We are finished!  Student returned their borrowed textbooks from Central Christian College and completed their final test!  We will wrap up any last things on Monday and just relax!

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Assignment:
*Final book review project due 5/20

We finished up chapter 15, discussed possible test questions, watched a video that explained different biomedical treatments, and outlined the plans for the final TWO days of school!  It has been such a pleasure getting to know you all and having the opportunity to teach you something that has been a passion of mine for nearly 2 decades.  Thank you for being such wonderful and attentive students!  You will go far!!

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Assignment:

*Student for your Chapter 14-15 test

*Work on your final project due 5/20.  (If you need an extension on the final project, you need to let me know BEFORE 5/20!!)

After watching a video on personality disorders we started discussing the different types of psychotherapy used by clinicians today.  We watched another video about the different types of therapy and how they would be used in a clinical setting with the same type of diagnosis (Bernice was struggling with anxiety and depression).

On Monday we will look at why therapy is beneficial and different types of biomedical treatment.

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Assignment:

*Work on your final project

*Study for the chapter 14-15 test

*Listen to the following podcast.  Be prepared to discuss this in class on Monday.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbp8zSteuYs

We finished with Chapter 14 today!  We will watch a short video about personality disorders on Wednesday before moving on to the last chapter of the book.  We will plan to have our test over chapters 14-15 on Wednesday, 5/15.  We will plan to watch a movie on the last day of class!

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Assignment:
*Study/review chapter 14

*Finish reading Chapter 15 (if you have not done so already) - focus specifically on those parts of the chapter that discuss cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapy

*Work on your final project due 5/20

Today we covered schizophrenia, dissociative disorders, and eating disorders.  We discussed the controversial Dissociative Identify Disorder as well as the prevalence of eating disorders among only certain socioeconomic classes and not as a wide spread chemical imbalance. We finished up by watching part of a video on interviewing an individual with schizophrenia and discussed how this person may or may not meet inpatient mental health admission criteria.  

Monday we will finish up Chapter 14 and move on to Chapter 15 for the remainder of the semester!  We're in the home stretch my friends!!

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Assignment:
*Continue reading Chapter 15

*Continue reading your book for your final project

*Watch the following video on living a successful life with schizophrenia.  I hope it gives you a much more hopeful view of the disorder than was painted by our textbook.   You can find the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Jl9_59tfY&list=WL&index=5&t=28s.

Thank you all for your flexibility as you went to study hall today in lieu of our class.  Horrible allergies mixed with a weather system, mixed with non-stop events this weekend culminated in a vicious migraine I just couldn't shake today.  I have every plan and intension to be back on Wednesday!!  Hopefully, today allowed you some time to catch up on your reading and start on the next chapter.  Wednesday we will pick up where we were going to start today with schizophrenia and dissociative disorders.

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Assignment:

*Read more of Chapter 15

*Work on your final project

We finished discussing mood disorders including thoughts on how mood disorders develop including the impact of negative thought patterns on mood.  We finished discussing mania by watching a few videos displaying mania.  Monday we will discuss schizophrenia and dissociative disorders.

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Assignment:

*Be reading your book for your final project

*The final test for the course will be a test over both Chapters 14 and 15.  If you feel prepared for Chapter 14, you can begin reading Chapter 15.

We covered a lot of ground today.  We followed up on questions left from last class period, journaled, discussed a bit about the two most popular mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder), watched a short video about PTSD, and even watched a short part of a video about mania!  Whew!!  We will pick up with a video from our good buddy, Hank, on mood disorders when we start class on Wednesday.  We will watch another video about mania, discuss the different scientific theories behind the development of mood disorders, and, if time allows, we will start on schizophrenia.  Wow! 

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Assignment:

*Finish reading Chapter 14 (if you have not already done so)

*Work on completing the review questions at the end of the chapter as several of your test questions will come from these (hint-hint)

*Be reading the autobiography/biography that you have chosen for your final project.  I was reminded today of something I forgot to mention in the assignment description.  If you are reading the book and feel uncomfortable with any of the content, please feel free to skip over that section of the book or feel free to pick a different book.  DO NOT read anything with which you are uncomfortable!!  If you feel that you may need an extension in order to complete your final project, I can offer you a short one, but I need to know by May 8th!

