Reclaim Your Assertive Birthright

The idea that some of us are born more confident than others is false. We are all born confident. That means you can re-capture your true birthright, which is to be the naturally assertive person you really are.
As little children, we are all supremely assertive. Up until the age of about 3, we display all the characteristics of confident human beings:

· we are able to express our needs freely

· we trust others unconditionally

· we are innocently allowed to be ourselves

· we are wide-eyed and endlessly curious about our world

· we have fun, laughter and play

· we are instinctively creative

· we can express our feelings out loud whether joy or sadness

· we live totally in the present

· we have a huge potential for growth.


The trouble is, things don't last. Around the age of 3, when our thinking brain kicks in, we start to learn that the world isn't how we thought it was at all. As a result of what our parents, siblings, and teachers tell us, we learn that freedom must be restricted, play activity has no longer any value unless it is useful, others are no longer sources of interest and enjoyment but strangers to be treated with suspicion, and needs that were expressed and promptly met now have to take their place in the queue.

In short, out goes unconditional love and in comes blame and fear.

Our response is to protect ourselves against the world and we do that with 3 kinds of programmes:

1. The Blame Programme. The Blame Programme teaches us that when things don't go the way they should, someone or something must be to blame. This creates two versions of the programming.

1. We look outward at someone or something to blame. We set ourselves up in the role of Persecutor. Because nobody seems to come up to the mark, we take it upon ourselves to be critic, judge and condemner.

2. We look inward and blame ourselves. It is our fault when things go wrong. We set ourselves up in the role of Victim. As victims we hope that others will recognise our unhappiness and come to rescue us.

In one simple programming, we thus create aggressive and passive responses that can last a whole lifetime.

2. The False Self Programme. When we lose our true self that belongs to babyhood, we create a new programme based upon the now-hostile world.

Some of the beliefs of the False Self programme are...
1. forgiveness is weakness

2. you change others by criticising them

3. your anger shows you're right and others are wrong

4. revenge helps you to establish justice

5. it is weakness to ever let yourself be vulnerable

6. judging others proves what a good character you are

7. you protect yourself by attacking people and/or withdrawing love in order to control them through fear, guilt and shame

8. manipulating and deceiving others can help you to become successful.

3. The False Life Script Programme. The false life-script programme is the third programme we learn and it satisfies our early life needs for some kind of identity. This programme tells us who we are, what we are good at or bad at, how well we conform, how well we relate to others and how the rest of our lives should be led.

Unfortunately, the programme is false because it is written by others, not by us. Consequently, the programme gives us...

* other people's labels for us, such as Naughty Nigel, Earnest Eric, Solemn Sue

* their roles for us to perform, such as dutiful housewife, dynamic executive, happy handyman

* the life script of being either a victim of life or a persecutor in life.

Only when we realise the falseness of the life-script programme can we break free of it.

As a result of our early experiences of dealing with the world, most of us lose our natural assertiveness. We come to believe that it is normal to respond to the world in either aggressive or non-assertive modes, with all the miserable consequences that these behaviours produce. But our assertiveness hasn't gone away. It is still there and it is our birthright. If you want to re-claim it, just read again what you were like as a little child, and be assertive:
· we are able to express our needs freely

· we trust others unconditionally

· we are innocently allowed to be ourselves

· we are wide-eyed and endlessly curious about our world

· we have fun, laughter and play

· we are instinctively creative

· we can express our feelings out loud whether joy or sadness

· we live totally in the present

· we have a huge potential for growth.

Complete Idiot''s Guide to Assertiveness This book gives a boost to anyone who has felt paralyzed in the face of an opposing viewpoint or an imposing individual...

Is your Personality making you Sick?

