Counselor Toolbox

Learn how gamification can increase motivation, attention and improve outcomes and explore multiple easy ways to gamify most counseling issues.

CBD is a component of cannabis that has anti-anxiety, anti-epileptic, anti-psychotic and anti-inflammatory effects. Learn about the benefits as well as cautions for CBD.

Learn about factors that we can enhance to help prevent or mitigate mental health and/or addiction issues.

Learn about how food can be used as addictive behavior and interventions to help people address emotional eating.

To my listeners, I apologize for repeating content, but have been called away with a family emergency. I will repost new content beginning in February. These were recorded in 2016, so, hopefully they are new to you. ~Dr. Snipes

To my listeners, I apologize for repeating content, but have been called away with a family emergency. I will repost new content beginning in February. These were recorded in 2016, so, hopefully they are new to you. ~Dr. Snipes

To all my loyal listeners, I apologize for recycling podcasts, however, my mother suddenly passed away Saturday and we are a bit off schedule. I will release new podcasts beginning the first week in February. CEUs are available for this podcast at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/497/c/ ~Dr. Snipes

Norepinephrine is activates your system to fight or flee. Too little can lead to hypotension, bradycardia, confusion, difficulty concentrating, fatigue and sleep issues. Too much can produce panic like symptoms. Elevated levels of norepinephrine over an extended period of time actually causes the body to reduce the amount available causing symptoms of insufficiency.

Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, muscle coordination, wakefulness, mood and much more. Learn how a dopamine imbalance impacts your mind and body.

Learn about the functions of serotonin and how it impacts other neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinepherine. Also learn how SSRIs and other medications impact serotonin receptors, but also alter other neurotransmitters in the process.

Learn how alterations in the gut bacteria have been implicated in multiple host diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammation, while recent evidence suggests a potential role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety via leaky gut.

Learn about what attachment is and how problems in the attachment process can lead to mood, behavioral and relationship issues.

Screening for gambling problems is important because few people seek treatment for these problems and instead seek help for other complaints. Learn about different types of gambling, risk and protective factors and warning signs of gambling problems.

People often refuse to seek help for gambling disorder because of stigma. Stigma regarding gambling appears to be largely culturally created. Exposure to people who have pathological gambling disorder to reduce othering shows the greatest promise for the reduction of stigma.

There are a variety of reasons people engage in polyamorous relationships. Approximately 4% or 9.8 million adults are engaging in some form of polyamorous relationships. Polyamorous relationships are not always about sex. They are about dedication and commitment to being there for the other person. Learn more about these relationship structures and how to assist clients who are in polyamorous relationships.

D/s relationships can take many forms. They can be bedroom relationships or 24/7 TPEs. There are very significant differences between the different types of relationships which clients should explore prior to entering into a contract.

As many as 20-50% of people have engaged in some type of BDSM behavior, bondage and spanking being the most common. Part of becoming a kink-aware therapist is recognizing that some of your clients engage in some type of BDSM activities which may ---or may not---be contributing to their distress. BDSM covers a wide range of activities, almost all involving some level of power exchange. BDSM practitioners have been found to be at least as “well adjusted” as sexually normative culture.

A majority of adults experiments with kink-related behaviors in their lifetime. It is important for therapists to understand the range of behaviors which might occur and be sensitive to the needs of those with alternative sexual lifestyles. Therapists are advised to do significant reflection on their own attitudes and values about sex as well as the variety of sexual behaviors.

A majority of the population dabbles in some form of kink. Practitioners who embrace kink, especially BDSM and polyamory are often reluctant to disclose these issues to their medical or mental health providers. Issues of shame and guilt often arise when people first discover their alternate sexual preferences and can be compounded by a culturally insensitive therapist.

The number of people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is increasing, and these clients are disproportionately represented in the legal and child welfare system, and often have significant challenges in school Early and effective differential diagnosis can help a person with an FASD achieve the highest quality of life.