December 2007 Archives

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/20/070820fa_fact_page

I recently watched a good movie that represented the mental health profession well. The movie is "Neverwas" and it has some great actors. It takes place in an inpatient psychiatric institution that is run with professionalism, compassion and ethics (unlike the way psychology is represented in many movies). The main characters (including the young psychiatrist) struggle nobly with various kinds of psychological traumas and disorders. In the end, compassion, creativity and grace win out over cold, technical, textbook treatment. I highly recommend it, though it is not a good movie for kids or for anyone who is frightened by the realities of mental illness.

Young people whose mothers drank when pregnant may be more likely to abuse alcohol because, in the womb, their developing senses came to prefer its taste and smell. Researchers with the State University of New York Developmental Ethanol Research Center have found that because the developing nervous system adapts to whatever mothers eat and drink, young rats exposed to alcohol (ethanol) in the womb drank significantly more alcohol than non-exposed rats.

Excessive Tantrums In Preschoolers May Indicate Serious Mental Health Problems

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213194723.htm

Certain types of tantrums in preschoolers may be a sign of serious emotional or behavioral problems. Although temper tantrums are common and normal in young children, the researchers found that long, frequent, violent and/or self-destructive tantrums may indicate the presence of psychiatric illness.

Dr. Annette Terry operates Heartland's satellite clinic at Heritage Wesleyan Church in Rock Island Illinois. Contact us if you would like to discuss the services available in Rock Island.

Dr. Gayla Sahl has agreed to take the position of Training Director at Heartland Counseling. She will oversee the selection and training of practicum students, predoctoral interns and postdoctoral residents and the continuing education of all of the staff at Heartland Counseling.

Andi Pauley, our predoctoral intern during the 2006-07 year, has stayed on at Heartland Counseling as our Clinic Director. Andi brings her expertise with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including autism and Aspergers Disorder.

Joel Cagwin recently became certified to perform premarital counseling using the widely respected Prepare and Enrich model.

Jeremy Bidwell attended the Neuroscience Education Institute’s Psychopharmacology Conference Oct. 26-27 in Chicago which addressed clinically relevant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of psychosis, bipolar spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep disorders, and substance use disorders.

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