriage”. AIHCP. Access here

Types of Perinatal Loss Video Blog

Posted on by Mark Moran

This video reviews the types of perinatal loss that a woman or a couple can experience.  These range from early miscarriage to later trimester losses, as well as stillbirth.  This type of loss is very difficult and has multiple layers and secondary losses associated with it.  Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program as well as its Perinatal Grief and Loss specialty certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.

Trauma Informed Care: Protecting at Risk Populations from Grooming

Posted on by Mark Moran

There is nothing more insidious or disgusting or repulsive than the predatory nature of grooming a weaker, exposed, innocent or at risk community to sexual assault.  Whether if one is of faith or secular, it cries to the most inner core of basic humanity for justice.  Those who work with children, the disabled, the aged and other vulnerable populations need to show special and extra care for signs of potential grooming against these individuals.  Ironically, statistically it is not the creepy person in a spooky van trolling down streets at night but grooming occurs in most cases from individuals of authority that have spiritual duties, or even care duties to these individuals.   These persons are can be family members, friends of family, or individuals of supposed good name in the community.  Many misuse their positions of authority and care to sexually assault.  This short blog will look at grooming, the process of it, and special populations that need special guarding for potential grooming targeting.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program, as well as many of its Healthcare Certification Programs.

Grooming and its Phases

Identifying grooming.
Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program

According to Compton, grooming is the methodical and deliberate process to create emotional intimacy with the intent of sexual abuse (2024, p. 159).   The five phases of grooming include victim selection, gaining access/isolating, trust development, desensitization to sexual content and physical contact and finally post abuse maintenance (Compton, 2024. p. 159-160).   As safe guarders, counselors, social workers, healthcare providers, and as well spiritual and pastoral caregivers, it is essential to be aware of these phases and to investigate anything that seems to illustrate this type of behavior between an individual and a victim.  It is especially important to safeguard and show extreme diligence for at risk populations such as children, the disabled and elderly who are unable to protect themselves.

Selection of a victim is opportunistic.  Like any predator, the easier prey is observed over a healthy and powerful one.  Hence children, the disabled or elderly are opportune targets but not all children, or elderly or disabled are as easy to target than some.  Children with healthy attachments and a strong family relationship can be more difficult to navigate as well as elderly who have strong support systems.  Sexual groomers look not just for weaker populations but also those within those populations that are already broken, or isolated, or lacking the proper support to ward off these advances.  Individuals with less parental supervision, or caregiver supervision, as well those with less financial resources and face economic hardships are easier targets for predators.  In addition, those with lower self esteem, unhealthy attachment schemas, identity issues, or disabilities are far more easier to manipulate and control (Compton, 2024, p. 160-161).

The second phase is gaining access and isolating the victim. Predators may already be a member of the family or become close friends to the family or hold a position of spiritual or political power.  They will use these connections and places of power as a way to become closer to the individual.  Through family connections, or social interactions, the predator will then spend time with the individual.  With children, the predator will spend more time with child than others at events as an attempt to know the child better but in addition they will also try to see the child or person beyond regular events and superimpose themselves into the selected victim’s life.  This can be accomplished through sharing of social media or private messaging (Compton, 2024, p. 162).   During these times, the predator will also try separate the victim from other resources and support systems.  The predator will attempt to turn the child or person against the more secure relationships in order to weaken any resistance to advances.

Following this phase, the predator will attempt to form a bond of trust.  As other relationships are pushed away, the predator will insert him or herself into such a way as to appear as a good friend, confidant, or guide.  Unfortunately, children, disabled and the elderly rely on others more so than healthy adults.  Children are taught to obey authority figures, the elderly are supposed to listen to caregivers and disabled are completely at the mercy of those who watch over them.  Hence, when trust is established, victims can be very confused when that trust is used to hurt them.

The fourth phase includes introducing victims to sexual content or advances that look to normalize the abuse and permit more and more contact with the victim.  In this phase, sexual jokes, quick touches, or sexual behaviors are normalized between predator and victim.  The victim may doubt if anything is truly wrong, even one feels initial guilt or shame.  In fact, the predator desires guilt and shame to exist within the person.  The predator looks to break down moral barriers and replace them with shame and guilt as way to continue the relationship.  When horrible things are normalized, then a predator can keep a victim trapped in the cycle.

The final phase is post abuse maintenance.  In this phase, the predator in order to continue the abuse, as well as protect him or herself, will employ various lies to frighten, scare, shame and guilt the victim.  Many will threaten violence against a loved one, or dehumanize the victim as dirty, or remind a victim that no-one will believe the victim (Compton, 2024, p.164).   When grooming is successful, this emotional hold can confuse children into becoming cooperative or even feeling it is their choice to continue in the abuse.

