Jungian Psychology and Counseling: In the Arena of Grief and Modern Counseling

Posted on by Mark Moran

Carl Jung is one of the pioneers of modern psychology, along side Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler.  In fact, Jung for the longest period was part of Freud’s Psychoanalytic society, but like Adler, Jung also soon became at odds with all of Freud’s concepts.  Despite this, Jung nevertheless maintained a strong affinity for the study of the conscious and unconscious mind and how they can be better aligned for optimal health.  In this blog, we look briefly at some key concepts of Jungian psychology and what aspect of these theories hold strong modern day weight and significance for counselors.

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous behavioral and healthcare certifications, including programs in Grief Counseling, Christian Counseling and as well as Trauma Informed Care and Crisis Intervention.

Jungian Psychology

Jungian psychology looks at the conscious mind, subconscious mind and collective subconscious as the three tiers of one’s psyche

Carl Young’s psychology was based upon the conscious mind, subconscious mind and collective unconscious.  Jung looked to help individuals find find individualization by awakening the subconscious mind but also integrated both the subconscious and conscious for a more healthy and whole person (Tan, 2022).   Jung considered the conscious mind to be a person’s accessible aspect of one’s nature in which the psyche or personality of the person resided.  Within the psyche, the ego exists as a unifier of memories and conscious thoughts of the entirety of the person.  Within this development, the self emerges as the center of self realization.  One’s personality is comprised of both the self and persona.  The persona is the mask or behavior one exhibits in public, but the true self is what defines the person. Personas that overlap to far into self, can cause complexes and deeper issues in knowing oneself perfectly.  Jung, also developed theories that have been more developed today with two of the most core basic personality traits of introvert or extrovert (Tan, 2022).

Beneath the layer of consciousness, the personal unconscious exists.  This, according to Jung, is the aspect of one’s personality where thoughts, feelings, experiences, as well as perceptions are screened out of the conscious mind.  These unconscious aspects of oneself need to be discovered and integrated with the conscious self.  It is there that one can find repressed memories, forgotten experiences or various personal complexes.  Finally, unique to Jung was the concept of the collective unconscious which consists of all universal human qualities that are shared and transpersonal to all human beings.  People, according to Jung, are predisposed to certain feelings or archetypes in how one perceives oneself and experiences.   Archetypes have form but not true content (Tan, 2022).   Archetypes work in such a way to help the unconscious connect to the conscious and influence one’s behavior.

Jung spent many years studying diverse populations and cultures to try find universal archetypes and symbols of those archetypes in the human collective unconscious.  Among the many included death, birth, power, the child, the hero, the sage, the earth mother, the snake, the demon and unity (Tan, 2022).   Also included were the anima or animus sexual archetypes that exist within male and female.  The anima representing the female qualities within a male, and the animus representing the male qualities within a woman (Tan).  Also of importance was the persona or mask of the individual’s personality as well as the darker more primitive side of the shadow, which correlated with Freud’s ID.

Jung believed that through understanding one’s unconscious mind, both personal and collective, as well as identifying one’s archetypes, one could find self actualization and balance in life.  However, since many of these concepts took time to unearth, he did not feel that anyone until their middle age could truly emerge as their true self.

Dream Analysis

Understanding archetypes and dream analysis is a major component of Jungian counseling. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications

A key aspect of Jungian psychology and therapy involves dream analysis.  The trained Jungian therapist is able to help individuals understand the subconscious and collective unconscious mind through dreams and better identify one’s true self.  Jung did not necessarily see dreams as repressed thoughts as did Freud, but Jung saw dreams as reminders to important things or what one should be attentive towards.  He believed dreams could display a person’s fear, wishes, impulses or solutions to problems (Tan, 2022).   In analysis, the parts of the dream, if recalled, are divided and interpreted through various symbols in dreams. Jung, believed that therapy is a journey between therapist and client, not so much a distant observation.  He believed that through thee interpretation of dreams, as well as other techniques, therapists could help clients transform, individualize and self actualize their true self.

Modern Significance

While only a small percentage of therapists identify as Jungian or for that matter train within the school of Jungian Psychology, there still exists therapists who employ his methods and train under this discipline.  Like Freudian Psychology, there still are many benefits that can have been seen in case studies to show benefit, although many lack a more intensive case study with controlled and uncontrolled groupings.  Many counselors may utilize some concepts from Jung and apply as needed to individual cases, while not completely and totally undertaking a Jungian theme in their practice.

According to Tan, Jung made meaningful contributions to the developments on the study of personality, the focus on midlife, and the potential of wisdom and knowledge latent within the unconscious mind.  In addition, Jung emphasized in these dialogues of self with the unconscious to become aware of the shadow self, or the darker side of one’s nature, to not free it, but to acknowledge it and learn to control it.  Finally, Jung contributed greatly to the concepts of dream analysis as well as transference and countertransference between counselor and client.

Tan also discussed possible weaknesses within Jungian psychology.  He points out that the concept of the collective unconscious as theory remains impossible to verify empirically and also the lacks controlled case studies.  In addition, many of the concepts are very gnostic in theory.  Tapping into unknown levels of unconsciousness to discover knowledge resembles a gnostic ideal, as well as Jung’s belief in the spiritual realm, which instead of finding a spiritual relationship with a personal God, views this spiritual relationship as a archetype to help one to know thyself.  Obviously, Jung’s spirituality was something that drew a wedge between Freud and himself.  Jung’s spirituality is far from one that would resemble most Christian traditions but better resembles  those who consider themselves more spiritual than religious.  In addition, evil or the shadow side of human nature while identified as not good, remains in many ways more so like an equal power to the good that must be balanced.  This also differs greatly from many monotheistic ideals on morality.

One can still state overall that Jungian psychology has numerous unique elements and many useful techniques and tools in understanding the human mind.  For that reason, many of his concepts are still studied and adapted to modern therapies and can be used for a wide variety of issues ranging from anxiety to depression, to phobias and and issues of self esteem.

Grief and Trauma

Carl Jung remains a pioneer in the area of psychology and one would be very naive to discredit many of his contributions or even not apply when applicable some of his ideas, especially in the areas of human philosophy, personality, human development and self actualization and individualization to a more holistic and mental health.

From a grief perspective, human loss and pain involves adjustment and change.  Jungian concepts of helping the conscious mind and subconscious mind find each other can help one find more meaning in loss and work out any pathological reactions to loss itself.   Dream analysis can also aid the person in understanding the loss and the time it takes for the mind to process the loss.  The same can be true for trauma.  Trauma exists within the subconscious mind.  Traumatic memories due to intense emotional imprinting and survival mechanisms can leave the subconscious mind in a survival default mode causing anxiety.  Understanding the unconscious mind, finding balance and self actualization can all play key roles in helping one process trauma properly.

Conclusion

Jungian psychology looks to unlock the subconscious and help one reach self actualization by knowing oneself through integration of conscious and subconscious mind

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous Healthcare Certifications, as well as its Grief Counseling Program.  Other programs include Christian Counseling, Trauma Informed Care, Anger Management, Crisis Intervention and also Stress Management.  Many Jungian theories can help counselors in these areas.

Additional Blogs

Freudian Defense Mechanisms- Access here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Resources

McCleod, S. (2025). Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality. Simply Psychology.  Access here

Jungian Therapy. Psychology Today.  Access here

Heyl, J. (2025). Carl Jung: Biography, Archetypes, Theories, Beliefs. VeryWellMind.  Access here

What is Jungian Psychology? (2024). Routledge. Access here

Medication Management App Development: Features, Process, and Cost

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Legal Nursing is a partnership between the medical world and the legal world

Written by Anastasiia Pastukh,

Forget those cheap plastic “M-T-W-Th-F” organizers cluttering up grandmother’s kitchen counter. We’ve moved past the era where sticking a post-it note on the fridge was considered a compliance strategy. Today, ensuring a patient takes the right pill at the right time isn’t just about memory — it’s about software.

Why Medication Management Apps Have Become a Critical HealthTech Discipline

Medication non-adherence is a silent crisis costing the global economy hundreds of billions annually — an estimated $100 to $300 billion in the US alone — but the human cost is far higher. With aging populations in the West and the rising prevalence of chronic conditions requiring complex therapy regimens, the HealthTech market has shifted focus. We are moving away from generic fitness trackers toward serious, clinically valid tools.

