Domestic violence is a growing issue in the United States that is legally defined as violent acts committed by one family or household member against another. This can refer to spousal or child abuse and can be physical, emotional, psychological, economic and/or sexual in nature. Domestic violence victimization can have lasting effects on both the immediate victims and the witnesses, including adverse psychological disorders like depression, dissociation (numbing of emotion, loss of connection to reality) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therapy can be helpful to treat the lingering psychological problems of domestic violence victims and witnesses of any age, and…

Profiling is the practice of analyzing a crime scene in order to infer the personality characteristics that the offender is most likely to have. Evidence has shown that there are links between the way an offender behaves at the crime scene and their personality. In certain cases, having a psychologist profile a crime scene can be a valuable tool for law enforcement officials. Profiling can be especially helpful in determining whether or not a group of crimes seem to be committed by the same offender. Psychologists trying to create a profile look at behaviors such as victim characteristics and interaction,…

Reunification therapy is sometimes mandated by court systems in order to repair the parent-child relationship during divorce or custody battles, typically in situations where some type of parental alienation is present. Typically, reunification begins with a needs assessment, where court documents are reviewed and a treatment plan is made, followed by an initial therapy appointment with each parent and child separately. Then, the therapist spends time with the alienated parent and child in order to try to address and repair the broken relationship. Therapy aims to break down any inaccurate negative images the child has of the alienated parent and…

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of treatment that simultaneously integrates acceptance and change. It teaches behavioral skills based on these principles: acceptance through mindfulness and distress tolerance and change through interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation. Mindfulness helps a client to be fully attentive to their outer and inner environment, while distress tolerance helps them tolerate rather than change pain. Interpersonal effectiveness improves communication, relationships, and self-respect. Finally, emotion regulation helps the client to change negative emotions. DBT has been shown to be effective for suicidal individuals and is a typical treatment for those with borderline personality disorder. Dialectical…

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) combines complimentary therapy methods in order treat a variety of mental health problems. Treatment is very structured and focuses on identifying and correcting problematic emotional patterns through changes in their thought processes (cognitions) and behavior. Because of this, it can be especially useful in treating anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. During an appointment the psychologist and patient will together identify cognitive and behavioral problems and set goals to fix them. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is usually short-term in nature, yet provides the client with the strategies needed to deal with emotional problems long-term. CBT is also individualized for each…

At times, healthy relationships can become strained and challenged. Couples counseling can be helpful to repair broken relationships and provide partners with the proper tools to solve future problems. Therapy offers a neutral, non-judgmental party that allows each side of the relationship to express and explain their feelings. The therapist also helps couples to understand each other better, describe each party’s want and needs, improve communication, and manage differences in opinion during and after therapy. In certain cases, couples counseling can help partners come to terms with problems like financial issues and infidelity. Counseling duration can range from a few…