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October 5, 2020 by SHLYRNSTNNGLN8975790 Leave a Comment

Does Online Couple’s Therapy Work?

The current global pandemic has caused most people in this country to have to shelter in place for many months. This has caused a lot of stress and strain for families and couples. And, often acute or sudden stress can bring underlying relationship issues to the surface.

But, since many states are still in lockdown mode and residents are still practicing social distancing, how can couples facing these issues get the help they need? Through online therapy.

What is Online Couple’s Therapy?

Online couples therapy offers the same benefits as face-to-face therapy, with the added convenience and privacy of getting the help and support you need at home. Usually, sessions are held via video chat and with the couple in the same location. However, online couples therapy can be particularly beneficial for those couples who are dealing with the stress of living apart because of long-term hospitalization or military deployment.

Besides the lockdown or being apart from your spouse, what are some other reasons couples may choose to try online therapy as opposed to face-to-face therapy?

  • It’s easier for those couples with busy schedules
  • Convenient for those couples living in geographically isolated areas (rural America as opposed to big cities)
  • Some people find going out into public or driving stressful
  • Couples may not want to be seen by anyone in their local community walking into a therapist’s office
  • When one or both partners has a disability that makes attending in-person therapy more challenging

Online therapy follows a similar model to traditional therapy and in most cases, therapists do nearly everything online that they do in person. The only real difference is that it may take a little bit longer to get comfortable with each other, as human beings tend to connect more when they are in each other’s physical space. But once the connection has been made and everyone feels comfortable, there is no real difference in how sessions are conducted.

When Online Couples Therapy is Not a Good Idea

While online couples therapy can be very effective and beneficial to a majority of couples, there are those situations when it would not be suitable. For instance, in the case of domestic violence. Couples therapy, whether online or over the internet, treats both partners as equal in the relationships and aims to save the marriage. But when there are abuse and violence, the partners are not equal (ie, partners are not contributing equally to the problems) and the goal should not be to keep a victim in a dangerous relationship.

Some other instances where online therapy may not be suitable:

  • If the couple has outdated technology and/or can’t access the internet
  • One or both partners distrusts technology or feels anxious about sharing over the internet
  • One or both partners feels uncomfortable having sessions in the home and would prefer a more professional setting

Again, for a majority of couples, online therapy can be very beneficial and even preferred. If you’d like to explore treatment options and do so online, please reach out to me. I’d be happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

 

SOURCES:

  • https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-does-online-couples-therapy-work
  • https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/articles/does-online-couples-therapy-work
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201203/5-principles-effective-couples-therapy

Filed Under: Couples/Marriage, Telehealth

October 4, 2020 by SHLYRNSTNNGLN8975790 Leave a Comment

Transgenerational and Intergenerational Trauma from Racism

In the early 2000s, Brent Bezo, a student in the doctoral psychology program at Carleton University in Ottawa, was living with his wife in Ukraine when they began picking up on subtle notes of resentment and skepticism from the native population. In his conversations with the locals, Bezo specifically remembers detecting references to the Holodomor, a historical event in the early 1930s that ended with millions of Ukrainians starving to death. Many considered it to be a deliberate act of genocide coordinated by Stalin’s regime.

Bezo began to wonder how much of an impact this horrific historical event would have on our current generation. He decided to conduct a qualitative investigation using 45 volunteers from three different generations; the survivors of this tragic event as well as their children and grandchildren. His findings, published in Social Science & Medicine in 2015, showed that each generation had inherited a lack of trust from the one before. Certain behaviors, including anxiety, embarrassment, food hoarding, and overeating, were passed on from one generation to the next.

This is just one study in a growing body of research that looks at how multiple generations have been affected by large-scale cultural and historical suffering. Researchers are now studying the effects of historically traumatic events, including the systematic mass murders of millions during the Holocaust, the involuntary enslavement of African-Americans, and the forced migration of Native Americans. They are finding that the transgenerational repercussions span far beyond the mental effects into familial, social, and cultural expressions as well.

Treatment for Transgenerational Trauma

While more research is needed, clinicians are developing effective interventions based on current findings.

For instance, family therapists working with Native American tribes in Canada and the United States help prevent early substance use by improving family communications and reducing family conflicts.

Other clinicians have good outcomes by using a “survival genogram,” which is like a pictorial version of a family tree that highlights family relationships, health, and psychological patterns. This helps children and grandchildren of survivors explore their ancestral life lessons to help them move forward in their current lives.

Many clinicians are still encouraging their clients to use self-care practices such as mindfulness and exercise to reduce potential triggers.

Without question addressing present-day traumas like racism related to original events is key to helping new generations heal and move on. Therapy can guide people in using coping tools and learning better communication to help them on their healing journey.

If you or someone you know is suffering from transgenerational trauma from racism and would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch. I would be more than happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

 

SOURCES:

  • https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/02/legacy-trauma
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201810/if-trauma-is-transgenerational-so-are-resilience-and-ptg
  • https://blogs.psychcentral.com/neurodivergent/2020/06/cptsd-ptsd-and-trauma-nows-the-time-to-understand-intergenerational-trauma/

Filed Under: General, Trauma / PTSD

Bridging the Gap Psychcare

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Houston, TX 77024

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701 N Post Oak Rd, Ste 512
Houston, TX 77024

(281) 838-0015
info@btgpsychcare.com

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