Acupuncture seems to be a popular topic these days. Hollywood stars praising its benefits, Time & Life magazine featuring articles about it, even Veterinarians claiming amazing results treating their furry little friends (no placebo effect there!). As acupuncture becomes more popular here in the West many people are becoming curious about this “mysterious” form of healing from the East. This article briefly addresses some of the most frequent questions that a prospective new patient might have.

What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the “eight branches” of what is known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The other seven branches consist of herbal medicine, diet, Tui Na (massage), qigong (breathwork), tai qi (martial arts), astrology, and feng shui (art of placement). Acupuncture itself is the practice of inserting extremely thin needles into specific points on the body known as acupoints. These acupoints are generally located along energetic pathways on the body known as meridians.

What are meridians?
Meridians are the pathways through which Qi (or energy, for the sake of simplicity) is carried throughout the body. They cover the body from head to toe, front to back, and connect with all the organ systems of the body. This creates a web of pathways that interconnect every aspect of the body.

What is Qi?
Qi, (pronounced chee) in its most basic description, is the energy flowing through the meridian system. From a more holistic point of view it can be thought of as the underlying omnipresent force permeating and animating the universe. The goal of the acupuncturist is to promote the smooth uninhibited flow of Qi through the meridian system. One interesting description of Qi is that it is energy on the verge of becoming matter and matter on the verge of becoming energy. This is a succinct verbal description of the original Chinese character for Qi, which is a pot of rice boiling with steam coming out- the rice symbolizing the matter and steam the energy.

Does it hurt?
Probably the most frequent question asked. Generally the answer is no. The acupuncture needle is a very thin solid needle unlike the hollow hypodermic version. Even under a microscope, these needles are incredibly smooth and uniform. A slight pinch can be felt along with other sensations such as dull ache, itching, tingling, or warmth. Rarely there might be the occasional sharper sensation but this generally fades away in a few seconds.

Does it only work for musculoskeletal pain?
Although this is the most common reason people receive acupuncture it is not the only situation it is helpful for. Acupuncture and more specifically TCM is a comprehensive system of healthcare that has the capability of addressing just about any health issue that may arise – physically and emotionally.

Does Insurance Cover Acupuncture?
Yes, many insurance companies are offering acupuncture benefits now. As it becomes more mainstream, the public is continually requesting this benefit. Insurance companies are beginning to realize that acupuncture is a cost effective form of treatment and seem to be responding to public demand.
One of the most important issues addressed in this article is the understanding that acupuncture is just one aspect of TCM. TCM is an ever evolving and empirically proven system of medicine capable of dealing with most of the ailments that affect our modern society today. It is safe, cost effective, gentle, and can be utilized by everyone from pediatrics to geriatrics and all those in between.

References:

1. www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture
2. Kaptchuk, Ted. The Web That Has No Weaver. Contemporary, Chicago 2000.
3. www.bluepoppypress.com

For more info, contact David Edge, O.M.D at (775) 783-4930 or (775)781-3465

For more than 50 years heat pictures have been used in the military, law enforcement and in health care. The evolution of breast thermography imaging has been growing especially rapid in the last 20 years with French physicians leading the way. Patterns of heat given off by the breast can predict disease far in advance of the usual mammography without the pitfalls of radiation exposure to the breasts and the painful compression of the breast during the examination both of which have been a deterrent to many thoughtful women. In the last several months Federal guidelines have been issued for women to begin routine mammography at age 50 instead of 40 because it produced many false positives that resulted in needless breast biopsies, and invasive therapies, which also traumatized the patients. The more important issue is the impressive radiation dose. Each picture taken in a mammogram has at least 35 times the radiation of a chest x ray.

The beauty of thermography is in spotting abnormalities in blood flow. The most common cause of abnormality is an excess of estrogen and its breakdown products that have been directly linked to fibrocystic (lumpy) breasts and breast cancer. Abnormal blood vessels can also be seen that are feeding a tumor.

A good test can also be helpful for what it doesn’t find. For example a 37-year-old mother of three came into the clinic with a painful egg sized lump in her right breast. The lymph nodes in her armpit were also painful and enlarged. She volunteered that she had been off her diet, eating lots of sugar and fast foods and that she had not been taking supplements or her topical, bioidentical progesterone cream for some time, and was under terrific stress. Her OBGyn Physician explained to her that a needle biopsy would be the standard course to follow to determine if the lump was cancerous. She promptly did the breast thermography and the results came back as a class one, normal. Since she was concerned that a biopsy might spread a cancer she decided to follow a conservative approach, resuming her progesterone, supplements, and doing lymphatic drainage. Within 10 days the lump and painful nodes had all disappeared.

In this case thermography was very helpful to head off unnecessary, invasive procedures such as a needle biopsy.

This approach to breast health is very appealing because when alerted to abnormal changes in breast thermography her progesterone, supplements and doing lymphatic drainage. Within 10 days the lump and painful nodes had all disappeared. In this case thermography was very helpful to head off unnecessary, invasive procedures such as a needle biopsy.