If you’re Impulsive…Check out that Stomach AcheYou might expect impulsive people to be at risk from accidents but, in fact, their biggest health danger is stomach ulcers. Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied more than 4 000 people and found that those who had an impulsive personality were 2,4 times more at risk of developing peptic ulcers.These are triggered by high acidity in the digestive system - and it's thought that impulsive people tend to respond to stress with higher-than-normal rates of acid production. A contributing factor could be that, according to research conducted by the University of Wales, impulsiveness is associated with poorer control over eating habits.If you’re Cheerful…Wipe that Smile off your FaceOne of the most surprising findings is that cheerful people are more likely to die young. 'Children who were rated by their parents and teachers as more cheerful and as having a sense of humor died earlier in adulthood than those who were less cheerful,' say researchers at the University of California in the US. 'Contrary to expectation, cheerfulness and sense of humor were inversely related to longevity.' One theory is that cheerful people underestimate life's dangers and may also be more likely to have difficulty coping when things don't turn out as anticipated.

If you’re Anxious…Here’s (even) More to Worry aboutPeople with anxiety disorders are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. People with anxiety disorders are three times more likely to be treated for high blood pressure - possibly as a result of stress hormones, a study at Northern Arizona University in the US has found. And those with phobic anxieties, such as a fear of heights, have been found to be at higher risk of heart disease and high cholesterol as well as of high blood pressure. Although behavioral differences - such as a greater tendency among anxious people to smoke - go some way to explaining this, they do not explain it all. A study at the University of Antwerp in Belgium found that within 10 years of heart treatment, 27% of anxious types were dead, compared with 7% of others.

If you’re Aggressive…You Tend to be Long-Wounded Hostile personality types are prone to serious heart problems - and their wounds take longer to heal. People who suffer from atherosclerosis - furred-up arteries - are likely to have hostile personalities, according to a study of about 2 000 people carried out in Scotland. And a US study has shown that aggressive people are at greater risk of chronic inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to the build-up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries, causing heart disease. One theory is that hostile people are often agitated, which raises blood pressure and heart rate, resulting in wear and tear on the cardiovascular system. Angry people also take longer to heal. Researchers at Ohio State University in the US created small wounds on the arms of healthy people and found that, after four days, only 30% of the angry patients' wounds had healed, compared with 70% of placid patients'.

If you’re Shy…You Need more Tissues than Most
Socially inhibited people are more likely than extroverted people to catch colds. Shy people are more vulnerable to viral infections, suggests research done by the University of California. In animal studies, scientists found that gregarious types had more active protective lymph nodes than shy types. (Lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system and help to destroy infectious germs, such as the common cold virus, and bacteria).

If you’re Optimistic…you have every Reason to Expect the BestPeople who always look on the bright side of things live longer, happier, healthier lives. Optimists live, on average, 7,5 years longer than those who take a gloomy view, according to research at the University of California.The risk of dying early from any disease is 55% lower for optimists, researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found. One possible explanation, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the US, is that optimism helps boost the immune system.
Another view is that optimism may increase the will to live. And the fact that optimists are more sociable is also thought to play a role - sociability generally lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If you’re Reserved…Try Uncorking some of what’s Bottled UpInternalizing all your feelings can put your health under pressure. Taciturn people - sometimes known as distressed or Type-D personalities - often suffer from a high degree of emotional suffering but consciously suppress their feelings, and as a result may be at higher risk of cancer and heart disease. Once Type-Ds develop coronary-artery disease, they are at greater risk of dying, according to a study by Harvard University in the US. The researchers suggest that these people have poorly regulated stress hormones, which puts pressure on their cardiovascular systems.If you’re Conscientious…You Know the right thing to doThis is the personality trait most closely associated with a long and healthy life. Conscientiousness has a significant effect on longevity and on steadying blood-pressure and cholesterol levels, suggests research by Nottingham University in the UK. A University of California study suggests this is because conscientious people are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors, and are less likely to be reckless.

If you’re Neurotic…Take a Deep BreathAll the stressing, obsessing and second-guessing isn't doing your health any favors. Being a neurotic type is associated with asthma, headaches, stomach ulcers and heart disease, according to a University of California study. It suggests that, because neurotic people often employ ineffective coping strategies - with lots of self-blame and hostility, rather than seeking help and support - they become even more stressed. This leads to a less effective immune system and greater susceptibility to disease.
If you’re Extroverted…Be Careful What you Eat
Like optimists, extroverts are generally healthy - except that they have a tendency to get fat. Extroverts are less likely to get heart disease, according to a study by Milan University in Italy. Researchers found that they were 15% less likely than other people to get any kind of disease, and were more likely to recover quickly if they did.

