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Recently, I had some experience with the effects of disaster during the Sonoma and Napa wildfires.  I wasn’t in Northern California at the time but family members, including my husband, were. Not only did I witness their reactions to the events, but I felt secondary distress before and after.

This is what I know:

 

When we are stressed our bodies react by releasing hormones and other chemicals that push us into fight or flight so that we have the energy to get away, or stand and fight the danger. Some people react differently; they might freeze, literally unable to move, or they might feel absolute calm during disaster – which doesn’t mean they won’t later feel the effects.

When the danger passed, people complained of feeling weak, sore or “beat up”, exhausted by the experience. They said they felt tired, needing more sleep than usual; others said they were  waking up hour after hour, tormented by anxiety or by flashbacks. Most of the people I know said they were “scattered” or unable to think straight. Many people shifted into high gear after the fires, remaining in a state of fight or flight for days. One relative who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder noticed that her symptoms were more and more bothersome daily. Another friend who suffers from anxiety only got worse during and after the disaster, others with chronic illness such as depression found that their warning signs were much worse. The one who was completely calm began to have difficulty sleeping about ten days after the fires started. The experience intensified everything for everyone.

Meanwhile, at home in Los Angeles, I started losing things like keys, phone, appointment book, things I found after a frantic search, right where I had left them. I started over-worrying at the thought that I might be late, and couldn’t sleep more than four hours a night. And I wasn’t even there during the disaster.

Each of us react to disaster in different ways, and each of us recover from disaster in different ways. Recovering from disaster (or any other major stressor) does not happen overnight. People need caring and support, time, and encouragement to find their way but in most cases the body and brain need to be reminded to relax and heal. Deep breathing, picturing a calming place, playing with a pet may, listening to favorite music or guided relaxation meditation may help;  for some people prayer is calming, for others specific relaxation exercises may help (there are apps and information available online). Pick what works for you! Take good care of yourself!

Physical activity such as a brisk walk or other exercise activates deeper breathing and relieves muscle tension. Exercise helps the brain to move forward, no matter how you choose to do it. Activities such as coloring or other art projects, keep the mind moving forward, and support calm.  These types of activities can also provide distraction; a needed break from stress. Eat good, nutritious food, drink plenty of water, and try to spend time every day relaxing.

Finally, support from others can be a big part of recovering from disaster. Sometimes it helps to tell the story of what happened, sometimes it is too soon or too painful. Everyone is different!  Sometimes family and friends help the healing, and other times it may be important to find a mental health professional to support friends, family or yourself move through the process of recovery. Accept the help that is offered, it is meant with love and kindness!

If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation of any amount to support WVCC, please go to our website at westvalleycounseling.org, or you can mail a check directly to West Valley Counseling Center at 19634 Ventura Blvd Suite 212, Tarzana, CA 91356. The tax ID number is 27-2188918.

West Valley Counseling Center is excited to share with you our plans to open an additional office in Ventura County

In keeping with our mission of providing affordable, community-based therapeutic services at our new location in Ventura, CA., WVCC will model the same strong foundation that has allowed West Valley Counseling Center to make meaningful contributions to the community Our highly trained therapists at the Ventura location will provide compassionate mental health care in a private practice setting, all at a reasonable cost.
The Ventura office, scheduled to open September 1st is located at 5450 Ralston St, Ventura.Ca. Our grand opening is scheduled for Sunday, September 17. Check our website
(westvalleycounseling.org) for more details and updates.

On behalf of the staff at West Valley Counseling Centers, we thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Our goal is to help children, families, and adults receive the services they need to thrive. We look forward to walking side by side with you in that journey.

Art Therapy With Children and Teens:
Where Youth make social, emotional, and behavioral changes while having fun in the process.

Children love to make art; they are naturally creative and imaginative. As such, art therapy can be a more enjoyable and less threatening approach to treatment than traditional talk therapy. The art therapist will tailor art interventions, projects, and material choice to match the individual child’s unique preferences, needs, and goals. This means that art therapy will work differently for everyone. That being said, there are some overall concepts that can explain how art therapy works.

Art Therapy, Emotion Management, and Behavior Change
Sometimes it is difficult for children to find the words to accurately articulate what they are feeling. Without a way to express emotion, children might release painful or otherwise overwhelming feelings in inappropriate or unsafe ways. For example, anger might lead to aggression, sadness might lead to inattention at school, fear might lead to running away, etc. Expressing emotions in art allows children a cathartic release after which they feel a sense of ease. In this way children learn to use art as a coping skill to process emotions, so that they can feel empowered to show up in the world at their best.

Art Therapy, Stressful Life Events, and Trauma
Challenging life events such as divorce, death of a loved one, bullying, or trauma can impede a child’s capacity to function at their maximum potential. Some youth might feel intimidated or overwhelmed if asked to discuss these events directly. Addressing life challenges creatively and speaking through metaphor offers a level of distance from what might otherwise be overwhelming to address. Art making eases children into facing their challenges, beginning the process of acceptance and healing.

