Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

For some, with summer comes depression. NECBT can help.

Are you feeling a little down this summer, but don’t know how to explain it? Has this happened to you in summers past? Do you start feeling blue around the onset of summer, but begin to feel more at ease as the weather cools and we settle deeper into the autumn months?

If you answered yes to the above questions, you are not alone. While many individuals living with varying forms of depression, and specifically Winter SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), can find that the summer months, with their influx of warmth, sunshine and activity, can ease depressive symptoms, there is a percentage of the population that actually feels an increase in depressive symptoms with the onset of summer.

Welcome Alaina, NECBT's Newest Intern/Resident!

Alaina Brokaw is NECBT's latest intern/resident.

We are excited to announce that we have a new member of our Intern/Resident program here at NECBT! Please help us in welcoming Alaina Brokaw to our NECBT Team!

Alaina holds a B.A. in Psychology from UConn and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Yeshiva University in Bronx, NY. She has experience assisting college students who are on academic probation, conducting career counseling, and founding and facilitating discussion groups.

Playing Team Sports to Improve Mental Health

Participating in team sports can improve mental health.

To honor the U.S. World Cup 2014 team who, in spite of their Tuesday loss to Belgium, played inspiringly throughout the tournament, this week's blog post examines the mental health benefits of playing team sports.

It is no secret that there are many mental health benefits to exercise and physical activity. Medical professionals and the media frequently offer studies and information linking physical activity to improved mood. According to this 2013 article by Treacy Colbert, “physical activity stimulates brain chemicals that make you feel happier and more relaxed.” Colbert also notes that with regular exercise, individuals gain more confidence in their abilities, which with steady and gradual improvements, can contribute to improved self-esteem.
It is likely that you have heard runners talk about the “runner’s high” that they get from a boost in endorphins during and after a long run, or that you know someone who participates in a regular practice of yoga, tai chi, or martial arts--activities known for helping to improve one’s focus and relieve stress. An increasing level of research, however, is now showing that while exercising alone is extremely valuable to one’s overall mental health, participating in team or club sports provides additional benefits.

NECBT's Behavioral Training for Parents and Professionals

NECBT's Behavioral Training brings families together.

NECBT's Behavioral Training for Parents and Professionals class will be starting on Thursday July 10^th! As mentioned in last week’s entry, NECBT’s Behavioral Training is part of the three-tiered system of our Children and Adolescent Programming here at NECBT. All parents of children age 17 and younger are required to attend this 10-week seminar to learn how to help reinforce the I-CBT treatment that children are learning in individual sessions. However, Behavioral Training is a great learning opportunity for parents of patients of all ages. 

Behavioral Training is specifically designed for parents, teachers, and administrators looking to learn strategies to help improve children’s behavior in home, school, and social environments.

Children and Adolescent Programs at NECBT

I-CBT is an effective form of treatment for children and families.

Treating children can be challenging. In fact, a child’s brain is not fully developed until his or her mid-twenties. At New England Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy our philosophy for treating children and adolescents is to highly involve the parents and/or guardians. We have had a lot of success with this approach to children’s therapy. Parents are taught the same I-CBT used in individual session as well as how to use evidence based reinforcement techniques to encourage preferable behaviors.  Parents are then better equipped to handle their child’s behaviors outside the office setting. 

For more about I-CBT, a hybrid of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Intelligence developed by American Psychotherapist Thomas A. Cordier, please see last week’s post here.

NECBT's Interpersonal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

NECBT's I-CBT can help patients to  improve relationships.

In last week's post we discussed the basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as how it differs from what we might usually think of when hear the word  "therapy." This week, we are taking a look at the type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that we utilize at New England Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Interpersonal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or I-CBT.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Over the next few weeks here at the NECBT Blog, we will be exploring and explaining the treatment that we provide in our practice. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy itself is quickly becoming one of the most recommended types of therapy available, and yet still many people are unsure of what exactly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is.

Our first installment of this series explores the basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

As always, for more information, visit our website at  www.necbt.com.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, more commonly referred to as CBT, differs from the “talk” therapy that most of us have become familiar with through mainstream television shows, such as The Sopranos and Frasier. Mainstream representations of therapy have left many with the idea that all therapy usually involves a patient lying on a couch and talking while a psychiatrist listens, paraphrases, and offers advice. This is not always the case.