Extroverts were also found to be less susceptible to infections. One theory is that they have more effective coping strategies and, consequently, fewer stress hormones in their bodies. They may also be more likely to seek medical help when symptoms appear.

The downside to being an extrovert, researchers at Yamagata University School of Medicine in Japan have found, is that an outgoing person is more likely than introspective people to be overweight.

One possible explanation is that extroverts tend to be more sociable and therefore attend more social occasions involving food.

If you’re Pessimistic…You are Probably RightThose who always expect the worst will find that, when it comes to their health, they're right. Pessimists have a 19% higher risk of dying early compared with optimists. Researchers in the US have also found that people who have high levels of pessimism and anxiety have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life.'What we have shown for the first time is that there's a link between an anxious or pessimistic personality and the future development of Parkinson's disease,' says neurologist Dr James Bower from the Mayo Clinic in the US. 'What we didn't find is the explanation for that link.'Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu

The Magic Of High Self Esteem

The term, Self Esteem, is tossed around in everyday conversation but most people do not know the exact meaning of it. Most people think that self esteem is the other name for self confidence. Of course, self confidence is included in the definition of self esteem but self esteem covers much more than self confidence. True magic happens once you understand self esteem and learn how to have higher self esteem than you now have.

You may be surprised to know that there are millions of people that are at the height of their self confidence but have very poor self esteem. In fact, most of the human race fall into this category. The most common examples are movie actors, comedians, and singers who excel when performing and who are extremely insecure out of the public eye.

So what is self esteem, exactly? Self esteem is what we think and say about ourselves to ourselves.

If you trash talk yourself, you have to stop. You wouldn't verbally beat up a friend, so don't do it to yourself either. Take out a sheet of paper and make a list of all the bad things you think and say about yourself. Now make another list of positive things you could say instead. Whenever you catch yourself thinking or saying something negative, immediately stop and counter it with something positive. This will take some practice, but you will eventually be able to stop all the trash talk and think and feel much better about yourself.

Did you know that self esteem and health are inextricably linked? By keeping healthy, you will feel motivated to identify and achieve your life goals, which leads to higher self esteem. In turn, having high self esteem means that you value yourself enough to want to look after your health!

In adolescents, even the most confident of adolescents can grow up to experience low self esteem and to feel unworthy. Adult life can be tough and it can sometimes feel like "survival of the fittest" so adolescents act out as a defense mechanism to cover low self esteem.

One of the easiest steps to improve self esteem is to push yourself to do "difficult" things.

This breeds a sense of pride.

Pride in yourself and your accomplishments will give you a higher opinion of yourself (the esteem you have for yourself). By using your willpower to actually do some of these things, your self esteem will grow and along with it your perception of your own abilities. This in turn will create a momentum in your life where success breeds more success.

Never compare yourself with others. Every single person on the Earth has one attribute or another that you do not have. You have attributes that they do not have.

Comparisons are the easiest way to start feeling inferior and losing most of your self esteem. Instead, think about yourself in terms of your achievements. This will help you build or rebuild your self-confidence and it will make you feel better when dealing with your peer group at the same time. The result is self esteem magic in action.

The greater your self confidence, the greater your self esteem.

Focus on your achievements. If you take the time to think about it, you will realize that you have achieved many things in your life. It doesn't matter what these achievements are. It only matters that they have been recognized by at least one other person. We all have such achievements. List them and remember what it meant to you to have them recognized by someone else.

It doesn't matter what you think about your overall life at present. If you are honest with yourself you will make a long list of positive things you have done and that list will make you feel better about yourself. Every small thing you are proud of should be added to your list. The fact that you are focusing on positives will also help you to increase your level of self esteem.

One of the most important things you should be aware of is the erroneous belief that you need to be different from how you are in order to be loved. This idea causes a great deal of misery. Unless you are happy within, you'll never be truly satisfied with what you do. Liking yourself unconditionally is the key to happiness. Yes, you need to like yourself as you are and grow from there.

With improved self-esteem, your relationships with others will improve as well.

