Episode 48
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
When looking at clients’ symptoms, integrative psychiatrists often take a distinct approach by looking at the entire body and its individual systems as a possible culprit of root causes to psychiatric symptoms. Acknowledging what is happening in the body can open numerous doors to what is going on for your client’s mental health. In this episode, Keith notes how the conventional western medical paradigm of psychiatric diagnosis falls short in certain areas and the power of having just a little knowledge of root causes in the body for mental health conditions.
Keith explains what an integrative assessment could look like and the things to look out for that are often missed. He gives examples of places clinicians could focus on; for example gut health, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and fungus or mold issues. Looking for the basic signs of issues in the body can radically improve treatment outcomes and also make your practice more lively.
Episode 47
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
Life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs; so as a clinician, it can be difficult to decipher whether your client is legitimately “better” following treatment, or if they are just temporarily happy. In this podcast, Keith dives into what it really means to be “better,” and what that looks like through a clinician’s eyes.
It is important to set treatment objectives with your client based on symptom reduction, but it is also equally important to imagine with your client what they are truly capable of. When asking your client what they are hoping to get out of treatment, remember to challenge your clients to think bigger, and dig deeper. When that is achieved, the purpose of therapy can move out of a model of illness and into a model of wellness.
Episode 46
Dr. Will Van Derveer, MD
In this podcast, Dr. Will Van Derveer, founder and Medical Director of the Integrative Psychiatric Healing Center, shares his knowledge about Ketamine and its clinical uses in a psychiatric context. Ketamine has a long history in medicine, however, it is only recently that its healing benefits for treatment-resistant psychiatric patients are being discovered. When correctly used, it has been found to literally create breakthroughs for people with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, suicidality, and OCD.
Dr. Van Derveer explains the history and psychopharmacology of this medicine, and how it’s being administered in a clinical setting. He elaborates on what it’s like for a patient to under this treatment, how psychotherapy comes into play, an exploration into how it dissolves the ego defenses, and the deeper revelations a patient can have during the process.
Episode 45
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
Children generally rest in a state of relaxation, joy and play, with bouts of discomfort and pain. With this said, childhood is a mixture of magic and suffering. If a child’s process is not properly honored, mentored and helped through the magic and suffering can become extremely polarized for years to come.
We often assume that suffering is directly correlated to a person or event in the present, when in reality the root likely stems from our most early years of life. Keith explores the mind of the child and how mental accomplishments and struggles follow you into adulthood and what impact that has on your life. With this said, it’s safe to say that, most likely, what you’ve been struggling with, you’ve always been struggling with.
Episode 44
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
It is common to come across clients who resist treatment even though they keep seeking out therapy services. Resistance to change is both an important strategy for maintaining familiarity, as well as a roadblock to making necessary shifts. Keith explores certain coaching techniques, particularly the study of values and cognitive and behavioral applications as a way to help clients move beyond treatment resistance and into a state of transformation.
Typically, clients who fight change feel as though they are disconnected from their purpose. This is evident in the fact that purpose grounds people into a direction for their life where they will embrace both difficulties and rewards along the way to achieving it. Once we can help clients bridge that gap into their deepest purpose, things become more clear and they tend to become more adaptable and fluid in their lives. With this this in mind Keith will share a number of other coaching tools on how to inspire resistant clients to get off the couch and go after what they want in the world.have an easier time inspiring your treatment-resistant clients’ into a place of clarity and hope.
Episode 43
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
It’s known that with school out of session and vacation days being used, it is hard to obtain steady clients, and a dependable income. A number of years ago, Keith grew tired of this feast and famine mentality driven by the summer caseload drop off. Believing it “just has to be this way” is driven by a mindset that keeps the bank account like a rollercoaster instead of on a steady incline. In this episode, Keith discusses 7 practical tips that he used to keep a consistent income and practice in the summer, without working noticeably harder. If you begin to plan in advance, it is easier to avoid the typical summer slump. Using these beneficial methods, you will no longer feel the stress that many clinicians anticipate during this time of year. Among other tools that Keith explains, if you plan early, increase local outreach, launch groups, or teach a summer course, you can say goodbye to to eating away at savings and the stress of waiting for the slump to come to an end.
Episode 42
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
How do we know if we are in a state of mental health or illness? In modern clinical psychology, the definition of “mental health” and “mental illness” is not a stable, set definition; but it is an important one. In fact, a true working definition of mental health has never really been defined.
In order to truly understand how to help people reach their potential in all areas of life, it’s important to understand the spectrum of a healthy mind and how it becomes disorganized.
Keith explains how mind and body fluidity can greatly affect our mental health, along with the role relationships play in the process. He explores the impact of physical imbalances on the mind, as well as how relationship attachments interact with the mind. Keith also explores the socio-political arena of mental health and illness and why a new working definition of mental health is necessary for our society.
Episode 41
Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC
Keith recognizes that forgiveness is most often used as a way for people to move on from tough situations in life. In some case that actually seems to be true. However, after speaking with many clients over the years and a lot of exploration around the topic with other professionals, he has identified some myths about forgiveness, how it can hurt more than help, and other ways to move on from troubles in the past.
Forgiveness seems altruistic by nature. At first glance it appears to be an act of kindness. But what if it was more self-serving than one might think? When speaking with your clients, it is very important to dive into their history in order to see if there are underlying resentments. Focusing on the reasoning behind forgiveness–such as underlying resentments–can help people stop a perpetual loop of blame and move them into a place of empowerment.
Even though forgiveness in some cases seems to be useful, it often just perpetuates a cycle of pain. Can you imagine a life without needing to forgive anyone, as if the power to move on from past hurts was truly in your own hands?
