 |
||
"AllSup Inc., is a service we recommend, we have used, we believe in and we trust!" - Mark & Debra |
||
|
and Lucinda Johnstone (Therapist and Skills Trainer)
Rev. Debra Meehl, DBT Skills Trainer and Paramedic certified in Psychological Emergencies &
Crisis Intervention: Inspired by helping her husband, Deb authored
Friends and Family Bipolar Survival Guide,
the book that gives you the hands-on tools and skills you need to rebuild your life and your family.
Lucinda Johnstone, M.S., LPC-I, Therapist and Skills Trainer: Lucinda brings a wealth of knowledge both professionally and personally to her work. She holds a Master's degree in counseling from the University of Houston at Clear Lake and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Intern. She worked for 16 years as a public school teacher before going back to school for what she describes as her "true calling and purpose in life." Several years before entering the program at UHCL, Lucinda was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (BD). Because of her own personal experience with BD, Lucinda became interested in a specialized form of cognitive behavior therapy called DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an empirically supported program of treatment with four components: Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation and Distress Tolerance. These four components are implemented through both therapy and skills training. Clinical research has shown the DBT program to be highly effective in the treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, anxiety, alcohol/drug abuse, self-mutilation, eating disorders, etc.
DBT decreases behaviors that destroy quality of life: depression, anxiety, phobias, inability to sustain friendships, absence from work or school, poor money management, neglect of medical problems, etc.
DBT increases behaviors that improve quality of life: more control over moods, less intense moods, getting and keeping a good job, ability to make and maintain friendships, ability to responsibly manage money, etc.
Who benefits from DBT? People who are hard-wired to experience intense emotions and/or mood disorders and those who have experienced physically or emotionally traumatizing events that have led to mood disturbances. This emotional vulnerability creates emotional pain and suffering so intense that the smallest trigger feels like a third degree burn and makes people act out in self-destructive behaviors.
What is the goal of DBT? Helping clients and their families create "lives worth living." Clients finally have a way to get off the emotional rollercoaster and reclaim control of their own lives. DBT teaches specific strategies to help clients get "unstuck" from their way of thinking, validating where they are, and affirming their feeling while leading them to change. This therapy approach is successful because clients understand and take an active role in their own change for recovery.
Please or CALL The Meehl Foundation at 979.798.5182 or 480.200.8836 to
schedule an appointment with Lucinda request more information about DBT or the Meehl Foundation schedule a speaking engagement for your organization!
The members of the Meehl Foundation work as a part of a support team with individuals, families, physicians, and even other therapists.