Art Therapy and Social Skills
Children and adolescents with poor social skills might be intimidated by verbal interaction, or else tend to play out socially inappropriate patterns when engaging verbally. To introduce artistic collaboration and creative team building exercises in an art therapy group is to utilize a language that all children enjoy and respond to. Since art is a fun language, one children haven’t developed inappropriate behavior patterns through, children can more effectively communicate and bond with their peers. Social skills concepts such as teamwork, reading social/emotional cues, listening, etc. are addressed as they arise in the group process to achieve learning through experience.

Art Therapy and Self Esteem
In art therapy youth are non-judgmentally heard and praised for any form of creation they make. The concept of “good” art does not exist, instead children are empowered to appreciate the uniqueness of their artistic voices. All children, regardless of artistic ability, learn to think of themselves as competent artists with something to say, which builds self-esteem and motivation.

For more information on how art therapy works feel free to contact Liat Alon, registered and board certified art therapist, at Liat@westvalleycounseling.org.

Join us! Community Get-Together on Friday, April 7, 2017

It’s almost spring, and self-care is in the air! West Valley Counseling Center is hosting a community get-together on Friday, April 7, 2017, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Stop in for a good time and a great cause! Your donations will enter you to win “relaxing” prizes from local businesses.

We are excited to share our passion for the work we have been doing in the community. Enjoy wine, cheese, and sweets, and chat with the center staff. Learn more about what we do, and about our work in the local community. It’ll be an evening of great conversation and tips on small actions that can make a big difference.

Our event will be at West Valley Counseling Center, 19634 Ventura Blvd, Suite 212, Tarzana, CA 91356. Free parking is available behind the building, and our get-together will be on the second floor.

To make sure we have enough refreshments for everyone, please RSVP to Lacey (lacey@westvalleycounseling.org) or Karyn (karyn@westvalleycounseling.org) by April 1. We’d love to see you there.

Be sure to ask us about our community programs, including:
•    Helping Families Thrive: Domestic violence prevention and counseling
•    Mental Health Reentry Program: Mental health and supportive services for young adults reentering society from the criminal justice system
•    Life In Transition Workshop: scholarship program providing intensive 3-day workshops for trauma survivors

If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation of any amount to support WVCC, please go to our website at westvalleycounseling.org, or you can mail a check directly to West Valley Counseling Center at 19634 Ventura Blvd Suite 212, Tarzana, CA 91356. The tax ID number is 27-2188918.

Together We Make a Community. Together We Heal. Together We Can Ensure a Better Future for All.

That was the theme for WVCC’s April 7 Spring Benefit Event, celebrating our 6th year serving the community.
And what an awesome success it was thanks to all of you!

My thanks to my wonderful staff who showed up by getting the word out to the community, bringing in friends and family, selling raffle tickets, and all the “backstage work” cleaning the offices, baking treats for the event and all the clean-up at the end of the evening.

And a special thank you to Lacey Jimenez & Karyn Adelstein for all their hard work in putting this all together. It is an honor to work with such a great team.

I also want to thank the many local business owners who donated raffle prizes: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Ancora Cucina Italiana Restaurant, Outlaw Barbershop & Salon, Nova Center, Skagen, Museum of Latin American Art, YogaWorks, The Massage Place, SoulCycle, and many others.

And most important, all the community members who attended this event and honored us with your presence and support. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. I personally had a great time! Hope you did, too!

With love & gratitude,
Sharon Sharon Burnett
Founder & Director
West Valley Counseling Center

Your continued donations will help support our mission of providing the dignity of quality mental health and social services programs to all regardless of socio-economic circumstances or limitations.

Programs in Need of Funding
• Helping Families Thrive Program provides psychosocial and mental health services for immigrant families
• Domestic Violence Prevention Program provides education, prevention and counseling for domestic abuse survivors
• Mental Health Reentry Program provides mental health services for adults and their families reentering society from the criminal justice system.
• Life In Transition Workshop Scholarship Program offers full or partial scholarships for trauma survivors and those experiencing current or past losses, to attend a 3-day intensive workshop

Three Ways to Donate
• One time donation (cash, credit card or check made payable to WVCC)
• Monthly contribution (sign up on our PayPal account at westvalleycounseling.org)
• Designate West Valley Counseling Center as your charitable organization if you are a Ralphs card member or shop at Amazon.com

While the holidays are a special time of year for us, our families, and friends, our schedules can become so packed with activities that we experience mental traffic jams from time to time. It can be difficult to stay in choice, to maintain a balance in our daily lives, because we feel obligated to participate in as many events as we can.