You don't have to be perfect because even the most loved person in the world make’s mistakes! You don't even have to do your best. You don't have to prove anything. You're all right because you're all right, and lovable exactly as you are.

I'm in your corner cheering you on!
Author Info:

Jim DeSantis is a retired TV News Anchor and News Director who created "Self Esteem Magic", a guaranteed step-by-step approach to start raising your Self Esteem in one weekend. Change your life starting this weekend - here - http://www.jdanswers.com/SelfEsteemMagic .

Nathaniel Branden''s Self-Esteem Every Day: Reflections on Self-Esteem & Spirituality A pocket-sized package of wise advice and persuasive prescriptions, this collection of inspirational quotations brings together reflections that refresh our appreciation of the good things in life ...

Changing Seasons Bring Changing Moods

By: Shaun Parker

Winter is coming up and this is the time when people get a closer look at the interior of their homes and begin to think that they are looking a little worn and dreary. Those long summer evenings spent in pub gardens or out at barbeques are a fading memory and the nights are about to draw in to the point of being dark on the way home from work.



This is all very nice if you can cosy up in front of a fire in a warm, comfortable room but it is at this point that you begin to look around and become just a bit dissatisfied with your decor. However, just at the time when you are wanting to close windows early, do you really want a room full of paint fumes? At the end of a work day, do you really want to come home to reams of wallpaper draped over the furniture and that coldness that means you have no choice but to finish what you started weeks ago before you can settle down for the evening?



Well, there is an alternative. You can quickly spruce up your home with the use of little touches that make it look different, that bring fresh touches and that invoke lasting memories that warm you from the inside. So, how to do this.



Well, humans base a great deal on the visual. Anything that pertains to what we see provokes thoughts, feelings, discussions and memories. To this end, one of my favourite ways of changing the mood in a room is to install a digital photo frame. We can bring technology to such useful ideas these days that no home should be without one.



Simply hook your digital photo frame up to your pc with a wireless connection or USB cable and line up your favourite photos and pictures that you want to display in your room. Injecting flashes of colour this way will mean a regularly changing feel to your view. You can set the digital photo frame to a changing display format or one simple picture. You can even plug in a memory card to avoid the need of trailing wires.



Is this really all it takes to change the atmosphere in a room? Well, it can be, it really depends on your flair and the sorts of things that you like to see. Not everyone likes to have the TV as a focal point in a room and it could be a bit to early to make the fire that focal point. However, a room does need some interest other than that box in the corner.



Imagine if you had a fairly blank wall, or possibly a coffee table top, that was looking a little blank. You could set up your digital photo frame, choose a selection of pictures that could range from favourite family portraits to holiday snaps to party pictures or even scenery or landscape pictures from the internet. Anything that makes you feel good when you look at it, or mentally takes you somewhere else when you need it, is going to mean you have the right choice of pictures displayed.



You can soon alter the feel of a room with added extras eg. throws, cushions, candles - all are inexpensive ways of adding colour and vibrancy to a room and if they were colour co-ordinated with your chosen display of pictures this would bring the whole scheme together.

Author Resource:-> Shaun Parker is a leading interior design expert with many years of experience in the decorating industry. Find out more about digital photo frames at http://www.pixelar.co.uk

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Breathe Into Wholeness: Meditation Using Wind Chimes

By: Rachel Betzen

Pure and finely tuned sound is a powerful tool when combined with different meditative stress-relieving techniques to ease physical and emotional pressures on the mind and body. We often discover that when troubled with a particularly difficult problem, clearing the mind allows not only for the body to release where we hold this worry, but also frees us to new possibilities and solutions.



For those who are suffering from physical pains, utilizing relaxing and stress reducing techniques can soften our responses and break up larger areas of discomfort, helping us better take care of our ourselves. Simply allowing time to slow our bodies down and clear our minds, helps us all better handle what comes our way in life.



The use of hand tuned quality windchimes helps to focus awareness and makes practicing these strategies much easier, as the melodies intertwine and are pleasing to the ear. As you engage in meditation with windchimes use their gentle ringing as a reminder of your intentions, allowing deeper and further release into your practice.



The Meditation Techniques

Thoughts blown away...

