Tag: Online

Online Resources Vol 5

EllisLeave a comment

Online Resources Vol 5

 

Of course, if you haven’t seen Volumes 1, 2, 3, or 4, check them out!

 

  • An online intro psyc textbook – fun reading for therapists to catch up on new developments in the basic areas (the knowledge half life of psyc (apparently about 7 years) is getting shorter all the time!). Good for helping savvy or “book smart” clients who feel empowered with more knowledge. 
  • A good written resource for Autogenic Training produced by the VA. I can’t ever find a good YouTube version – they’re all so “meditative” and awash with harps and binaural beats and stuff. My experience has been that people who want to do autogenic training want that because meditation feels too “woo woo” for them and they consider themselves to be practical, no-nonsense folks. I was going to make one, and I might still, but this is not a bad substitute for now. 
  • Here’s a great little workbook a colleague of mine found (Thanks, Sana!), and it references Gendlin’s Focusing as a primary tool in emotional work! It’s written more like a flowy graphic novel, or kind of like a series of infographics – easy to read! 
  • This is just super fun, and I can imagine it having therapy homework possibilities, too. Make mandalas!  
  • A resource for clients (and maybe clinicians, depending on how much this was a part of your training!) in reading scientific studies when you’re not a professional scientist! 
  • I have a sad update on the Reveri App (mentioned in Volume 4) – it’s no longer free. It’s now subscription-based. And it’s still worth it. I will tell you, though, if you have clients who can’t afford it, and they write to the Reveri folks, they’ll usually still offer a free year! 

Comment below and add any free online resources or apps that you use! 

 

 

 

 

 

Online Resources Vol. 4

EllisLeave a comment

Online Resources Volume 4

If you haven’t seen them, here are Volumes 1, 2, and 3!

  • The Reveri app  – It’s free (of course!) and the BEST actual hypnosis app I’ve ever come across. (And I’m ASCH certified in clinical hypnosis). I’ve previously recommended Comfort Talk, and stand by it, but Reveri is also excellent and covers a lot of great, specific topics – e.g., sleep, anxiety, chronic pain, smoking cessation – the kind of stuff it’s probably ok to work on by yourself without a therapist. 
  • Greater Good Magazine – Honestly, this isn’t a great resource for therapists, as far as I can tell. But I think it’s one of the better lay-accessible internet resources.  It’s mostly research-based and comes out of Berkeley, and has lots of different kinds of content, all focused on well being. Worth a look. 
  • Andrew Huberman Podcast – For nerdy therapists (and maybe clients), Huberman is a neurobiologist and does a lot on mental health related topics – sleep, depression, addiction, stress, etc. – as well as some stuff that’s more like “optimizing wellness.” Easy to listen to, extremely knowledgeable, great sources, smart occasional guests. Honestly, his mental health series was not my favorite, but when it’s outside my direct area, I learn a lot. 
  • Kardia Deep Breathing App – FINALLY!!!! I finally found an app that lets you control the timing of the breathing! Remember the cardinal rule – breathe out longer than you breathe in. The end. But finally, there’s an app that will let clients personalize that, rather than putting them on a strict 5-minute, 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, rigid program! THANK YOU! It’s $0.99 for the full functionality, but the free version works perfectly well for my personal use and for how I use it with clients.  
  • Spanish & Mandarin relaxation tracks – offered by the University of Texas Counseling Center, There’s a 3-minute breathing and a body scan available in both Spanish & Mandarin – I have a hard time finding resources for clients who, even though they may do their therapy with me in English for various reasons, might prefer or better utilize resources in their native language. These are free and you don’t need to be a student to access them. 
  • Various Downloadable Workbooks – The Govt of Western Australia has a resource that includes free, downloadable self-help workbooks on lots of issues – body image, depression, procrastination, distress tolerance, panic, health anxiety, etc. I haven’t gone through the whole workbook on all the topics, but the ones I have looked at are pretty legit. Maybe a good option for clients who want to work outside of session, or for your own use as smaller handouts or in-session activities if you break them up.

Comment below: As always, if you know of great, free, online resources, let us know, too! These things are out in the world to be shared and used!  

 

 

 

 

Online Resources Vol 3

EllisLeave a comment

Online Resources Volume 3

Here’s a new set of interesting, free, potentially useful online mental health stuff I’ve run across for clients or clinicians! If you haven’t, check out Vol 1 and Vol 2! 

 

  • ​Project Y.E.S. ​(Youth Empowerment & Support) is an anonymous program evaluation project being run by scientists at Stony Brook University in partnership with University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio – UT Teen Health. Free 30-minute stress-mgmt activities for teens! The idea here is that evidence-based mental health support can be SO much more widely available than it currently is!
  • These online  “pocket” memory aids  cover the basic ideas from several different types of therapy. They’re probably not useful if a client hasn’t engaged in that therapy with you, but after you’ve taught the basics, these can be a good reminder as they practice throughout the week.
  • I know there are a million CBT worksheets out there, but I quite like these from Andrew Grimmer (who I don’t know, btw! This is not a shoutout – I just came across them and find many of them more useful than resources from other, more common websites). Some are printables, others are online forms (like a chain analysis that can be filled out by a client midweek and emailed to the therapist!).
  • If you’re already familiar with ACT, these are pretty helpful technique explanations/reminders. 
  • I’m not 100% sure that I haven’t posted this before, but Now Matters Now has some great resources around suicidal ideation.
  • And here’s a great little video by Andrew Huberman describing the  “physiological sigh” – which is a great quick stress/anxiety tool. On par with the face-in-cold-water technique, but easier to do anywhere! 