As protectors, we need to be aware of red flags.  When we notice odd amounts of time beyond reason with a child, disabled or elderly person, then we should investigate the nature of the other person’s interest.  The person may be merely kind but we cannot risk children, the disabled or elderly until it is proven to be innocent.  We also should be aware of odd flattery or gifts given to these at risk groups, as well as unusual favoritism, hugs, or jokes.   When children speak of secrets between an adult and themselves, then these secrets must be made known and the other person approached upon the content of the secrets.  Other red flags involve the use of providing drinks, or drugs or even smoking with children, disabled or elderly.

At Risk Populations

Sexual predators prey upon children and other at risk populations

It is of the most importance in trauma care, counseling, and even as a family member or friend to see potential grooming to children, the disabled or elderly.  Professionals must report what they discover, but as observers, sometimes its important to put our nose into other people’s business when things do not look right.  This is why it so essential to not only be aware of the signs of grooming ourselves, but also to help educate children, as well as the disabled and elderly who are potential victims.

Unfortunately, how many times are elderly dismissed as senile?  How many times are their concerns or what they may say ignored?  The disabled especially can have difficulty communicating or sharing stories of abuse.  If they cannot communicate, trauma in the disabled can still be seen in their emotional regulation as well states of hyper or hypo-arousal.   Children as well may have difficulty communicating sexual abuse since they do not understand it.  Ultimately, it befalls upon us, not just as counselors but for everyone to observe and protect at risk populations to the potential of abuse.  We do not want to become over scrupulous in seeing every hug as a potential grooming, but we need to see patterns and consistencies and most importantly listen to these at risk populations and understand how they communicate without dismissing.

In regards to children or those with disabilities, education is key.  Teaching sexual and physical boundaries and identifying with at risk populations bad touches versus good touches is essential.  As well as teaching children and others about the dangers of accepting weird gifts, or random flatteries that seem odd.   Also, parents, caregivers and counselors need to be aware of at risk populations and their use of social media and messaging.  It is essential to have limitations on the uses of these electronic devices as well as monitoring what is being viewed, sent, or read.  Caretaking means being involved and being ready to discuss tough conversations by letting children, disabled or elderly that no conversation is awkward regarding potential abuse.  Reassurance to believe and also teaching others is a big way to prevent grooming and to scare off potential predators.

Conclusion

We need to be alert for grooming to protect at risk populations. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certification programs

Grooming is a disgusting process but unfortunately something that needs spoken about and addressed despite the discomfort.  Counselors as well as any person needs to understand the phases of grooming and be especially mindful of at risk populations.  This also involves prevention by educating individuals about grooming and creating an opening for positive dialogue and concern to prevent it.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program as well as AIHCP’s multiple Healthcare Certification Programs.

Other AIHCP Blogs: “The Devastating Impact of Trauma on Children.  Please click here

Reference

Compton, L & Patterson, T. (2024). Skills for Safeguarding: A Guide to Preventing Abuse and Fostering Healing in the Church” Intervarsity Press.

Additional Resources

“What Is Grooming?” (2025). Cleveland Clinic:  Health Essentials. Access here

“The Real Red Flags of Grooming | What Every Parent, Educator, and the Public at Large Needs to Know” (2025). National Children’s Alliance.  Access here

“The Grooming Behaviors Every Adult Should Recognize”  Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense Training.  Access here

“Online grooming: how predators manipulate their victims” (2025). NetPsychology. Access here

The Role of Fear in Trauma Recovery

Posted on by Mark Moran

 

I. Introduction

The interplay between fear and trauma recovery presents a complex landscape that merits thorough exploration. Trauma engenders not only immediate emotional distress but also long-term psychological effects, often compounded by societal misconceptions surrounding emotional harm and its validity. Judicial skepticism toward claims of emotional injury, as discussed in recent legal discourse, reflects a broader cultural reluctance to acknowledge the profound impact of fear. The limitations placed on emotional harm claims, as seen in the Restatement (Third) of Torts, hinder recovery for those whose lives have been irrevocably altered by trauma (Grey et al., 2015). This entrenched skepticism must be reevaluated, particularly in light of advancements in neuroscience that illuminate how fear reshapes the brain and influences recovery pathways (Grey et al., 2015). By comprehensively analyzing the role of fear in trauma recovery, this essay seeks to underscore the significance of addressing emotional harm within both psychological treatment and legal frameworks.

Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications as well as its Trauma Informed Care Program

While fear is important in trauma response and fight or flight, it later can become an obstacle to healing when it distorts present threats and prevents the person from working through trauma.

 

A. Definition of trauma and its impact on individuals

Trauma is fundamentally defined as an emotional response to distressing events, significantly affecting an individual’s mental and physical health. This psychological phenomenon can arise from a range of experiences, including violence, accidents, or natural disasters, leading to lasting emotional scars that hinder everyday functioning. Recent studies indicate that psychological trauma may exert more profound effects on a persons well-being than physical ailments, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive understanding and intervention strategies . Individuals grappling with trauma often exhibit altered life perspectives, including negative assessments of their past and distorted hopes for the future, demonstrating how trauma reshapes one’s outlook on life (N/A, 2024). Ultimately, recognizing the complexities of trauma is essential in facilitating recovery, as the interplay of fear and healing becomes pivotal in the therapeutic process (N/A, 2024). Thus, understanding traumas definition and its multifaceted impacts is crucial for effective recovery strategies.

 

B. Overview of fear as a natural response in trauma recovery

In the context of trauma recovery, fear serves as a fundamental natural response that can profoundly influence the healing process. This emotional reaction, albeit distressing, is rooted in evolutionary biology; it acts as a protective mechanism, alerting individuals to potential dangers and fostering survival strategies during threatening situations. In trauma survivors, fear can manifest as hypervigilance, avoidance behaviors, or intrusive memories, which are common reactions to trauma that hinder recovery. However, understanding and acknowledging this fear is essential for therapeutic interventions. When fear is framed not merely as an obstacle but as a natural component of the fallout from trauma, individuals can begin to process their experiences more effectively. Engaging with fear through various therapeutic modalities can facilitate desensitization and promote resilience, ultimately aiding in the reconstruction of a safe emotional environment for recovery (Gingrich HD et al., 2017-12-19). This nuanced perspective highlights the complexity of fear in the long journey towards healing.

While fear is a natural response, it can become an obstacle when one hopes to later recover from the traumatic event.  While the threat is no longer present, the mental state of fear can prevent individuals from facing it, as well as working in therapy to lessen its effects on recovery.

 

II. Understanding Fear in the Context of Trauma

Fear, as a fundamental response to trauma, significantly shapes the recovery process, manifesting in various psychological and behavioral challenges. This emotional response is not merely a consequence of the traumatic event but is intricately linked to the neurobiological changes that occur during such experiences. Research utilizing animal models indicates that a single traumatic event in childhood can alter fear learning strategies, predisposing individuals to increased vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) later in life (Emerenini S et al., 2017). Moreover, maternal mental health during pregnancy has been shown to impact both the mother and child, with fear of childbirth and postnatal PTSD affecting their emotional and psychological well-being (S Ayers, 2014). Understanding these dynamics is crucial in addressing trauma recovery, as it allows for targeted interventions that focus not only on the trauma itself but also on the complex emotions of fear that permeate the healing process.

Fear can play a negative role in trauma recovery. Please review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care program as well as its numerous other healthcare certification programs

 

A. The psychological mechanisms of fear in trauma

Understanding the psychological mechanisms of fear in trauma is critical for effective recovery strategies. Fear is not merely an emotional response; it activates complex neural circuits that can perpetuate trauma, especially in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research indicates that conditions such as PTSD can lead to significant alterations in brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which plays a vital role in fear-conditioning processes, thereby influencing how individuals cope with traumatic memories (Boccia et al., 2015). This neurobiological basis underscores the importance of targeted therapeutic interventions that focus on desensitizing fearful responses. Furthermore, traditional judicial skepticism regarding emotional harm, often rooted in practical concerns about causation and credibility, has been challenged by advancements in neuroscience, suggesting a more equitable recognition of emotional distress claims (Grey et al., 2015). By integrating these perspectives, professionals can foster a more holistic approach to trauma recovery that acknowledges the profound impact of fear on psychological well-being.

 

B. The role of fear in the fight-or-flight response

Fear serves as a critical catalyst in the fight-or-flight response, an evolutionary mechanism that prepares individuals to confront or evade perceived threats. This physiological and psychological reaction is mediated by the autonomic nervous system, activating the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which heighten alertness and increase heart rate, thus preparing the body for immediate action . Such responses can be particularly influential in the context of trauma, where fear not only prompts survival behaviors but also significantly shapes the subsequent recovery process. For those who have experienced traumatic events, understanding and managing fear become vital to mitigating its potentially debilitating effects. Consequently, fear may hinder recovery if it remains unaddressed, perpetuating a cycle of avoidance and anxiety (Cardin F). By acknowledging fear as an intrinsic part of the healing journey, therapists can aid individuals in harnessing their natural responses to foster resilience and promote recovery from trauma.

