Articles by Dr. Jennifer B. Baxt, DMFT, NCC, DCC on ArticleSnatch.com

How do you deal with the first few years of therapy?

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The first few years of becoming a parent can be the best years, but it can also be the most trying. This is the point where the strength of the relationship between the married couple will be tested. Becoming a parent is not easy, especially if a couple did not prepare for it. Others carefully plan for it and have little difficulty with starting a family. The first three years will be the most demanding of all the stages in many ways; however, some parents will always remember those years as the best years. This is not to say that the other stages will not be as good, it is just that the first three years are the most unique time of parenting in a number of ways. When a baby is first born, it is completely depended on its parents for everything. During the first four months when the baby is referred to as a newborn, they do little but eat and sleep. They are not yet strong enough to even try crawling around.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Dr. Jennifer Baxt, DMFT, NCC,DCC is the owner of CompleteCounselingSolutions.com which offers a variety of online counseling services. If you would like to know more about Jennifer or any of our online therapists , visit our website.

What is psychoanalytical therapy all about?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Psychoanalytical therapy is meant to go deep into the patientâs subconscious to find what is at the root of his or her conflicts and motivations that have an affect on the emotions, attitude and his or her behavior. Usually, this is done through analyzing the dreams the patient has had, or by using the technique of free association where the patient is supposed to say the first thing that comes to mind in response to a picture, or word. The process of psychoanalytical therapy can take a short or longer period of time, depending on the patientâs willingness to be open and give all the necessary information freely rather than holding back. While it can also depend on what condition the patient is affected by, it can often become a lengthy process when a patient holds back a thought, or some information, whatever the reason. This can make it difficult for the therapist to clearly understand what the inner conflicts are within the patient; however, when these conflicts are found, the therapist can then help the patient deal with these conflicts properly.** End Summary**

What is Achluophobia?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It is common for many young children to be afraid of the dark because they think that there are monsters hiding under their beds and in their closets. Other children might even be terrified of the dark because of some of the nightmares that many children will have. These sorts of fears come about as a result of things that they donât yet quite understand and this lack of understanding can be manifested into fear of the unknown, such as being afraid of the dark. Of course, this is usually easily taken care of by installing a nightlight, or the child will grow out of it as they get older and understand that there is really nothing there to be afraid of. However, there are many adults, both men and women, who have an uncontrollable fear of the dark and of what they canât see. This fear can easily develop into a phobia that is known as achluophobia. People who suffer this will often suffer symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, insomnia and/or sweating.** End Summary**

Things to consider before becomming a parent?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Some will claim that the first two or three years of parenting can be the most demanding and difficult time out of all the stages; others will claim that the teenage years are by far the more difficult to deal with. Both are right in that all families are different and have their own unique problems. Some families will find the teenage years the easier as their children become more mature, while others encounter nothing but problems. It all depends on how the parents raise their children and how close their family unit is. The first few years of parenting are enjoyable for most, without doubt, but it can also be a trying time, especially for people who are on their first child and are going through it for the first time. How much trouble can a baby under three years be? They can be no trouble, but then they can seem like a lot of trouble. It all depends on the mood, the circumstance and whether the baby was planned for or not. All of these can have an impact on whether the child is seen as an added complication or not.** End Summary**

What is therapy?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Before understanding what therapy is about, one must first understand what the word means. As is the case with many medical terms, therapy was derived from a Greek term and is the attempt of treating a problem a patient is diagnosed with. In plain and simple terms, therapy means treatment. Treatment can take the form of certain prescriptions or exercises, depending on the problem. What are the specific forms that therapy can take? Believe it or not, there are so many types of online therapy a person could easily write a book on it. There are therapies that deal with both mental and physical issues. Therapies that deal with the psychological aspect include art therapy, behavioral therapy, cognitive analytical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, online counseling, and occupational therapy. Art therapy is what some patients may participate in to find a better understanding of their self and who they truly are. Behavioral therapy is often used in cases where people suffer from phobias. In this case, the medical professional will help the patient change how they feel about certain things by changing what the patient normally does.** End Summary**

When is the best time for marriage counseling?

