Mental Health

The Third Vision with Dr. Francis Vala

Dr. Francis Vala, author of "The Third Vision: The science of personal transformation" joins eHealth Radio and the Mental Health Channel. Dr. Vala is a physician, public speaker, social entrepreneur and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Dr. Francis Vala discuss the following:Who are you and what do you do?Tell us about your book "The Third Vision". What is it about?Why did you write this book? In the book you identify issues with the current medical system, what issue needs to be addressed urgently?What can we do to prevent mental illness?
Duration: 12:18
Dr. Francis Vala is a physician, public speaker, social entrepreneur, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, and most importantly, an inquisitive life-time student. Born in Iran, he grew up in Greece, and is now residing in Canada. He does not believe in true geographic borders, and considers himself to be a ‘global’ citizen. Dreaming of a better world for future generations, his mission is to promote global education and awareness all across the world. His vision: “I am a global citizen, and we are all Earthians! I am not prepared to die without a contribution to the world—change for a better humanity, and a more peaceful planet!”
Francis is also the Author of “The Third Vision: The Science of Personal Transformation”, which introduces a new vision—a simple and comprehensive approach to understanding different aspects of life, and the complexities of this world, exemplified by a collection of extraordinary stories, and supported by a pile of science and evidence.

Web Site: www.francisvala.comFacebook: facebook.com/Dr.FrancisValaTwitter: @better_humanity

4 Resources Every Parent Needs to Know About to Stop Child Abuse Now

Cindy Sunday Powell the Executive Director of PACN (Pregnancy Assistance Center North) located in Spring and Conroe Texas joins eHealth Radio and the Mental and Children's Health Channels. Cindy discusses four resources every parent needs to know about to stop child abuse now.


Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Cindy Sunday Powell discuss the following:What are some factors why parents abuse their children?What should parents do if they feel like hurting their child?How can child abuse be prevented?What are the effects on survivors of child abuse?What should you do if you suspect a child is being abused?
Duration: 12:34
Cindy Sunday Powell is the Executive Director of PACN (Pregnancy Assistance Center North).  She has been with PACN for 23 years.  Before working at PACN, Cindy worked in marketing for an international company, TRW.  She lives in The Woodlands Texas with her husband, Dan.  Cindy is the mother of two and grandmother of three.  Her passion is for the underserved in her community.
4 Resources Every Parent Needs to Know About to Stop Child Abuse Now:
1. National Parent Hotline (www.nationalparenthelpline.org); 1-855-427-2736; parenting skills and crisis line.
2. Prevention & Early Intervention Program; home visitations for mentoring and educating.
3. Safe Haven Laws-places parents can take and leave their infants without facing criminal charges.
4. Child Help (childhelp.org); 1-800-422-4453; 24/7 hotline and crisis intervention, information and referrals.

Web Site: www.pacncommunity.orgFacebook: facebook.com/PACN.org 
Twitter: @GoPACN

The common affliction of Pee-Shy with Dr. Frank Spinelli

Dr. Frank Spinelli is board certified in Internal Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Phsyicians. He is also the author of Pee-Shy and joins eHealth Radio and the Children's Health and Mental Health Channels.

Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels and guest Dr. Frank Spinelli discuss the following:Why did you write your book, Pee-Shy?Can you explain why most victims don’t come forward sooner and when they do they’re usually an adult?Being “pee-shy” is a common affliction, but having it chronically is no laughing matter. How seriously can it affect a person’s life, and what feelings does it cause when you’re struggling with it in a social situation?If there is one misconception about child molestation you’d like to clear up what would that be?Do you think oversexualizing children promotes child molestation?
TIPS:
Facts for parents regarding child molestation
1. Child molesters are often someone the child or the parents know. 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are molested by age 16. Stranger abduction occurs 1 in 1.5 million.2. Talk to your children about their adult interactions with teachers, coaches, priests and neighbors.3. Sexual predators often communicate with children on line posing as other children.4. Monitor your child’s social media (Facebook, twitter), emails and texts.5. Certain on line games allow your child to play with people they don’t know. Question your child about their on line activity. For example if they are being asked to send pictures or if they are being directed to chat rooms or websites.What to do if you suspect a child is being molested.TATTLE = TATLT – TALK to your child. Ask them specific questions especially if you notice changes in their behavior (becoming withdrawn, bed wetting, decline in school performance).A – Go to the AUTHORITIES. Child molestation is a crime. If you suspect your child is being molested speak with the police. Do not go to the principal, head coach or Monsignor.T – THERAPY. Early professional psychological counseling will prevent years of shame, guilt and pain your child will experience.L – LOVE your child. Let them know they did nothing wrong. Tell them it wasn't their fault and that you are there for them.
Duration: 11:09
Dr. Frank Spinelli is a licensed and board certified internist at Chelsea Village Medical in Manhattan. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at New York Medical College and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Spinelli is a board member of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center. He is the author of Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness, published in 2008 by Alyson Books.
Dr. Spinelli appeared as himself on several episodes of Sesame Streethelping Murray define the Word on the Street. Currently, Dr. Spinelli appears monthly on Sirius Radio’s Morning Jolt, and co-hosted a two part show, Speak Out: Real Talk about AIDS on Sirius Radio. In 2012, he was featured in two documentaries, Positive Youth and the Emmy nominated, 30 Years from Here. His second book, a memoir entitled, PEE SHY was published by Kensington Books in January 2013. This spring Dr. Spinelli hosts, Dueling Doctors for Veria Living.

