Wellness Place a Mental Health Collaborative

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Wellness Place a Mental Health Collaborative

Wellness Place a Mental Health Collaborative is a group of mental health professionals that provide

08/18/2021

Our final post in this series by Dr. Noah Lankford on Understanding Anxiety!

Exposure Therapy remains one of the most effective interventions in psychology. There is a high likelihood that if a person’s presenting problem is related to anxiety, some form of exposure will be included in the treatment. Cognitive interventions (those related to a person’s thoughts) may be included to help a person manage extreme forms of thinking that can contribute to anxiety. Cognitive techniques could include finding alternative explanations for events, identifying and modifying extreme thoughts, and managing expectations about the probable outcomes of anxiety-provoking situations. Mindfulness training often helps people identify and differentiate thoughts and feelings and has demonstrated effectiveness in helping people to tolerate and learn from exposures. Exposure is often cited as the most important ingredient in effective treatment of anxiety – when applied properly, Exposure Therapy has a high rate of success and often generates long-term relief of symptoms. **These techniques should be done in consultation with a mental health professional who can individualize a treatment plan and provide the appropriate education, instruction, and supervision in order to increase the likelihood of success and decrease the likelihood of harm.**

08/05/2021

Meet our newest team member, Dan!

Dan is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervision designation (LPCC-S) and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor with Clinical Supervision designation (LICDC-CS) with 17 years of experience working in the behavioral health field. Dan joined the Wellness Place team to be able to focus on providing quality care to individuals and families in a comfortable private practice setting. Dan is passionate about the mental health field and offers skills and strategies for both mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Dan understands that the key to an effective and positive therapy experience is to first understand the individual. He further describes his role as a guide for those struggling with mental strife or unrest as they transition to a place of peace. He follows the adage by Irvin Yalom that “everything is grist for the therapy mill;” in that everyday events can help one to better understand circumstances and become empowered to manage the current situation. Dan uses a variety of therapeutic approaches including Motivational Interviewing, CBT, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and a patient-centered approach to address issues of anxiety, depression, inattention, and anger and to strengthen one’s coping skills to navigate life transitions.

Go to our website at www.wellnesspl.com for contact information for Dan!

07/26/2021

When a person has an anxiety-related “problem” (i.e., a diagnosable condition) they are avoiding things they want to approach or are having to tolerate a high level of discomfort in order to do so. Diagnoses generally reflect the nature of the fear – social anxiety is related to fear of evaluation and rejection, panic is often related to an excessive fear of physical sensations associated with fear/anxiety, generalized anxiety is essentially an excessive fear of unknown negative outcomes (and the person’s own perceived inability to cope with challenges), phobias are excessive fears of specific objects, and OCD is sometimes described as a fear of uncertainty. Obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) is in a diagnostic category of its own, along with other related disorders, but is essentially an anxiety-based disorder in which obsessions and compulsions arise as a set of strategies to help a person manage anxiety.

Anxiety-related problems have a variety of sources and manifestations that go beyond the diagnoses listed above. Appropriate evaluation and diagnosis should be carried out by a qualified mental health professional.

07/16/2021

More from Dr. Noah Lankford on Understanding Anxiety!

All emotions seem to have several components – they generate sensations in the body, they motivate behavior via urges, and they direct attention towards the perceived object of emotion. Physically, fear and anxiety tend to generate tightness in a person’s muscles, stomach discomfort, increase in heart rate, and an internal pressure or restlessness. Behaviorally, the first instinct is usually to freeze. Then, if a feared object is identified (e.g., a person or group of people, a situation, an inanimate object, an animal, a thought or feeling, etc.), the urge becomes avoidance or escape. Mentally, attention becomes directed towards the object of fear and we are faced with the decision of whether to approach or avoid. When the intensity of the fear or threat is greater than the potential rewards of approaching, a person will tend to avoid. When the potential reward is salient, and the person feels capable of attaining it despite the fear, they will be more likely to approach.

07/06/2021

Next up in our Meet the Team series, Molly!

Molly is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDCIII) who joined the Wellness Place team in October 2020. Molly has been working in the field of counseling for 15+ years. Her area of focus includes treating adolescent and adults with anxiety, depression, substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders (mental health & addiction). Molly sees the importance of supporting the family on their road to recovery.

Molly is passionate about helping patients identify, understand, and accept the symptoms of their mental health or substance use disorders as well as assisting in the development of healthy life changes to better manage those symptoms. Molly enjoys helping the family develop the necessary coping skills, communication practices and boundaries to promote healing for both the patient and the family.