This approach to breast health is very appealing because when alerted to abnormal changes in breast thermography the woman can then change her body chemistry to promote a normal scan on follow up evaluation, usually in three months time. It is truly a revolution in breast health care by not only helping the physician; patient team to be proactive, but also in avoiding exposure of the breasts to radiation that some studies have shown actually increase the incidence of breast cancer. The FDA has approved breast thermography since 1983 for adjunctive screening for breast cancer.

Recent studies have shown 97% sensitivity for detecting breast malignancy. Breast thermography has been researched for over 30 years with over 800 peer-reviewed studies existing in the Index Medicus of well over 250,000 women with an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%. This is preventive medicine at its best!

References:

1. Am. J. Surgery. 2008 Oct. 196 (4): 83-6
2. Am. J. Radiology: 180 January 2003

For more info, contact Michael Gerber, MD, HMD of the Gerber Medical Clinic at (775) 826-1900.

The cost of veterinary care has actually risen very little during the last 20 to 30 years. When compared to the rising cost of human health care, pet care is not at all unreasonable. Bear in mind that your veterinarian is your pet’s general physician, surgeon, radiologist, dentist, dermatologist, neurologist, ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, ears/nose/throat doctor, and pharmacist.

Your veterinary bill is a reflection of the costs of maintaining suitable facilities, equipment, and support personnel to provide the level of care that is expected in animal medicine today. Although it may feel as if you are paying more for your pet’s health care than your own, chances are that you probably have adequate health care insurance for your own needs. Consequently, you may never see the total bottom-line figure for your own doctor bills. When human health care costs are added up – including insurance, deductibles, and pharmaceutical costs – there is no comparison to the much lower veterinary care costs.

Today, pet health insurance is available to offset the costs of your furry friends’ medical expenses in much the same way that yours are.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) strongly suggests that all pet owning families assess their financial situation and consider their ability to meet unexpected expenses that may be incurred for veterinary care. For some families, these expenses may be met through existing savings. Others may be able to use credit card reserves or medical payment cards. Some families should consider budgeting for these expenses and still others may want to consider protecting themselves through pet health insurance policies.

For those considering pet health insurance, AAHA offers the following suggestions:

• Be sure you understand what the policy covers. Some policies (but not all) cover some preventative care, such as vaccinations, but not always.
• Understand the exclusions. Almost all policies exclude pre-existing conditions and some exclude hereditary conditions. Some may exclude certain conditions unique to certain breeds.
• Almost all policies have a deductible and a co-pay requirement. Some pay according to a set schedule of “usual and customary fees” while some pay based on the actual incurred expense. Understand how expenses will be reimbursed.
• Ask whether or not the policy allows you to seek care from a veterinarian of your own choice or a network of providers.
• Speak with your veterinarian or someone in the practice. Your veterinarian may have experience with different policies and can provide advice.

Remember you would never expect your own physician to provide diagnosis, care, and medication free of charge. You cannot ask your veterinarian to do this for your pet. The owner ultimately determines care of the pet.
Every pet owner has different ideas about what is acceptable pet care. Veterinarians can only make their clients aware of the services and products that are available and then provide guidance in options. As a pet owner ask for an estimate of the charges.

References:

1. (Excerpted from The Cost of Compassion: Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of Veterinary Health Care, 1997, AAHA Press.)
2. This information was obtained directly from www.healthypets.com

In order to stay healthy, especially during the cold & flu season of winter, Chinese Medicine recommends that you eat foods that are energetically in harmony with the season. Although it seems paradoxical at first glance, the best way to maintain balance is to bring your internal energy “in” by eating appropriate energetically cold foods in winter and “out” by eating energetically hot food in the summer.

In Chinese Medicine all foods have a particular energy, direction and flavor. Winter is the season in which energy moves inward and hibernates—it’s the time of pure yin (female, cold, fuel, potential-for-action), so it’s appropriate to eat energetically cold, salty foods (yin foods) so that you can cool off the interior of your body to the point that it’s in balance with what the exterior of your body is feeling outdoors. Winter is the season associated with the water/Kidney organ system whose duty is to “store the essence” (or “jing”), the time in which your body rebuilds teeth, bone and marrow.

Energetically cold, yin foods include beans, pork, shellfish, seaweed, hops, banana, barley, and grapefruit.

The overriding mantra in Chinese Medicine is: eat everything (preferably over rice). What they mean is it’s best to include more energetically cold foods in winter, but not to switch to an exclusively cold diet.

Spring is the season of growth, of yin-becoming-yang, the time when we fertilize our plants and ourselves. It’s the time to eat foods that have an upward moving energetic (warm and sweet foods) to stay in harmony with the season of growth. Spring is the season of wind and change. It’s associated organ is the wood/Liver, whose duty is to repair the sinews (defined as sources of strength, strong and rigorous), nerves and tendons.

