A great way for clients to relieve stress during the holidays is through music. Selecting and listening to the right kind of music is an enjoyable, easy way for clients to counteract the stress of the holidays.

Studies have shown that music affects our mood and energy levels because our heart beat, blood pressure, and brain waves all adjust to the tempo, rhythm, and harmony of music.

This holiday season, we should encourage clients who are beginning to feel stressed to listen to soothing music whenever possible. It can be helpful to ask clients about the types of music they enjoy and how they traditionally react to it in order to make the best suggestions as to what might be helpful.

During this time of New Year’s Resolutions it’s important to remind your clients to make resolutions that are designed to reward – not overburden – them.

Some good suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions might include:

• Learn to take one hour out of each day just for yourself
Take this time to do something just for you – read a book, enjoy a hot bath, phone a friend.

• Get a checkup
Seeing your doctor for a regular checkup makes your health needs a priority.

We all experience stress…but sometimes your clients may need a little help from you to learn how to manage their stress – particularly when trauma is involved.

As therapists and first responders, it’s important we remind our clients that stress is a part of life – and not all stress is bad stress. Explain to your client sometimes, stress can even be good for them. How? Because it can motivate them. Oftentimes, the stress our clients feel from a deadline they have to meet motivates them to get the task done.

But it’s also important we make them aware that too much stress can actually be harmful. At least once a week the evening news runs a story about how stress can cause heart attacks, or how it can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick. And these reports are true! Stress can do all of those things – and a whole lot more.

But how do we, as therapists and first responders, know when a client has too much stress?

It’s important to remember that your clients’ reactions to a trauma can be short, or it can be long-lived. Regardless of their reaction time, it’s important to remember most of them will react.

Keep in mind how your clients respond to trauma depends on a few things:

• How severe was the trauma?

• How long did the trauma last?

• How strong (physically and/or emotionally) were they before the traumatic event?

Your clients’ answers to these questions will help you determine how they will respond to a traumatic event.

Remember, your clients can have both physical and emotional reactions to trauma. Some of the more common emotional reactions clients tend to exhibit include:

Let’s continue our introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by taking a look at some additional characteristics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

• A strong, positive, trusting relationship between the client and the therapist is extremely important for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to be successful. This is because Cognitive Behavioral Therapy centers around the idea that clients change because they learn how to think differently and they begin to act on that learning. This means that, as a therapist, when you use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, your primary focus will be on teaching your client rational self-counseling skills.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy requires collaboration between the therapist and the client. When using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, it is important that, as a therapist, you learn what your clients’ life goals are, and then you help them achieve these goals. It is the therapist’s job to listen, teach, and encourage the client; and it is the client’s job to share concerns, and learn how to use the techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Join me as we continue to explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its characteristics.

Hope Makes Healing Possible!

Patricia Sherman, Ph.D., LCSW

*Written in collaboration with Jessica Hicks

Let’s continue our discussion of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by taking a look at some additional characteristics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy does not tell clients how they should feel. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy does tell clients that if they are upset about their problems, then they have 2 problems:

1. The problem itself

2. Their upset reaction or feelings about the problem

The therapist focuses on showing clients how to react calmly to a problem by teaching them that when they learn how to face a problem calmly, they will feel better, and will also be able to put themselves in a better position to resolve the problem.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy therapists know the power of asking good questions. Asking your client questions helps you, as a therapist, get a better understanding of your client’s problems and concerns.

The better the therapist understands a client, the better prepared the therapist is to successfully help the client.

Join me as we continue to explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its characteristics.

Hope Makes Healing Possible!

Patricia Sherman, Ph.D., LCSW

*Written in collaboration with Jessica Hicks

Let’s continue our discussion of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by taking a look at some additional characteristics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is very structured, and each Cognitive Behavioral Therapy session follows a specific therapist-driven agenda. While remaining focused on the client’s goals, the therapist teaches the client specific techniques for positively reacting to unwanted problems or situations. It is important that during a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy session that the therapist teaches the client how to do – not what to do.