A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are portals to discovery. 

--James Joyce

The November/December 2005 issue of the Psychotherapy Networker states that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), which issues guidelines for Britain's National Health Service, issued a statement saying, "Antidepressant medication should not be used for the initial treatment of children and young people with mild depression."

 

In the United States, in response to concerns about the link between a few antidepressants and suicidal thoughts in children, there has been a 20% drop in prescription rates for young people. The drop in Britain is even steeper. The article states that the British may be giving more weight to the research showing that certain therapies and exercise are as effective as medications. NICE recommends a minimum of 3 months of psychotherapy. 

 

I currently work with two young adults: one who replaces medical-based counseling with our work, and one who uses our work as an adjunct to counseling in the medical community.Contact me for more information about how life consulting can contribute to a healthier lifestyle and increased self esteem.

The May 20, 2006 edition of the Boston Globe included an article about the book,  Stumbling on Happiness, written by Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert. Gilbert's research finds that, generally, people are poor predictors of what will make them happy in the future.

 

In general, Gilbert finds that people overestimate the effect of hedonic (pleasure giving) aspects of future events. He examined notions regarding voting, falling in love, sporting events, medical results, and so on. Another major finding was almost universal denial of the first point. Gilbert says, "You can't think of a job or car or marriage as putting you in a state of happiness for the rest of your life."

 

Although the book is not a self-help book, the Globe author pressed Gilbert: from a research point of view, what can people do to be happier.  Gilbert responds, "Stop working so hard to earn money, and spend more time with family and friends...It's also clear that one of the best predictors of happiness is the extent and goodness of social networks." The article states that it appears that people don't want to hear that answer. Gilbert explains, "We want a quick fix and we want something exotic. We want unhappiness to be cured like an infection. It's not going to happen."

 

I feel very proud that, as a life consultant, I am able to accompany people on the journey of creating a happy life. Whether helping people improve their financial standing, find a compatible partner, make a career change, or some other personal project, I help people to develop the inner approach needed to avoid postponing happiness and to enjoy life's journey every step of the way. If you're ready to work on your own personal project of living happily, contact me.

The December 2005 edition of the Harvard Mental Health Letter provides an overview for the latest thinking in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders:

For references used by this newsletter, follow this link.

 

I apply a sophisticated form of cognitive-behavioral work when I consult with clients about shifting their inner approaches to their lives. Contact me if you are interested in applying cognitive-behavioral techniques to sleep or anxiety problems.

The greatest remedy for anger is delay. 

--Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The February 17th, 2006 edition of the Boston Globe reviewed preliminary research findings published in a recent edition of the Science journal, which suggests that it may be more effective to "follow your gut" with big decisions than to go strictly by the Pros and Cons.

 

Ap Kijksterhuis, a professor of psychology at the University of Amsterdam summarizes his research by suggesting that you gather all information about an important decision, review the information, and then set it aside for a while. Ultimately, when it comes time to make a decision, go with what feels right. (For simpler decisions, the rational Pros and Cons approach works just fine.) The research is validating other studies that seem to indicate that the subconscious mind is "smart," and that it continues to think things through, even when you are not consciously aware of any thinking going on. This type of subconscious thinking appears to be particularly helpful for major decisions that are so complex that they cannot be efficiently processed in the conscious mind.

 

The researchers said that more study is necessary. "Like any great paper," said Timothy Wilson, psychology professor at the University of Virginia, "it raises more questions than it answers."

The greatest reward from your working is not what you get from it but what you become by it.

--Sydney Harris