Liver nourishing, spring foods include: cucumber, egg, green onion, persimmon, plum, wine, chicken, sesame, and not surprisingly, liver.

Summer is the time of pure yang (male, hot, fire, action-itself), and so it’s appropriate to eat yang foods—energetically hot foods that turn up your internal thermostat to match the heat that falls on the exterior of your body outdoors. The energetic is outward-moving. Summer is the season in which the fire/Heart organ system and the blood repairs itself.

Heart nourishing, summer foods include: pepper, ginger, cinnamon, radish, wheat, corn, pumpkin, goose.
Late summer is the season of the earth/Spleen, an organ system so important in Chinese thought that they made up a season for it: late or Indian Summer, the time of yang-becoming-yin. The Spleen is responsible for turning food into “gu qi” (food qi/energy), which combines with the “kong qi” (lung qi/energy) of the Lung to make the usable qi (energy) that guides the blood through our bodies. It’s the way we get energy from the outside world and use it to build and sustain muscle. Spleen foods include rice, beef, honey, peanuts, and squash.

Fall is the time of the metal/Lung system, the time of yang-becoming-yin. Its organ is the skin and nasal mucosa. It is a time for storing energy for the winter’s hibernation. Eat foods that move downward and begin to astringe, sour and cool foods, including: maize, millet, duck, grapes and green onion.

Inappropriate energetically cold foods should be avoided all year long because they create an internal pathogen called “damp” which slows the transmission of qi (life force/vital energy) in your organ systems. Among the worst are: sugar, alcohol, cheese (and all animal fats), icy cold drinks, excessive consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, processed foods and coffee. Seasonally appropriate eating means “including some appropriate energetically cold foods in the cold seasons, but not, of course, to radically change a basic good diet.

Choosing natural, unconcentrated seasonally appropriate foods from the bounty around us is the best way to maintain our health through all the seasons of our years.

References:

1. Lu, Henry C., Chinese System of Food Cures—Prevention & Remedies. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY 1986.
2. Flaws, Bob, The Tao of Healthy Eating—Dietary Wisdom According to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Blue Poppy Press, Inc., Boulder, CO 1998.

For more info, contact Gary Danchak, OMD at 775-849-9800.

I began my healthy adventures in 1972 traveling all over the world by bike. Today I am 69 years old and still going strong. It is never to late to live a healthy active life and be your own healthy adventurer.

Australia – March 2010

Suddenly, there he was, a mighty bull. This kind, living in the wild, is called “buffalo” though they do not resemble our North American bison. Oh yes, pigs, often of enormous size, cattle, horses and even donkeys live wild in this huge park. I had come to a stop. We stared at each other. We were only 50 m apart. If the beast should decide to attack, I thought, I could easily get away on my bike. I did not come to find out, for the bull snorted, turned quickly and ran off into the bush.

It was still raining when I biked into a rest area just before it turned dark. This one had camping sites. When I set out to pitch my little tent surrounded by large RVs, two ladies came over to invite me to camp next to their caravan. “You must meet my husband,” said one of them, “he is a crazy push biker like you.” He was. He invited me for a beer and shared some of his biking adventures when there was a lull in the rain. Returning downpour parted us again, driving me into my tent for an early night.

When I was back riding by 4:00 am the rain had stopped. It was still pitch dark. Something bounced against my leg. Had I lost something? I turned around. In the beam of my flashlight I saw a giant toad.

To be continued…

Rethinking a new recovery means moving out of the problem and into the solution. In today’s world, it is important that we ask questions that inspire our innate strengths, to transcend the mindset of “problem, powerless, and victim.” We shoulder heavy burdens, and we are not prepared. There is a foreboding sense that this is a condition of our culture and our collective consciousness. We may struggle to pay the bills and worry. We may fight and grieve for what once was and is no more. We aren’t sleeping well. Hope is in short supply. In scanning our surroundings we read that Reno has a huge drinking problem. Looking closer, we discover 2 highly disturbing statistics about the state of Nevada’s mental health as it relates to the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. How might these numbers indicate the relatedness to the reality that for many these are hard times?

Nevada Statistics:

• According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 90% of all suicides are committed by individuals who are affected by Substance Abuse, Depression, or another mood disorder.
• Nevada holds the distinction of having the nation’s second highest suicide rate in the country. Nevada’s rate of suicide is double the national average.

We believe it is time to abandon the problem-focused, powerless victim approach and to imagine a new recovery, one that is grounded in strengths and solutions.

