Institute Inbrief - 13/06/2017
Welcome to Edition 272 of Institute Inbrief! Depression and anxiety are the most common of all mental illnesses, the services for which continue to grow faster than the rate of population growth. While it is not possible to say precisely which factors have contributed to mental health problems in the case of any given individual, experts generally agree that depression and anxiety disorders stem from some combination of biological/physical, psychological and social factors. In this article, we review some of these factors, and offer you references for further readings in this area.
Also in this edition:
- What Causes Depression and Anxiety Disorders?
- Mindfulness Meditation vs Stress
- Schema Therapy: Origin, Definition and Characteristics
- How to Prepare for a Job Interview
- Social Media Updates & Much More!
Enjoy your reading!
Editor.
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Bachelor & Master of Counselling
Semester 2 Intake – CLOSING SOON
Our Semester 2, 2017 intake into our Bachelor of Counselling and Master of Counselling closes very soon.
Both programs are government FEE-HELP approved, so you can Learn Now and Pay Later.
Some unique features of the programs include:
- Study externally from anywhere in Australia, even overseas
- Residential Schools in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth
- Save thousands on your qualification
- [Master] Receive up to 6-months credit for prior Counselling studies
- Start with just 1 subject
- Learn in a friendly, small group environment.
You can learn more about each program and submit an expression of interest here:
Bachelor of Counselling: www.aipc.net.au/degree
Master of Counselling: www.aipc.net.au/master-of-counselling.php
As remaining places are very limited, please submit your obligation free expression of interest now.
INTOstudies
Diploma of Counselling
Imagine Being Passionate About Your Work
And Assisting People Every Day Lead Better Lives
It’s rare these days to hear people talk about their work with true passion. You hear so many stories of people working to pay the bills; putting up with imperfect situations; and compromising on their true desires. That’s why it’s always so refreshing to hear regular stories from graduates living their dream to be a Counsellor. They’re always so full of energy, enthusiasm and passion. There’s no doubt that counselling is one of the most personally rewarding and enriching professions.
Just imagine someone comes to you for assistance. They’re emotionally paralysed by events in their life. They can’t even see a future for themselves. They can only focus on their pain and grief. The despair is so acute it pervades their entire life. Their relationship is breaking down and heading towards a divorce. They can’t focus on work and are getting in trouble with their boss. They feel they should be able to handle their problems alone, but know they can’t. It makes them feel helpless, worthless. Their self-esteem has never been lower. They’re caught in a cycle of destruction and pain.
Now imagine you have the knowledge and skills to help this person overcome their challenges. You assist to relieve their intense emotional pain. You give them hope for the future. You assist to rebuild their self-esteem and lead a satisfying, empowered life. As a Counsellor you can experience these personal victories every day. And it’s truly enriching. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping another person overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.
You can learn more here: www.aipc.net.au/course_dippro.php
AIPC’s Community Services Courses
Helping You Help Your Community!
We’ve helped people from all sorts of backgrounds become counsellors, and now we can assist you in fulfilling your goal of working within the Community Services sector! From 2017, AIPC is delivering the following two new courses:
Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) – learn more
Diploma of Youth Work – learn more
There has never been a better time for you to become involved and invested in the Community Services industries. It is predicted, between the years of 2015 to 2019, that employment within the Health Care and Social Assistance industries will increase by 18.7% (www.lmip.gov.au, 2015).
By gaining a qualification in Community Services (Case Management) or Youth Work, you will be contributing to an industry that serves a very important purpose: to assist those with personal or relationship challenges. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping others overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. And there’s no better time to do that than now!
To learn more about these programs, visit https://www.aipc.net.au/enrolment.php
AIPC courses:
Diploma of Counselling
Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)
Diploma of Youth Work
Bachelor of Counselling
Graduate Diploma of Counselling
Master of Counselling
Do You Know How to Spot a Narcissist?
Since February 2014, this AIPC YouTube video has been watched by 128,000 people!
In Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) individuals have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration - whether they have done anything to be admired for or not! A person with NPD is preoccupied with issues of power, personal adequacy, prestige, and vanity. Such a person lacks empathy and exudes a sense of superiority, but beneath the mask of super-confidence rests an extremely fragile self-esteem.
In this video, therapist and speaker Richard Hill explores the symptoms that characterise narcissism, how the disorder initially develops, and why we often let narcissists get away with their behaviour. The consequences of someone acting narcissistically are huge; Richard explores those and also provides a few survival tips for dealing with a narcissist.
Click here to watch this video.
What Causes Depression and Anxiety Disorders?
Depression and anxiety are the most common of all mental illnesses, the services for which continue to grow faster than the rate of population growth. Depression and anxiety can often be managed in the general practitioner’s office, and they are the fourth most common problems brought to general practitioners. People who have either condition are often dealing with physical problems as well.
While it is not possible to say precisely which factors have contributed to mental health problems in the case of any given individual, experts generally agree that depression and anxiety disorders stem from some combination of biological/physical, psychological and social factors. In this article, we review some of these factors, and offer you references for further readings in this area.
Biological/physical factors
Genetic pre-disposition
Family studies show that the rate in first-degree relatives of individuals with mood disorder is consistently about two to three times greater than in families without depressed members. Supportively, in twin studies, identical twins were more than twice as likely as fraternal twins to have co-occurring depression (McGaffin, P., Rijsdik, F., Andrew, M., Sham, P., Katz, R., & Cardno, A., 2003).
Medical illness
If someone has had chronic physical disease problems such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, they carry an increased risk of depression and anxiety disorders (Haddad et al, 2010).
Neurochemical and/or hormonal imbalance
An imbalance in brain chemicals and/or the lack of availability of dopamine and serotonin (the “feel-good” neurotransmitters) in the brain can trigger a depressive episode, as can endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism (Hansel, J., & Damour, L., 2005).