Comment below: As always, share the cool, free resources you’ve found online, too! 

 

 

 

Online Resources (Vol 2)

EllisLeave a comment

Online Resources (Vol 2)

Here’s another installment of some free, evidence-based online resources and apps I’ve stumbled upon lately… (here’s Vol 1 if you didn’t see it)

 

  • An ebook about Getting The Most Out of Brief Therapy – could be great for clients really early on, or if they are feeling stuck.
  • This is an incredible introduction to sleep, sleep hygiene, and common sleep issues by the AMAZING Dr. Jade Wu. 
  • I like this little explanation of the R.A.I.N model of radical compassion, and it includes a 20 minute meditation. 
  • These are easy and evidence based screeners for multiple mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety, psychosis. 
  • I’m loving Dr. Russ Harris’ videos about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy! 
  • For therapists, I really like Jeff Zeig’s 5 minute therapy tip s, esp if you’re kind of existential or experiential. 
  • And here is an abnormal psyc textbook that is completely open source – it’s not my favorite abnormal book ever, and of course it’s at the undergrad level, but could be a good resource for clients

And some apps!

  • FITZ – Functional Imagery Training is an evidence based blend of imagery and motivational interviewing that shows tremendous benefits over standard habit-changing models. 
  • SmilingMind – This is an Australian meditation app – it’s really good, especially compared to the for-profit apps! 
  • UCLA Mindful – This doesn’t have the kind of sleek, fancy feeling that some of the other apps do, but it’s really good and accurate and useful, with mindfulness exercises and meditations that are similar to the ones used in research protocols. 
  • Mindfulness study – an app based on the Palouse school’s resources, which are Top Notch! Note – they mean for you to do the whole 8 week program, but who wouldn’t want to do that? It’s amazing! 

Comment below: Have you seen any of these? What do you think? Have any new, other recommendations to post? 

 

 

 

 

Online Resources and Apps (Vol 1)

EllisLeave a comment

Online Resources and Apps (Vol 1)

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of online resources. Let me make a caveat – we’ve known for a decade that things like internet-delivered CBT can be effective for depression and anxiety (e.g., Farrer et al., 2011), and that can be a life saver for someone who doesn’t have easy access to therapy. It’s just that when I have in-person clients, I much prefer for them to have resources that we have created together or that I have made personalized for them. 

BUT… it’s 2021 and I’d have to be living under a rock to not engage with some of the really good stuff that available online and on apps. But… it’s 2021, which means the problem isn’t the availability of mental health resources/apps, but sifting through which ones are actually good! 

My requirements for resources/apps that I’ll suggest to clients are that they are (1) FREE, (2) EVIDENCE BASED (as appropriate), and worthwhile based on my actually trying them. (Like recommending books, I have an ethical problem with recommending something I haven’t fully tried). 

That said, here we go, in no particular order: 

Online resources:

Ali Mattu’s videos – You’ll have to browse around a bit to find the topic you client needs, but these are very well done and super on point from a research-based standpoint. The dive reflex episode is one of my favorites. 

Kristen Neff’s Self Compassion exercises – exactly what you think, better researched and less saccharine than Brene Brown, totally free. 

This free online course in Acceptance and Commitment therapy from Public Health Wales is pretty cool and comprehensive!

Now Matters Now is a great resource related to suicidal ideation, for clients and clinicians. 

I’m looking for some good DBT resources, btw. These videos are ok, but I’d like something more personable and more interactive. Please comment below if you know of any! 

Apps: 

Comfort Talk – this is an all-business, nothing-woowoo trainer in self hypnosis. Great research evidence! 

All of the VA apps are empirically supported and they’re nicely done. I like the CPT  and substance use apps as an adjunct to therapy sometimes, but the CBT-I (insomnia) is the one I recommend most. You don’t have to be a veteran to use them! 

Insight Timer – I’ve liked this one for a long time, mostly because of the variety of meditations that are available and the ability to search based on how much time you have. Great free alternative to apps like Calm and HeadSpace. 

Fluid – This is just a little app that lets you play with fluid dynamics (with lots of customization for time, color, etc.) It’s great for mindfulness work, and nice for clients who might otherwise fret while waiting in a line. It’s entrancing! You can see a screenshot above. 

Done– I searched HIGH and LOW for SO LONG looking for a simple, free app that would allow clients to easily track how often they do XYZ – whatever we’re working on. The free version of done is more than adequate – it’s perfect! 

 

 

 

Comment Below: What online resources or apps have you found to be helpful? Bonus if they’re free and evidence based!