This shift has turned medication management app development into a high-stakes engineering discipline. It’s no longer about building a standalone timer; it’s about creating a connected ecosystem. As legacy systems struggle to keep up, major health networks are increasingly relying on specialized healthcare IT services to migrate patient data to the cloud, creating the very infrastructure these new apps rely on to function securely. In this article, we will look “under the hood” of building these solutions: from compliance hurdles and tech stacks to the bottom-line cost.

The Ecosystem and Tech Landscape

Modern health software cannot exist in a vacuum. Success today depends entirely on how deeply a product can weave itself into the existing fabric of healthcare — connecting doctors, pharmacies, and insurance providers. The goal is a seamless flow where a digital prescription moves from the clinician’s desk to the patient’s pocket without manual data entry.

What are giants and startups testing right now?

While Apple continues to push its HealthKit framework to turn the iPhone into a central medical hub, niche players are digging deeper into hardware and behavioral science:

  • Smart Pill Bottles (IoT): Companies like AdhereTech are testing bottles with cellular connectivity. If the cap isn’t unscrewed at the scheduled time, the bottle itself alerts the server to send a reminder or notify a caregiver.
  • Computer Vision: These features use the smartphone camera to identify pills by shape, color, and imprint. It’s a critical safety net to prevent dosage errors before the user even swallows the medication.
  • Predictive Analytics: This is where it gets interesting. Algorithms analyze user behavior patterns to predict when a patient is most likely to skip a dose, triggering personalized, more urgent interventions before the missed dose actually happens.

In this context, professional medication management app development becomes less about writing code and more about understanding behavioral psychology and managing massive, sensitive datasets.

Product Anatomy: From MVP to “Rocket Science”

When scoping a health app, the temptation to “add everything” is strong. However, development reality dictates strict prioritization. Let’s break the architecture down to its atoms.

The Foundation (Must-Have)

These are the non-negotiables. Without them, the product offers no value.

  • Intelligent Scheduler: It needs to be smarter than a standard alarm clock. It must understand complex medical cycles (e.g., “21 days on, 7 days off” for hormonal therapies or tapering doses).
  • Inventory Tracker: A logistical tool. The user inputs their supply, and the system counts down, triggering a “Refill Needed” alert when only 5–7 doses remain.
  • Adherence Logs: A clean, exportable history of “taken/skipped/snoozed” actions that a patient can share with their physician during a check-up.

The Differentiators (Advanced)

This is where you build a competitive moat.

Drug-to-Drug Interaction (DDI) Checks

Technically demanding but vital for safety. The system must flag if a user adds two medications that are dangerous when combined (like aspirin and warfarin).

  • The Tech Stack: This usually requires licensing robust, expensive APIs from established medical knowledge bases like First Databank or Wolters Kluwer.

Wearable Integration

Reading vitals (heart rate, blood pressure) at the moment of ingestion. If a patient takes medication for hypertension and their smart watch detects a dangerous drop in blood pressure shortly after, the app can advise immediate medical attention.

Caregiver Mode

A feature designed for the “sandwich generation” caring for aging parents. If a father forgets his heart medication, his daughter in another city receives a push notification, allowing for a gentle human reminder.

The Development Process: More Than Just Code

When a specialized medication management app development company tackles a project, the workflow looks nothing like building an e-commerce site or a game. In this sector, a bug isn’t just an annoyance — it’s a potential health risk.

Phase 1: Discovery and the Compliance Minefield

Before a single line of code is written, legal teams and business analysts must solve the regulatory puzzle.

  • HIPAA (USA) / GDPR (Europe): Health data is classified as Protected Health Information (PHI). You cannot simply host this on a cheap shared server. It requires encryption at rest and in transit, strict access controls, and audit trails.
  • FDA / CE Mark / MDR: If the app doesn’t just remind but interprets data to suggest dosage changes, it crosses the line into “Software as a Medical Device” (SaMD). This triggers a rigorous certification process with the FDA in the US or compliance with the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) in Europe.

Phase 2: UX/UI  —  Design for Real People

Forget trendy thin fonts and low-contrast aesthetics. The core demographic is often over 50.

  • Accessibility First: High contrast, large touch targets, and full compatibility with screen readers (VoiceOver/TalkBack) are mandatory.
  • Friction Reduction: A user with tremors or brain fog shouldn’t have to navigate ten screens just to log a pill. The interface must be forgiving and direct.

Phase 3: Interoperability

This is the biggest headache in modern digital health.

  • HL7 FHIR: This is the gold standard for data exchange. If the app doesn’t speak FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), it remains an isolated island. This standard allows the app to “talk” to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) used by hospitals.

Why is Medication Management App Development So Expensive?

We arrive at the question every investor asks. Why does a “simple calendar for pills” cost anywhere from $40,000 to over $150,000?

The Cost Drivers

  1. Backend & Security: Building a fortress-like cloud infrastructure that can pass a third-party security audit costs significantly more than a standard backend.
  2. Integrations: Connecting to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for auto-refills or lab systems requires custom connectors and negotiation with legacy APIs.
  3. QA & Testing: You cannot “move fast and break things” here. QA engineers spend hundreds of hours testing edge cases — timezone changes during travel, loss of internet connectivity, and conflicting reminders.

Rough Estimates

  • Lean MVP (iOS + Android): $40,000 – $60,000. Basic reminders, local database, accessible design, no heavy integrations.
  • Custom Solution: $80,000 – $120,000. Cloud synchronization, caregiver portals, basic analytics, secure accounts.
  • Enterprise Platform: $150,000+. AI analytics, full EHR integration, telemedicine features, FDA submission support.

The reality is that quality medication management app development is an investment in stability. Using “out-of-the-box” white-label solutions often leads to a dead end where the entire system has to be rewritten once the user base scales.

Challenges and Pitfalls

It’s not all smooth sailing. Developers face specific hurdles that rarely make it into the marketing brochures.

Alert Fatigue

If an app buzzes too often or for trivial reasons, the user eventually desensitizes or disables notifications entirely. A smart system adapts. If a push notification is ignored, maybe it escalates to a text message, or an automated call for critical life-saving drugs.

Data Liability

Imagine a scenario where the app’s database has outdated dosage info for a specific drug. The legal liability is massive. This is why relying on verified, third-party medical data providers — rather than crowdsourcing data — is the only viable path.

Choosing the Right Partner

Finding the right vendor is half the battle. A specialized medication management app development company differs from a generalist web agency the way a surgical unit differs from a wellness spa.

What to look for:

  • Proven Compliance: Ask to see case studies where they successfully navigated HIPAA or GDPR audits.
  • Clinical Workflow Knowledge: Do they know the difference between a brand-name drug and a generic? Do they understand “titration”? If you have to explain basic medical concepts to the project manager, run.
  • R&D Capabilities: Are they experimenting with AI/ML? The market is moving toward hyper-personalization, and you will need these technologies sooner rather than later.

The Future: Beyond the App

We are standing on the precipice of a major shift. We are already seeing “digital pills” (like Abilify MyCite) where a sensor inside the pill signals the app upon digestion. This removes the guesswork entirely.

Furthermore, Pharmacogenomics is the next frontier. Imagine an app that, connected to your DNA profile, warns you: “Based on your genetic markers, this specific antidepressant may not be effective. Consult your doctor.” This isn’t science fiction; it’s the immediate future of integrating lab data into consumer interfaces.

Final Thoughts

Building a medication management platform is a marathon, not a sprint. It operates at the intersection of rigid technology and fragile human health. There is no room for “spaghetti code” or security shortcuts.

The market is demanding solutions that are empathetic to the user and ruthless about accuracy. Whether you are a startup founder aiming to disrupt the industry or a pharmaceutical executive looking to add value to a drug portfolio, remember: a successful medication management app development company isn’t just selling software. They are selling peace of mind. And in today’s turbulent healthcare landscape, that assurance is the most valuable asset of all.

 

Author Bio: Anastasiia Pastukh is an IT expert with 10 years of experience in content creation. She has a strong background in developing assistive technologies and software-hardware complexes that support accessibility and inclusion.

 

 

lease also review AIHCP’s Health Care Management Certification program and our CE courses as well, to see if they meet your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

Integrated Christian Counseling: A Perfect Balance

Posted on by Mark Moran

Christians believe truth is truth and God is the author of all truth.  God is the author of Scripture, but also the author of creation.  All sciences and studies that investigate the nature of creation, from biology to physics, to mathematics to astronomy, or even medicine and psychology are products of God’s truth.   Hence, when contradictions appear between faith and science, the contradiction is not the truth of God, but errors of men.  The error either lies in poor interpretation of Scripture, or poor application of science.  In this short blog we will define what integrated Christian Counseling entails as well as examine it’s critical importance in psychology and counseling.