Psychological factors
Psychological factors contribute to the development of depression in 60 to 80 per cent of cases (Barlow, D.H., & Durand, V.M. (2005). Probably the most potent factor leading to a depressive episode or anxiety disorder is if someone has:
- Past history of depression and/or anxiety
- Someone who has had one or two episodes of major depression is at high risk of relapse and recurrence (Haddad et al, 2010).
Otherwise, mental health experts recognise four clusters:
Stressful life events
Difficult life events take their toll by greatly increasing the risk for depression and anxiety. These include most psycho-social triggers, such as bereavement, unemployment (especially if ongoing for some time), homelessness, poverty, debt, or abuse (Haddad et al, 2010).
Learned helplessness
When dogs, rats, and human beings in the laboratory were presented with unpleasant stimuli (such as electric shocks) that they could not control, they “learned” that they were helpless. Even when the experimental conditions were later changed and the subjects (whether animal or human) could terminate or avoid the stressor (the shock or whatever unpleasant stimulus they were being administered), they did not take steps to do so, as they had “learned” that nothing they did caused any changes; most of the subjects showed signs of depression. These findings evolved into the learned helplessness theory of depression (Seligman, M., 1975).
Negative cognitive styles
Beck (1967) noticed that some people depress themselves by interpreting everyday events in a negative way. He referred to this tendency to view themselves, the world around them, and the future in a pessimistic way as a “negative cognitive style.”
Worry about anxiety/panic
Technically a “negative cognitive style” but deserving mention in its own right is the anxiety disorder that gets triggered after someone has already had a panic attack. Because the person worries about having another one, the “fight or flight” response is easily evoked. More and more stimuli (life situations) begin to remind the person of the original trigger for the panic. In trying to avoid the situations, the person is constantly engulfed in worry, leading to chronic anxiety.
Social factors
Gender
Anxiety and depression disorders are diagnosed about twice as often in women as in men; some mental health experts have suggested that that may be because women have a greater tendency to seek help (Haddad et al, 2010). Australian statistics on completed suicide would tend to support that idea, in that about four times as many men as women complete a suicide attempt (Beyond Blue, Ltd., undated).
Socioeconomic factors
Mental health problems are more common among people at the lowest socioeconomic level.
Ethnicity
Some ethnic groups are more likely to experience depression than members of the general population. An example is South Asian women in England.
Alcohol misuse
As noted above, this is particularly linked with anxiety disorders.
Antenatal and postnatal period
Both before and after giving birth, there is increased risk for depressive symptoms (Haddad et al, 2010).
Links for further reading
Following is a list of further readings on depression and anxiety, available via the AIPC Article Library. Click each link to access the article.
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIWH). (2010). Mental health services in Australia 2007-2008. Mental health series no. 12. Cat. No. HSE 88. Canberra: AIHW.
Barlow, D.H., & Durand, V.M. (2005). Abnormal psychology: An integrative approach. Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Haddad, M., Buszewicz, M., & Murphy, B. (2010). Supporting people with depression and anxiety: A guide for practice nurses. University College London, MRC General Practice Research Framework.
Course information:
Diploma of Counselling
Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)
Diploma of Youth Work
Bachelor of Counselling
Graduate Diploma of Counselling
Master of Counselling
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Mindfulness Meditation vs Stress
Although only recently embraced by Western psychology, mindfulness practices and techniques have been part of many Eastern philosophies, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Tai Chi, Hinduism, and most martial arts, for thousands of years. The various definitions of it revolve around bringing non-judgmental consciousness to the present experience, so it can be considered the art of conscious living.
Click here to continue reading this article.
Schema Therapy: Origin, Definition and Characteristics
Have you been working as a therapist in shorter-term therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)? In Australia, the clients of psychologists, for example, have been able to access Medicare rebates for their therapy for a limited number of sessions. Their practitioners, in return, are strongly encouraged – if not mandated – to work in well-researched, “gold standard” therapies such as CBT; they are held accountable for certain outcomes. Yet not all clients respond equally well to therapies such as CBT, which usually include no more than 20 sessions and often less than that.
Click here to continue reading this article.
More articles: www.aipc.net.au/articles
Mental Health Academy – First to Knowledge in Mental Health
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Learn more and join today: www.mentalhealthacademy.com.au/premium
Have you visited Counselling Connection yet? There are hundreds of interesting posts including case studies, profiles, success stories, videos and much more. Make sure you too get connected (and thank you for those who have already submitted comments and suggestions).
How to Prepare for a Job Interview
You’ve diligently done your networking, found a dream company with an exciting job to offer, and spent several weekends re-doing and editing your resume. You wrote a brilliant cover letter and tomorrow you get the reward. You will be granted an interview to make your pitch for being offered the job. Are you ready for it? In this article we’ll discuss a range of pre-interview preparations to give you the best shot at getting that job.
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"Maturity begins with the capacity to sense and, in good time and without defensiveness, admit to our own craziness. If we are not regularly deeply embarrassed by who we are, the journey to self-knowledge hasn’t begun."
~ Alain de Botton
Many students of the Diploma of Counselling attend seminars to complete the practical requirements of their course. Seminars provide an ideal opportunity to network with other students and liaise with qualified counselling professionals in conjunction with completing compulsory coursework.
Seminar topics include:
- The Counselling Process
- Communication Skills I
- Communication Skills II
- Counselling Therapies I
- Counselling Therapies II
- Legal & Ethical Framework
- Family Therapy
- Case Management
Click here to access all seminar timetables online.
To register for a seminar, please contact your Student Support Centre.
Course information:
Diploma of Counselling
Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)
Diploma of Youth Work
Bachelor of Counselling
Graduate Diploma of Counselling
Master of Counselling
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