Coaching Some people “sleepwalk” through life. Finding themselves thinking, behaving, and emotionally reacting in “automatic” ways that are learned consciously and unconsciously. Typically functioning well, these people seek self-awareness —a better understanding of themselves, their lives, and their potential. Or, there is some issue, decision, or life event that creates the need for a professional personal coach. The definition of the word “crisis” is: “…a decision or a turning point.” Viewing a crisis as an opportunity to change and grow can yield remarkable results. As a Behavior Coach, I work with high-functioning, successful people to help them better navigate the challenges in their lives. By focusing on achievement, exploring other options and identifying potential barriers, coaching helps clients live up to their full potential to achieve more elusive personal and professional goals. Importantly, coaching is about doing something else to create the life you want—with the help of an experienced guide. Those of us who are trained as Behavior Analysts are uniquely qualified when it comes to identifying patterns, their origins, and how they’re maintained. The field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has many very useful applications to human behavior. Derived from the scientific study of behavior, it’s the “brass tacks” of my clinical training. Having a solid behavioral background is an excellent springboard into other more eclectic approaches to helping people create, grow, and change in ways that are more authentic to the self. Incorporating Eastern philosophies and dialectical thinking allow shifts in perspective that can be very freeing.       Therapy Some people experience recurrent or persistent problems with “normal” functioning, on a regular basis. They experience some degree of debilitation often in the form of depression or anxiety and avoidance. There is typically a corresponding mental health diagnosis (DSM IV) describing common symptoms of the disorder. Likewise, there are conditioned responses. But the difference—requiring therapy—is the interference with optimal brain or body functioning. This is reflected in impairment in some area of life such as job, family or social relationships, health, etc. My clinical practice specializes in improvement of mental and physical health and wellness through the application of cognitive and behavior therapy, hypnosis, and behavioral medicine in the treatment of anxiety and stress-related disorders which can result in mood- and emotion-regulation problems; obsessive and compulsive behaviors; phobias and panic, as well as interpersonal and relationship problems. Therapy is typically office based though phone, IM, webcam, and in vivo sessions are also available depending on the diagnosis. Behavior Therapy “Behavior” is defined as overt (observable actions of a person), covert (thoughts / beliefs), and somatic (body / emotional) responses. Therefore, Behavior Therapy also encompasses what is more popularly known as Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT). There are many misconceptions about CBT even among practitioners who call themselves CB therapists. One is that anyone can do it without specialized training. Another is that “cognitive-behavioral” refers only to cognitive behavior or thoughts (more accurately known as cognitive therapy). Or, that CBT just addresses the symptoms without getting to the "deeper" issues. CBT is a bio-psycho-social approach to improved functioning that does not subscribe to the belief that getting to the "deeper" issues will spontaneously provide relief. It's about changing the brain by doing something different. There are key ingredients to behavior therapy that set it apart from other forms of therapy. Professional training and credentials are the hallmark of a qualified CB therapist. CBT within which Multimodal Therapy—as it evolved from Behavior Therapy—is described briefly as: a person is viewed within several internal and external contexts (or environments). CBT examines these internal and external environments in great detail to ascertain what has shaped and continues to maintain behavior—this is the conditioning mentioned earlier. Learning how we’re shaped and conditioned by environmental events—whether cultural, familial, biological, social, economic, etc.—allows for self-acceptance and growth when effective tools for change are supplied. Likewise, understanding that all behavior is functional i.e., serves a purpose—whether or not it’s adaptive—is also empowering. Interventions are based on empirical studies and research aimed at discovering the most effective treatment for a given problem. We’re all unique individuals with our own brand of life’s challenges. Many people have episodes in which stress or illness or trauma put their coping abilities to the test. To that end, CBT is often more focused on the “here and now” versus re-visiting the distant past at length. Interest in past events is typically focused on the contribution of those events to the current problem, and educating the client about the conditioning that took place. Therapy tends to be aimed at more immediate change and can be sought on an “as-needed” basis versus a treatment approach that requires one to settle into therapy for many months or years. And, while the primary goal is not to gain insight per se, it is a natural byproduct of CBT and most forms of therapy. CBT goes beyond the “light bulb moments” to learning the skills to improve coping and one’s quality of life. Changing behavior changes the brain. Behavioral Medicine Mental / emotional distress invariably produces physical symptoms just as physical illness always has a mental / emotional component. Effective treatment addresses the whole person. Behavioral medicine has applications to many chronic health problems such as pain, heart disease, hypertension, substance abuse, eating disorders, headaches, and insomnia, to name a few. Extensive research in the use of behavioral medicine documents such effects as enhanced immune response, decreased inflammation, and increased relaxation. My interest in behavioral medicine stems from the physical effects of anxiety on the body. Signs and symptoms of the anxiety disorders can include feeling a sense of distress / stress with accompanying disturbances of sleep, concentration, or mood which in turn affect social or occupational functioning. Anxiety disorders occur on a continuum with different symptoms. For example, clients who experience panic attacks may seek treatment for health problems characterized by a short period of intense fear and a sense of impending doom, with accompanying physical symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Very often, these clients first seek help in a hospital emergency department. Addressing the Mind-Body connection is an important part of my practice. Changes in thoughts, emotions, behavior and lifestyle can improve health and prevent, reduce or eliminate symptoms of illness. Health-enhancing behaviors improve the lives of those with chronic conditions, whether physical or mental. Behavioral medicine interventions empower the client thus potentially reducing reliance on medication. Methods of behavioral medicine I employ are cognitive-behavior therapy, relaxation training, hypnosis, neurotherapy, and education. Hypnotherapy is one of the most effective methods for working with clients from the "inside out" whereas behavior therapy works from the "outside in". Hypnosis helps loosen or dissolve conditioned responses and creates new associations to resolve problems and achieve goals. An interesting positive side effect of using hypnosis for anxiety reduction is weight loss. This is not something I had particularly anticipated although it makes a lot of sense. Clients who engage in compulsive eating to manage anxiety benefit from alternative incompatible behaviors, and are also less inclined to resort to overeating as anxiety diminishes. Once this became evident I began adding a weight loss component for those clients who requested it—whether or not the initial hypnosis was for anxiety. Each client who has experienced the weight loss hypnosis has lost weight. Several clients have had excellent results. Educating clients about brain science and health introduces a new perspective that often helps a person realize the brain is a unique organ with special needs. Neurotherapy in the form of photic and audio stimulation (entrainment) is another resource for altering brain states and eliciting relaxation. Photic stimulation refers to the use of light (glasses with LEDs) to elicit particular brainwaves; whereas audio refers to the use of sound. It is well known that the human brain experiences a range of frequencies ranging from beta (fast) to delta (sleep / slow) waves. There are corresponding brain states or feelings that are characteristic of each category of brain waves. For example, alpha-theta brainwaves are conducive to relaxation. In turn, the relaxation response puts the brakes on the “fight, flight or freeze” response associated with stress.