The purpose of this article is to respond to these harsh realities and to ask ourselves as providers, “what is standing in the way of progress?” What has to happen in order for us to imagine a new paradigm of hope and self responsibility? We see that over the past 40 years we have evolved into a culture of “powerless victims”. No one wants to take responsibility for their own behavior, so we say we have a “disease” over which we are told we are powerless. This phenomenon traces its roots directly to the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous and its various offspring from which was born “The Recovery Movement”. We acknowledge that the message of Alcoholics Anonymous did, at one point, instill hope in a community that society had judged as “morally flawed”. We also see that the “Recovering” worldview of the 80s and 90s has perpetuated a “victimized”, “entitled”, and “powerless” mindset; that we have to “hit bottom”, admit being powerless, spill our guts, and expect that a higher power is going to “remove our shortcomings”. We believe that these notions are outdated and serve no purpose in healing a hurting culture. But before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we begin by examining the flipside of the “recovery” mindset and what we can salvage as we rethink what it could mean to be “In Recovery”. We believe that Solution –Focused Therapy can combine with the foundational recovery work to form an evolved treatment program that may offer a client more power and successful outcomes.

We begin with “The Miracle Question”. “Suppose that while you are asleep tonight, a miracle happens and your problem is solved just like that! But because you were sleeping, you didn’t know that there has been a miracle. What is the first thing that will let you know that your problem has been solved?” (Miller and Berg, 1995). At this moment we are invited to take the first step toward being fully empowered to manage our lives. The Miracle inspires examination of our strengths and how we are already using our own inner and outer resources to solve problems. The process of the Miracle affirms that we are the authority, the expert on what will work for us. We use the past only to identify “what has worked” to solve our problems and not to reinforce our limitations. We discard the notion that Alcoholism and other Addictions are diseases. We embrace the belief that our clients are empowered to make choices and that whatever motivates a client to change that is good enough.

How valuable is a map that leads to where we don’t want to go? As therapists we value our client’s ability to chart their own course utilizing their unique strengths, even in dealing with problems resulting from the abuse of alcohol or other drugs. As therapists, our role is to assist clients to identify what drives them forward. When we are acquainted with our clients’ beliefs and strengths we can assist them to establish a foundation for achieving their goals. As therapists, we yield to our clients’ expertise in determining desired outcomes. From a therapeutic standpoint, we have come to understand that “Denial” is in the theory of the therapist, and not in the client.

In summary, we are in the “Hope” business. The processes and thoughts of the past are not enough to take us toward the future envisioned by our clients. The Problem-focused disease based paradigm of the “Recovery Movement” is adept at finding sickness; a concept whose time has come and gone. A Solution-Focused-Strengths-Based therapeutic partnership is based in optimism, a powerful concept, a New Recovery. When we have a program of hope we activate from within and without whereby any change is possible!

References:

1. Miller, S.D. & Berg, I. K. (1995). The Miracle Method. New York: Norton and Co.
2. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. (2007). Twelve steps and twelve traditions. New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
3. Makela, Klause, et al. (1996). Alcoholics Anonymous as a mutual-help movement. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
4. Anthony Robbins: www.ted.com and youtube-anthonyrobbins; retrieved 1/23/10.Berg, I. K. & Reuss, N.H. (1998). Solutions step by step. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

For more info, contact JoAnne Krumpe, PhD at (775) 233-0717.

Hand dryers blow germs and bacteria around. Look under the hand dryer next time your in a restroom. There is a filter underneath that is supposed to be cleaned weekly, and are often not for years. If not cleaned, it will have layers and layers of caked on gunk.

The schools and universities that have had the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak this year are being told by the health department that they have to take out all of their hand dryers and replace them with towel dispensers because the hand dryers are Spreading disease.

submitted by Penny Brock
Read the full story at www.prweb.com/releases/handdryer/hygiene/prweb2196064.htm.

The Early History of Steamboat Hot Springs, Nevada

“Behold! A Steamboat in the desert!” (Mark Twain, 1861).

The natural geothermal waters of Steamboat Hot Springs a few miles south of Reno, Nevada have attracted people for ages, including famous author Mark Twain. Prior to 1900, the site featured the third largest geyser in the United States, which erupted 60 to 80 feet into the air, surrounded by open pools of boiling hot water. This historical landmark has a notably fascinating past as the location for a Grand hotel, a hospital, a training facility for famous boxers, a therapeutic healing center for a well-known race horse and those searching out relief from their ailments.

Native Americans often located their winter camps along the creek and used the hot spring water for cooking. During the California Gold Rush in 1849, early settlers coming through the Truckee Meadows area found fissures in the ground that emanated steam. The first development of the hot springs was in 1859, consisting of a tiny shed with two rooms, one for a tub and one for steam.

In 1860, more sheds were constructed to capture the steam and artesian spring water. Dr. James Ellis, a hydrotherapist from England, set up a hospital in 1861 using the hot spring water for healing. With the influx of silver miners and money to the Comstock Lode in nearby Virginia City, the site was developed with a hotel, dance hall and saloon, and of course the hot baths. It was described by one visitor as “the onliest joint within a day’s journey where a fellow could rinse his silver-coated person.”