Links: www.frankspinellimd.com

Roles the senses play in a person’s life with Natalie Robinson Garfield

Natalie Robinson Garfield a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years working with individuals, couples, and parent counseling in New York City and the author of The Sense Connection, How Your Five Senses Determine Your Effectiveness as a Person, Partner, and Parent joins eHealth Radio and the Dating and Relationship Advice Channels. She works with with individuals, couples, families and institutions as a consultant.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Natalie Robinson Garfield discuss the following:
What is the most common complaint or issue people come to you for?What role does medication play with your patients?Do you subscribe to the mind body theories that are now the vogue?What roles do the senses play in a person’s life?Do you think there is a foundational reason so many get depressed after Christmas and suicide rates are up?
Duration: 14:29
Natalie Robinson Garfield has been a practicing psychotherapist in Manhattan and Long Island for over thirty years, specializing in parent-child education. Holding a degree in Infant and Toddler Development and Administration, Garfield has had an extensive career working in individual, couple, family and group therapy. THE SENSE CONNECTION, based on the theory of sense channel hierarchy, draws on her experience working with private patients and conducting large conferences, discussion groups and workshops. Garfield has primarily focused on psychological and developmental work, but she also has a background in program design, staff training and administration.

Garfield was part of the New Age movement in the 1970s, working with The Association for Humanistic Psychology, which sought to move toward a more aware and humane global society. She also designed and directed various programs within the Children’s Aid Society, which provided education for families about subjects ranging from childbirth preparation through parenting. Garfield has also served on the United Nations Commission for the International Year of the Child, bringing awareness to problems such as malnutrition and lack of educational access, affecting children around the world.

She has had over forty years experience as a consultant, supervising and training staff for various institutions, including AT&T, American Express, The Gesell Institute for Child Development, The Montefiore Medical Residency Program, The Gestalt Learning Center, and the Kings County District Attorney’s office.
Garfield is a founding member of the Association for Parent Education and is a featured expert on various television documentaries and radio shows, such as WYNY, CBS Documentary, CBS Evening News, Current Affair Extra, and ABC Eyewitness News. She is also frequently interviewed by news media such as New York Magazine, Self, Working Woman, Cosmopolitan and Parents Magazine. She lives and works in New York City.

Links: thesenseconnection.wordpress.com

Bitsy's Brainfood, teaching kids to eat smart and be smart

Alex Voris and Maggie Patton, founders of Bitsy's Brainfood, a natural foods company joins eHealth Radio and the Nutrition and Mental Health Channels.

Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guests Alex Voris and Maggie Patton discuss the following:What is Bitsy’s Brainfood? How did Bitsy’s Brainfood come to be? What sparked the idea? What makes your product stand out from the rest?What do you see as industry trends?What's the biggest challenge for a company like Bitsy’s?Where can Bitsy's Brainfood be purchased?
Duration: 7:49
Alexandra Buckley Voris and Maggie Jones Patton are co-founders of Bitsy’s Brainfood, a natural foods company committed to the idea that healthy bodies and healthy minds are connected and that learning to eat smart should be fun.
Patton and Voris met while working at generationOn, where they first launched Building Healthy Communities, a childhood obesity prevention curriculum that was endorsed by The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and among the first federally funded programs of its kind. Their work together with children and experience as mothers inspire their desire to make the world healthy, smarter, better and more fun through creating Bitsy’s Brainfood for real families like their own.
Patton is a graduate of the University of Virginia. Voris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in Education from New York University.

Links: www.bitsysbrainfood.com

Addiction and Relapse Prevention National Recovery Month with Ben Brafman of Destination Hope

September is designated as Addiction and Relapse Prevention National Recovery Month. On this episode of eHealth Radio and the Mental Health Channel, we have Behavioral health expert Ben Brafman, the founder and CEO of Destination Hope, a full-service mental health and substance abuse treatment facility located in Fort Lauderdale, FL with gender specific treatment.

Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Ben Brafman discuss the following:September is the 24th annual National Recovery Month, but for those suffering from addiction even those who have been in recovery a long time, each month is recovery month. What is the significance of having a national recovery month and do you think recovery month has made an impact on substance abuse education and treatment over the last 24 years?This year's Recovery Month theme is Pathways to Wellness, highlighting the importance of mental, physical, and emotional well-being as part of the recovery process. This is something you've been focused on throughout your career and something that you have made a tenet of your treatment programs. Why is overall wellness such an important part of substance abuse and mental health recovery?  What can be done to improve an individual's overall wellness while in rehab?One of the things we keep seeing in behavioral health research is the value of family, friends, and community members throughout the recovery journey. How can family members help loved ones suffering from addiction improve their wellness and overall health?On that note, your center, Destination Hope offers intensive family counseling weekends. Why did you start holding these family weekends? What impact have you seen from these weekendsIn the past 24 years how do you think the behavioral health field has changed? What do you see happening in the future?
Duration: 16:19
Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP, is the Clinical Director, President and CEO of Destination Hope, a nationally recognized substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  With more than two decades of hands-on experience in the field of substance abuse and addiction, Ben is a leading authority on substance abuse, addiction and treatment protocols.  A licensed behavioral health counselor and certified addiction professional, Ben has grown into an industry expert, educating both healthcare and public audiences on issues in the field of addiction.
In 2007, Ben founded Destination Hope, a new model in full service addiction recovery. Combining his experience as an addiction tech, behavioral health counselor and clinical director, Ben developed treatment protocols that focused on individualized treatment, versus an all in one approach.  His unique approach, to treat an individual as a whole instead of a set of symptoms by addressing the psychological, physical and emotional issues related to substance abuse set a new standard in addiction treatment.  Destination Hope was an immediate success, and today has expanded into multiple treatment programs including separate female and male treatment programs.
Ben has experience serving clients and leading therapy programs at a variety of residential, clinical and outpatient behavioral health programs.  Ben is a Member of the Mental Health Association, the Broward County Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol and a member of the Dual Diagnosis Association.  He is a nationally certified counselor, a certified addiction professional, a licensed mental health counselor and an anger management specialist.  Ben has served as an expert witness in DUI/drug cases.
As a behavioral health counselor, Ben is dedicated to helping those beyond the treatment facility.  He is an active volunteer with Community Friends Association, and co-founder of Southern Lights A.I.D.S. project.  Ben has been awarded community service commendations from the Salvation Army – 1990’s Community Service Person of the Year and the Spirit of the Community Award in 2000.Ben Brafman holds a BA from Syracuse University and a MA from Barry University in Mental Health Counseling and Family Therapy. He and his wife live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with their three wonderful children.   He has completed three marathons and is training for a triathlon.



Links: www.drugrehabfl.net

Sleep Problems in Children with Dr. Anandhi Narasimhan

Dr. Anandhi Narasimhan, a double board certified child and adult psychiatrist who practices in Los Angeles, who will be discussing the topic of sleep problems in children joins eHealth Radio and the Mental Health Channel.

Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Anandhi Narasimhan discuss the following:What are some of the reasons children have difficulty with sleep?How can a parent help a child sleep better?Are there specific medical problems that can cause sleep disturbances in children?What is the difference between sleep terrors and nightmares?What to do if sleep problems persist?Duration: 8:30Anandhi Narasimhan, M.D. is a double Board Certified Physician accredited by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology specializing in Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Narasimhan completed her adult psychiatry residency training at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training at University of California Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Narasimhan has distinguished herself in child trauma and neuroimaging research and has published her work including co-authoring a book chapter, "Child and Adolescent Responses to Trauma." Dr. Narasimhan currently  runs a private practice in Westwood, Los Angeles, and serves as a child and adult psychiatrist for two non-profit mental health agencies, Aviva Family and Children's Services and Masada Homes. Dr. Narasimhan has had several media appearances including CNN, Fox News, USA Today, and CNN International.
Links: www.doctoranandhi.com