Integrated Christian Counseling presents a Christo-centric morality but also utilizes modern psychological therapies to help people heal physically, mentally and also spiritually

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

Distrust of the Scientific Method within Christian Communities

Since the age of “reason” as well as the scientific revolution, the empiric method emerged.  The empirical method of science is not the enemy to the faith, but when molded by agnostic or atheistic minds, it can be utilized to remove God or any theological and metaphysical ideals.  This is simply because the empiric method is a tool to examine the natural world not the metaphysical one.  It is based on observation through the senses, it is tested, verified and proposed as theory to later be seen as a law.  It dismisses past superstitions, or over-emphasis on attributing natural occurrences as spiritual.  As a tool though, it has a purpose but when its purpose is used to analyze all of human experience that is spiritual or metaphysical, then it no longer serves a purpose.  This is the error of many atheistic or agnostic scientists.  Their religion and altar becomes the empiric method and anything that does not fall under its shadow is dismissed as myth or fantasy.

Naturally then, many Christians may fear the chosen weapon or tool of the scientist, not so much because of the weapon itself but because of who wields it.  By rejecting modern empiricism, the Christian isolates himself or herself from many truths of God’s creation.  Whether a natural law was observed by an atheist or agnostic has no bearing on its reality and truth in the natural world and its conformity to the natural law.   So when studying theology, or Sacred Scripture, one enters into a new science, one that is not based upon the scientific method, but one that is based on different levels of human experience, as well as the virtue of faith.  This does not make Theology inferior, for it is the highest science because its end object is God.

Modernism attempted to bridge empiricism with faith, but the failure of this heresy lies in the fact that is placed theology as well as Sacred Scripture second to empirical verification.  It retained spiritual experience to only vital immanentism, where faith and belief was constrained only to human  subjective experience.  Modernists refused to correlate miracles and acts of God with natural science.  They mused that since God is the author of both natural science and theology, then theological stories that support supernatural events are impossible since they go against the empirical method.  Because of this, modernists rejected many stories of the Bible as myths, as well as even doubting the Resurrection of Christ.  Since supernatural events cross into the threshold of the natural law and its world, they reduced faith to only subjective experiences that could not contradict the laws of nature.   So while still remaining theists, they limited God’s power in the natural world and attempted to re-interpret Scripture to meet the demands of the empirical method.   As stated earlier, sometimes improper interpretation of Scripture and its miracles can lead to a conflict with the natural world and its laws, but the Modernist heresy not only re-interpreted the Bible, but outwardly placed it under the foot of empiricism.  By reducing anything of supernatural power to mere mythical language, it violated Scriptures integrity and denounced God’s power over nature.

I do not suggest such an extreme and heretical approach to implementing true science with faith, but instead presents a more complimentary approach that respects dogma, morality and teachings of Scripture with the natural and health sciences of the world.  This protects both Scripture from heretical rebranding, but also accepts the many truths discovered by science through the empirical method.  They both can stand side by side because God is the source of both.

So, while many fundamentalist Christians suffer from a complete distrust of science in the fields of natural history, geology, evolution, and other sciences, it is important to not simply disregard these findings based upon the name of the person who presented it.  In fact, disregarding is not only dangerous to truth, but it can also limit those within the faith in their own exploration of Scripture, as well as misuse of it.  For instance, while integrated Christian Counseling endorses both science and the Bible, it does not look to find all answers about physical and mental health, or the natural world in the Bible.  The Bible is collection of sacred books, inspired by God and written through men, to lead one to spiritual salvation.  It was never intended to become medical manual or science text book.   The Bible teaches foundational aspects about humanity’s  broken condition due to sin which is a crucial starting point, as well as laying foundations on morality and good living, which serve as important launching points in counseling and psychology.

Types of Approaches

Just as modern psychology has many schools of thought, Christian Counseling also has various schools of how Scripture is utilized in counseling

Contrary to popular belief, psychology did not start with Sigmund Freud.  While Freud and even Alfred Adler raised the level of psychology to a deeper empirical science, there idea of helping people through mental and behavioral issues was done well before them within the Christian tradition.  From the Patristic Fathers and throughout the history of the Church, spiritual direction and moral guidance has been a hall mark of helping individuals find balance and peace.  Christian Counseling thus has existed for centuries before the new findings about the brain and psychology of the human person.  These new findings are helpful and can only add to the richness of a theologically based Christian Counseling.

In psychology there are various approaches, schools of thought and therapies.  One needs to merely look at the differences between psychoanalytic theories to more modern human centered theories or even behavioral and cognitive therapies.  No true school holds a monopoly on what is the best type of counseling.  There are important truths found in all schools of thought that help in certain cases, despite the fact that certain counselors and psychologists may adhere to one primary school.  So to truly find one counselor in this day age who adheres to one school of counseling and psychology is more rare.   The same can be said with Christian Counselors.

All Christian counselors believe that God and biblical sources are the foundational piece.  They believe a Christo-centric world view to manage counseling.  The basic premise is humanity is broken through sin and as a result of sin, all evil and suffering exists.  The extent to which everything clinically is a product of sin differs.  While sin is the source, there are still detailed explanations about why we suffer.  If one goes to a physician, whether religious or not, the physician consults medical practices consistent with evidence based support and testing.  Obviously, the ultimate first cause of sickness is sin but that diagnosis is redundant in healing.  Sin is the cause of it all but helping one heal is based on the proper medicine for the acute condition.  The same is true for Christian Counseling that is integrated.  It acknowledges sin as the root and also encourages Christ like remedies in the moral life to produce true change, but it does not ignore the pathologies or issues that exist within the brain, or the numerous case studies that show productive therapeutic results.

With that said, some schools of thought within Christian Counseling are far more biblical and suspicious of modern psychology, while other schools are far more welcoming.  Biblical Counseling in its truest sense is one of the far right extremes.  I would consider it more extreme because it finds all answers in Scripture.  It is more suspicious of the empirical sciences and looks to find most of life’s solutions in Scripture.  Strictly Biblical Counselors will resort to more faith based answers than modern psychological therapies.   This is not to say Scripture does not provide a broad frame work of moral information to cultivate healthy change in life, but in extreme cases, it can look to replace even proven modern methods.  Obviously someone facing depression, or PTSD or extreme trauma will benefit from Scripture.  One can even find helpful concepts and soothing ideals of love.  However, Scripture does not provide guidelines for treating depression or PTSD which are issues associated with the brain’s chemistry.  While Scripture supplies a strong foundation, it is not meant to be utilized as if the DSM-5 to treat pathology.

From the opposing side, Christian Counseling falls also into some who apply the Levels of Explanation approach.  This approach accepts the human condition based on Scripture, but is more interested in approaching mental health through the secular psychological schools of approach.  For a Christian, it may not be enough biblical based or emphasized.

Within the middle ground exists Christian Psychology which embraces the entirety of Christian thought on people helping and implementing also modern psychology, as well as Transformational Christian Counseling that uses Scripture to help transform a person spiritually from their issues.  The integrated Christian approach best captures Scripture, the Christian tradition and modern psychology.

What one tends to see are more clinical counselors in levels of explanation, as well as more devout clinical professionals in the integrated approaches, with more pastors strictly within the biblical approach.

Like secular psychology, no one school holds a monopoly on what is best or better, but it depends on the person’s needs and faith base.  AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program is more so based within the integrative school.  This is especially so because AIHCP certified healthcare and mental health care professionals with academic background.  Nevertheless, many pastors still see the value of AIHCP’s program since it believes in a strong biblical presence.  Biblical exegesis and Biblical advice protects the person from the advice of the world which in secular society can break from the morality of God’s law.  Christian Counseling adheres to Christo-centric ideals of behavior and necessary changes.  Underuse as well as overuse of Scripture in counseling can produce negative things.  If overused, good and proven therapeutic strategies can be overlooked with suspicion, while if under used, the strong moral tradition of Christianity can be ignored.  The importance of mental care but infused with spiritual care to produce true transformation via the Holy Spirit is essential in change.  One cannot simply rely on physical and mental remedies but also spiritual wellness and healing.  Christian Counseling that is properly integrated can achieve both.