The story goes that Steamboat was named by the famous author Mark Twain, who had become a newspaperman in Virginia City after working as a steamboat captain on the Mississippi River. Riding over the hills to visit the site, he associated the columns of steam rising into the air with the riverboats he had known. He shouted, “Behold! A steamboat in the desert!” and the name stuck.

Steamboat Hot Springs was first a stagecoach stop and later a train station. After the Virginia & Truckee Railroad was built in 1870, Steamboat was only a half-hour train ride from downtown Reno. This train service continued until 1950 when the V&T was shut down. Currently the V&T is being revived, but not planned to be routed through Steamboat.

The water was analyzed in the 1880s and found to contain natural chlorine, sodium, silica, borate, sulfate, carbonate, potassium, lithium, calcium, arsenic, phosphate, antimony, magnesium, alumina, iron, and mercury. Gold and silver content was found in a later analysis. All life on this planet came from mineral salts in geothermal water, which saturate that water to the concentrations found in ancient oceans.

In 1935, state engineer Alfred Merritt Smith wrote about Steamboat Springs: “Geologically, the springs are among the most interesting in the world, for they demonstrate in a striking way how mineral veins and deposits are formed. The hot water is constantly depositing silica, gold, silver, mercury, antimony, and other minerals and metals, which it holds in solution. The silica is held in solution as a jelly-like colloid, and upon the evaporation of the water is deposited as translucent gelatinous silica, which on the surface is gradually dehydrated to become amorphous white sinter. In cracks and crevices, the silica becomes banded chalcedony, or even quartz. The metals are deposited simultaneously with the silica. One of the most beautiful mineral specimens in the well-known Mackay School of Mines Museum at Reno is a mass of intermixed dazzling white silica, crimson cinnabar, and meta-stibnite from Steamboat Springs.”

Illustrious visitors during the mining era included President Ulysses S. Grant and his family. The Grand Hotel was the site of musical concerts, grand balls, and many festive occasions. But on December 10, 1900, an earthquake caused the hot springs and geyser to dry up. Then on April 21, 1901, one of the frequent wildfires in the area burned the hotel and most of the other buildings to the ground.

In 1925, Dr. Edna Carver, DO bought the land, drilled a new well, and built the Pioneer State Health Hotel. She operated a hospital there until another fire leveled it in 1937. It was rebuilt, but burned again in 1942.

Steamboat Hot Springs is now a historical landmark with a significant legacy in the sports world. In 1924, a boxing promoter contracted with the owner to use the spa as a training camp because of the healing properties of the hot mineral water, mud, and steam when applied to his injured boxers.
In 1931, Paolino Uzcudun, a Basque heavyweight boxer, trained at Steamboat. In 1932, King Levinsky, a Chicago heavyweight, trained here with Jack Dempsey. Uzcudun and Levinsky were both preparing for 20-round bouts with Max Baer. Jack Dempsey was in a fight that was held at Steamboat during this period. In 1936 Ray Impelliterre used the ring at Steamboat to train for a bout in San Francisco.

In the horse racing world, the champion Man o’ War was brought to Steamboat in the 1940s to take its waters and muds after he had sustained serious injuries, and the horse returned to win the Kentucky Derby after many thought he would never race again.

Around 1940, in an attempt to attract financing to build a major resort at Steamboat Springs, Dr. Carver wrote a prospectus detailing the thermogenic healing uses of the water, and the use of the mineral mud for the treatment of many disorders. These included arthritis, sciatica, rheumatism, phlebitis, arteriosclerosis, blood diseases, stomach disturbances, myocitis, lumbago, neuritis, neuralgia, gout, paralysis, Bright’s disease, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, throat and sinus problems, nervous disorders, imperfections of the complexion, metallic poisoning, alcoholism, drug addiction, blood diseases such as pernicious anemia and leukemia, malaria, colds, obesity, constipation, overeating, under-exercise, and recuperation following illness.

Dr. Carver’s prospectus noted the accessibility of Steamboat from all parts of the country via air, car, or rail, and the skiing, hunting, and fishing activities, which abound nearby. She envisioned a large resort with Spanish-style architecture. Visitors can find that today and can take advantage of the incomparable healing waters that have been renowned through history. It’s always been about the water.

References:

1. A Steamboat in the Desert: A History of Steamboat Springs, Nevada. By Roger Bowen Weld, 1998. Published by the International Community Guilds, Reno, and available at Steamboat.

People experience the calling to become psychotherapists in a variety of ways. This article presents some intriguing examples and then looks at some important components in the professional development of psychotherapists.

Some people know at a young age that they want to become a psychotherapist. Perhaps they observed someone conducting therapy and found it fascinating and inspiring. Maybe they were attracted by the idea of helping people or were just naturally curious about the psyche, why people behave the way they do, the meaning of dreams, etc.

