Radio TV Counseling - Sound Bite Solutions

Dr. Joyce Brothers was one of the first, a mental health professional turned media personality.  She was smart, formal and somewhat aloof.  Dr. Ruth burst onto the scene with a singular and sensational message—good sex was the answer, no matter the question.  She led us through the sexuality maze with vim, vigor and vitality.  Thus, they made mental health care seem easy and part of the entertainment scene.

Now we enjoy a plethora of mental health personalities on the airwaves.  No longer so formal, these new hosts are glib and entertaining with a snappy repartee.  Dr. Laura, Dr. Joy Brown can be heard reviewing a movie with a caller, talking about the news or the weather in between. Oprah Winfrey came with her own brand of arm chair psychology—subsequently launching Dr. Phil—the newest and most widely followed mental health practitioner turned mental health personality. Amazingly, these mental health professionals can switch into a minute or two of “intense concentration” on a person’s disturbing emotional problem—followed by 3 or 4 minutes crafting their analysis and solution.  These mental health entertainers stand ever ready to change a lifetime of behavior, or face the onset of a family crisis with everything done before the commercial break!

Isn’t it interesting how their producers “stage-manage” the callers or TV guests to insure an appealing show…a sufficient mix of sensational… sexuality, abuse and relationships… plus a few lighter moments for fun.  The truly needy, who might need help can not be guaranteed to get through.  But those who receive their best sound bite solutions, answers like… “You need to change…”, “Be honest…”, “Face up to the facts…” “Just end that relationship…” “Just do it…” think they have received mental health care.  This cannot be further from what ‘real’ mental heath care is.

Mental health care is about changing behavior and healing deep emotional and spiritual wounds.  This cannot be done with 2 or 3 minutes of professional input, yet that is what these mental health professionals turned media personalities imply.  Did you ever change a habit—stop cracking your knuckles, stop biting your nails, lose weight or stop smoking?  If it is difficult to change a behavioral habit, consider how difficult it is to alter a thought process, change an attitude, confront a fear or resolve anxiety.  What has caused the behavior, what is the origin of the fear and what needs to be in place in order to make the desired change?  This information is not included in the fast paced and snappy answers given by these mental health professionals turned media personalities.
Creating a change in mental health takes time and professional insight.  While the ultimate change needs to come from within the individual or family system, trained professionals are needed to guide the process.

How do you find a good mental health care provider, or how do you know you have found a good practitioner? Health care practitioners generally specialize in several mental health issues, as well as generalized issues, such as depression, stress or anxiety.  Beware the practitioner, who treats symptoms.

What is the difference between treating ’symptoms’ and treating the origin—a.k.a. ‘root cause? Treating symptoms focuses on the symptomatic coping mechanisms, i.e. drug/alcohol abuse, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, co-dependency, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, arthritis, cancer, MS, sexual addiction, etc. the person used to survive the pain. Traditional talk-therapy seldom accesses the emotional pain to the degree the pain is healed. The practitioner systematically helps the person create better coping mechanisms.   Treating ‘root cause’ focuses on the experience the person endured—the emotional or physical abuse—and the ensuing aftereffects—anger, sadness, fear, guilt, shame, humiliation. Uncovering the pain and processing the emotions associated with that pain is the only way to heal emotional pain. Accessing the unconscious mind through Hypnosis and Regression work is the fastest and most effective way to create and facilitate the healing process.

In a hypnotic state you are more receptive to new ideas and you can more effectively process the emotions linked to the experiences, which created the emotional pain. Hypnosis and Regression work is a special form of communication to the subconscious mind, where all habits and emotions are established and memory is stored. Because the language of the subconscious mind is visual, the more detailed your image is of your goal, the faster your subconscious mind will create the changes you desire. Once your subconscious accepts a new idea, you automatically accept it at a conscious level and can feel and act profoundly different.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Recovery utilizing Hypnosis/Regression work. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life’s challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net