 

III. Fear as a Barrier to Recovery

The presence of fear serves as a significant barrier to recovery, profoundly affecting individuals willingness to engage in therapeutic processes. This emotion can stem from a variety of sources, including the fear of stigma and the anticipated difficulty of confronting past traumas. As indicated by the findings of the Department of Behavioral Health’s Trauma Task Force, an ingrained reluctance to pursue recovery-oriented pathways can hinder progress within existing mental health frameworks (Sandra L Bloom et al.). Meanwhile, research on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) highlights that fear often leads to the prioritization of immediate survival over long-term mental health needs, resulting in a cyclical pattern of trauma that affects not only individuals but entire communities (Palivani P, 2025). Consequently, it is crucial to create environments that mitigate fear, fostering trust and enabling individuals to embark on their recovery journeys without the burden of anxiety and self-doubt.

Overcoming fear is essential in healing

 

A. How fear can hinder the healing process

The intricate relationship between fear and the healing process in trauma recovery is profoundly impactful, often creating barriers that impede progress. Fear can manifest as a protective response, causing individuals to avoid confronting traumatic memories or situations, thereby hindering their ability to process and heal from these experiences. This avoidance can lead to a cycle of disconnection, where the individual feels increasingly isolated from both their personal emotions and supportive social networks. As highlighted in literature addressing trauma, cultural aspects and personal experiences greatly influence pathways to healing (Hook MV et al., 2016). Moreover, fear can distort perception, impeding engagement in therapeutic activities that might otherwise facilitate recovery. In a study examining the experiences of trauma survivors in a leisure-based psycho-educational context, participants revealed their fear often prompted resistance to change, highlighting the complex interplay between fear, leisure, and the healing process (Susan M Arai et al., 2008). Awareness and management of these fears are crucial for fostering resilience and promoting effective recovery strategies.

 

B. The impact of avoidance behaviors on trauma recovery

The role of avoidance behaviors in the recovery from trauma is profoundly detrimental, as these behaviors often serve to reinforce the cycle of fear and anxiety surrounding traumatic experiences. Individuals may engage in avoidance as a protective strategy, seeking to evade reminders of their trauma; however, such actions can impede the processing of traumatic memories and prevent emotional healing. Research indicates that difficulties in emotional regulation are closely linked with the severity of PTSD symptoms, rendering avoidance behaviors particularly problematic ((Bidart S et al., 2019)). Moreover, effective trauma recovery necessitates confronting and reprocessing traumatic memories, an endeavor often thwarted by avoidance mechanisms. Notably, advancements in the understanding of extinction learning suggest that addressing these behaviors through targeted interventions could enhance recovery outcomes ((Carpenter et al., 2019)). Ultimately, fostering an environment where individuals can confront their fears and engage in adaptive coping strategies is essential to facilitating meaningful trauma recovery.

IV. Transforming Fear into a Tool for Healing

Fear, often viewed as a debilitating emotion, can be transformed into a powerful tool for healing in the context of trauma recovery. By reframing fear as a catalyst for personal growth, individuals can utilize it to confront and process their traumatic experiences. This transformative approach aligns with the principles outlined by the Department of Behavioral Health, which emphasizes the necessity for a recovery-focused transformation in behavioral health systems, underscoring the importance of recovery and community integration (Sandra L Bloom et al.). Additionally, therapeutic techniques such as Focusing-Orientated Art therapy can facilitate this transformation by creating a safe space for expression, thereby enabling survivors to explore their fears without becoming overwhelmed (Husum C). This process not only fosters resilience but also cultivates a deeper understanding of the self, allowing individuals to harness their fear as a stepping stone toward healing, rather than as a barrier to it.

Transforming one’s fear and understanding its role and subjective status in trauma recovery is essential. Since fear is a conditioned response it can be reprogrammed

 

A. Techniques for confronting and managing fear

Dealing with fear, especially during trauma recovery, requires a blended approach that uses both psychological tools and a supportive care framework. One effective method is Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, which has been shown to help ease trauma symptoms quickly while building emotional resilience. This treatment usually takes just a few sessions, giving patients a way to face their fears that feels structured but gentle, which helps build a sense of safety and trust (Finnegan et al., 2015). On top of that, understanding what survivors actually go through shows us just how important it is to personalize their care. Techniques that focus on who the individual is and encourage supportive communication help patients feel secure as they navigate their fears (Astin et al., 2018). By combining these strategies, healthcare professionals can improve the overall experience for patients and truly support their journey toward healing.