Of course, not all Christian Counselors are clinical and because of this can be limited within their scope of practice, but those with clinical licensures can employ these ideals to their clients who wish for a Christian perspective and also require therapies beyond the scope of a minister or pastor.  And also important to remember, whether clinical or only pastoral as counselors, all schools of thought, whether secular, religious, or both, must adhere to the ethical and legal standards of the profession.

Conclusion

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals

When counseling acknowledges the Christian tradition, as well as the broken human nature and sin, then it has a true foundation to find true healing for the person at every level of existence.  Integrated Christian Counselors, utilize Scripture, Christian tradition and modern psychology to present the most holistic and best healing practices to mind, body and soul.  It presents a perfect balance to the client.  It understands that God is the author of both Scripture and psychology and that they can compliment each other in the full healing of a person.  Incorporating various techniques and principles from all schools of psychology, as well as Christian counseling approaches can be useful in giving the best client care.  Whether pastoral or clinical, all Christian Counselors are called to apply good Biblical morality and best tested therapies to their client while adhering to counseling laws and ethics.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

Please also refer to these text books for more information on Integrated Christian Counseling.

Our text book for SC570

Collins, G. (2007).  Christian counseling: A comprehensive guide. Thomas Nelson

and

Johnson, E., Ed (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five views 2nd Ed. IVP Academic

For other Christian Counseling based blogs, please review

Christ and Integrated Christian Counseling. Access here

Brain and the Soul.  Access here

Additional Resources

“Integrative Therapy”. Psychology Today.  Access here

“Therapy Types and Modalities”. Psychology Today.  Access here

Collinsworth-Cobarruvias, S.  (2018). “Biblical Foundation for Christian Integration: A Theology of Christian Counseling”. Access here

Zarbo, C. et, al. (2015). “Integrative Psychotherapy Works”. Front Psychol. 2015; 6: 2021. National Library of Medicine. Access here

 

Trauma Informed Care Program and Grooming Video

Posted on by Mark Moran

Predators and perpetrators groom children in advance and usually know the child as compared to the more rare brazen kidnapping scenarios.  This video takes a closer look at grooming.  Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certification Program as well as AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program

AIHCP and Healthcare Certification Blog: Alfred Adler and Individual Psychology

Posted on by Mark Moran

Alfred Adler, who many consider to be the father of modern psychology differed greatly from Sigmund Freud.  In fact, Adler was once part of Freud’s psychoanalytic society, but was removed due to many of his differences from Freud considering human potential and his insistence on looking farther than merely ones parental upbringing but also looking at multiple other social aspects.  He also differed from Freud in the counselor client relationship.  It is of then wonder than many human centered philosophies, such as Rogerian counseling, stemmed and can trace its roots back to Adler.

Alfred Adler set the stage for many modern counseling interventions and techniques. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous healthcare certifications, as well as behavioral and mental health certifications in grief counseling, trauma informed care, stress management, anger management, crisis intervention, as well spiritual and Christian counseling

Adlerian Counseling

Alfred Adler’s approach was far less pessimistic than Freud’s outlook and instead of subconscious determinism, Adler saw potential (Tan, 2022).   Adler focused on goal orientation with less focus on the subconscious and more attention to the conscious mind to meet goals and develop one’s potential (Tan, 2022).   This led to Adler’s “Individual Psychology” that looked at a more wholistic view point of human nature rather  than just limiting to subconscious and biology factors.  Below are some of his key concepts in approaching psychology and counseling.

Subjective Perception of Reality

Adler took a phenomenological approach to human experience as something subjective to the agent and how the agent responds to a myriad of experiences.  This approach is very much tied to numerous modern schools of thought.  The counselor instead of quietly and out of view interpreting instead becomes an active agent in discussing these experiences with the client (Tan 2022).

Unity and Holistic Development

Adler focused on the full holistic of human nature, emphasizing the purpose of life goals and meeting those goals.  In doing, so Adler is famous for identifying and coining the term “inferiority complex”.  Many attribute this term due to the fact Adler was one of many children and faced inferiority complexes himself.    Adler believed that one could overcome these inferiority complexes by continuing to strive for perfection and competence.   He, however, warned of how inferiority complexes can become pathological, as well as superiority complexes which is merely a mask of feeling inferior (Tan, 2022).

Social Interest and Community Feeling

Adler also emphasized the importance of the individual’s role in community and social life as an important part of being a human person.  He also considered how one contributed to society with his or her talents as key part of a healthy mental person (Tan, 2022).

Life Tasks

In contrast to Freuds sexual phases of development, Adler emphasized the importance of completing life tasks.  He listed the task of building friendships, love-marriage task of intimacy and the occupational task of work and making contributions to society.  Later professionals would also add self acceptance, development of spirituality and the parenting and family task. (Tan, 2022).

Birth Order

Key to Adler, since he belonged to a large family, was birthing order and how it plays a significant role in one’s personality.  Like Freud, Adler maintained most of one’s personality is formed within the first 6 years of life, so naturally birth order and the family paradigm was important.   Birthing order to Adler did not always necessarily mean by chronical order, but also sometimes with maturity, as well as groupings of children who were far younger than maybe the first two children who were close of age.  Within this, Adler categorized eldest characteristics, as well as middle child and youngest child (Tan, 2022).

Counselor/Client Relationship

Adler believed strongly in the therapeutic relationship with the client in contrast to the more isolated approach of Freud

Adler is seen as the father of modern psychology because of his patient centered approach to counseling.  He pointed out the importance of a therapeutic relationship with the patient that encourages, shows empathy, and walks with the client.  Important to good counseling are detailed assessment to help the counselor better understand the needs and history of the client.  Following assessment are many probing open ended questioning techniques such as “The Question” which entails asking someone if his/her life was different, what would one like to do and the “what if” questioning.  Adler hoped to help clients see their self worth as well as to identify their self-concept and self ideal in conjunction with their worldview and ethical convictions (Tan, 2022).

Adler emphasized in self assessment and growth the danger of over-generalizations, false or impossible goals, misconceptions of life’s demands, minimization of self and also pointing out faulty values (Tan, 2022).  In doing so Adler developed numerous counseling techniques which include encouragement, immediacy, “as if” exercise, catching oneself prior to bad behavior, creating healthy images, “spitting in the client’s soup”, “Avoidance of the Tar Baby”, push button techniques of controlling emotional regulation, paradoxical intention, task setting and commitment and finally the use of homework for the client (Tan, 2022).

For deeper clarification in some of the terms, “spitting in the client’s soup” is a technique a client uses to take the reward or attraction from something the client seems to be heroic or good.  It permits the client to see more clearly how detrimental their statements or emotions are.  “Avoiding the Tar Baby” is a technique that pushes the client to address issues they hope to avoid.  The “Push Button Technique” is used to help clients visualize pleasant and unpleasant memories and to learn to feel and regulate the emotions within them.  Finally, “paradoxical intention” is a technique that exaggerates a bad behavior to help clients see how ridiculous the behavior already is (Tan, 2022).

Conclusion

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous behavioral health certifications including Grief Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Christian Counseling

Albert Ellis, one of the founders of CBT, considered Alfred Adler to be the true father of modern psychology (Tan, 2022).  It is easy to see why since it goes well beyond psychoanalysis but engages the client with empathy but also helps the client face their behaviors to promote change.  This type of therapy or tools taken from it and borrowed by other schools has proven to be effective for many psychological ailments such as anxiety, affective disorders, personality disorders and anti social disorders.

Please also review AIHCP’s healthcare certifications as well its many behavioral health certifications, including Christian Counseling as well as Grief Counseling.

Additional AIHCP Blogs

Psychoanalytic Counseling: Access here

References

Tan, S-Y. (2022). Counseling and psychotherapy: a Christian perspective. (2nd Edition). Baker Academic, a division of the Baker Publishing Group.

Additional Resources

Cherry, K. (2025). Alfred Adler’s Career, Life, and Theory of Personality. VeryWellMind. Access here

Hoffman, R. (2024). Alfred Adler’s Theory of Individual Psychology and Personality.  Simple Psychology.  Access here

Adlerian Therapy. (2022). Psychology Today. Access here

Sutton, J. (2023). 22 Most Effective Adlerian Therapy Techniques and Worksheets. PositivePsychology.com.  Access here

 

 

 

 

 

How the Nervous System Reacts to Sudden Trauma

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Text that reads traumaWritten by Kim Hobbs

Have you ever been in a fender-bender or gotten an unexpected jolt? 