Sometimes people experience the calling to become a psychotherapist during the course of their own therapy for a psychological issue such as depression or anxiety. In every society certain individuals are called to see beneath and beyond the surface of ordinary life and conventional perspectives. Their illness, which may be experienced as a wounding, serves as an initiation to another world–the world of the unconscious psyche, of symbols, transformation, and healing. Their psychic and emotional wounds are their teachers, inviting them to become healers. This is the significance of the story of the “wounded healer.” To paraphrase Jung, it is the healer’s own hurt that gives the measure of his power to heal.

Sometimes people receive their calling partly through their dreams. A college student dreamed of a woman’s name with which he was unfamiliar. The dream indicated that she worked at a nearby university. Curious, he contacted her and found that she was a professor in the Counseling Department. Although his bachelors degree was in no way connected to psychology, he took the dream as a sign and decided to enroll in this university’s counseling program. His leap of faith turned out to be a wise decision, guiding him to a fulfilling career as a psychologist.

Another dream comes from a woman who had a life-long interest in psychology and spirituality but never pursued any formal education or career in psychotherapy until she had the following dream on her 71st birthday. “I am a priestess in a temple. I am wearing a long, flowing garment, scarlet in color. I also have a headdress. People bring me important objects and artifacts, and I help them to understand what they are and what they mean. Strangely, I am able to walk on the interior walls of the temple room in apparent defiance of gravity. About 15 feet above the floor, I can clearly see all of the people in the room.”

To be a priest is, symbolically, to be a messenger between God and man. From a depth psychology perspective it represents someone who helps people develop a living relationship with their unconscious, the soul, and their spiritual core. The artifacts which people bring her are precious aspects of their psyche with which they seek relationship. Her ability to walk on the walls and see people from above may symbolize that she is able to perceive people from a spiritual perspective while still remaining connected to the earth.

Certain people find their calling through the sometimes strange proddings of their intuition. A 19 year-old soldier felt an urge to go to the army base library. He did so, eventually following his inner voice to a particular bookshelf. Reaching up he removed a book by an author he had never heard of. The book was a collection of Carl Jung’s writing on dreams. Intrigued, he started reading but could not make heads or tails out of Jung’s interpretations. Nonetheless, the experience stuck with him. After his tour of duty he pursued an education in psychology, eventually becoming a Jungian psychologist.

Although the birth of psychotherapy is often associated with Sigmund Freud’s development of psychoanalysis, its deepest roots may actually be traced many centuries earlier to what the Christian church called “the cure of souls.” The cure (or care) of souls describes the process through which a pastor would attend to the soul needs of his parishioners for the sake of healing, development, and relationship with God. This earlier origin is reflected in the etymology of the word psychotherapy for “psyche” is the Greek word for soul.

Over the years, psychology has progressively distanced itself from the cure of souls perspective. As the field has become increasingly medical and mechanistic in its outlook, the term soul is rarely used. In mainstream psychology, the psyche is increasingly associated with the mind, the brain, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics. Coincident with this ideological shift has been the gradual transition of psychotherapists from the role of healer to that of a trained technician implementing “evidence-based” (usually cognitive and behavioral) treatments.

If you have thoughts of becoming a psychotherapist, or if you are in the process of becoming one, it is important to be aware of the worldview that increasingly dominates the fields of psychology and social work. Ironically, your formal education may pose the greatest threat to your love and enthusiasm for the practice of psychotherapy. Although there are exceptions, over the past twenty years most graduate psychology and social work programs have become infatuated with the medical model of the psyche and research. Persons drawn to the field with a sensitivity for the depth and wonder of the psyche, who sense the reality of the unconscious, or who seek to become healers at the most human, heart and soul-based level should approach their formal education with a discerning spirit. Perhaps especially at the bachelors and masters level, the education of aspiring psychotherapists should provide an objective and broad-based examination of the major personality theories of the past 120 years. Examining or emphasizing only more recent, establishment-approved approaches yields not only a limited awareness of psychological theory and history, but, more importantly, a very truncated and distorted picture of the psyche, therapy, and what it means to be a human being. Refined focus on a particular area of psychotherapy may occur at the doctoral level, when the student is better position to make a more educated, objective decision.

Perhaps the most important component of your development as a psychotherapist involves something that will not even be required of you in school or by a state licensing board. This is your investment in your own psychotherapy. Although several years of individual psychotherapy in the modality of one’s choice was once required by training programs, it is rarely required now. This is a genuine loss to the psychotherapy profession, the practitioner, and the consumer. The notion that a student can complete a psychology or social work training program and, without several years of his or her own psychotherapy, reliably provide quality care of substantial depth is highly doubtful.

Every profession utilizes its own tools and instruments to accomplish its work. In psychotherapy
your mind and heart are the tools and instruments of your trade. Not only is it important to experience in depth the process you will ask of your clients, your therapy will help you to become more conscious of the issues and attitudes within yourself that inevitably impact your work with clients. The better that you know yourself, the greater the insight, understanding, and clarity of perception you bring to bear upon your relationships. As Jung observed, “Every psychotherapist not only has his own method–he himself is that method.”