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When is it time to go to marriage counseling? The first year of marriage was wonderful, but three years later it has started to become a little rocky. When a couple first ties the knot, they are blinded by each others relatively new love for each other. Now, as some of the initial infatuation has worn off, there are a few more disagreements and a lack of communication for the couple. Before a couple actually gets married, it is recommended by many people that going to see a marriage counselor might be the best thing to do. The counselor can take an impartial view of their relationship and discuss with the couple some things they can do to ensure a long and happy marriage. First, lets look at the myth of marriage counseling. Plain and simple, most people will make the mistake of saying that marriage counseling is for those married couples who already have problems in their marriage. While this is true, it is not entirely true.** End Summary**

Does poor living conditions affect children?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While there are many things that can influence the mental health of an individual, either through genetics, events or social life, the environment in which people live in can have one of the greatest, lasting effects on a person for the rest of their life. Adults and children alike are affected by the living conditions in which they are living, though possibly in different ways. Adults are often affected by the stress of their financial situation and not being able to provide for their families, why the children are sometimes affected by their poor living conditions in how they develop mentally. Poor living conditions affect everyone living in them, old and young. Children, however, are going to be affected in a different way than the parents are, though the way the parents handle the situation can have a large affect on how the children will react and learn from it. Children are impressionable until they reach a certain age and become the adults in society who have their values and ideals sorted out for themselves. Of course, what children learn comes from where they grew up.** End Summary**

Is it okay not be a social person?

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There is nothing wrong with being a relatively private person who prefers to focus a little more on career and personal time, but there does come a point when a lack of socializing can become a problem for an individual. Someone who locks themselves in their home all the time, who only leave the house when necessary and who lacks a social life all together can develop problems as time goes on. Humans are social beings by nature and avoiding socializing all together usually has an adverse effect on a person. In fact, avoiding the activity can have many negative effects on a person and will only make things more difficult for them over time. How can not socializing negatively affect someone? There are a few different affects. A lack of a social life over a long period of time can slowly make a person more uncomfortable around people. Being out and around other people after being isolated for so long can become something that is way out of the individuals comfort zone and it can be an activity that is overwhelming for them.** End Summary**

What does it mean to be manic depressive?

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

First, what is manic depression? Manic depression is a bipolar disorder that means a patient is going between cycles of mania and depression. Mania is where a person will be overly enthusiastic, or excited for a period of time. The older term, manic depressive, has been replaced by the term bipolar affective disorder. During a manic episode, the person may exhibit extreme irritability that can last for a long period of time. Other symptoms of a manic episode may have the person feeling very self-important, the person may also develop poor sleep problems, or their mind might be filled with racing thoughts, have an inability to focus, or seem hyper in their speech. What causes manic depression? There are a few different factors that are thought to contribute to manic depression, such as the environment the person grew up in as a child, genetics, or psychological processes. Much study has gone into determining the causes, as the bipolar disorder is a problem for many individuals, but much is still unknown. There is belief it might also be a result of a severe chemical imbalance, but this is still being studied as well.** End Summary**

Is poor mental health rare?

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

For people who may be suffering any form of poor mental health, it may feel like they are alone and that no one else around them can understand what they are going through. The other difficulty is that they might believe there is something wrong with them that cant be known to anyone else for fear they might be rejected by others, as a result of their condition. It is because of these difficulties, and possibly for other reasons, that many people with mental health problems, such as major depression, will in many cases withdraw from society and exhibit anti-social behavior. It is important that for anyone who believes, or know they are suffering from a mental health disorder, is to realize they are not alone and that thousands of people suffer from different forms of this each day. It is also important to note that many people who go in for treatment often get the help they need to deal with it, either by entering a program, seeing an online therapist and/or getting on the right prescription. It all comes down to what a person decides to do when in such a situation.** End Summary**

