http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html Hope you find some "Aha's!" here. Please leave me a note to guide my choice of entries. All is well in Rockford, Il. 61103 en-us counseling Sat, 17 May 2008 12:32:04 GMT Sat, 17 May 2008 12:32:04 GMT askmikethecounselor2.com http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counselingtechniques.html Counseling Technique #2-Changing Patterns of Limited Thinking Sat, 17 May 2008 12:32:04 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-techniques.html Counseling Techniques From the Masters Sat, 17 May 2008 12:22:24 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-techniques-relaxation.html Counseling-Techniques-for-Relaxation Sat, 17 May 2008 11:54:09 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-techniques-relaxation-without-tension.html Counseling Techniques-Relaxation Without Tension Sat, 17 May 2008 11:47:21 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-techniques-cue-controlled-relaxation.html Cue Controlled Relaxation Sat, 17 May 2008 11:44:41 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-techniques-changing-hot-thoughts.html Counseling Techniques-Changing Hot Thoughts Sat, 17 May 2008 11:40:48 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-technique.html Counseling Techniques for Genuine Self-Help Sat, 17 May 2008 11:36:52 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-skills.html Counseling Skills from SAMSA Sat, 17 May 2008 11:23:12 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/consolidation-counseling-debt.html Consolidation Counseling Get Out of Debt Community Sat, 17 May 2008 11:07:43 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/consolidated-credit-counseling.html Debtors Helping Debtors Sat, 17 May 2008 10:52:01 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/consolidated-credit-counseling-services.html Internet's First Get-Out-of-Debt-Community Sat, 17 May 2008 01:47:07 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/college-admission-counseling.html College Admission Counseling Do's Sat, 17 May 2008 01:42:35 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/christian-counseling-debt.html Christian Counseling Debt Program Started in Leviticus? Sat, 17 May 2008 01:37:59 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/biblical-counseling.html Biblical Counseling In a Secular World Sat, 17 May 2008 00:55:53 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/bereavement-counseling.html Bereavement Counseling Sat, 17 May 2008 00:51:34 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/stress-management-counseling.html Stress Management Counseling Thu, 15 May 2008 13:09:09 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counselors-in-business.html Online Business to Supplement Your Income Thu, 08 May 2008 23:03:23 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/self-help.html Self-Help for Your Self Improvement Tue, 06 May 2008 11:06:16 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com We are discussing forum for mlm and building blogs in preparation for monetizing. Sat, 03 May 2008 14:49:49 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/free-credit-card-debt-counseling.html Really Free Credit Card Debt Counseling? Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:57:37 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/couple-counseling.html Couple Counseling Tools, Techniques, and Recommendations Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:21:00 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/free-consumer-credit-counseling.html Free Consumer Credit Counseling Service at the Internet's First Get Out of Debt Community Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:12:07 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/money-help.html Money Help Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:23:01 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/non-profit-credit-counseling.html Non Profit Credit Counseling at the Net's First Get Out of Debt Community Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:52:40 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/marriage-counselors.html Marriage Counselors Define Marriage Counseling Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:48:46 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/marriage-counseling-retreat.html Marriage Counseling Retreat Information Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:45:49 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/marriage-counseling-questions.html Marriage Counseling Questions and Answers Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:44:00 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/grief-counseling.html Grief and Bereavement Counseling Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:39:32 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/free-online-counseling.html Free Online Counseling from Samaritans Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:36:57 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/free-online-counseling-video-based.html Free Online Counseling Video Based Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:34:50 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/debt-free-living.html Which is the Best Debt Free Living Tool for You? Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:20:25 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/debt-counselors.html Choosing a Debt Counselor Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:19:14 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/credit-counseling-debt-consolidation.html Credit Counseling Debt Consolidation Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:15:01 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/shopping-addiction.html My Brain Made Me Go Into Debt Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:25:35 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/pre-marriage-counseling.html Pre-Marriage Counseling Is What? Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:41:36 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/mental-health-nutrition.html Mental Health Nutrition Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:36:18 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#Anger-Management Court Ordered Anger Management in Rockford, Illinois My pretty much monthly Anger Management class finished up the March class yesterday, and once again, the human element amazed me. One participant was grieving the loss on his mother one year ago. She had died after a brief illness one year ago to the day. He was struggling with both the anger and the sadness, and did not have a lot of energy for his current family today, and actually got into an argument with his step-kids over allowances, in part because all his emotional energy was tied up in grief. By the end of the workshop, he had realized that what he wanted was to be with his siblings and to cook all his mom's favorite recipe's and celebrate her memory. His story touched all of the group. Everyone had lost someone important, so the group became introspective and processed sadness, and we began to focus on celebration of the good things our friends and family who are now gone blessed us with. Not what one would expect from an Anger Management workshop. But they sure touched me. Mike Logan, M.S. 2917 N. Main St. Rockford, Illinois 61103 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:10:22 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#The-Lotus-and-the-Synapse The Lotus and the Synapse Sharon Begley My favorite story about the Dalai Lama doesnt concern his activities on behalf of Tibet, which is one unrelieved tragedy, but is about his interest in neuroscience. A few years ago the Dalai Lama was visiting an American medical school and watched a brain operation. Afterwards, he chatted with the surgeon, telling him how his scientist friends had patiently explained to him that all of our thoughts, feelings, memories, dreams and other mental activities are the products of electrical and chemical activity in the brain. But he had always wondered something, the Dalai Lama told the surgeon. If electricity and chemistry can produce thoughts and all the rest, can thoughts act back on the physical stuff of the brain to change its chemical, electrical and other physical properties? The surgeon dismissed the question with a polite but indulgent no. (The Dalai Lama's English translator, Thupten Jinpa, told me this story in 2005.) The brain produces and shapes mental activity, the brain surgeon said; mental activity does not alter the brain. That wasnt a stupid answer 10 years ago, before scientists had fully grasped the potential of the adult brain to change in structure and functionan ability called neuroplasticity. But now researchers have documented a long list of examples of how the brain, once thought to be basically unchangeable after the ripe old age of 3, can indeed change. continued at http://www.askmikethecounselor.com Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:12:13 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/premarital-counseling.html Premarital Counseling Tools and Techniques Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:23:11 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#Foreclosure-Counseling $130 MILLION AWARDED THROUGH NATIONAL FORECLOSURE MITIGATION COUNSELING PROGRAM WASHINGTON D.C. - February 26, 2008 Today, NeighborWorks America announced that $130 million has been awarded to 32 State Housing Finance Agencies, 16 HUD-approved Housing Counseling Intermediaries and 82 community-based NeighborWorks organizations, to provide counseling to families and individuals facing the threat of foreclosure. In total, more than 700 local counseling agencies and local NeighborWorks organizations have been listed as partners and participants in this effort. It is estimated that 350,000 to 400,000 families facing the threat of foreclosure will be directly assisted with this funding and many more will be helped by the training of foreclosure counselors, provided through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program. View Awardees listed by state [PDF] View more information about the awards. National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program NeighborWorks America was named in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act to administer a $180 million national mortgage foreclosure mitigation counseling program. Under the terms of the legislation, up to $5 million may be used for training of foreclosure prevention counselors across the nation and 4 percent of the funds may be used for administering the program. The remaining $167.8 million is funding grants to eligible recipients (HUD-approved housing counseling intermediaries, State Housing Finance Agencies, and community-based NeighborWorks organizations). The legislation stipulated that at least $50 million must be awarded in Areas of Greatest Need within 60 days of enactment. In addition to the $130 million in awards announced today, a second pool of $37.8 million is available for a subsequent funding round and/or to accommodate for such issues as new underserved areas and unmet needs or to provide additional funds for organizations that are quickly achieving goals in areas of greatest need. The goal is to help eliminate the default and foreclosure of mortgages on owner-occupied single-family homes. Background on NeighborWorks America Created by Congress in 1978 (Public Law 95-557) as the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and now doing business as NeighborWorks America, the organization is the nations original community/public/private partnership model, providing grants, programmatic support, training scholarships, organizational assessment/evaluation and other programmatic support services to an affiliated network of community-based organizations (known collectively as the NeighborWorks network) and the broader community development field to support and promote vibrant, healthy communities. The NeighborWorks network comprises more than 230 community-based organizations serving more than 4,450 urban, suburban and