 

B. The role of therapy in reframing fear as a catalyst for growth

Therapy does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to helping us see fear not as an enemy, but as a catalyst for growth. This is especially true during trauma recovery. By using trauma-informed frameworks, like those highlighted in (Sandra L Bloom et al.), therapists create a safe environment where clients learn to voice their fears instead of shoving them down. That process lets people look at the root causes of their fear, shifting the focus from avoidance to actually engaging with life again. On top of that, approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and recreational psychotherapy encourage clients to reconstruct what happened to them. It is about finding meaning and building resilience, as detailed in (IV S et al., 2025). This kind of reframing takes the paralyzing weight out of fear and turns it into motivation that drives personal development. Ultimately, therapy provides the insights and tools we need to face future challenges with a healthier outlook.

 

V. Conclusion

Fear plays such a complex role in trauma recovery. It brings plenty of challenges, sure, but it also opens the door to deep healing. When we stop trying to push the fear away and start acknowledging it, that is often when the real resilience kicks in. We are seeing this shift happening on a larger scale, too. Now that neuroscience can actually show us how trauma rewires the brain, the legal world is having to catch up and evolve how it handles emotional distress (Grey et al., 2015). This change is long overdue. It pushes us to rethink the old biases in tort law and finally admit that emotional wounds deserve just as much attention as physical injuries (Derluyn et al., 2012). At the end of the day, accepting fear as part of the ride empowers survivors. It gives them the tools to handle the hard days and creates a more complete, human approach to getting better.

Ultimately since fear is a conditioned response and subjective, it can be reprogrammed within the mind, understood as not immediate threatening and understood within its proper context.  This permits the person to face the trauma without fear stepping in the way.  In many ways, fear becomes a mental state than merely a reactive emotion in trauma survivors.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program as well as AIHCP’s numerous healthcare certification programs

Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certification Programs

 

A. Summary of the dual role of fear in trauma recovery

Fear plays a surprisingly complicated role in trauma recovery, acting a bit like a double-edged sword. It has the power to hold you back, but it can also push you forward. On the difficult side, fear often stands in the way like a wall. It keeps the cycle of trauma going by encouraging avoidance and spiking anxiety, which stops people from facing what actually happened to them. This avoidance just feeds the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and drags out the pain, making the climb toward recovery feel that much steeper. Then you have the other side of the coin. Fear can actually work as a powerful motivator. When you are able to acknowledge those fears and work through them, you start building real resilience and understanding your own story better. That willingness to confront the scary parts can be a release, helping you build coping skills that lead to genuine healing and growth (Prof. Dr. Bozdemir BS). This is why it is so important for practitioners to understand this balance. It allows them to craft therapy that helps people use fear as fuel for their journey instead of letting it block the road.

 

B. The importance of addressing fear for successful healing and resilience

In the world of trauma recovery, you cannot really move forward without looking at fear. It is often the wall that stops healing in its tracks. Fear can be paralyzing, keeping people from facing what happened to them and effectively pausing their recovery. But leaning into those fears is actually what helps build resilience. We are seeing more and more that resilience is not just a personality trait you either have or you don’t. It is a dynamic mix of your biology, your psychology, and your environment helping you adapt and bounce back (Patel P, 2025). By confronting these fears, people can go through a major shift, where the trauma actually becomes a push for personal growth. For instance, look at Ellie’s therapeutic journey. By recognizing and working through her fear of abandonment, she discovered a strength she didn’t know she had and developed new capabilities (Fosha D et al.). So, addressing fear is what clears the path for real healing. It allows people to reclaim their own stories and view life with a lot more resilience.

Additional Blogs

Helping Children Heal from Trauma.  Access here

Additional Resources

“Fear, Anxiety, and Guilt After A Traumatic Event”. Northern Illinois University: Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning.  Access here

Shepherd, K. (2025). “The Neuroscience of Fear and Trauma: Understanding and Overcoming PTSD” Alter Your Perspective. Access here

Schwartzberg, C. (2024). “Processing Trauma: What It Means & How to Do It”. ChoosingTherapy.com. Access here

Webb, M. “How to Process Fear and Trauma Stored in the Human Body”. Web Therapy.  Access here