An Enthusiastic Nod to Online Therapy

Thanks to Azy Barak for pointing me over to this interesting tidbit!

Regina Lynn over at Wired discusses how her 2am restlessness led to seeking counseling online- when her need was the greatest.

"My distress peaked one night and I found myself frantically searching the web for some kind of drop-in crisis counseling chat. I wasn't suicidal, so I didn't want to call a suicide hotline and tie up a volunteer who could be helping someone on the verge of ultimate despair. Yet I felt I would implode if I didn't immediately talk to someone neutral and anonymous...The wee hours are when we are too tired to filter ourselves, when we are most vulnerable to dropping our shields and exposing our rawest truths -- which so often, and I dare you to prove otherwise, revolve around love and sex."

Regina Lynn goes on to share that writing is often more a natural way to communicate rather than talking...sometimes it is harder to stay engaged with your full self, rather than worrying about what, or how you are presenting to a therapist (my interpretation). As Ms. Lynn said, online therapy is like a "diary that writes back." And we all know that you certainly write things differently in a diary than in a regular conversation, even about the same subject.

Lynn states, "If connecting online feels natural and right to you, the internet is a natural place to seek therapy. You're already accustomed to peer support through online interaction; why wouldn't you reach for a professional in the same way?" Lynn contacted Susan Mankita, a social worker with ten years experience in the field who commented, "(Online counseling) teaches clients to be aware of what's coming out of their mouths, what they're feeling and thinking, their wholeness and whole bodies," Mankita said. "It's an exciting and empowering thing that we haven't done in the past (in person) the way we can with text. Text is really powerful."

Adoption Refused Due to Overweight Caregiver?

Story Courtesy of Fox News

"There are thousands of children that need loving families and a married couple said they can provide a great home to a child.But a Metro man said he is being discriminated against because he is overweight.Gary and Cynthia Stocklaufer said they were asked to adopt a relative's son and never expected the justice system to weigh in on Gary's size."I adore him, I love him, he's everything," Cynthia said about three-month old Max, the biological son of Gary's cousin.Gary said his relative asked him and his wife Cynthia to raise the boy because she couldn't. "We wanted to do it legally and we wanted to get some type of custody so we could get him on our insurance," Cynthia said.

What Cynthia and Gary thought was a easy adoption turned into what they're calling "a degrading ordeal.""They came right out and told us that Gary's weight was an issue," Cynthia said. Gary said he weighs around 500 pounds but it hasn't stopped him from working as a truck driver or playing with his 7-year-old son Bobby, who they also adopted. "I've been big all my life and my family is large and we've adopted once before the same judge and I am the same size that I was approximately six years ago when I adopted my other son," Gary said.Cheri Simpkins, the baby's court appointed guardian said weight was not the only concern in this case.

While Simpkins said she can't talk specifics, she went on to say "there was concern that Gary may develop diabetes or sleep apnea because of his size.""My weight has never kept me from doing anything I've wanted to do," Gary said."Size doesn't dictate the kind of parent that you are," Cynthia said. "We're good people."Gary said he's lost 35 pounds and he's trying to lose more. The couple said their attorney has filed a motion for a new hearing and said they'll do whatever it takes to get their son back."

Video Link here.

Los Angeles Settles after Being Sued for Inadequate Care for Foster Children

Jack Leonard at the Los Angeles Times reports:

"In response to a federal court order, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an initiative of up to $90 million on Tuesday aimed at improving mental health services for thousands of children monitored by the county's child welfare system.

The plan follows criticism that the county has been slow to reform the way it provides mental health care to foster children living with families.

County mental health officials said the plan would allow them to better assess the mental health needs of all children who come into contact with children's social workers, not just those who were removed from their parents. It also calls for an expansion of intensive mental health services to kids at home, thereby helping them remain with their families.

The initiative stems from a 4-year-old legal settlement between the county and children's rights groups. The groups alleged in a 2002 class-action lawsuit that the county routinely failed to provide foster children with adequate mental health care.

Lawyers who brought the lawsuit welcomed the county's latest initiative, which was approved unanimously by the board, but said it did not adequately address how to treat thousands more children who were severely traumatized by abuse, neglect and abandonment.

"It is progress, and we encourage that, but I wouldn't say that it meets their entire obligation. There's a substantial way to go," said Kimberly Lewis, an attorney at the Western Center on Law and Poverty, one of the groups that sued the county."

Record Payout from Catholic Church over Priest Sexual Abuse Cases

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The leader of the largest U.S. Roman Catholic archdiocese apologized on Sunday for what he called a "terrible sin and crime" as the church confirmed it would pay a record $660 million to people who were sexually abused by priests."

..."The abuse scandal prompted a decline in donations at churches across the United States. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged in 2004 that this was its worst scandal and vowed to "heal the hurt that has happened (Reuters Factbox) ."

I am relieved to see the acceptance of wrongdoing...but what is the systemic cause, and what is being done about it?

Trauma from a Trampoline?

PARENTS CORNER: According to Parent's Magazine, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends never letting your child play on them. Injuries are just too common. If you must...it seems that all of the precautions take much of the fun out of being on one in the first place. There shouldn't be more than one child on it at a time, no somersaults or stunts, make sure there is a new around it and of course be sure that all of the springs and hooks are properly covered with shock absorbing pads.

Sound Familiar? 43 Psychiatrists Quit in Australia Due to Workload

If you have ever worked for the government, a government contract or an agency with not-enough-funding, it is an all too familiar story that Mark Colvin reports over at PM.