The role of a mental health counselor with Ann Marie Sochia of Waves of Change

Ann Marie Sochia, Owner of Waves of Change in Cary, NC joins eHealth Radio and the Mental Health Channel. Waves of Change offers Licensed and Certified counseling, employing a holistic approach, which includes Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness, and Hypnosis with a special emphasis on Neuro Linguistics Programming (NLP).
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Ann Marie Sochia discuss the following:Just what is mental health counseling, and what is the role of a mental health counselor?Who are the people who use your services?What is the initial session like? Describe a typical ongoing session? You mentioned that you take a holistic approach to therapy. Can you tell us more about that?What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and how do you use it in your practice? What about Hypnotherapy? Do you have any success stories you would like to share?
Duration: 11:22
Ann Marie Sochia has an MS degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. While there, she was inducted as a member of the Chi Upsilon Chapter of the Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society.  She is also a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA), North Carolina Counseling Association, and the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). She is certified and has been working as a Hypnosis Practitioner since 2002 and was initially trained in Neuro linguistic Programming (NLP), and in 2012 she graduated from the Dave Elman Hypnosis Institute with advanced training and certification in Hypnosis. 
She is also certified as a Meditation Expert, and a Certified Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) in North Carolina.
Ann Marie owns Waves of Change in Cary, North Carolina (www.wavesofchangenc.com). Waves of Change provides the following services; Mental Health Counseling, Hypnotherapy, Meditation, Mindfulness, and Technology assisted relaxation services.   Areas of specialty are relaxation, stress reduction, depression, Neuro Linguistics Programming (NLP), and communication skills.  Waves of Change works with children, teenagers, adults, and families. 
Ann Marie is caring, compassionate, and believes with a positive attitude and being mindful almost anything is possible.

Links: www.wavesofchangenc.com

Common problems that cross all mental health issues with Hugh McGillivray

Hugh McGillivray, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist at Modern Health Solutions Counselling in Okanagan, BC, Canada who specializes in Depression, Anxiety, Relationships and ADHD joins eHealth Radio on the Mental Health Channel.
Listen to interview [audio player below] with host Eric Michaels & guest Hugh McGillivray discuss the following:
What made you choose therapy as a career?
What does "Cognitive Behavioral" mean and how does it work in therapy?
What sets you apart as a therapist?
In your experience are there any common problems that cross all mental health issues?
You've stated elsewhere that you practice a very practical brand of therapy. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Are there mental health issues that you do not treat?
Can you give the listeners a couple of ways generally to improve their mental health?
Do you have any tips for listeners who are concerned with mental health?


About Hugh McGillivray
Generalist. Focus is on Depression, Anxiety, Loss and Grief, Relationships, Careers, Family, ADHD.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: the relationship between thought and behavior. Family Systems: the dynamics of relationship. Person Centered: Your world, your needs.
Hugh has a wealth of personal experience which includes alcohol, the loss of my kids' mother, single parenting, ADHD, as well as work on the ocean, in the bush, in restaurants, hotels and in a small corporate enterprise.
Map on to that Hugh's training as a professional counsellor at a noted College here in Kelowna, and his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, and you have someone who knows what you are going through, and what to do about it.
His goals are to provide a service to the community which promotes health and understanding through skilled communication; to provide and disseminate useful information to people seeking it; and to do my part to initiate and motivate dialogue about mental health.
Related Web Site: www.modhealth.org

Keith Lisenbee, CEO of Atlas Behavioral Health Consulting

Keith Lisenbee, a licensed clinical social worker and is the CEO of Atlas Behavioral Health Consulting who has nineteen years of clinical and management experience in the behavioral health field joins eHealth Radio and the Mental Health Channel.
Listen to interview [audio player below] with host Eric Michaels & guest Keith Lisenbee discuss the following:
Which one of the principles that you describe do you think is the most important?
How do you assist organizations and business clients?
How are the principles you describe differ between individuals and organizations?
What makes Atlas Behavioral Health Consulting different from everyone else?
How does one contact Atlas to get started?


Keith Lisenbee currently provides consultation services to individuals and businesses in order to assist them in developing clear, rational, assertive, and progressive strategies to move themselves or their business into a position where they can prevail during challenging times.

 He utilizes sound business principles that applied to the behavioral health care setting provides the road map to move the organization in a forward direction. This direction is based on embracing the clear reality of their situation and making the rational moves needed to overcome enormous internal and external challenges.
Keith has over nineteen years of clinical experience and over ten years of management experience in the behavioral health services related field. He has developed, implemented, and supervised adult behavioral health service programs and services including Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Crisis Stabilization, Medical Detoxification, Emergency/Crisis, Forensics, and Counseling/Psychotherapy Services. He has also developed, implemented, and supervised children's behavioral health services including therapeutic day treatment, Emergency/Crisis, Forensics, Intensive In-Home, Case Management/Care Coordination, and Counseling/Psychotherapy Services.
Related Web Site: www.atlasbehavioralhealthconsulting.com