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If you would like to see more of the video about mania that was shown in class, you can find it at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwj5ZC3u73w&list=WL&index=4&t=0s

After discussing the previous assignment a bit, we explored what researchers believe to be the top sources of anxiety disorders including conditioning, cognition, genes, and brain functioning.  We then watched several videos about obsessive-compulsive disorder as individuals with OCD shared their stories. We will watch a video about PTSD on Monday before moving into our discussion of mood disorders.

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Assignment:

*Finish reading Chapter 14

*Begin working on the review questions at the end of the chapter

*If you have not already done so, please pick a diagnosis you would like to learn more about for your final project and begin researching a book you may want to read.

*Look over the handouts provided in class regarding changes made to diagnostic criteria for PTSD and OCD with the publication of DSM-5

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Some of you were asking for the links to the videos shown in class today.  They are included below.  They are not required, but are included if you would like to see more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArF-ljmQVy0&t=631s - Elizabeth McIngvale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSZNnz9SM4g - Howie Mandel

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Before we got too far into the lesson today, I assigned your final project for the year.  If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. 

Today we discussed the biopsychsocial model of psychological disorders.  Then we started looking at the different anxiety disorders.  We looked at the basic symptoms associated with each of the major anxiety the disorders.  However, as we talked about a little bit in class, I think it is more important to hear first-hand stories and understand the disorder from a personal standpoint rather than memorizing and regurgitating symptomology.  Therefore, we will watch quite a few videos as we explore each disorder.  We will start Wednesday by watching a few videos about a person's experience with different anxiety disorders.

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Assignment:

*Finish reading through the section on mood disorders if you have not already done so.

*Decide on the psychological disorder that you would like to learn about for your final project.

*Watch the video that was assigned over the weekend (if you have not already done so).  Be prepared to discuss this in class on Wednesday.  Here is the link if you need it:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakw62uWGTo

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*Please read the article that was assigned over the weekend (if you have not already done so).  Once again, be ready to discuss this in class on Wednesday.  Here is the link if you need it:

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https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/christian-relationship-in-overcoming-anxiety

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I hope you all didn't mind stepping out of order a bit today as we discussed schizophrenia and delusional disorders.  I hope that you also enjoyed the guest speaker.  As we discuss psychological disorders, please remember that the disorder is not only painful for the person experiencing the mental health concern, but also for the family who needs to love them in spite of how they may behave and, sometimes, they have to make very difficult and painful decisions for that person.

On Monday we will pick up with anxiety disorders including GAD, panic disorder, and PTSD.

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Assignment:

*Continue reading Chapter 14 through to the end of the section on mood disorders

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*Watch the following video and be prepared to discuss this in class.  Particularly be thinking about how this pastor's view of anxiety matches with your own and if you think this information is helpful or not helpful for a believer who is experiencing anxiety: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakw62uWGTo

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*Read the following article and be prepared to discuss it in class.  Again, be thinking about how this matches with your view and if you think this information would or would not be helpful to someone experiencing anxiety:

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/christian-relationship-in-overcoming-anxiety

We started Chapter 14 on Psychological Disorders today!  We introduced the chapter by discussing the definition of a psychological disorder as well as the medical model that is used to explore different psychological disorders.  We will pick up where we left off when we meet again on Wednesday.  We will also begin looking at anxiety disorders.

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Assignment:

Read to the bottom of page 518 before class on Wednesday

Begin thinking about the psychological disorder/diagnosis that you would like to learn about for your final project

I'm very excited to start our next chapter!

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Assignment:

Begin reading Chapter 14 on Mental Health Disorders

We finished chapter 11!  We are on the downhill stretch of the year!  The final two chapters of the year will focus on disorders/diagnoses and treatment.

After completing the psychology project scheduled for lunch time on Wednesday, we will have the Chapter 11 test. 

I forgot to mention in class that you can bring your lunches and eat in class on Wednesday in the event you are not able to get your lunch finished during the lunch period.

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Assignment:

Study for your Chapter 11 test

We looked a little deeper into coping with stress.  We explored the types of stress management strategies that have been found to be most effective in managing stress.  We also looked at some of the lesser-known links to happiness including having a significant support system and being part of a faith community. While to those of us who are part of a faith community, the health benefits are not surprising; however, it was interesting to look at the effects a lack of supports can have on a person's health. 