Many times in a meditation practice we may have difficulty clearing away the mind and releasing our thoughts. This meditation technique is an excellent way to begin with the intentions of letting go of our thoughts, opening us to a deeper relaxation and meditative practice.



This technique can be practiced indoors with your windchime nearby, or outdoors on a light breezy day. When inside place a fan across the room to play the wind chimes, it may also be helpful to use a fan that oscillates and will thus play the windchimes at regular intervals.



Sitting comfortably, align your body so that the spine is straight, but you feel relaxed through the shoulders and back. Breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing across the forehead and above the bridge of the nose.



As you feel the breeze and hear the ring of the windchimes, imagine that same breeze gently blowing away your thoughts. With each toll of the chime, allow the winds to further dislodge thoughts, worries and stresses from your mind. Let go of your thoughts as if you were opening a fisted hand and allowing them to drift away on the soft winds.



As you slowly end this technique and welcome back your thoughts, take a moment to give thanks for the simple blessings that come forward with gentle meditative practice.



Soaring on winds....

This meditation technique is best practiced where you can sit comfortably and feel fully supported. The use of an oscillating fan indoors is recommended. Find a seated position where you feel supported with the spine straight and shoulders resting comfortably. Breathe fully and deeply. As the breezes bring forward the sound from the wind-chimes, quiet both mind and body.



With the gentle toll of the windchimes, feel your thoughts blown away as you first practiced with the above technique. Allow each part of the body to soften, beginning at the crown of the head. Focus your awareness across the head and remain in that area for a few moments.



Notice the shifts that take place as your body relaxes here. Breathe deeply, and on the exhale allow your awareness to drift downward to your neck as you observe the calming changes there. Lengthen the breath. Next in your chest. Then move to the arms, and slowly throughout the rest of the body.



As this process of relaxing takes place, visualize your body becoming lighter, the contours becoming softer. With each chime that sounds, deepen the breath. Picture the body slowly filling with pure light, beginning at the top of the head and moving through your entire body.



Deepen each breath further, slowing to only four of five breaths per minute. As thoughts or concerns return prematurely, let the music of each chime be a gentle reminder for the winds to lift them away from mind and body.



You feel a deep relaxation that extends throughout your entire body. Continue with this practice until your awareness has moved through the entire body, and your whole being has softened with pure light and sound. Visualize your body as pure and healthy, floating in space, more deeply releasing with each arising tone. Allow your awareness to float freely within the body for a few more moments.



As you complete this exercise and again turn attention to your thoughts, allow your heart to fill with gratitude for the peace of mind that comes with the gift of deep relaxation.



Easing the discomfort....

This final meditation technique similarly can be practiced indoors with your windchime, or outside when there is a light breeze. An oscillating fan is particularly helpful for this technique as it is easier to begin with chimes at regularly spaced intervals. At times we all experience discomfort or pain within the body, which may be worsened by the confines of everyday stresses. Those who have pain in the body on a regular basis may also practice working with those sensations through this technique.



Begin by finding a comfortable position, either seated or lying down with the body as supported as possible. Slowly relax each part of the body moving downwards from your head to your feet, deepening the breath. Do not hold your breath, but rather visualize it's movement as ocean waves continuously in slow motion.



Feel the rise and fall of the breath moving through your belly and chest. As your body becomes more relaxed, specific areas of discomfort may become more noticeable. Choosing one area at a time to work with helps us to break down large areas of pain into smaller pieces that are easier to manage.



Listen for the next toll of the wind chime. Then, place your consciousness in an area where there is discomfort, no matter whether great or small. Focus your awareness in this area and relax, breathing into the discomfort. Open your heart to the sensations that you are feeling in that area at that moment. With each sound of the tuned wind-chime, further pinpoint your awareness, while also relaxing, breathing, and opening to that specific area.



You may feel a change, an increase in intensity or a softening of the pain. Or you may feel no change at all. Stay with the feeling that arises for a few moments, opening and releasing to that area, and then allow your intention to shift to another area of discomfort and again practice the deepening and opening of the heart to this place in your body.



