How Therapy Changes Your Brain

There is an interesting article about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the May 2008 edition of Psychiatry News. It describes the findings of a recent study that was performed at UC San Diego. Researchers reviewed P.E.T. scans comparing the brain functioning of a group of patients who had undergone intensive cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. Scientist found that there were notable structural changes in the brain functioning of the patient who received intensive cbt as compared to the control group who received none. These changed were evident in as little as four weeks. In the article, they describe changes in the thalamus and the frontal cortex, two regions that are involved in the regulation of negative emotion.

Find out more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in San Francisco and San Mateo.

This current workplace trend could be making you less effective and maybe more angry!

Today's Consumer's Reports has an article about multi-tasking and it's detrimental effects on performance. The article states that research done by the Federal Aviation Administration indicates that whn you multi-task, it take two to four times the amount of time required to complete that task. This is pretty interesting given that many job applicants seeking employment in the typical high- octane Bay Area workplace will feature this quality on their resume!

In my counseling and psychotherapy practice I specialize in teaching people the key skills they need to manage their anger. Probably most of my clients would describe themselves as "high achievers who are excellent multi-taskers. So here is my tip of the day; if you want to become more effective and more calm, do one thing at a time! This simple and effective practice has the potential to dramatically cut your stress level. So, when you're typing a report, turn off your Blackberry! When you are talking on the phone, close or minimize your e-mail program. Next time you are driving down the freeway, turn off your cell. You may be suprised how better this make you feel, how many fewer mistakes you make, and how this lowers your stress level.

If you'd like more free tips on managing anger, anxiety, and depression visit my San Francisco and San Mateo Counseling website.

"A Hostile Heart is a Vulnerable Heart"

This article explains the research indicating that chronic intense anger increases your risk of heart disease and stroke dramatically. I love the subheading. "A Hostile Heart is a Vulnerable Heart."
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/09.21/01-anger.html

For those of you who are interested, here is a fascinating article on anger in the Irish workplace. It seems that U.S. workers are not the only ones who are having trouble keeping their cool. The article stunned me when it stated that a recent survey found that 68 percent of the respondents described yelling and verbal abuse to be a "common practice" in the office. And I thought that the stories I hear from the San Francisco Bay Area were extreme! You can read the entire article here:

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/are-you-a-good-anger-manager-1341225.html