rural communities in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Local NeighborWorks organizations operate in our nations largest cities and in some of its smallest rural communities. For more information about these awards, the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program, foreclosure training opportunities or NeighborWorks America, please visit http://www.nw.org/network/foreclosure/default.asp Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:17:31 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#We-Can-Grow-a-New-Brain-Sort-of Sorry for the disclaimer, but I do not want the casual reader to think this is some get-rich-quick through subliminal tapes cockamamie. In his book, The Brain that Changes Itself, Norman Doidge, M.D., writes about recent research that proves that the brain grows new connections as we learn. He speaks to experiments done by Alvaro Pascal-Leone which studied how people learn new skills by using s new brain mapping tool called transcranial magnetic stimulation to map the brains of blind subjects learning brail. His most surprising discovery, one with major implications for learning any skill, was the way the plastic brain change occured over the course of each week. The subjects were mapped on Friday at the end of the weeks training, and on Mondays after they had rested for the weekend. Pascal-Leone found the changes were different on Friday and Monday. From the beginning of the study Friday and Monday brain maps were very different. Friday maps showed very rapid and dramatic expansion. (This is a map of the part of the brain where the map of the brail reading finger is stored), but by Monday these maps had returned to their baseline size. The Friday maps continued this pattern for six months. Monday maps showed the opposite pattern. They did not begin to change until six months into the training; then they increased slowly and plateaued at ten months. The speed with which subjects could read brail correlated much better with Monday maps. Pascal-Leone believes this Mon.-Fri. pattern indicates different patterns of plasticity. The fast Friday changes strenghthen existing neuronal connections and unmask buried pathways. The slower, more permanent Monday changes suggest the formulation of brand new structures, probably the sprouting of brand new neuronal connections and synapses. Wow, new connections and synapses in the brain with practice. Guess there is truth in the old agage, use it or lose it. Doidge goes on to talk about some very interesting research going on with pain, which is very intriguing. More later. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:59:23 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#The-Biology-of-Violence This book, by Debra Niehoff, Ph.D. offers hope to those of working in the trenches with domestic violence clients that change is possible. She offers evidence that what others call neuroplasticity is accurate. More on this later. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:56:58 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com Counseling Techniques. I remember my Basic Skills class in graduate school, which seemed very confusing. It was hard at that time to see that counseling did involve some discreet skills, like reflective listening or active listening, which I now see as the core of what I do. My clients are sharing experiences which may be painful, or they may be trying to describe and define a particular concept or change they sense movement towards, and the words do not come very clearly. If I honor their words with attention, movement occurs. The best model for reflective listening I ever heard was the one passed to me by Tony Kubicki, MS. He said, and I quote, "Repeat their words in your own head, so you cannot be formulating your retort, or interruption. Give them the Gift of Attention." I would then, when appropriate, repeat back to my client what I had heard them say, seldom verbatim, though, and ask if I had heard them correctly. If their answer is yes, then we go on, if they say no, that's not what I said, then I ask them to repeat it. A whole session may go by like that. However, if I sense that my client is embarrassed or ashamed about a particular revelation, and that checks out as correct, I may offer some ideas about why we have those experiences or feelings, so my clients understand that they are within the normal range of folks. I call that the teaching of the road maps. (Most clients will not have read about the purpose of shame, for example, and will only know it is a strong feeling.) With road map teaching I hope to allay fear about normalcy or abnormalcy. I cannot be daydreaming either, nor can I fall asleep, which can happen when I get really relaxed and attentive. But more on attention tomorrow. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:27:03 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com Today's installment of Jason Hobbes book, "The Quintessential Therapy for for a Happy Pocket is here. Acknowledgements The author of this E- Book, Peter Samuels is a Debt Samaritan from the debt consolidation care site. He is a Financial Consultant by profession and a visiting consultant for other financial sites. Inspired by the vision of the debt consolidation care team, of building a debt free community in the near future, he has volunteered gladly to be a part-taker of this noble mission. His contributions are dedicated to guide the general masses who are suffering from debt and financial problems. Edited by Jason Holmes, who is a regular writer with the debt consolidation care team and a contributory writer for other financial sites. Conceptualized by Denny Mathew who is the admin and an integral part of the debt consolidation care team. About debtconsolidationcare.com Debt Consolidation Care is a premium quality website rendering its members with debt consolidation solutions along with free financial analysis and counseling. The site offers resources & guidance on debt related issues. Experienced credit counseling is arranged to analyze the best solution for every