Undoubtedly the most valuable thing that a therapist can offer a client is an inner attitude of genuine love, caring, honesty, and integrity. The various interventions and techniques you use–no matter how skillfully implemented–are unlikely to sustain a significant therapeutic relationship if these core attributes are not present. Say what we may to our clients, it is what we live that they intuit and ultimately respond to. Do yourself and your clients a favor, become a quality instrument of change.

References:

1. Bergin, Allen E. Psychotherapy and Religious Values. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 1980, Vol. 48, No. 1, 95-105.
2. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations, Briefer Version, 7th ed. Thomson Learning, Inc. Belmont, CA 2008.

For more info, contact Dr. Andy Drymalski, Reno and Carson City psychologist, at (775) 786-3818.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/4 lbs lean organic ground beef
• 1 to 2 tsp fresh ground pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg, mixed up
• 1/2 cup Bertolli fire roasted tomato sauce with cabernet sauvignon
• 3tbs. grated Asiago cheese
• 3 tbs. reduced fat feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup cooked, drained spinach

Directions:

1. Mix together the ground beef, salt and pepper (1 use the peppercorn Melange)
2. Stir in the tomato sauce,drained spinach,asiago and feta cheeses. Now the 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs and mix all ingredients together.
3. Place the meat mixture in a loaf pan and round the meat. Make a well along the top of the meat loaf and fill with more of the sauce.
4. Bake at 350 degree F. for 35 to 40 min or until done.

As we get older, our skin is the most telling sign of aging. However, today we have many options to improve skin condition. There is no need to avoid wearing shorts because of spider veins, wear heavy makeup because of rosacea, age spots or acne, and wrinkles can be minimized. At Cosmetic Aesthetics Laser Salon, we provide comprehensive screening & education and develop a partnership with you in treating your issues. Our Fotona Nd:YAG laser provides the most flexibility and patient comfort of any laser on the market. Cindy Sult RN, has been a registered nurse for over 20 years, the last 10 of which she has been working in the cosmetic laser industry. She is a co-owner of the business and is currently an instructor of “Skin & Skeletal Systems” at Career College of Northern Nevada (CCNN).

Spider Veins: (Telangiectasia) Are widely dilated blood vessels and can be located anywhere on the body. Spider Veins are not the same as varicose veins. Spider veins are common in healthy people and are usually caused by sun damage or aging. They can also occur at any age, but usually appear between 18-35 years and peaks between 50-60 years of age. There are three main treatment options for Spider veins: Laser treatments, sclerotherapy, and electro-cautery. Sclerotherapy & electro-cautery can leave scarring. Laser treatments, with the Fotona Nd:YAG laser offers flexible settings and exceptional patient comfort without scarring.

Rosacea: is a chronic skin condition involving inflammation of the cheeks, chin, nose, forehead or eyelids. It may appear as redness, prominent spider-like blood vessels, swelling or skin eruptions similar to acne. While there is no cure for rosacea, it generally can be successfully controlled. The best approach for high levels of success includes education, laser treatments and skin care products.

Age Spots: 80% of all age spots have a vascular nature. An Nd:YAG laser, which targets blood supply, is very successful with that type of age spot. The remaining 20% are melanin type age spots, which can be successfully treated with education, skin care products, and various peels.
Acne: Acne has many causes including stress & hormone fluctuations. Proper skin care includes using safe OTC products even shampoos, and hair gels. Treating active inflammations or lesions with laser, having a recommended skin care regime specific to your skin type and closely monitored progress are essential when developing a program for success.

Wrinkles: As we age, our skin thins which is due to reduced collagen production. And our skin doesn’t turn over as often as in our youth. Laser photo-rejuvenation stimulates the dermis to produce more collagen, thus giving us a plump, more youthful appearance. A line of skin care products that encourages the more rapid turnover of skin cells, gives us that healthy pink glow associated with youth.

References:

1. www.wikipedia.org
2. www.skinsight.com
3. www.webmd.com
4. www.rosacea.org
5. www.mayoclinic.com
Dr. James Fulton, MD – “Acne RX”

It is believed by medical experts today that 2/3 of the American population suffers from chronic Candida and the leading culprit is thought to be antibiotics and diet. Candida is a condition of yeast overgrowth in the intestines causing a slue of problems.

Antibiotics kill bacteria, both the good and bad bacteria, but they don’t kill yeast. The past abuse of prescribing antibiotics by the medical industry, plus the wide-spread use of antibiotics by the food industry is killing the good bacteria. This gives the eager yeast (who haven’t had room to grow before) a chance to multiply in our guts, to increase in numbers and crowd out the good bacteria. The helpful bacteria, such as acidophilus strains, compete with any intestinal fungus such as yeast and other germs to keep them from taking over. Acidophilus also have the function of making vitamins and enzymes as well as their own form of antibiotics. When antibiotic medication is taken it will kill off this very important bacteria and the yeast will then take over.

