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Methods of Treatment
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Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy is a process of understanding
strengths, weaknesses, emotions, unconscious motivations and
reactions to everyday
events. The process of therapy increases understanding of the self
in order to make better decisions about relationships, children,
careers, money, sex, etc.
Psychotherapy
sessions for adults are generally
scheduled weekly. Problems are identified, goals are set, and then
the bulk of the
work will focus on achieving the goals. Psychotherapy is terminated
when the goals are attained. My work focuses on the whole person
with great respect for the innate wisdom of each individual.
Psychotherapy for children requires
a comfortable play area with appropriate toys and games through
which children may explore their world. Children shape our
collective future. It makes the most sense to nurture them, guide
them, and prepare them for the challenges they will face when they
grow up. We (adults) are all role models for children, whether we
are aware of it and/or want it. How we live around our
children becomes a model for them to follow.
I work with parents
in these and other areas. In many ways today's children are more
stressed than the previous generation. Divorces, reduced time with
parents, high expectations from parents, early exposure to sex and
violence, and now the fear of being hurt or abducted, or having a parent be hurt
through terrorism, have all increased the stress that affect
children's
behavior negatively. Therapy allows children to live out their fears
and concerns through play. Healing occurs when the child feels safe
to express himself/herself, is understood and validated by the
therapist, and is given tools to better cope with his/her world.
Psychotherapy with adolescents is
quite a unique process. Adolescence is the time to act out the
opposing forces within: separation vs. attachment, dependence vs.
independence, and adult identity vs. child identity. These powerful
forces throw the teenager like a ball from one side of the psyche to
the other; hence, all the acting out that you see in your teens.
Therapy helps make
sense of it all and redirects the energy toward a more positive
direction. Teens naturally attempt to create distance between
themselves and their parents through various ways such as dressing
differently, acting differently, and generally adhering to their
own group culture.
Sometimes they go too far and create too much pain for themselves
and their families. That is when therapy is beneficial. Adolescents
in therapy benefit most by the psychological education about what is
going on with them which is provided by the therapist. They need to
feel understood and be assisted in their search for identity and
independence.
Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy combines
psychotherapy with hypnosis to facilitate understanding and
awareness of the subconscious processes of the self. The hypnotic
state increases the suggestibility of the patient to
new and beneficial ideas. It is important to note that hypnosis by
itself (without psychotherapy) may not have long lasting effect on
the problem being addressed.
Art Therapy:
Art is a form of projective tool whereby the
patient projects onto the paper his/her conflicts and personal
issues by the specifics of how he/she draws. Analysis of the "art"
helps bring into the consciousness hidden aspects of the self. Art
therapy is utilized especially with children because they enjoy that
medium of expression. The paper, the easel, or the board is
transformed into the world of the child and every detail that is
drawn speaks of some aspect of the psyche of the child.
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Play
Therapy: This method is
particularly helpful with children. Children live out their
conflicts, fears, desires, etc. through playing. Toys and/or games
are used to facilitate that process. Play therapy is another
projective tool used to get closer to the unconscious motivations
and conflicts.
Toys for the play therapy area are selected based on the basic
principles of play therapy in order to elicit various expressions of
concern and other
emotions in children. |
Click on the image to
enlarge and view
Dr. Mand's
Play Therapy Area |
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Dream
Analysis: We dream every night.
Dreams reflect current conflicts and are generally in a symbolic
language. Drams are also projective in nature. By analyzing the
content, the patient can identify conflicts and personal issues.
Dreams that come back time after time have a very
important message for the dreamer and they will persist, in one way
or another, until the conflict is addressed. Patients soon learn to
understand their various dreams and the messages they present.
Learning to analyze your dreams is a valuable tool for life.
Pre-marital
Counseling: Love is never enough.
Relationships, at best, are very complicated. Unspoken
expectations of self and/or partner will generally result in
discord. Pre-marital counseling focuses on assessing compatibility,
communication, styles, conscious and unconscious expectations of the
self, the partner, and the marriage. The pre-marital counseling is
the best gift the couple can give one another, an investment in the
future of the relationship.
Stepfamily
Counseling: Stepfamilies are a
special type of family where the structure and dynamics are entirely
different from biological families. Stepfamily counseling deals with
the myths and realities of such family style. The roles of the step
mother as well as step father and a variety of other issues related
to stepfamily living are explored. Children in stepfamilies are
especially vulnerable to feelings of anxiety, rejection, and divided
loyalties. The main focus of stepfamily counseling is to help
strengthen the new blended family through various techniques.
Victims of
Crime: Effects of rape, robbery,
child molestation, and other crimes are devastating. Victims of
crime generally have feelings of loss, grief, lack of self worth,
guilt, self blame, and anger. My approach to counseling the victims
is designed to take the energy of anger and other emotions and
redirect them to benefit the patient and perhaps the community a
large.
Cross-Cultural Counseling:
When it comes to culture, we are not all the
same. Personal concerns/problems are perceived differently from
culture to culture, Our culture shapes who we become and our value
system. With dozens of cultures living in Southern California, it is
important for the therapist to be educated in cross cultural issues.
I have studied various cultures for the last 30 years. Along
with that knowledge, I bring a certain Eastern perspective combined
with Western values which allows me to give more to my patients. I
speak Farsi and am familiar with other languages. |
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