If you have, you know things like these happen in a split second and, in that second, your body does something truly incredible. At first, you don’t actually feel the pain. All you can sense is a weird, yet terrible shock that overloads your entire system. You know what that is? That’s your nervous system, and it just took control over you.

When suffering damage, the body’s acute stress response activates, where the sympathetic nervous system releases hormones such as adrenaline almost immediately; this increases your heart rate and redirects blood flow before you consciously feel pain from the impact. – National Library of Medicine

When a sudden impact hits your body, the nervous system slams the panic button. It doesn’t wait for your brain to catch up. Instead, it makes adrenaline flood your veins, and your pain signals temporarily get shoved aside. This is biological crisis mode, and its point is to help you get to safety fast. 

Afterwards, you have a mess to deal with: stiffness, headache, feeling weird but tired, and it doesn’t even have to come from the injury itself. 

It’s the result of the extreme reaction of your nervous system. 

What Happens in Your Body When Trauma Hits

Picture the exact moment of a crash. It seems like it’s all happening at once, but inside you, there’s a lightning-fast sequence kicking off. 

The part of your brain that does the thinking and the worrying gets benched for a little while. 

The impact sends a shockwave of signals screaming up your spinal cord, and they go straight to the primal parts of your brain that handle survival. This is a complete takeover, and your brain goes into survival mode. 

Now, its only job is to keep you alive and assess the threat. 

The body’s fight-or-flight response shifts your body’s priorities to survival mode; systems that aren’t immediately needed (e.g., pain signaling, digestion, etc.) are temporarily suppressed. – Harvard Medicine

This is the reason why, in those first few moments, you might feel this strange sense of being calm and hyper at the same time. Your senses are dialed all the way up, yet your thoughts are all over the place. This is left from the ancient humans, and the only reason it fires up is to get you through the next minute. 

All this happens through the brainstem, which you can think of as a central alarm station.

All of the signals coming from your tightened muscles, the noise, the flashing lights, and your jarred neck meet up here for a short triage. At this point, you still don’t feel any physical pain. It’s a genius move of self-preservation that pumps you full of natural painkillers so you can potentially get out of a dangerous situation even if you’re injured. 

Yet, as genius as this is, it also tricks you into thinking you’re okay when you’re really not. 

That initial pain is either muted or blocked completely, so you try to shake it off and refuse to get help. What you usually do then is you wake up feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck. And you’re pretty much kicking yourself for not calling 911 the day before. 

This can complicate things later, especially if you try to piece together a timeline of the injury or make sense of medical records.

A traumatic brain injury can negatively affect brain function, but it may not show any obvious symptoms. – CDC

The situation gets even worse if there are legal issues involved, but in that case, you really need to look for professional help, like the one offered by Shafner Law accident lawyers. 

So to sum it up, that ‘I’m okay’ feeling you get at first isn’t the whole picture, and you’re not being tough by reducing help, you’re being reckless. 

How the Brain and Nerves Handle Pain and Shock

So what happens after your body’s alarm system gets pulled? 

Actually, some very interesting things happen, although some of them feel a bit counterintuitive. The whole experience usually feels really weird and disconnected, and the reason for that is the way your brain and nerves handle the aftermath of a sudden trauma. 

The first thing that happens is that chemicals flood your system. Adrenaline makes your heart race and senses sharp, and, best of all, it’s a natural painkiller. Along with adrenaline comes cortisol, which is the main stress hormone in your body.It mobilizes energy and suppresses any functions that aren’t absolutely vital.

The brain, your immune system, and endocrine pathways such as the HPA axis all work in unison to manage the stress response, which prepares your body to handle the immediate threat. – CDC

This, yet again, includes suppressing pain. 

This chemical cocktail is unmatched when it comes to getting you out of danger, but the problem is, there are things happening to your tissues, and the conscious part of your brain has no idea about it. 

This is the state of shock, but if you were to look at it from a neurological perspective, it’s more accurate to call it a system-wide overwhelm. Your brain is so full of emergency signals that it can’t properly process the normal stuff that goes on. 

This is why you feel confused and emotionally numb. 

Some people are even completely emotionally detached from the situation. For your brain, the priority is to keep you alive, not try to make sense of what’s going on. So, you’re not ‘fine,’ your system is simply too busy to file the report as it should. 

This disconnect explains one crucial fact, which is that the pain you feel immediately after the trauma is almost never proportional to the actual tissue damage. 

Your muscles and/or ligaments could be seriously damaged, and you wouldn’t be aware of the extent of the injury.

Why Problems Show Up Later

You got through the day and, hey, it wasn’t even that dramatic. It seems like you dodged a bullet, and all you need is a bit of rest.

And then tomorrow morning comes, and you feel TERRIBLE.

After trauma, it’s normal to have delayed physical/emotional reactions (e.g., fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, numbness, etc.). – National Library of Medicine

Where did that come from? 

Swelling & Nerve Sensitivity

Right after the impact, your body goes into crisis mode. But after you’re safe, they’re no longer needed, and that’s when you really start to feel the aftermath of the accident. Now it’s time for inflammation and swelling to take over. 

To be clear, swelling is good because it’s part of healing. 

But it presses on all the nerves that just went through shock, and they’re already jangled. Now, they’re being irritated even more, so that the pain you feel a day later isn’t a new injury.

After you suffer nerve trauma, the healing process is often accompanied by increased irritation and pain because the immune cells affect the damaged area and the surrounding tissue. – PubMed Central

The Nervous System Settling Back Down

After something scary happens, you’re wired because of all the adrenaline.

Once that runs out, what follows is a brutal crash. You feel insanely exhausted, no matter how much you sleep, or you get dizzy out of nowhere. 

During trauma recovery, as soon as the acute stress reaction subsides, your body falls into what’s called the down-regulation phase. Psychological arousal returns to baseline and manifests as fatigue. – Ohio Department of Behavioral Health

You get headaches and have trouble sleeping, and it feels like you’re being overly dramatic. 

But you’re not. It’s just what happens when your nervous system finally settles down. 

Mental & Emotional Changes

People often blame themselves for feeling numb, anxious, being forgetful, or snapping at people randomly. But it’s not your fault because your brain took a hit, too. Maybe not a physical one, but certainly systemic. All its energy went into survival, so everything else, like memory and mood, is now running on fumes.

After you suffer a traumatic injury, you could end up suffering day-long brain processing and widespread neuronal responses, as the brain prioritizes basic survival and repair. Emotional numbness and cognitive fog are common side-effects. – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This isn’t a weakness; it’s a problem with wiring, and the only thing you can do is to be patient and wait for things to go back to normal on their own. 

Conclusion

Your nervous system is your best friend, although you could say it’s overly enthusiastic about keeping you alive at times.Still, it does an incredible job at protecting you, although you should be prepared for the messy cleanup because it leaves chaos in its wake. 

So what’s the most important thing to take away from all this? It’s that, if you’ve suffered a trauma, that first feeling is just the tip of the iceberg. The real story is yet to come, so be patient with yourself. 

And absolutely get medical help, no matter how ‘fine’ you feel.

 

Author’s Bio

Ms. Kim Hobbs is an accomplished writer, storyteller, and creative thinker whose passion for the written word has captivated readers worldwide. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for weaving compelling narratives, Kim explores themes of resilience, transformation, and the human experience.

 

 

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Certification program and Trauma Informed Care Courses 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

4 Buddhist Principles That Can Help You Transform Your Life

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

meditating at sunset on a beach

Written by Mahasweta Bose.

The American hustle culture wears everyone out. It glorifies relentless work. This constant pressure to be productive leads to burnout. More than any other cohort, Gen Z workers are experiencing record-high levels of burnout because of huge amounts of stress. The pressure to achieve, to perform, or to simply keep up leaves many people looking for something real to ground them. 

The core teachings of Buddhism offer just that. The Buddha summarized his entire teaching as one thing: “Suffering and its end”. These teachings offer systematic training for your mind. They are practical tools designed to help you achieve profound inner freedom.

Here, we’ll walk you through some Buddhist principles that can help you transform your life. 

#1 Mindfulness

At its core, mindfulness is a powerful cognitive skill. It’s the ability to sustain awareness toward your mind and body at the present moment.   

In Buddhist philosophy, this skill is called Sati. Modern programs like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) are based on this ancient practice. The goal is not to change the experience itself. The key is to notice how you are relating to the experience you are having. 