In a previous blog entry, we talked about dealing with typical holiday stresses. From family get-togethers to office and neighborhood parties, this time of year can easily become the “hectic holidays.” Are you dealing with some or all of the following?

–    Family visits
–    Attending parties and get-togethers
–    Cooking holiday meals
–    Hanging decorations and lights
–    Shopping for gifts
–    Inclement weather
–    Traveling

During the holiday season, there’s always something to be done, and there’s always someone to visit (or someone who is visiting you). You may feel that you’re always running from one thing to the next, and are unable to save some time for yourself.

One thing that may help? Slow down, stop if you need to, and breathe. A few minutes of deep breathing helps to reset the mind and to give yourself a short break to regenerate your emotional reactions to what’s going on around you.

Deep breathing is good for your body as well as your mind. According to Harvard Medical School, “it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.”

The act of breathing is a simple concept, but actually getting ourselves to do it can be a challenge. Remember that even five minutes can be a nice break to recharge your batteries. (You can set a stopwatch or timer if you’d like to).

The concept of deep breathing is part of what we call mindfulness or staying present in our lives.

Psychology Today refers to mindfulness as “a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.”

If you’d like to learn more, West Valley Counseling Center hosts a weekly Mindfulness Group. Check out our calendar to see when the next session is scheduled. We’d love for you to join us.

Remember that the staff at West Valley Counseling Center are always here to help, and to help you talk about it. West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd Suite 212, Tarzana, CA 91356. Phone us at (818) 758-9450, or email info@westvalleycounseling.org.

Written By Sharon Burnett, Ph.D., from WVCC

As we come to a full swing into the holiday season, many of us are preparing our shopping lists, getting baking supplies, decorating our homes, and getting to be a part of another festive season with our families and friends. However, for many of us, this can be a difficult time. Holidays can bring up many mixed emotions that can leave us wondering This is a happy time, I’m supposed to be happy, but I’m not or Why do I feel so alone at this holiday party with all these people? You are not alone in thinking this way. The holiday season can be a time when we have our most impactful memories because they evoke a great deal of different emotions within us.

Maybe this year you are having a difficult time because you are mourning the loss of a family member or loved one, maybe this year is hard because you have run into financial trouble, or perhaps this year is challenging for a number of different reasons. Regardless of your situation, it’s important to remember that it is ok to not be full of the holiday spirit and remember to not force yourself into pretending that everything is perfect if it’s not. There are many other people that are experiencing these struggles during this time of year. During this holiday season if you find yourself getting over-stressed or experiencing more depression than usual, try to take a step back and take care of yourself first.

Try these helpful hints for getting through the holiday season:

1.    Stop and Listen To Your Emotions: If you’re feeling sad or unhappy, ask yourself where is this coming from? Is something or someone making me upset? Am I making myself upset?  Whether you have an answer or not, ask yourself is there anything I can do improve my mood? Watching a movie with the family, going out to have a coffee break, or taking a walk around the park with the dog are a few examples of solutions that may ease any uncomfortable feelings.

2.    Take A Break: If you find yourself in a situation that is becoming too stressful, try to walk away from the situation and take a 15-minute break. Try either going into a room where you will not be disturbed or go outside and take a walk around your neighborhood. This can give us a chance to slow down and not get caught up in the heat of the moment.

3.    Remember Your Boundaries: If you are not comfortable with doing something your friends or family want to do, allow yourself to say “no”. It’s okay if you do not want to do what everyone else is doing. Sometimes we don’t get to do the thing we want to do during the holidays because we are so busy doing so much for others. You have the right to enjoy this holiday season the way you want to as well.

4.    Be Realistic: No one’s family is the “Brady Bunch” and things don’t always go as planned. Something may even be ruined in your opinion. It’s okay, life happens. This does not have to be the best or the perfect holiday season, but it should be one that brings you joy and only you can determine what that is.

We hope these tips will serve you well this holiday season!
From all of us here at the West Valley Counseling Center, we wish you the warmest and happiest of holiday seasons.

Written By Brendan Nierenberg, MFTI from WVCC
West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd. Suite 212 Tarzana, CA 91356

It is very rare to meet a family that has not been touched by mental illness or psychiatric diagnosis.  It may be a history in the family; a story told about a great uncle who was said to be bi-polar (or manic depressive as they used to call it). Or it might be happening now; a teenager who is using cutting to manage his or her anxiety. Whatever it is, it can be scary, a little bit embarrassing, or overwhelming. There is a great deal of stigma around illness affecting the mind, the emotions and feelings.

Some of us are really struggling to make it through the day. We are sad and depressed, maybe having thoughts or feelings of suicide; we are very, very anxious, unable to concentrate and sure the beating heart we feel in our chest is a sign that we are dying; we use too many substances to soothe ourselves and develop an addiction or dependence; or we have diagnosed chronic illness which is affecting our lives and it just doesn’t seem worth it.  We are stressed and distressed.

