Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 24, 2009, 11:28 am
Claude Steiner, author of "Scripts People Live" describes power struggles and maintains that there are two reasons people attempt to use power against others and two kinds of power which can...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 23, 2009, 1:13 pm
Many children with whom I work I have been labeled "ADHD" and placed on medications in an attempt to control their "acting out" or their "meltdowns" or their "behavior problems" at school.  ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 20, 2009, 7:58 am
Another family brings by the "problem child" and drops them off for me to fix.  She* is the oldest child of five and has been exposed to severe domestic violence, physical abuse and substance abuse.�...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 19, 2009, 8:43 am
Blood may be thicker than water, but you can't drink it.  We are told throughout our lives that family is the most important thing.  I constantly find myself working with clients who are...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 19, 2009, 8:16 am
Men and women have different needs and communicate them in different ways.  This can create some serious misunderstandings, hurt feelings, frustration and resentment.    Most people typi...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 17, 2009, 9:32 am
People often think of trauma, anxiety, panic attacks and depression as four separate "disorders".  Indeed the medical model of psychiatric treatment fosters this way of thinking, but it's not alw...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 17, 2009, 9:11 am
You've finally come to your senses and realized he or she is not going to change and it's time to leave.  What now?  The most important thing to do is to prepare, prepare, prepare...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 16, 2009, 12:22 pm
It may sound too simple, but many of us forget how important it is to simply breathe.  This is especially important for anyone with anxiety.  Learning to breathe properly can help you relax as well...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 12, 2009, 11:33 am
Homeless children are the most vulnerable people in the homeless community and should be the primary focus of efforts to address homelessness.  I am fortunate to live in a community where pe...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 11, 2009, 9:41 am
A research study has shown that a genetic predisposition toward depression is much more likely to be exacerbated if a person is living in a Western, "Me" oriented culture than in an Eas...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 10, 2009, 8:16 am
Riding public transportation to work can provide one with interesting observations of human behavior.  In watching people riding the city bus, I immediately become aware of a culture of helping b...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 10, 2009, 12:31 am
Virginia Satir was a renowned therapist who developed a mandala to illustrate the many aspects of a human being - all of which need to be fulfilled in order for us to be happy.  I find this manda...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 10, 2009, 12:19 am
Several clients have recently made me aware that at crucial points in their lives, when an important decision had to be made, they suddenly heard my voice in their head repeating the lessons we are wo...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 5, 2009, 7:34 am
A recent study with children throughout the world has shown that spanking as a form of discipline lowers their IQs.  "How often parents spanked made a difference. The more spanking, the slower th...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 5, 2009, 7:33 am
The field of psychiatry claims to be scientific and evidence-based when it diagnosis and prescribes medications for mental "disorders".  They often cite research to back up their claims that disorder...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 3, 2009, 5:07 pm
If I can stop one heart from breaking I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Into his nest again, I shall not live in vain Emily Di...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 3, 2009, 8:04 am
They say troubles come in threes.  I think issues must too.  It seems that clients and colleagues alike seem to be struggling with the same issues at the same time.  One week I'll h...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Nov 2, 2009, 7:59 am
While watching The Caine Mutiny* this weekend I realized that this classic movie has a powerful portrayal of the Scapegoat role playing out in a military crew. If you are a scap...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 28, 2009, 8:06 am
Sometimes called the Karpman Drama Triangle, this is a powerful script which some clients find themselves locked into.   The triangle has three roles: Victim, Rescuer and Persecutor.&nb...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 27, 2009, 6:22 am
HUD's definition of what constitutes a "homeless" person is disturbing. The United States Code contains the official definition of homelessness as defined by the United Stat...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 26, 2009, 3:25 pm
... with program requirements).  I work primarily with homeless families and single women, so the culture of homeless men may be vastly different.  "It ... , a "good man" will not be foun...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 21, 2009, 10:43 am
Another meeting with caseworkers and social workers working with homeless clients.  Another opportunity to bite my tongue. (This is a continuation of an idea I developed in ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 21, 2009, 10:13 am
When transactional analysts talk about a "discount", they are not talking about getting something cheaper.  They are referring to something much more insidious.  A discount in TA is a way of denyin...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 15, 2009, 9:08 am
I sat in the meeting with case workers and social workers of homeless clients and desperately wanted to bang my head on the table.  The cause of my distress was the word "barriers".  Granted, many ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 14, 2009, 4:01 pm
I read an interesting article at the SLO Homeless website, "Absurdity of the Bureaucratic Mindset" regarding the strategies needed to end homelessness and the absurdity of the current measures being e...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 14, 2009, 1:49 pm
