Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Dr. Karen G. Dyck, C. Psych., & Dr. Melissa Tiessen, C.Psych: Intentional Therapist - Convenient, Creative, & Playful Self-care for Female Mental Health Professionals

Dr. Karen G. Dyck, C. Psych., & Dr. Melissa Tiessen, C.Psych: Intentional Therapist - Convenient, Creative, & Playful Self-care for Female Mental Health Professionals

11/02/20 • 109 min

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Despite widespread acknowledgment that self-care is an essential component of sustainable practice for mental health professionals, it is an area where many clinicians struggle to implement consistent healthy habits or necessary behavioural change. In 2019, Drs. Karen G. Dyck, C.Psych and Melissa Tiessen, C.Psych became the co-founders of the website Intentional Therapist and since then, have been actively engaged in efforts to help female mental health professionals find convenient, intentional, creative, and playful ways to incorporate self-care into their lives. On the podcast we explore:

their motivation to create the Intentional Therapist initiative and how they define self-care
why they place an emphasis on female mental health professionals specifically & relevant gender differences when it comes to self-care
key components/messages shared through their newsletter
aspects of their messaging that have been especially relevant to them personally
the upcoming Intentional Therapist retreat
shifts in their own thinking about self-care since starting the Intentional Therapist
a broader discussion of self-care beyond the Intentional Therapist

Dr. Karen G. Dyck completed her Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology at the University of Manitoba and her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of South Dakota. She was an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba for 17 years, 4 of which she served as the Director of the Rural and Northern Psychology Programme. Within this position Karen had the opportunity to work collaboratively with a range of healthcare providers and administrators and to regularly consult with other mental health professionals. It is within that context that Karen became interested in the topics of healthy workplaces, employee wellness, and self-care. Karen left her university position in 2014 to pursue private practice and explore other, less traditional, opportunities where she could draw from her training and experience. Karen has two wonderful bonus children and lives in Anola, MB, with her supportive husband and 18 year old cat, Kittie Pie.

OICBT Psychologist Dr. Melissa Tiessen completed her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at McGill University. She completed a post-doctoral residency in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba within the Rural and Northern Program, where she had the fortunate opportunity to work under Dr. Karen Dyck. Melissa went on to work as an Assistant Professor in the Department for 2 years, and then moved to Ottawa where she worked for 1 year within the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program of The Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa Heart Institute. This led to a unique opportunity as the Director of the Education Directorate of the Canadian Psychological Association, where Melissa served for 4 years, overseeing the association’s national accreditation and continuing education programs. Working in the field of accreditation highlighted for Melissa the incredible importance of quality training experiences for psychology students and the necessity of good work-life balance and self-care. Melissa also had the opportunity to spend some time living abroad, where she was involved with multiple non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of women and children. Since 2018 Melissa has worked in private practice. Melissa lives in Ottawa, ON, with her supportive husband and young son.

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their motivation to create the Intentional Therapist initiative and how they define self-care
why they place an emphasis on female mental health professionals specifically & relevant gender differences when it comes to self-care
key components/messages shared through their newsletter
aspects of their messaging that have been especially relevant to them personally
the upcoming Intentional Therapist retreat
shifts in their own thinking about self-care since starting the Intentional Therapist
a broader discussion of self-care beyond the Intentional Therapist

Previous Episode

Dr. Kathryn Sexton, C.Psych (Interim Autonomous Practice): Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

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While Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common experience, it is not a challenge that many individuals - quite understandably - like to talk about or admit to struggling with. Unfortunately, many sufferers simply “learn to live with it”, but at the expense of flexibility and enjoyment in their lives around travel, commuting, sports, outdoor activities & relationships. Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy psychologist Dr. Kathryn Sexton joins host and colleague Dr. Pete Kelly to discuss IBS. Topics covered include current conceptualizations around the causes of IBS (with a special emphasis on stress), stigma as a maintaining and exacerbating factor, the prevalence, symptoms and diagnosis of IBS, differences between IBS and inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD), treatment of IBS from a CBT perspective, the role of acceptance in coping with IBS and finally, medical and alternative treatments for IBS.
Dr. Kathryn Sexton is registered as a Psychologist (Interim Autonomous Practice) with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and a registered Psychologist with the Psychological Association of Manitoba, practicing in the areas of both Clinical and Health Psychology. She specializes in cognitive behavioural treatments for anxiety and mood disorders and chronic stress. Her areas of special interest and experience are in the assessment and treatment of worry/generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety, and insomnia, and in chronic stress and pain management related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as IBD. Dr. Sexton received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Concordia University in Montreal, training in the Anxiety Disorders Laboratory. She completed her Pre-doctoral Residency at the Clinical Health Psychology Program within the College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. She conducted further postdoctoral training in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical and Research Centre at the University of Manitoba and Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. Dr. Sexton currently sits on the Board of the Canadian Association of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies - L’Association Canadienne des thérapies cognitives et comportementales (CACBT – ACTCC). Dr. Sexton is also an active researcher and has published several scientific articles and book chapters on cognitions and behaviours influencing worry/generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety, and stress in chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

https://www.ottawacbt.ca/dr-kathryn-sexton

Next Episode

Mr. Robert Whitaker: Anatomy of an Epidemic

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Many mental health clinicians and consumers operate under the assumption that mental illness results from chemical imbalances in the brain. However, a close examination of the evidence strongly suggests that this is not the case. In fact, there is some suggestion that psychotropic medications such as antipsychotics and antidepressants used to treat mental illness may themselves perturb normal neurochemical functioning. Importantly, pharmacologically inducted alterations in the functioning of core neurochemical systems may have important implications for the maintenance of symptoms and long-term outcomes. Author & journalist, Mr. Robert Whitaker joins us to discuss the core themes of his 2010 (updated in 2014) book Anatomy of an Epidemic which seeks to not only put the development and use of psychotropic medications in historical context, but also critically examines the long-term impact of these compounds from a data-driven lens. In this discussion we cover the evidence around neurochemical "imbalances" in the brain, findings around the the long-term outcome data around the use of antipsychotics & antidepressants including the possibility of these compounds contributing to relapse and chronicity of illness, a brief consideration of problems associated with anxiolytics like benzodiazepines and finally, a discussion of the kinds of shift in narrative required around mental illness to move our understanding and treatment strategies forward. Host note: the information discussed in the podcast today should not be taken as medical advice around the use of psychotropic medications and is for general information only. If you have questions around the pharmacological management of your symptoms, please consult with your medical provider.

Robert Whitaker is an American journalist and author who has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article. In 1998, he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. His first book, Mad in America, was named by Discover magazine as one of the best science books of 2002. Anatomy of an Epidemic won the 2010 Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism. He is the publisher of madinamerica.com.
https://www.madinamerica.com