What can we do if this is happening to someone we love? How do we talk to them? How can we relate? What do we do.

1. The feelings mentioned above are very real. There doesn’t have to be a reason for them. Please take your loved one seriously.
2. It’s not your friend or family member’s fault. Did you know that mental illness can sometimes be caused by medical conditions? Even a simple urinary tract infection can sometimes cause confusion or other symptoms.
3. Don’t lecture, but don’t minimize their experience. They probably feel bad enough already. It seems like it’s okay to talk about it if someone is diagnosed with cancer, but we don’t talk about it if someone is diagnosed with a mental illness. People feel stigmatized when they are given this kind of diagnoses, sometimes they even feel ashamed.  You can help by being an advocate and providing support.
4. Your family member or friend may need the help of a professional, just like a patient with pneumonia needs a medical professional. They don’t need advice from you, just as a person with pneumonia doesn’t need your advice. They have an illness, and may need professional help.
5. You may feel like you have to “fix it.” You don’t! Listen and support instead. Please don’t tell the person to “get it together”, or to “get over it.” He or she needs support and compassion. Being there is the most important thing. Ask how you can help (though they may not be able to say), and ask how they are feeling.
6. You may be afraid of what is happening. You may even be a little afraid of the person with the diagnosis. That is normal and makes sense. They are most likely scared too! They need your support. Mental and psychiatric illnesses are very common. If you want to understand more, read about their illness or ask questions to a reliable source like your doctor. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) is an amazing resource with lots of information and resources.
7. You are not alone! Psychiatric and mental illness is common. Support, listen, learn, and get help. (resource: www.nami.org)
8. And lastly, don’t be afraid to Talk About It.  That is where healing and help begins, both for the person suffering with mental illness and those who are most impacted by their illness:  family, loved ones and friends.

 

Written By Elizabeth Bailey, RN

Marriage & Family Therapist Trainee at WVCC

West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd. Suite 212 Tarzana, CA 91356

For more information or to speak to one of our staff, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org

Mindfulness-based practices are known to increase of brain gray matter in the right anterior insula. This part of the brain contains the amygdala, which plays a primary role in emotional responses and emotional regulation. Anxiety in adolescents has been identified as a risk factor for the onset of panic attacks, panic disorders, and anxiety disorders. Adolescents who experience anxiety symptoms are prone to develop anxiety pathology and feelings of unsteadiness. Adolescence represents an important part of development, and normal stressors in this stage, can affect an adolescent’s psychopathology. Evidenced based treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and emotional regulation through mindfulness, are particularly effective in managing anxiety symptoms in adolescents.

Early anxiety symptoms found in adolescents have been found to lead to major depression and anxiety disorders, later in life. Anxiety symptoms interfere significantly with the daily life in adolescents. The stressful transition from childhood to adolescence reflects high levels of anxiety, often resulting in more risk taking behaviors. Adolescents that develop Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are at a much higher risk of distress and impairment throughout their life.

In an adolescent with GAD, the prefrontal and limbic systems are activated, but the amygdala does not excite the ventrolateral cortex, or the part of the brain associated with “mentalization”- the ability to understand the mental state of oneself and others. When this happens, the structures that regulate emotional and affective functions are abnormally connected, causing a major disruption in one’s capacity to interpret self and others’ behaviors.

Anxiety disorders left untreated in adolescents can lead to increased mental health problems and poor social and developmental outcomes. Mindfulness based approaches such as self observation, self-talk, and self evaluation have been proven to decrease anxiety symptoms, thus teaching adolescents important skills for managing anxiety symptoms.

Written By Atiya Malik from WVCC

West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd. Suite 212 Tarzana, CA 91356

For more information or to speak to one of our staff, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org

The stage of adolescent identity formation is a time of confusion, exploration, experimentation and even rebellion. Erik Erikson takes all of these issues into consideration and as such his approach to identity has become a significant tool when trying to understand the development of personality during adolescence.  Erikson (1968) described adolescence in the following terms:

Given Erikson’s theory, the stage of adolescence, identity formation vs. role confusion, is fraught with self-doubt, insight and judgment.  The additional factor of immigration can play a significant role in the identity formation of an adolescent.  Immigration coupled with this developmental stage has proven to be a challenge for this population to navigate.
Clinicians need to understand the acculturation process of this population and to recognize the stressors that can become problematic as they maneuver their way through dual cultures.  The goal is to inform clinicians about the challenges the adolescent Hispanic immigrant population face as they acculturate.  In addition, we must consider the various treatment approaches/options that are available in order to help this population navigate the challenges of adolescence and acculturation.  Addressing the needs of this population will help to normalize the process and to provide coping mechanisms to enable a smoother transition.

Written By Judy Grant from WVCC

West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd. Suite 212 Tarzana, CA 91356

For more information or to speak to one of our staff, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org