Depression from the past

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There are many different causes of depression. For some people it is easy to figure out what caused the person to fall into a depression, while for others there does not appear to be a specific cause. There is still much that is not understood about the causes and reasons for depression. There are some cases where the person appears to be suffering a chemical imbalance in the brain, while others only seem to have the depression because it appears to be genetic when their family history is viewed. There are, however, some cases where the cause of the depression is easily pinpointed and then treated accordingly. There are many people out there who are suffering serious depression that was caused or triggered by a traumatic incident from their past. The event they experienced that was so overwhelming is what has led to their suffering depression because they might not know how to deal with the past incident.** End Summary**

Teenangers and Substance Abuse

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

No child thinks that they will become addicted to drugs while they go through their teenage years. No parent wants to think that their kids might become addicted to something when they reach that age either. In fact, most parents who care about their children see their kids growing up to become decent members of society who will hopefully be happy and successful in their life. The sad truth is that many teenagers do become involved in things they should not, such as drugs. It could be alcohol, it could be a prescription drug or it could be a street drug. What it is does not matter; what does matter is what encourages these kids to start taking such things in their bodies. Some do it because they like the high and they keep taking it because they cant stop, others do it because they are trying to hide from a world they have no control over. Many teens will often turn to substance abuse because they feel it is the way to deal with the stresses and/or abuse they are suffering at home.** End Summary**

What is Acarophobia?

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A person who has an intense fear of small insects or other bugs, or of the itching that some of them can cause, would be someone who is suffering from acarophobia. This is a very real condition that many people suffer from. A person suffering from this phobia will often exhibit rapid heart rate, anxiety, nervousness, sweating, or even dizziness. There are other symptoms, but these are just a few of the more common ones. In many cases, the individual might not realize they have the phobia. Depending on how serious the phobia is, the thought that they might have it does not cross their minds and they might even think their fear is normal. Having a fear of something to the point where it causes the symptoms mentioned above, is not normal and should not be something someone goes through every time they encounter a small bug or insect. Bugs and insects are all around us and having such a fear is putting the person under unnecessary stress.** End Summary**

Can organization reduce stress?

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

For some people, life is relatively simple and there is rarely any real stress involved, other than the occasional move, the addition of a child or a sudden change of career. For others, however, life can be a little more complicated, high stress is an every day occurrence and panic thrives as deadlines and meeting times seem to pop out of nowhere. Life can seem extremely hectic, especially if a person lives in a city where they have to deal with bumper to bumper traffic and rude people that only make the day worse. Monday to Friday continues to be filled with eight to nine hours a day of the person wishing they were home, locked away in their room and completely hidden from the world. It is hectic and complicated lives like this that have people praying for the end of Fridays workday to come to an end, so that they can leave work behind and return home to what feels safe and comfortable. Of course, the home can also be a stressful place for those who have families, so escape for that individual can seem impossible.** End Summary**

Does your relationship lack intimacy?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Of all the reasons or causes for couples to divorce and go their separate ways, a lack of intimacy is one of the most common causes of the breakdown of a marriage. Some couples are able to salvage their marriage because they do genuinely care for each other, but other couples are not so lucky. A marriage takes a lot of work and devotion, two things that become more difficult as the marriage becomes older. Both people change as they live more life and career, for example, can often get in the way without either person involved in the marriage realizes the impact the focus on career is having on the marriage. Why is intimacy so very important in a marriage? For a marriage to work, a certain level of bonding between the spouses is necessary. A couple needs time to communicate, to spend some quality time together and to have time to keep up to date on each others lives and accomplishments. Keeping in touch with each other helps to strengthen the bond between them and keep their marriage going.** End Summary**