Mindfulness helps you understand the difference between the two types of suffering. The first arrow is the primary suffering, which is the unavoidable pain of life. The second arrow is secondary suffering. This is your mental reaction, like judgment or rumination. You can minimize that painful second arrow if you focus on the present. 

How to Apply It

You can weave mindfulness into your life in easy, accessible ways.  

When stress hits or negative thoughts start swirling, use breathing as an anchor. Sit down comfortably and gently close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Focus entirely on your breath moving in and out of your body. Use this technique for just 5 minutes as an immediate internal reset button.

It’s hard to slow down and notice things in our busy world. Pause for a few seconds and experience your environment fully. Pay intentional attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch right now. This simple check-in pulls you out of autopilot mode and lands you safely in the present moment. Try to find joy in simple pleasures.   

You can also try structured practices that involve movement. Walking meditation is a great option. Find a quiet space, maybe 10 to 20 feet long. Begin walking very slowly, focusing on the feeling of your feet touching the ground.  

#2 Impermanence

The Buddhist principle of impermanence, or Anicca (in Pali), is profoundly liberating. This core Buddhist doctrine asserts that all of conditioned existence is transient and inconstant. This includes your emotions, your body, your relationships, and your entire life situation.

Humans suffer deeply because they mistakenly cling to things. They crave situations or feelings to be fixed and permanent. Expecting constant stability, happiness, or predictability causes intense anxiety and dissatisfaction. Accepting impermanence can be unsettling at first. But it’s the key to resilience. 

When you understand that bad times are impermanent, you know they will also change and pass. This opens you up to a world of endless positive possibilities because flow is constant. Understanding this reality during pain, grief, and other trials is incredibly beneficial.

How to Apply It

You can use the knowledge of impermanence to navigate both the highs and the lows of life. When trials arise, remember they will change. Adjust to the inevitable lows. Be patient, for it helps you think clearly and overcome challenges with greater ease.  

Since all good moments are fleeting, you must savor and appreciate them fully while they last. Increase gratitude in the present moment. Make the most of the good moments while they last. Don’t cling to the expectation that they must last forever.

Realize that endings are not final; they are just transformations in disguise. You can stop demanding closure for old stories because the story never ends; it just changes form. Every goodbye carries a hidden blessing. What is leaving is actually making room for what is meant to arrive next.   

#3 Compassion and Loving-Kindness

The Buddhist tradition separates two types of heart-opening practice. 

Karuna, or compassion, is the active, heartfelt concern for the suffering of others. It is recognizing pain and moving to alleviate it. Metta, or loving-kindness, is the partner practice. Metta means extending wishes of happiness, wellness, and peace to all beings.

More than passive empathy, compassion is an empathetic altruism that actively strives to alleviate suffering. It requires wisdom (Prajna) to truly understand the nature of the suffering we wish to free others from.  

The principle of compassion is vital when you see big problems. The lawsuit against Acadia Healthcare is an example. 

One of the largest operators of behavioral health facilities in the U.S., Acadia Healthcare, is blamed for engaging in inappropriate behavior. TorHoerman Law notes that survivors have shared stories of sexual abuse and staff misconduct happening right inside the facilities where they were seeking mental health help. 

Some people who were harmed have filed the Acadia Healthcare lawsuit for financial compensation for the harm they endured.

In such cases, compassion forces you to look past the arguments and news to the vulnerable people at the heart of the problem. Seeing their pain inspires you to take action and demand better standards of care, instead of just reacting emotionally.

How to Apply It

There are many easy ways to cultivate Karuna and Metta every day.

You cannot pour from an empty cup; self-compassion must come first. You need to actively practice kindness toward yourself daily.   

Notice when you are being unnecessarily harsh or judgmental with yourself. Guide those critical thoughts toward a kinder internal dialogue. Allow yourself to feel and express all your feelings in a safe way. Remind yourself that you are allowed to make mistakes.

When you feel bad or ashamed, try this self-soothing technique. Put your hand on your heart and breathe a few times deeply. Feel the warmth and gentle weight of your hand as you simply notice your breath. Stay in this position for as long as it feels right and safe.

#4 Detachment

The core of Buddhist teaching is that suffering stems from clinging, or tanha. 

Non-attachment is the practice of releasing this clinging to things that are impermanent. These things include material objects, expectations, and even ideas.   

Rooting out causes of suffering is non-clinging. This is the ultimate objective, the very essence of the Third Noble Truth.  It’s vital to understand the difference between non-attachment and emotional detachment.   

Non-attachment means you are fully in the world but not caught up in it. It requires awareness, curiosity, and deep understanding, which in turn unlock love, joy, and empathy. You experience emotions fully, recognizing their transient nature.   

In contrast, emotional detachment is a withdrawal from feeling. It often serves as a defense mechanism, resulting in apathy or disconnection. Psychologically, this disconnection hinders authentic relationships. Non-attachment is radical participation, whereas detachment implies avoidance.

How to Apply It

To practice detachment, focus on effort over results. Release your rigid expectations for the result. Enjoy the process instead of constantly fast-forwarding to the outcome. 

If things don’t unfold as you had planned, you avoid feelings of rejection. You recognize that your worth is not determined by any single failure or achievement.   

Learn to be happy with what you have now. Your satisfaction with what allows you to be peaceful and happy, regardless of the outcome. 

Choose to cultivate happiness with what is currently present in your life. When you trust the process, you bring yourself far more peace than whatever external thing you thought you needed.

Weaving the Principles Together for a Transformed Life

These four powerful principles are not separate steps on a checklist. They form a single, interconnected path toward a transformed life. When you put them together, they create big, sustainable change.

Mindfulness reveals that nothing lasts forever (impermanence). Accepting this change makes you feel compassion for others and yourself. That compassion encourages gentleness, which finally allows you to practice healthy detachment (letting go).

Instead of waiting to be perfect, focus on practicing regularly. Start small and be consistent in your new habits. And before long, you might notice that your life feels lighter, your mind feels clearer, and your heart feels a little more open.

 

Mahasweta BoseAuthor Bio:

Mahasweta Bose is a passionate writer with a decade of experience in the digital marketing industry. Professionally, she weaves powerful narratives for brands in the tech, lifestyle, and wellness domains. When she’s not shaping brand voices, you’ll find her perfecting her éclairs or binge-watching crime thrillers. 

 

 

 

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Certification program and Meditation Instructor Courses 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

Psychodynamic Theory in Counseling

Posted on by Mark Moran

For many counselors, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic schools of thought are considered outdated and less used.  While many good fruits came from Sigmund Freud and his theories, as a singular and closed system, it fails to meet many of the demands needed in modern psychology.  This short blog will take a look at some of the good aspects of psychoanalytic theory and some of the bad and suggest how useful or not useful it may be for clinical counseling, as well as a pastoral counseling.

Please also review AIHCP’s various behavioral and healthcare certifications, as well as its Grief Counseling Program and also Christian Counseling Program

Basics of Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic

Sigmund Freud is not only the father of psychodynamic theory but also considered one of the fathers of psychology itself

Freud as a medical professional saw most problems from a pathological level of care, instead of a wellness approach to care.  Unlike modern psychology, his thought looked more inwards to the subconscious mind and early childhood development.  Due to biology and upbringing within the first six years, a person’s personality was determined early, instead of focusing more on a person’s choices later in life, as well as other social and environmental factors leading to personality.  In essence, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic is a talk therapy with big emphasis in discussing the past, unlocking the unconscious and finding balance in life.

Within Freud’s system of thought existed the ID, Ego, and Superego.  These classical terms are well known to even the least exposed person to psychology and counseling.  It is no doubt that one has heard these terms throughout life.  In Freudian psychology, the ID is humanity’s inner instincts and drives, such as life instincts of life and sexual energy and death instincts of death and aggression. The Ego dealt more with persons inner self or mind and its relation to the outside world and the Superego was a person’s connection to a code outside of itself, such as customs, laws, morality and conscience (Tan 2022).    When these three parts of existence became unbalanced, then pathology was the end result in various forms of anxiety, depression or other more serious mental defects.

Since most issues are at the unconscious level, Freud believed in long term and in-depth counseling that interpreted the person’s subconscious and helped the person face those subconscious issues in a conscious confrontation.  By awakening the unconscious and confronting it by bringing the subconscious material to the conscious spotlight, Freud looked to help individuals find peace and reconciliation with who they were and how to adjust.

