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If you are suicidal, contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. If you are in crisis in Toronto, Vancouver call 1-800-999-9999

Disclaimer

This is a Personal Blog I am speaking as a Psychotherapist, Educational Advocate, Coach and Family Therapist. Please go up to Guestbook and let me know more about you. I do not give any of your personal information to anyone and it is always confidential. I am very knowledgeable with HIPPA and privacy law.

Special Educational Law

Every minute a disabled child spends without appropriate services, remediation and interventions is lost time and education that becomes more difficult to recover. Let me help you gain control of your child's education by cutting through the special education jargon and red tape!!
Need a new prospective? Outside the box thinking!

Patrick is a practical, interactive, solution-focused therapist. His treatment approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients resolve current problems and long-standing patterns. He incorporates a blend of conventional approaches, drawing upon a variety of styles and techniques to incorporate what will be most helpful for each client. With sensitivity and compassion, he works with each client to help them build on their own individual strengths to identify and achieve life goals.  Patrick is a masterful story-teller and adds humor when the situation allows. We will develop a treatment plan together and create a time line.

Through Online Counseling via Google Voice Connect on right or SKYPE video, phone, text and telephone sessions any evening or weekend.  I provide a private, personalized psycho therapeutic service to clients who wish to stay in their own home or office setting during the counseling session.

Benefits of telephone & online counseling include:

Cost – By conducting counseling sessions on the phone or online via services such as SKYPE or Google, I am able to offer a reduced fee to my clients due to the low over-head costs of running my business.
Comfort - Counseling sessions from your own couch, desk or even if  you are confined to your bed!
Convenience – No need to carve out travel time for an appointment or fight traffic. Bad weather, lack of transportation or inability to leave one’s home for one reason or another does not have to prevent you from a counseling session.
Confidentiality - Waiting rooms filled with strangers and office staff are a thing of the past! See only the therapist at your online counseling session. Easier to Begin (Fill out my online form please when ready to start)

Beginning a counseling relationship can be a difficult process, especially for the first time client, because there are so many anxiety-producing unknowns. Common first time concerns are things such as: will the counselor be the “right” fit, what if I cry, will he diagnose me as “crazy”, do they have time available, how do I get there, what if I don’t want to go back, how much will it cost?. On-line services help relieve these concerns by providing a wealth of information on each counselor, making it easier to research options and select the right person and approach without a single call or commitment. Working over the telephone also opens doors for even the most hesitant clients by offering complete anonymity, no diagnosis, and counseling in the security and comfort of your own home. For those who lack mobility or live in a rural area with few services, telephone counseling may be the first and only option.
- Always verify license of your therapist. CLICK HERE NOW

 

Leave A Comment, Written on June 8th, 2011 , News Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Seasonal Depression SAD

Winter Darkness, Season Depression

Winter depression is still a mystery to scientists who study it. But researchers agree that people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder are particularly sensitive to light, or the lack of it.
Mental health experts agree that recognizing symptoms of winter depression called cabin fever and then seeking professional help is the first stop in conquering depression, overeating, anti-social behavior and boredom. “Over 25 percent of the population in mid to higher latitudes suffer from what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD,” said Dr. Michael Terman, Ph.D. of the Now York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University, “In fact one in every five persons who lives in Alaska may be affected by SAD.” Ternian, a leading expert on tic diagnosis and treatment of SAD says that the only major population at northern latitudes that is not affected by SAD are Icelanders.

What to do

How do you treat SAD? Serotonin levels can be elevated by increased exposure to light, according to Greg Danzig, president of lonair Co. “Light and antidepressants like Prozac help. But researchers say negative ions may also increase brain levels of scrotonin.”

Scientists at Columbia University’s Presbyterian Medical Center conducted a placebo-controllcd study testing high-density negative ion generators for the treatment of winter depression. Researchers found that 58 percent of patients treated with high-density negative ions had significant relief of their symptoms – almost identical to the number who improved with drugs but without drug side-effects, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D. outlines the effects, problems, and treatment of SAD in his book “Winter Blues,” Rosenthal discusses the use of St. John’s wort and a helpful nutritional regimen. In his book Rosenthal also discusses the use of light therapy in treating problems, by those whose symptoms mirror those of SAD. These include jet lag, sleep disorders, premenstrual syndrome, and the effects of shift work.

Weathering the Extremes of Bipolar Disorder

Many people feel sluggish and down during the gray, cold months of winter but when spring begins, the whole world seems to burst with energy and life and moods seem to magically improve. However, for the 2 million American adults living with bipolar disorder, the change of seasons can mean a change in behavior; the highs are much higher and the lows, much lower. New evidence has shown that the changing of the seasons may drive some of these extremes.

In a study published in April 2004 in the Journal of Affective Disorders, a team of scientists surveyed patients with various mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. At the end of the year-long survey, it was found that individuals with bipolar disorder were much more likely to have mood fluctuations with the seasons than those from the depressed or normal populations.

While the true impact of this study is yet to be seen, it may change our understanding of bipolar disorder, and ultimately the way it is treated. Karen Shin, MD, the head researcher of the study and resident in psychiatry at the Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, tells us about these new findings. (Reproduced with permission)

Leave A Comment, Written on June 10th, 2011 , News Tags: , , ,
Need an Advicate for you child

W. Pat Martin II, MA , LMFT, DAPA specializing in individual, couples, and family psychotherapy. Awarded Diplomat of American Psychotherapy Association in 2009. For 16 years Patrick has worked with couples, individuals, adolescent and their families in private practice, residential, hospital and/or rehabilitation settings. In addition Patrick has worked with Special Education Emotionally Challenged and Autistic Children for 10 year through local county mental health agency as clinical assessor and case manager with local school districts.

There are some things you can do on your own, and then there are times when the guidance and expertise of a professional is required to get the job done right; your child’s IEP or 504 Plan is one of those times. We want to help you get it right the first time or for the first time! Negotiating the best educational plan for your kids is as important as purchasing a new home; it requires a set of decisions which will create an impact for years to come. When you walk the path of advocacy, never go alone!

Leave A Comment, Written on June 10th, 2011 , News
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN

The individualized education plan is provided at no cost to parents, and is required in all public and private schools receiving public funds for the education of children with disabilities. Development of the plan is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This Federal Law defines and governs special needs services, and requires that needed services be outlined in a special document commonly refered to as the IEP.

Why the Individualized Education Plan is so Important

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a document developed by the child’s parents and the educators who work with him. The law requires that the plan describe how the student learns; how the student best demonstrates that learning; and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student toward better academic achievement.The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that the student’s individualized plan be based solely on the child’s identified needs, and not based on pre-existing programs or services available in the district. Whether particular services are available in the district should not be considered when identifying the services a child needs to receive an appropriate education.

Effective advocacy starts with educating yourself. Make sure you understand your child’s disability and learning style. Become knowledgeable about your child’s school program, and learn about your rights and responsibilities under the law. As a key member of your child’s Team, your goal is to work collaboratively with teachers and other professionals. I would be glad to help to guide you though this process.

 

Leave A Comment, Written on June 8th, 2011 , News

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