Molly incorporates Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) to assist patients in identifying irrational thoughts that can lead to negative, destructive behaviors and emotions. Molly helps the patient work towards changing illogical thoughts, improving emotional regulation and develop the coping skills needed to reach their goals and improve the life they are living. Understanding co-dependency and the importance of both establishing and maintaining boundaries benefit the patient and the family in their recovery.

Go to our website at www.wellnesspl.com for contact information for Molly!

06/23/2021

We are excited to share a new 4-part series from Dr. Lankford, Psy.D on Understanding Anxiety! For more information about Dr. Lankford or to schedule an appointment, go to our website www.wellnesspl.com

Part 1: Understanding the Amygdala

The amygdala is a part of the brain responsible for initiating love, sexual behavior, anger, aggression, and fear (“fight/flight/freeze”). In fear responses, the amygdala mobilizes the body to respond to a potential threat (e.g., increases heart rate, respiration, and muscle tension), creating urges to avoid or escape the feared object or event. The purpose of this response is to keep us safe, though it can occur at inappropriate times (i.e., “false alarms”). Sometimes responses are preprogrammed and automatic (e.g., responses to predatory animals and angry facial expressions), and sometimes they are learned (e.g., acquired fears of relatively non-harmful objects).

The amygdala attaches emotional valence to internal and external stimuli and learns based on associations. Whatever comes before a negative event becomes a potential trigger for future anxiety. Automatic and learned feared responses can usually be treated via exposure therapy, which includes approaching feared objects or internal stimuli (i.e., thoughts and feelings) in progressively more challenging situations.

05/17/2021

Overcontrolled individuals are more likely to benefit from treatment approaches that prioritize the value of seeking pleasure, relaxing control, and joining with others over approaches that prioritize emotion regulation, problem solving, and tolerating distress.

In RO DBT, clients are encouraged to directly and openly express themselves in a context-appropriate manner and join in more often with others. The heart of the matter for overcontrolled individuals is that they end up feeling extremely lonely and isolated, and they need skills to help them rejoin the human tribe. In RO DBT, open expression and engagement lead to trust, which then leads to greater social connectedness and psychological well-being.

05/04/2021

This week for our Meet the Team series, more info from Dr. Noah Lankford!

If you or a loved one struggles with anxiety or OCD, you probably know that finding the right help can be difficult. Anxiety and OCD come in many different forms, and it is important to have an accurate and thorough assessment.

I specialize in working with people who want help managing anxiety and/or OCD symptoms. I am confident that with my training and experience I will be able to give you an accurate assessment and either help you directly or point you in the direction of someone who can.

If you are tired of struggling or have not been able to find the right kind of help for anxiety or OCD, please reach out to set up a consultation. There is no commitment beyond an initial assessment and I sincerely believe that I can help, even if you have tried talk therapy before without success.

For more information on Noah, see our website at Wellnesspl.com

04/22/2021

Self-control (the ability to inhibit urges, impulses, behaviors, or desires, and delay gratification in order to pursue long-term goals) is often equated with life success and happiness. However, too much self-control can be problematic.

Overcontrol has been linked to social isolation, poor interpersonal functioning, perfectionism, rigidity, risk aversion, lack of emotional expression, and the development of severe and difficult-to-treat mental health problems.

Check back later for treatment approaches with overcontrol.

04/15/2021

Radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT) is an evidence-based treatment targeting disorders of excessive self-control, or overcontrol (OC). It is intended for treatment of chronic problems such as treatment-resistant depression, anorexia nervosa, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Radical openness (RO) is the core philosophical principle and the core skill of RO DBT, and loneliness is viewed as the core problem for people suffering from emotional overcontrol.

Check back next week for more info about RO DBT.

04/09/2021

Next on our Meet the Team series, Tina!

Tina Moran is a Licensed Independent Social Worker who joined the Wellness Place team in June 2019. Tina is a proud MSW graduate from the University of Alabama and has experience working in co-occurring (addiction and mental health) outpatient and residential facilities. Tina worked with both Dr. Arthur and Dr. Gibler at The Lindner Center of Hope and is thrilled to be working with them again!

Tina enjoys the psychoeducational piece of therapy - teaching patients new skills, while also exploring things at a deeper level. Tina is a self-proclaimed Brené Brown "fan girl" and loves to support patients in the work of understanding and healing shame. Tina believes creating a lighthearted environment in the therapy setting helps patients feel more comfortable so they can do the "real work".

In her free time Tina enjoys visiting new bakeries and ice cream shops and going to playgrounds with her family!