Other prescribed drugs and conditions that encourage yeast overgrowth are birth control pills, steroids (cortisone type drugs), stress, poor diet; even pregnancy interferes with hormonal balance and encourages yeast growth. Cortisone drugs weaken the immune system because they raise blood sugar. Increased progesterone through use of birth control pills or during pregnancy accounts for many vaginal yeast infections in women. Mercury (Silver) dental fillings may also contribute to an overgrowth of yeast due to the neurotoxic and immunotoxic and antibiotics nature. The average diet today also is a problem. According to Professor Steven Rochlitz in his book “Allergies and Candida” we eat over 100 times the sugar content that our grandparents ate at the turn of the century. Sugar is feeding yeast and contributing to our country’s poor health. Among all sugars, sucrose is the worst and a favorite of yeast.

Children who have Candida are often diagnosed with behavioral issues such as autistism, being hyper-active, and dyslexia. Thrush and diaper rash are examples of yeast infection in infants. Also, Candida can be transferred from mother to child at birth.

Converting to a low starch and low sugar diet will decrease yeast colonies in the intestines, improve health and strengthen the immune system. The fewer yeast in our gut, the less toxins emitted into our systems. The toxins (poisons) weaken and confuse our immune system and we become increasingly sensitive to foods and chemicals. The stress of a poor diet and vitamin and mineral deficiencies deplete our body’s ability to heal itself, and it will begin to deteriorate.

When first changing to a healthier diet it is normal to feel worse for a few days, but then the old complaints should start to disappear, one at a time. Complaints such as, “I didn’t know I was depressed until I wasn’t,” or “I didn’t know I only require 7 hours of sleep instead of 9,” or “I think I’m a teenager and feel like one until the mirror reminds me I am not.”
Check the January issue “Treatment and Getting Well!”

THIS IS INFORMATION ONLY, AND NOT TO BE TAKEN AS MEDICAL ADVICE. See your doctor first.

References:

1. Rockwell, Sally MD. www.DrSallyRockwell.com
2. Rochlitz, Steven, Allergies and Candida with the Physicist’s Rapid. Human ecology Balancing Sciences, Inc. New York, 1993.

For more info, contact and educate yourself further by visiting Dr. Sally Rockwell’s website at www.DrSallyRockwell.com.

There is a new exciting breakthrough in treating and healing pinched nerves. Back and neck pain, headaches, numbness or tingling anywhere in the body can be caused by pinched nerves. Pinched nerves and their side effects are described in the Healthy Beginnings February, 2010 issue titled: “Pinched Nerve Caring for Your Nervous System.” Chiropractors believe in treating the source of the problem effectively and naturally. One should not have to rely on medication to get through the day, as drugs tend to mask the problem rather than treating it at the source. With the ProAdjuster Vision Technology, Chiropractic is taken to the next level.

What is the ProAdjuster? It is an advanced computer and engineering technology, with a hand-held device that allows Doctors of Chiropractic to both analyze and treat the human body in ways never realized before. Newborns, as well as the elderly with osteoporosis can be treated safely and gently with this innovative mechanism.

How does it work? The ProAdjuster computer system uses a piezoelectric sensor in the soft-tipped instrument to administer a precise oscillating force which measures specific levels of joint motion in a relaxed, effective manner. With the patient sitting in an upright position, the treatment is performed comfortably, without any turning or sudden movements. Data is then transferred and displayed on the computer monitor, allowing the doctor to isolate and treat the problem area faster and more accurately than manual procedures. Following the treatment, the ProAdjuster’s sophisticated re-analysis allows both the patient and the doctor to chart all progress toward successful recovery.

If you or someone you care about is experiencing the effects of pinched nerves & you are not under chiropractic care, NOW is the best time to start. Remember, it’s always best to rule out pinched nerves before other symptoms start.

For more info, contact Dr. Jensen at Jensen Chiropractic (775) 323-1222.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nuts, and raisins. Set aside.
2. In small bowl, blend together eggs, orange juice, oil, honey, vanilla and orange peel.
3. Add to dry ingredients. Stir in carrots until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan cups.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Yields: 18 muffins

Ingredients:

• 6 to 7 cups flour
• 2 packages (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups warm water
• (105-115 degrees)
• 3 eggs

Directions:

1. In large bowl of mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Mix thoroughly by hand.
3. Add butter and honey Gradually add warm water.
4. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bottom and sides of bowl several times.
5. Add eggs and ½ cup flour.
6. Beat 2 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in additional flour to make a soft dough.
7. Cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until double in size (about 45 minutes). Stir down dough.
8. Turn out onto lightly floured board.
9. Divide into 2 to 3 balls. Shape each ball into a loaf.
10. Place in greased 9×5x3 loaf pans. Cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until double in size.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Immediately remove loaves from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 3 small or 2 large loaves.