CEBS
There are four elements of human mental functioning:
- Cognitive (thought)
- Emotional
- Behavioral
- Spiritual
We work with all four.
Cognitive
Sometimes we can help people think differently to help them overcome troubling symptoms.
What we think affects our emotions and our mood in profound ways.
Through interpretation and reframing we help people consider healthy alternatives to old thought patterns.
Emotional
The lives many people lead cause them to suffer overwhelming or negative emotions. Sometimes feelings stem from the way we think. Sometimes they are caused by events in our present life.
Some times they come from the past.
What we do to help depends on the source of the feelings.
Behavioral
Behavior can be a product of development, genetics, drugs, environment or any and all of the other three aspects of the mind.
The challenge is to discover what is driving unwanted behavior.
Until we understand the purpose the behavior serves or what is causing it, chances of change remain slim.
At Bill Jacobs LPCC, we work hard to understand people and thereby provide effective treatment.
Spiritual
Most consider only the first three psychic elements, omitting the spiritual—in spite of the fact that, in the face of the latest brain research, evidence continues to pile up on the side of a spiritual aspect to the human mind.
For example,
- The human mind is inclined to question meanings of life, the universe, eternity, etc.
- Though we grow old, there is an aspect of all humans that does not age. The elderly tell us the feel old in body but not in mind.
- That most cultures adhere to moral codes and practice various religions are also an expression of innate spirituality.
- The concept of "family" is deeply embedded in the human mind in a way distinct from other creatures.
To further support our position, we call to mind Irvin Yalom, one of the most influential therapists of our time. His practice of existential psychotherapy has drawn attention to the importance of such spiritual issues as the meaning of life and the contemplation of death.
When we use the term spiritual we do not mean religious. For the purposes of therapy, if a person has spiritual or religious beliefs that are supportive, at Bill Jacobs LPCC we work to strengthen and support those beliefs on behalf of the client.
Parents who practice a religion are often concerned that therapists may undermine the faith of their children.
While some children to not believe the same things their parents, any attempt to undermine a child's faith would be unethical, and will not happen in our practice. We are about caring for children, helping them grow and not about imposing our spiritual beliefs on them.
We can and do work just as effectively with a child who has no religion at all as with a child who is intensely involved in a religion of any type.
To learn more about how we treat our clients continue on to Family Therapy.
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