What is endegenous depression?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In most cases, a person who appears to suffer from a type of depression will often have a reason for it. In other words, the depression has been brought on or encouraged by an event, or something has happened to that individual, either in their youth or adulthood, that they have not been able to deal with. There are, however, cases where the individual does not seem to have a reason for their depression. They show all the symptoms of depression, but there just not seems to be any apparent cause for it. This is when the patient would probably be diagnosed with endogenous depression. A person who suffers from endogenous depression will often exhibit similar symptoms as someone suffering from any other type of depression. The person could appear anxious, have a change in sleeping patterns, a change in eating habits, show fatigue, have low self-esteem and even sudden mood changes. How is endogenous depression treated? Being as this type of depression does not appear to have any cause, it can be difficult to give treatment at first.** End Summary**

What is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the many forms of psychotherapy that focuses on the emotions or thoughts that might be causing a person distress in some way. This form of psychotherapy is often used to help people who suffer from types of anxiety, depression, or even individuals with mood disorders. To achieve this in a patient who may be suffering from depression, the online therapist will try to focus on turning negative thoughts into positive ones. If someone is suffering from a phobia, then the online counselor might get the patient to imagine themselves in a situation that helps them start to face their fear. If a person is suffering from mood disorders, then the therapist could find ways to encourage change in the way the patient views things and how they think about different situations. These are some vague examples, but it hopefully gets the main idea across. To put it simply, cognitive behavioral therapy is where the professional will use different techniques, depending on the patients trouble, to alter the patients thoughts and/or behavior to more positive, so the patient can function in society properly without their anxiety, disorder or depression holding them back.** End Summary**

Online for an anxiety disorder?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

General anxiety disorder is what many people suffer every day. Some will go and get help, from an online counselor while others will be unaware that they have a problem and not get the help that they need. Some may not get the help they need because they dont think that there is any help for them. It is believed that more women than men will suffer from anxiety disorder and it wont be as a result of any specific event or memory. These people will suffer anxiety almost on a daily basis and will not know how to get out of it. They will have worries or uneasy feelings about nearly every decision or choice they have to make in life. If this constant anxiety continues, a person can start to suffer health problems as a result. They might start developing headaches, sleep problems, eating problems, stomach pains, heart problems and dizziness. If a person goes on long enough without getting the proper help for their anxiety disorder, they may start having trouble living their lives normally because they cant get comfortable with all the worry and fear they suffer each day.** End Summary**

Does your family need counseling online?

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What is family counseling? Family counseling is where a family that is having difficulties will go into get counseling to learn ways to resolve issues. Family counseling is very much like couples counseling in that the therapist, or counselor, will work with the members of the family to find ways to live together without the fighting and disagreements. There are many families out there who feel it is normal to have siblings that fight non-stop, or for the mother and father to fight once a day. Unfortunately, both of these situations can cause harm in the individual members, more in a psychological way on the children than on the parents. It is teaching the children it is alright to fight and solve there problems in unhealthy ways. Family online counseling works to stop this and help both the adults and the children learn the proper ways in resolving a disagreement. What reasons would a family seek family online therapist? There are many families out there who are dysfunctional as a result of different situations. Most of these situations are an added stress on the family, which can make it difficult to function in a healthy way.** End Summary**

Is counseling right for you?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Imagination can be a wonderful thing, but it can also cause some people to be mistaken about what something actually is. Where counseling is concerned, thanks to Hollywood and well written books, people who have never been to counseling think you go in, sit on a couch and talk while some guy with a notepad takes down notes about you. Counseling is not entirely like that. Basically, counseling is where a professional will give advice, opinions or direction based on what the patient has discussed with them. In some ways, a counselor could almost be seen as a guide. Counseling is done in an informal and comfortable environment where the patient is free to discuss what bothers them. They are free to express their feelings and emotions to someone they know are listening to them. Its easy for people who dont really know what counseling is to not realize there are many different types of counseling for different problems. Counseling is very much like therapy in that there are individual areas in which counseling focuses on. It is not simply one broad thing that one person covers. There are actually different subjects that different counselors will specialize in.** End Summary**

How does physical health affect mental health?

