We live in what many describe as a new Golden Age of Television. There are numerous cable channels and streaming services with critically acclaimed and award winning shows. Many of these shows have compelling characters and storylines that are rich with psychological underpinnings. CBT SoCal's Kristin Howard, LMFT and Dr. Jason von Stietz are ... Continue Reading
Reducing the risk of PTSD due to the coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is pushing many people to their emotional limits. People's lives have been disrupted and it is unclear if and when the world will ever go back to normal. For many people dealing with quarantine and other pandemic-related stressors can be traumatic. In fact, it is possible that PTSD, a mental illness in which traumatic ... Continue Reading
Cognitive Processing Therapy and “Stuck Points” that prevent healing from Trauma
Trauma survivors sometimes get stuck in their recovery. When sudden, dangerous, and uncontrollable events threaten us, our basic beliefs can be shattered, leaving us with ideas and habits that keep us feeling “safe.” Over time however, those coping strategies may not be as helpful as originally intended, and can keep us stuck in a toxic cycle of ... Continue Reading
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – An Effective Treatment for Trauma
What is Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma and How Can it Help? Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a 12-week structured treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) based in foundational elements of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. In treatment, we focus on: Constructing meaning of one’s traumatic experience(s) to understand why it ... Continue Reading
Traumatized by Treatment – Ep. 18
Psychiatric survivor Emma Shireen Carter joins Martin on Episode 18 to discuss her repeated traumatization by healthcare providers. Strip searched, over-medicated, and confined against her will on the eve of her college graduation, Emma shares the experiences that have inspired the founding of Southern California Against Forced Treatment ... Continue Reading
Linking Past and Present: A Story of Healing from forgotten Trauma in Therapy – Ep. 5
In Episode 5, Martin discusses the debate in the field of psychotherapy between Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It gets ugly sometimes, but perhaps the two often opposing camps need each other more than is realized? Later in Episode 5 (15:10), Martin's friend Lisa calls in to the Rally to describe how therapy helped ... Continue Reading