debtor, keeping in mind their present financial status. The Article section in the site offers you a wide range of informative articles. Important synopsis on American State Laws & their proceedings are also helpful. Do It Yourself guides the debtors to plan a budget, assess financial limits & consolidate debts, without the help of a debt consolidation company. A step by step guidance on bad credit repairing is also available in the site. Creditors database comprises of creditors information across all the States of America. There is also a varied range of sample letters written to the creditors for your requirements. A smart Reduction Calculator calculates the total debt amount & savings you are likely to have if you opt for debt consolidation. The forum is a joint for open discussions and useful advice on any debt related issues. It is also a place to chill out with mutual conversations between friends. The customers are handled with immense care and are rendered with prompt services and useful solutions. The pivotal vision of debt consolidation care is to build a debt free community in the very near future. About Debt Samaritans Debt Samaritans are volunteers who help the community to overcome debt related problems and offer advice to people undergoing financial stress. (Continued tomorrow). Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:55:15 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com I have so many clients who come to my domestic violence program who struggle economically, who are trapped in an old model of going to factories and filling out applications, and now all that application stuff is outsourced to temporary agencies anyway, and they cannot pay for their court ordered fines, my classes or medical care for their children. Their only option for medical care is the emergency room, which is the most expensive option, and they are trapped in a spiral of debt. Well, maybe there is an answer out there, one created by Jason Holmes, called; Credit Score The Quintessential Therapy For A Happy Pocket by Jason Holmes in collaboration with Peter Samuels ISBN: 0-9774442-0-1 Mr. Holmes, I would make that a hyperlink, but I do not know how to do that in this blog, so I am hoping that this complies with the Creative Commons license available to me. I am going to basically share Mr. Holmes book with the people who find my site, in hopes of furthering his dream of a debt free community. Please come back tomorrow for more. Mike Logan, so ready for spring. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:50:24 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/counseling-blog.html#Addiction-Counseling-Addictions-Counseling Headlines from Scientific American; April/May 2007, p.12 Drinking is No Joke German neuroscientists showed 29 alcoholics and 29 healthy control subjects the introduction to a joke and then a choice of punch lines-only one of which made logical sense and was funny. 92 on nondrinkers chose the correct anwser, only 68 of the drinkers did. "The ability to understand jokes is an example of complex social cognition,"explains Jennifer Uekerman of Ruhr University of Bochum. "It involves detecting incongruity-what is wrong or funny about the story-and putting oneself in another's place." An alcoholics problems with social cues are consistent with the "frontal lobe hypothesis" which postulates that damage to the prefrontal cortex-known to be vulnerable to alcohol's toxic effects-leads to behavioral deficits. Most other studies of alcoholics brain function have concentrated on perceptual problems caused by such damage, Uekermann says. but when has deficits in social cognition, he or she has difficulty getting along with and working with other people. A better understanding of how problems drinkers are impaired could help improve rehabilitation programs for alcoholics. Jonathan Beard Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:22:23 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com The Body Has a Mind of Its Own-How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better, by Sandra and Mathew Blakeslee. This is a very interesting book. I happen to use the analogy of habitual behavior in my practice when working with Anger Management and Domestic Violence clients. I thought that this work might give some insight in that regard and it does. Lots of my clients speak to road rage, and have colorful terms like "maniac" for the driver moving less fast than they, and "idiot" for the driver moving faster than they. In the introduction, the Blakslee's speak to how our brain maps the space around our body, and if we are in a car, or using a tool, that maps extends to the edge of the car or tool. The name for that space is peripersonal space, which when we are driving expands to include the full expanse of the car. So an accident of a close call is actually an invasion of my personal space? No wonder road rage happens so much. That makes that fender bender like a careless elbow in the ribs. More coming on the this book and its insights, including new discoveries like "mirror cells". Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:22:25 GMT http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com/addiction-counseling.html Lots of hits on the addiction-counseling page. Not sure if that is curiousity by professionals or family members or someone worried about their own issue. As a counselor, working with someone who is somewhere in the progression of addiction, it is implicit to remember that whatever we might be seeing from our client, be it skepticism, passive-aggressive, cynicism, contempt, and all the rest are our clients best attempt to solve a problem. I need to remind myself of that thought frequently in session, or else I will join in an argument with my client. If you are curious about your usage and the progression of the addiction process, good for you, and that worry itself is an indication of an issue. After all, seldom do we worry about drinking too much water. The good news? You bet you can change. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:41:56 GMT