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Believe it or not, physical health can have a large influence on a persons mental health. In fact, it is found that people who are more active and more physically fit tend to be happier people overall. While this may not be true for everyone, good physical health can certainly increase the chances of better mental health. Does this mean that better physical health can cure depression? Not necessarily. There are many different types of depression and different people suffer depression for different reasons. Some depression is genetic, some is caused by a traumatic event and for others there does not to be any specific cause for the individual to be suffering from depression. Good physical health is just another way for someone to lesson the chances of falling into a depression. For some, more exercise can actually help them with their depression because it gets them more active and allows less time for dwelling on things that bother the person. In fact, some have deemed exercise as a natural antidepressant. Viewing exercise as a natural antidepressant, one has to wonder how this would affect the mind.** End Summary**

Does your relationship lack trust?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It doesnt matter whether you are in a serious relationship, planning on getting married, or have been married for years, trust is one of the pillars of a healthy relationship. If trust does not exist between the two parties, there is very little chance the relationship will go very far. A relationship without trust can usually only mean one thing; separation. For anyone who believes that they might be in a relationship threatened by lack of trust, it is probably time to think about consulting a couples online therapist, or a couples online counselor. If the relationship is one that should be salvaged, then going through a few sessions might actually help the couple out. Sometimes the relationship is falling apart and the couple is not aware that it is a lack of trust between them that is causing the rift in their relationship. A couples therapist can help highlight the problem and then work with the couple to learn how to trust each other. Now the question arises as to how it is that a therapist, or counselor can help increase the amount of trust in a couples relationship.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Jennifer Baxt is the owner of CompleteCounselingSolutions.com which offers a variety of online counseling services. If you would like to know more about Jennifer or any of our online therapists , visit our website.

What is attention deficit disorder?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is a condition that is normally first diagnosed as a young child, but it can also be overlooked until adulthood. There are times when it can be mistaken that a child has attention deficit disorder when they go through moments of being hyper and cooperative, but this is normal. It is normal for children to have a lot of energy and they tend to get excited over things, especially if they have had a lot of sugar. For children who actually do have attention deficit disorder, they are more or less consistently hyper, uncooperative, impulsive and have trouble focusing. Children who have untreated attention deficit disorder can often have difficulty in school because they are not able to focus on what they are doing and learn. It is recommended that a parent who believes their child might be suffering from attention deficit disorder seek out professional advice and help. If unsure whether the child has attention deficit disorder a parent can always consult and online therapist or a telephone counselor.** End Summary**

Do you need anger counseling?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What is anger? What does it mean for someone to be angry? Apparently, online therapists have divided the emotion into three different types of anger. The first type of anger is the most primitive of the three and has to do with a persons response to a threat in nature. When any being is threatened, anger can help keep the fear from overpowering the being. The second type of anger is where a person is forced into a reaction to something the individual believes was done to them on purpose. For example, a boy that has been bullied by some other kids at school finally has enough and decides to throw his backpack at the leader. The third type of anger relates more to a persons character; how they naturally are in regards to their personality. Regardless of how the emotion is described and explained by professionals, it is a naturally emotion that most normal people exhibit in response to a cause; however, there are cases where a person might not have complete control of their anger and possibly need to consult a therapist, or counselor in order to learn how to control the emotion.** End Summary**

What is Atypical Depression?

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What is atypical depression? It is a form of depression that does not differ too much from major depression, but it does differ enough to be noted as a separate form. Symptoms that might be noticed in a person suffering from this form of depression could be poor eating habits, poor sleeping habits, fatigue, weight gain, and feel their emotions are more or less affected by outside events. This depression lasts for different periods of time depending on the person who may be suffering from it; it could be for a few weeks, or it could be something they live with every day of their lives. It often starts out in teenagers who may continue to live with it if it goes on untreated, whereas other forms of depression usually do not occur until a little later in life. The cause of this form of depression is not entirely certain. As is true with many forms of depression, research is still being done to find out the true cause.** End Summary**