Use the sound of the windchimes to lengthen the breath, and as a reminder to open the heart and relax into each specific area. Continue moving through the areas of discomfort in the body with the tuned wind chimes as a guide for practice.



As you complete this meditation technique pause to give a moment of thanks for the guidance you are giving your body in managing discomfort.

Author Resource:-> Rachel Betzen operates the on-line wind chimes store and is committed to social and environmental business practices. Rachel is grateful for the change of pace that comes from managing chronic illness, along with it's challenges and many blessings. She enjoys gardening and the practice of writing in nature.

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Meditation And The Bible A highly radical interpretation of the Bible demonstrating the methods of meditation used by the Prophets to attain their unique states of consciousness

Meditate to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Abilities

Meditation is a group of mental training techniques .You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Most techniques called meditation include these components:
You sit or lie in a relaxed position.
You breathe regularly. You breathe in deep enough to get enough oxygen. When you breathe out, you relax your muscles so that your lungs are well emptied, but without straining.
You stop thinking about everyday problems and matters.
You concentrate your thoughts upon some sound, some word you repeat, some image, some abstract concept or some feeling. Your whole attention should be pointed at the object you have chosen to concentrate upon.
If some foreign thoughts creep in, you just stop this foreign thought, and go back to the object of meditation.
The different meditation techniques differ according to the degree of concentration, and how foreign thoughts are handled. By some techniques, the objective is to concentrate so intensely that no foreign thoughts occur at all.
In other techniques, the concentration is more relaxed so that foreign thoughts easily pop up. When these foreign thoughts are discovered, one stops these and goes back to the pure meditation in a relaxed manner. Thoughts coming up, will often be about things you have forgotten or suppressed, and allow you to rediscover hidden memory material. This rediscovery will have a psychotherapeutic effect.

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION
Meditation has the following effects:
Meditation will give you rest and recreation.
You learn to relax.
You learn to concentrate better on problem solving.
Meditation often has a good effect upon the blood pressure.
Meditation has beneficial effects upon inner body processes, like circulation, respiration and digestion.
Regular meditation will have a psychotherapeutically effect.
Regular meditation will facilitate the immune system.
Meditation is usually pleasant.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND MEDITATION
Hypnosis may have some of the same relaxing and psychotherapeutic effects as meditation. However, when you meditate you are in control yourself; by hypnosis you let some other person or some mechanical device control you. Also hypnosis will not have a training effect upon the ability to concentrate.

SIMPLE TECHNIQUE OF MEDITATION
Here is a simple form of meditation. By this meditation technique, you should concentrate in an easy manner. This will allow foreign thoughts to pop up. These are handled one by one as they appear. You proceed as follows:
Sit in a good chair in a comfortable position.
Relax all your muscles as well as you can.
Stop thinking about anything, or at least try not to think about anything.
Breath out, relaxing all the muscles in your breathing apparatus.
Repeat the following in 10 - 20 minutes. Breath in so deep that you feel you get enough oxygen. Breath out, relaxing your chest and diaphragm completely. Every time you breathe out, think the word 'one' or another simple word inside yourself. You should think the word in a prolonged manner, and so that you hear it inside you, but you should try to avoid using your mouth or voice.
If foreign thoughts come in, just stop these thoughts in a relaxed manner, and keep on concentrating upon the breathing and the word you repeat.

As you proceed through this meditation, you should feel steadily more relaxed in your mind and body, feel that you breathe steadily more effectively, and that the blood circulation throughout your body gets more efficient. You may also feel an increasing mental pleasure throughout the meditation.

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON DISEASES
As any kind of training, meditation may be exaggerated so that you get tired and worn out. Therefore you should not meditate so long or so concentrated that you feel tired or mentally emptied.
Meditation may sometimes give problems for people suffering from mental diseases, epilepsy, serious heart problems or neurological diseases. On the other hand, meditation may be of help in the treatment of these and other conditions.

People suffering from such conditions should check out what effects the different kinds of meditation have on their own kind of health problems, before beginning to practice meditation, and be cautious if they choose to begin to meditate. It may be wise to learn meditation from an experienced teacher, psychologist or health worker that use meditation as a treatment module for the actual disease.

Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. TO FIND natural medicines against common diseases, for example: Over-weight, acne, eczema, hypothyroidism, fatigue, depression, hemorrhoids, joint pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, circulatory problems, digestive ailments, allergies, menstrual problems, respiratory diseases and more, PLEASE VISIT:---- http://www.abicana.com

Experience of Meditation Overview of meditation and how the major traditions are similar or different from one another.

Which Mental Health professional should I choose?

Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor? Which Mental Health Professional should I Choose? From Cary

By: Mike Shery

You have finally decided you want to consult a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional, but how do you go about choosing which one will meet your unique needs? There are at least 5 different types of mental health treatment providers from which to choose.

Do not just consider the professional degree when picking a counselor or therapist. Do you want a male or female?

Do you want one who is an expert in marriage counseling? Individual counseling? Substance abuse treatment? Do you want a therapist who prescribes drugs?

How about one who can X Ray your personality by using tests? One who can administer hypnosis? Electroshock?

A good first step would be to consult with a healthcare professional who knows the answers to these questions. Call the psychology or psychiatry department at a university.

Talk to a psychology instructor at a local community college or contact the behavioral health unit in your local hospital or your community crisis line.

It is important to be familiar with the training, skills and treatment philosophy of the various types of professionals, and then match what you prefer with what a particular treatment provider has to offer.

Also, talk to the representative of an organization which is concerned with issues like yours i.e. marriage, anxiety, depression etc. Their opinions are invaluable, as they are in contact with many different patients and treatment providers who are concerned with the very same issues as you and they have first hand knowledge of the characteristics and qualities of different types of counselors and therapists.

Your 5 main choices of mental health treatment providers are: The marriage and family counselor, the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the professional mental health counselor and the clinical social worker.

The marriage and family counselor has one to two years of graduate training in counseling those with troubled marriages and family problems. He or she will have a masters degree and will likely have done an internship.

The advantage of using these professionals is that you are working with someone who has intense training in this one area of counseling. The disadvantage is that some insurance companies may not cover their services.

The psychologist holds a doctoral degree in psychology. Some consider him or her to be the most highly trained of mental health professionals. The psychologist has approximately 6 years of college training in the psychological sciences; 2 years of upper division in college and 3 to 4 years of post-graduate school.

A psychologist is trained to do counseling, psychotherapy, research and mental X Rays, better known as psychological testing. They practice marriage and family counseling and therapy to eliminate anxiety, depression as well as the entire range of psychological disorders.

The advantages of using a psychologist are that he is the most highly trained in psychological practice, is an expert in providing cutting edge treatment for diverse problems and uses psychological testing to provide revealing information about how your mind works.

Also, in many cases, he or she is a trained mental health researcher, meaning, in this case, the psychologist is trained not to just practice psychology, but also to contribute to it through research.

Another advantage is that their services are covered by almost all insurance companies who provide mental health coverage.

The clinical social worker and professional counselor provide counseling to eliminate family problems and troubles arising from depression, anxiety, agitation and other emotional disorders. They have from one to two years of post-college level training in counseling and mental health.

The social worker holds a masters degree in social work while the professional counselor holds one in counseling. They both must do an internship and pass a comprehensive examination to practice independently.

Psychiatrists have most of their training in medicine, chemistry and the biological sciences. Their central training in psychiatry and mental health is usually received in the 3 year residency in psychiatry.

They hold a doctoral degree in medicine or osteopathy and receive no substantive training in counseling, family therapy, marital therapy or psychological testing.

They are mainly used to prescribe medication and administer occasional electroshock treatments. Their services are covered by all health insurance companies.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of professionals available to treat emotional problems. The one crucial ingredient, however, is the quality of the rapport you have with your provider.

It is important to check educational credentials, experience and any history of disciplinary action by your state Board. But even after all these check-out, be sure you trust and have an excellent rapport with your therapist, or you might have to start all over again!

Author Resource:-> Dr Shery is in Cary, IL, near Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Marengo and Lake-in-the-Hills. He's an expert psychologist. Call 1 847 516 0899 and make an appt orlearn more about counseling at: http://www.carypsychology.com

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