For more information on Tina, see our website at Wellnesspl.com

03/16/2021

It's hard to imagine it's been a year that we have been navigating this pandemic. It has tested us in ways we may not have thought possible. It's normal to feel a variety of emotions at this anniversary mark. Sadness for how things have changed and missed opportunities, along with a sense of pride and amazement at our resilience. Enter into this anniversary period gently as emotions can vary even more from moment to moment. Honor your strength that has brought you here.

03/04/2021

Managing stress is possible and can help lead you to peace. There are cognitive strategies and more action-oriented strategies to reduce stress.

Recognize that you're doing your best and resist the ideal of perfection. Keep a victory journal and acknowledge all that you have accomplished or been through to get you to this point. Learn your triggers. Rather than comparing and competing with others, celebrate in their victories as well as your own. It can be a win-win for everyone!

Exercise, eat healthy, take a hot shower/ bath, get sleep, practice deep breathing, identify goals/make a "to do" list. Get involved with your community. Surround yourself with positive people.

Try to practice the techniques at non-stressful times so that it's easier to use them during stressful times!

What are your go to stress management techniques?

02/18/2021

Continuing with our Meet the Team series, Dr. Gibler!

Dr. Nicole M. Gibler is Board Certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Since 2015, she has served in outpatient private practice, providing psychiatric care to children, adolescents, and adults. She specializes in the diagnostic assessment and treatment of mental health issues. Dr. Gibler strongly values diagnostic assessment prior to making treatment recommendations which may include medication adjustments and psychotherapy. She is dedicated to understanding her patient’s story, advocating for an individual’s mental well-being, and showing compassion through this process.

Before entering private practice, Dr. Gibler was an attending physician at the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio. She completed her adult psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She served as Chief Fellow for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry during her final year of fellowship. Dr. Gibler graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

For more information on Dr. Gibler, see our website at Wellnesspl.com

02/11/2021

How you utilize therapy is a personal choice based on your unique needs. Therapy may be used to process and better understand emotions, be a safe place to vent and work through difficult emotions, or even develop new coping strategies and skills. Your therapist brings their own style and training as well. At Wellness Place, we encourage you to feel empowered to discuss your needs with your treatment provider so a strong collaboration can be formed. We find that this leads to optimal outcomes for your therapeutic goals.

01/29/2021

Managing never ending to do lists can be overwhelming. The goal of "being on top of everything" is an impossible expectation and sets us up for disappointment and failure. Instead of avoiding your tasks and numbing out, try to think about ways where you can simplify your process.

What are your priorities? Keep your list to 3-5 achievable tasks. Try to bring your attention to those and achieve a positive outcome. This will boost self confidence and contribute to increased levels of satisfaction with your life.

01/22/2021

Introducing a new series: Meet the Team!

Dr. Robin Arthur is a native Cincinnatian and founding member of Wellness Place a Mental Health Collaborative.

Dr. Arthur has always been drawn to service to others. She has enjoyed several careers in her life and finds psychology a perfect combination of her strengths. She looks forward to working with you. She works from a strength based Positive Psychology perspective to help people realize their fullest potential and enjoyment of life. She enjoys being part of new business opportunities.

Dr. Arthur was on the team that built the Lindner Center of Hope mental health hospital in Mason, Ohio and served as their Chief of Psychology for 9 years.

For more information on Dr. Arthur, see our website at https://wellnesspl.com/

01/01/2021

Wishing you peace, love and joy this new year!
-Wellness Place Collaborative

11/25/2020

Gratitude is a readiness to appreciate and to return kindness. When you make gratitude part of your daily routine, it can help you learn to recognize positive things in your life despite the negative things that might be happening.

11/20/2020

We know that moving our body is a great way to relieve stress and release endorphins. This will contribute to positive mood. Consider adding some dancing to your day if only for five minutes. You will be surprised the joy it will bring!

11/12/2020

Sometimes we need to accept things that seem unacceptable. Radical acceptance does not necessarily mean agreement. It is also not against possible change. When we do this, we release ourselves from suffering. Peace and calm follow!

11/07/2020

Did you know practicing mindfulness has a lot of benefits? It can help reduce pain, tension and stress and increase joy and happiness - to name a few!

One way to practice mindfulness is to connect with a sound. Turn on some music, close your eyes and listen. Try to stay with the sound, returning to it when you get distracted. Don't judge the distraction. You can also focus on your breathing during this time of practice.

11/01/2020

Welcome! The clinicians of Wellness Place formed in 2019 and have since expanded to bring comprehensive psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services to more patients! Please contact us for more information!

Address

9403 Kenwood Road Suite B120
Cincinnati, OH
45242

Website

http://wellnesspl.com/

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