In doing so, Freud believed the counselor was an interpreter and guide, not a coach or soul helper.  Freud believed the counselor must be as neutral as possible and become a listener.  This anonymous nature was better created by having a person lay on a couch or sofa out of sightline from the therapist.  This led to the next step of free association where the client was encouraged to discuss whatever immediately came to one’s subconscious, in which the therapist would then interpret and when necessary ask necessary questions.  In helping the process, the therapist can also utilize dream interpretation as a way to understand the deeper meanings of the subconscious.   In addition, the therapist would help the client deal with any resistance to the blocking of the subconscious as to ensure the person is able to face it and understand it better.  As the relationship develops, psychodynamic therapists look to interpret and better help through transference in which the client subconsciously begins to relate to the therapist as a parental figure ( Tan 2022).

Finally, Freud greatly depended upon his analysis of one’s stages of life which he tied to human sexuality.  The oral, anal, phalic, latency and genital stages of sexual development all played key roles in a person’s psychological and mental development with the body in regards to healthy and unhealthy relationships with parental figures and later adult relationships (Tan 2022).

Utilization Today

Understanding the id, ego and superego

Today, there are very few pure psychodynamic therapists who utilize purely only Freudian methodologies.  According to Tan, 3 percent of clinical psychologists, percent of counseling psychologists, 5 percent of social workers and 2 percent of counselors consider themselves purely psychodynamic in practice (2022, p. 59).   Many modern psychologists or counselors may utilize some aspects of it, or borrow some terms, but most depend more on more patient centered models that incorporate other social factors into the clients life.

From a beneficial standpoint, Freud’s theories do express the importance of the subconscious mind that is a key element of all psychology, especially in regards to the early phases of life and trauma.  Freud’s defense mechanisms also illustrate many of humanity’s natural ways to try to avoid pain, suffering, guilt, or responsibility.

From a negative standpoint, Freud’s view of human nature is very pessimistic, as well as deterministic.   This can be at odds with more modern patient based models that look to promote healthy change and focus on wellness instead of complete pathology, as well as other motivational drives beyond the sexual (Tan 2022, p. 54).  In addition from a grief study perspective, Freud’s view that grief is an imbalance and a pathology itself, does not fall into line with basic bereavement science.  Obviously, for the spiritual counselor or those of various faiths, Freud’s atheistic views dismissed spirituality.  All recent studies show the important factors faith and spirituality play in a person’s healing process.

Tan also points out that many of Freud’s theories are not easily translated into a testable hypothesis (2022, p. 55).   In addition, Tan lists the long and expensive nature of psychoanalytic therapy since it rarely can be completed within a few months, much less a year due to its intensity.  Some patients can also become annoyed and the distance and anonymity of the counselor in such a sterile environment.  For many, this does not translate well into pastoral counseling settings which demands empathy display in counseling (Tan 2022).

While psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy has been seen as a successful method for some, it still lacks empirical controlled and uncontrolled tests to fully testify to its effectiveness.  Nonetheless, it is still seen as a empirically useful method of therapy with good results since its conception (TAN 2022).

Ultimately, it comes down to the style that works best for the client and the type of counseling relationship and beliefs the client holds.

Conclusion

Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic counseling still has multiple benefits but is rarely used as a stand alone approach in modern psychology

While few utilize psychodynamic and psychoanalytic in professional counseling, it still is an effective method for some.  This school of counseling has many beneficial concepts and tools that can be employed by a counselor, but for many, it is not the primary school utilized.  Instead many borrow certain concepts and use as needed in their professional careers with clients.  This does not diminish the shadow of Sigmund Freud’s stamp on modern psychology.  He clearly took psychology from a more soul helping endeavor in pastoral settings to a more academic and medical format.  While some of this was good, some of it left out centuries of past wisdom seen from the Church and other pastoral traditions.  It also neglected some of the basic ideals of a more client centered care with other factors at play seen with Alfred Adler and later Carl Rogers.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification, as well as its Grief Counseling program.  AIHCP offers also a wide variety of other healthcare certifications

ADDITIONAL AIHCP BLOG

Freudian Self Defense Mechanisms- Access here

References

Tan, S-Y. (2022). Counseling and psychotherapy: a Christian perspective. (2nd Edition). Baker Academic, a division of the Baker Publishing Group.

Additional Resources

Cherry, K. (2025). Sigmund Freud’s Life, Theories, and Influence. VeryWellMind.  Access here

Cherry, K. (2025). What Is Psychoanalytic Therapy?. VeryWellMind. Access here

McCleod, S. (2024). Sigmund Freud’s Theories & Contribution to Psychology. Psychology Today.  Access here

Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology (2022). APA. Access here

 

 

Behavioral Health Certifications: Freudian Self Defense Mechanisms

Posted on by Mark Moran

Despite numerous modern objections to various aspects of Freud and psychoanalytic theory and counseling, Sigmund Freud nonetheless gave psychology many beneficial concepts that can be borrowed from his school of thought and utilized to help one understand human nature.  Among one of these useful tools are Freud’s defense mechanisms of the ego.  To recall, Freud considered the makeup of the human mind to consist of the id, ego, and superego.  The id referred to humanity’s natural inclinations and instinctive drives, the ego was in essence the executive drive behind the self and the interaction with the outside world and the superego was humanity’s alteration of self to customs, social patterns and inherited morality.  When these three were at odds with each other or in imbalance, then psychological discomfort resulted.  This short blog will look at these Freudian defense mechanisms.

Freud identified defense mechanisms people utilize to avoid pain, stress and conflict

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous behavioral and healthcare certifications.

Facing Anxiety and Defense Mechanisms

When dealing with anxiety, or distress, the ego, according to Freud, would attempt to cope with the issues, but sometimes in an unhealthy way through defense systems (Tan 2011, p. 41).   Freud stated that in particular, neurotic or moral anxiety caused most individuals to look to defend their actions or views.  Neurotic anxiety referred to one’s own fears of being overwhelmed by one’s own desires and drives, while moral anxiety was the fear of being at odds with one’s conscience (Tan 2011, p. 41).   Since many individuals’ actions are at odds with their beliefs, then naturally, individuals look to find a way to exist creating a cognitive dissonance.  In therapy, it is important to identify these defense mechanisms since they prevent the truth of the matter or the reality of the situation.

Repression

Freud considered repression to the most fundamental and important defense mechanism (Tan 2011, p. 41).  At the subconscious level, Freud believed that individuals within their first formative years could repress and block out past and painful memories.  Many of these subconscious memories would be lost to consciousness  but could only be retraced through therapy or dream work.  In addition to these memories, emotions tied to them could also be repressed but remain boiling within one’s subconscious.   This involuntary type of defense mechanism helped the person find peace but still left unresolved issues that could fester in one’s later life if not faced.

Denial 

Our subconscious looks to repress and deny uncomfortable things

Denial is a common defense mechanism and even one of the first responses in grief.  Denial looks to push away the horrid reality and to pretend it does not exist.  In grief, denial is temporary, but for some denial can become a very dangerous thing as it festers.  For instance, if one is diagnosed with a disease, one may live in a state of denial for a very long time, or if one refuses to accept the consequences of bad habits, one can continue down a unhealthy path.

Displacement

Displacement is a common mechanism that is quite unfair to others.  Instead of coping with the issue directly or facing the person causing it, one displaces the confrontation and frustration onto an easier substitute.  For instance a man who returns home from work, may instead yell at his spouse or children.  It is very common for individuals with high level stress to displace the stress source onto someone else.  This can cause great turmoil at home or with family and friends for individuals who are unable to channel their frustration into the proper source.

Sublimation 

In a very similar way, the stressed person may aim their frustration or energy into other things or projects instead of facing the primary stress itself.  This is far better than blaming a person for one’s own issues, but this defense mechanism nonetheless re allocates the problem to something else without finding resolution.  In the end, the person at least temporarily is defended from the stress but it remains waiting later.

Reaction Formation

Ironically, some individuals ignore the intense feeling they experience by acting out the exact opposite emotional reaction in a hope of controlling the situation.  Instead of confronting a person one dislikes, one instead over exaggerates the response of kindness.  While this may seem nice, it is nonetheless toxic as it builds up resentment because the stress or emotion is not being acknowledged or the issue is not being resolved.

Projection

This defense mechanism is very toxic because it places one’s own impulses or behaviors on another person.  This permits the person to blame others and to defend oneself from one’s own judgement and consequence.    This can occur when a boy hates his father because he believes his father hates him (Tan 2011, p. 42).  In essence, projection permits the person to escape the emotion by placing it on the other person.