The Jung at Heart blog has a wonderful article on therapists getting therapy, "Therapist Heal Thyself".  I couldn't agree more that therapists taking responsibility for their own issues and d...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 12, 2009, 9:41 pm
The hot new concept in psychotherapy these days is "mindfulness".  At least the word is new.  Most concepts are just old concepts revisited with new jargon.  This concept is an importan...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 5, 2009, 2:27 pm
Recent research is showing that major psychiatric "disorders" may not be disorders at all but reactions to childhood trauma.  Freud discovered the same thing and announced his findings in 1896.&n...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Oct 5, 2009, 8:23 am
This statement was made by British psychologist Oliver James in a recent article by The Guardian.  I hope James is right.  I fear he is not. James is referring to new research wh...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 28, 2009, 9:03 am
Some wise person once said that a rut is a grave not yet filled in.  I'm stuck in a rut, and I choose to stay there.  How does someone with psychological training get in a rut?  We're jus...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 22, 2009, 8:53 am
The story of Jaycee Dupree is a sad and tragic one.  Stories of children being abducted from their homes are often seen in the news and sometimes recounted in movies or mini-series.  The ala...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 20, 2009, 9:38 pm
My guest author today is Ashley Jennings, a life coach at MySelfHelp.com.  Please welcome Ashley. Depression is a serious condition that affects many teens. Teenagers have a lot going on in their ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 18, 2009, 8:14 am
I work as a therapist in a homeless shelter in Texas and I'm astounded by some of the serious misperceptions of the homeless which are held by the public.  A recent donor asked that we photograph...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 14, 2009, 9:48 am
Many people ask me how to build self esteem.  I think one of the most important aphorisms I've heard was spoken many years ago by Dear Abby, "We teach people how to treat us."  So this is where ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 14, 2009, 8:51 am
I'm reading an excellent book by Claude Steiner, Scripts People Live: Transactional Analysis of Life Scripts.  It's a bit outdated, originally published in the 1970's, but still has s...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 10, 2009, 7:36 am
A recent article at Sciam.com discusses the possible overdiagnosis of Major Depression.  I agree with the authors that this diagnosis seems to be applied to normal reactions to typical life stres...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 9, 2009, 2:14 pm
Once again I watched as an 8 year boy (with a 10 year old sister and a 6 year old brother) was told he was now "the man of the house" and "you have to look out for your mom, brother and sister now".&n...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 9, 2009, 12:32 pm
A recent story in U.S. News and World Report states, "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as it is known, is hugely influential because it determines what is and is not a ment...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 8, 2009, 5:04 pm
I watched "Pieces of April" last night, starring Katie Holmes as April.  The film does an excellent job of demonstrating how a family scapegoats one of its members, and how that person plays into the...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 8, 2009, 4:56 pm
Furious Seasons is a great blog about mental health issues, especially the effects of Big Pharma on psychiatric practices.  The author is a journalist who is not only fighting for his own mental ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 2, 2009, 1:28 pm
If you are the scapegoat in the family you may be having a hard time finding any information about this role.  I've been looking for years and it has been quite difficult.  Fortunately, ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 2, 2009, 1:17 pm
A lot of folks come to see me complaining of anxiety, irritability, depression, mood swings or insomnia and trying to understand what's causing this change in their emotions and behavior.  It'...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 2, 2009, 11:05 am
“Diagnosis Creep” is a term used to describe a phenomenon where a disorder is identified and doctors then begin to see it everywhere. Two perfect examples of this are ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Sep 1, 2009, 2:37 pm
She's about to come out of her skin.  She attributes this to her period and/or her psychiatric medications.  She says that she doesn't know what is wrong, but she just feels like cry...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 31, 2009, 2:24 pm
This weekend I watched a poignant film about a soldier who is captured in Afghanistan and the devastating effects it has on his wife and children and his family of origin.  The movie also do...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 31, 2009, 12:48 pm
Though my family has its dysfunction and quirks like every other family, one thing we have learned to negotiate is how to deliver bad news.  Whether you need to tell someone something they don...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 25, 2009, 11:58 am
Therapists often help clients struggling with trauma symptoms like anxiety and panic attacks by teaching them to develop what we call an "anchor".  An anchor helps you pull down fear and panic an...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 25, 2009, 11:32 am
I've been on hold close to an hour, I've been transferred four times and I'm listening to the recorded voice on the other end telling me how important my phone call is to them.  ...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 25, 2009, 9:17 am
I hear a lot of people referring to themselves or others and "antisocial" and expressing the belief that this means they are "abnormal".  I think it is important to clear up two major misundersta...
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Kellen V. posted an article on Kellevision - Aug 19, 2009, 10:44 am
I see so many clients who have been traumatized by childhood abuse who seek help for their wildly vacillating emotional states.  They go to a doctor or psychiatrist, have their emotional instability...
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