Rationalization

Rationalizing is defense mechanism that blinds us to the truth. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications

Sometimes when something bad happens, individuals try to convince themselves that what occurred is not that bad after all.  This false attempt to find a silver lining does not permit the person to grieve the situation from a truthful perspective.  Because of this, the person then misses the opportunity to face the issue as well as to learn from it.  This is why especially in grief counseling, it is important to acknowledge the reality of the situation.  It is OK to feel something went wrong and to feel bad about it, but sometimes subconscious defense mechanisms try to derail this process for temporary relief.

Regression

When things go wrong, sometimes people fall back.  If something is terrible instead of facing it, sometimes people may feel the need to hide or not confront and return to more childlike behaviors or even immature behaviors.  In children, this is even more common and visible in behavior, such as bed wetting, or other thumb sucking.

Intellectualism 

Sometimes individuals may try to theorize or philosophize a bad event instead of focusing on the emotions themselves.  This defense mechanism again looks to keep the painful emotion away through rational thought about the situation.  This mechanism like many others is only prolonging the issue.  In grief counseling, it is detrimental to bury emotion and not acknowledge it.  One cannot avoid what needs to be faced.

Identification 

Sometimes, the cross or problem is so big, that one feels oneself is not equipped to face it.  In this regard, they identify with other people who have successful faced these issues.  While this can be good, it can also be bad when one begins to emulate the other person at a pathological level.  It is fine to see how others handled problems, but ultimately our problems are unique to us and we must sometimes walk the road alone and figure it out for ourselves.

Conclusion

Defense mechanisms may help in the moment but they do not resolve long term issues

In society and counseling, one can see many of these defense mechanisms.  It may be with a client or a relative or friend, but these are common place issues.  In grief counseling, many of these issues shuffle the current emotion away to find temporary relief.  Sometimes, in the moment this may be necessary, but as time goes on, these defense mechanisms can lead to pathological grief and stress reactions.  The mind hopes to spare the body as much emotional pain as possible, but sometimes, we need to face pain and suffering so that we can completely heal.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification as well as its many healthcare certifications.

Additional Blogs

Shame, Fear and Guilt in Trauma Counseling: Click here

Reference

Tan, S.-Y. (2022). Counseling and Psychotherapy: a Christian Perspective (2nd edition) Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Additional Resources

Cherry, K. (2025). 20 Defense Mechanisms We Use to Protect Ourselves. VeryWellMind. Access here

McCleod, S. (2024). Defense Mechanisms In Psychology Explained (+ Examples). Simply Psychology.  Access here

Defense Mechanisms.  Psychology Today.  Access here

Pass, JC. (2023). An Exploration of Freudian Defence Mechanisms.  Simply Put Psych.  Access here

 

 

 

 

The Myths That Silence the Most Important Question in Healthcare

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

healthcare power of attorney advance directive papers with on a table with a pen near itWritten by Dr. Erin Jenkins

As healthcare professionals, many of us will never forget 2020. During a global pandemic, millions of people died, and families were forced to grieve losses they never imagined they would face. Loved ones were taken by a virus that moved quickly and unpredictably, leaving little time to prepare emotionally or practically. During this period, I was working in hospital based palliative medicine. In more typical times, our work focused on supporting people living with chronic illness, managing symptoms, and helping patients clarify how they wanted to live while navigating conditions such as COPD, CHF, and cancer.

During the pandemic, that work shifted dramatically. Patients who had long been managing chronic disease were suddenly confronted with a virus that disproportionately affected those same conditions. Regardless of diagnosis, one reality remained constant: COVID significantly increased the risk of death for patients with chronic illness.

End of life conversations became part of our daily work. We spoke with patients struggling to breathe, many dependent on oxygen or ventilatory support, including individuals with no prior respiratory disease. Yet, when asked about their wishes, most patients did not have clear answers. Families often struggled to accept that their loved one might die. Hope persisted, as it always does in medicine, but it became increasingly apparent that many patients and families were completely unprepared to make these decisions. Some waited until it was too late.

It was during this time that I began to fully grasp how many Americans lack end of life plans, even those who regularly interact with the healthcare system. Research suggests that fewer than one third of U.S. adults have completed an advance directive to guide care during times of crisis (Auriemma, Halpern, Asch, Van Der Tuyn, & Asch, 2020). These rates vary based on age, education, and other social determinants. Together, these findings highlight the gap between clinical recommendation and real-world readiness. It suggests a broader disconnect between patients and providers, as well as between patients and their families, leaving many unprepared to make critical decisions under duress. The question is, why?

One persistent myth in healthcare is that end of life planning is only for the elderly or those with terminal illness. This belief delays conversations that are both necessary and appropriate for all. End of life planning is for everyone and involves more than signing a document. It is a process designed to align care with what matters most to patients and their families. While these discussions can feel uncomfortable, proactive conversations lead to better alignment of care, reduced moral distress, and support clearer decision-making during times of crisis. These discussions include preferences regarding CPR versus DNR status, surrogate decision makers, mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition, and post death wishes. While formal documentation is important, the most critical step is initiating the conversation. Without clarity, families are left to make life altering decisions under intense emotional strain, and clinicians are placed in ethically challenging positions.

Another common myth is that discussing end of life planning takes away hope. During the pandemic, many clinical teams hesitated to initiate these conversations out of concern that they might cause anxiety or signal that death was imminent. But our experience in palliative care showed the opposite. Even when the focus of conversation is a difficult topic, patients often felt less anxious and more supported. Additionally, research shows that advance care planning improves proximal outcomes, including communication quality, decisional confidence, and patient-surrogate congruence (Malhotra et al., 2022).Trust between patients and their care teams also increases. These discussions are not about removing hope. They are about preserving dignity, honoring autonomy, and reducing unnecessary suffering.

There is also a common misconception that patients will bring up these conversations “when they are ready”. In reality, no one ever feels ready for these discussions. Patients cannot ask for guidance around decisions they do not yet understand or know need to happen. That is where we come in. As healthcare professionals, part of our role is to guide patients through complex medical decisions, including those related to end-of-life care. Many clinicians who consulted our palliative care team in 2020 did so because they were unsure how to begin these conversations. Some were waiting for patients to say they were ready, while others felt that they were not equipped to lead the discussions themselves. While palliative and hospice teams are often seen as the experts in end-of-life discussions, the responsibility for these discussions is shared. At their core, these are conversations about goals and values. When framed that way, they become more approachable for both patients and clinicians.

Another misconception is that there simply is not enough time during a visit to address end of life planning. Anyone who has worked in primary care understands the challenge of limited time within the appointment. But these conversations do not need to be lengthy. They also do not need to occur in a single visit. Clinicians can begin with a simple question: “I was hoping we could talk a little about your goals in case there came a time when you could not make decisions for yourself.” From there, some foundational questions can be explored: who would serve as a surrogate decision-maker, what types of interventions the patient would or would not want, and how they wish their body to be cared for after death, including organ donation. These discussions frequently can unfold over two or three brief visits. What matters most is our willingness to normalize and prioritize them.

Despite the documented benefits of advance care planning and strengthened communication between patient and clinician, barriers remain. Many clinicians report lack of training or confidence in initiating end-of-life discussions, time constraints that reduce opportunities for discussion, and concerns about disrupting the clinician-patient relationship. Yet, when these conversations occur, they contribute to greater alignment of care with patient values and help prevent crisis-driven decision-making that may not reflect what patients would choose.

So, the question becomes this: have you had these conversations with your patients? And if not, what are you waiting for?

Author Biography:

Dr. Erin Jenkins is a certified Family and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with 23 years of experience in critical care, family medicine, neurosurgery, and palliative medicine. She owns Your Full Potential Psychiatry & Wellness in Southern Nevada, where she helps people improve their overall wellbeing using integrative medicine. Dr. Jenkins also serves as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, working in base operational medicine and focusing on military psychiatry. Learn more at https://www.yfpwellness.com and connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinjenkinshealth .

References:

Auriemma, C. L., Halpern, S. D., Asch, D. A., Van Der Tuyn, M., & Asch, J. M. (2020). Completion of advance directives and documented care preferences during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 3(7).  Access link here

Malhotra, C., et al. (2022). What is the evidence for efficacy of advance care planning … BMJ Open, 12(7). Access link here

 

 

 

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Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification program and Grief Counseling CE courses 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