We then looked at a video discussing new research that explores how our attitude towards stress impacts the physical/health consequences of stress. This was very interesting stuff that I would not be surprised to see included as part of psychology textbooks within the next few years!

Below I have attached the links to the video we watched in class as well as to her follow up video.  Viewing the links is not required.  They are just provided for your information.

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Assignment:
Study for your Chapter 11 test (test Wednesday, 4/3)

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Here is the link to the video we watched in class today if you would like to view it again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

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Here is a link to her follow up video to the above video done through 99U:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCzbjsYc03Q

We continued in Chapter 11 today.  We looked at the multitude of health concerns that correlate to unmanaged stress as well as the impact of genes in our health and flourishing.  We looked further at internal vs. external locus of control and how greater self-control is linked to greater happiness and less stress.  It was all pretty depressing stuff today, but Wednesday we will look at the hope in it all...ways to manage our stress!!

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Assignment:
*If you have not already finished Chapter 11, please do so!!

*Read the following article and be prepared to discuss it in class:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-god-uses-stress-for-our-good-and-his-glory.html

We started on Chapter 11 today!  We looked at the definition of stress, what makes stress toxic vs stress being beneficial, and external vs internal locus of control.  We will continue with our discussion of Chapter 11 on Monday.

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Assignment:

-Read the rest of Chapter 11

-Begin looking at the review questions at the back of the chapter

Today was the Chapter 8 test!  We then watched our friend, Hank, talk with us about stress and health as an introduction to our next chapter, Chapter 11.

Wednesday we will start discussing the chapter as we look at what stress is and how it impacts our mental and physical health.  I hope you really get a lot of great information out of this chapter as I think it is a good reminder for us all in being diligent to manage our stress in order to live a long and healthy life!

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Assignment:

*Begin reading Chapter 11 (at least the first 10-15 pages)

*Read the following article.  Be prepared to discuss this in class (you do NOT need to write a summary for this article).

https://tifwe.org/a-biblical-response-to-stress/

We finished Chapter 8!!  I know we really flew through the chapter. If you have any questions during the break as you study for your test, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I want you to feel like you know the information, but I want us to go ahead and move on to other material. 

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Assignment:
*Study for your Chapter 8 test.  The test will be given in class on Monday, 3/18.

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*If you do not feel that it would result in retroactive interference of the information you learned for Chapter 8, please feel free to move on and begin reading Chapter 11.

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**Write a ½-1 page response to the Facebook post that we discussed in class (a copy of this is provided below).  In your response, remember to be gracious and not fall prey to using harsh, polarizing language.  Feel free to integrate Scripture in your response to lovingly make your case.  (These responses will not be posted anywhere.  It is just an exercise in defending your faith.  I will be the only one reading your individual responses.).

                “Since the area of psychology in general and of counseling psychology in particular deals with the exact data that Scripture addresses directly, the noetic effects of sin will be greater in the activity of studying and counseling men. The distortion in scientific thinking when dealing with the inorganic parts of the cosmos, while real, will be far less than when dealing with man. Man is the image of God. This is not true of any other part of creation. You would expect much more sinful, inaccurate things in secular psychology than in secular mathematics. A non-Christian physicist can help to get a man on the moon and back in spite of his sinfully distorted thinking, but a pagan psychologist never will help a person be conformed to the image of Christ, the perfect man. Therefore, you should not expect very much helpful data from pagans in counseling psychology, for most of it is satanic imitation of truth.” Facebook, February 18, 2019.

Today we discussed the Chapter 8 test.  We discussed the main concepts from the chapter that are of key importance to remember and talked about plans for how things will go until the end of the semester.  We will review more of the key concepts on Wednesday.  You will have Spring Break to study for the test.  The test will be given on 3/18.  After the test we will begin chapter 11 on Stress and Health.

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Assignment:
*Review the review questions at the end of the chapter.

*Review the concepts we specifically outlined in class in regards to the test

*Read the following article.  Be prepared to discuss it in class.  https://answersingenesis.org/human-body/brain/what-memories-are-made-of/

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On a side note: The name of the move I was trying to think of during class was called "End of the Spear."  It is a movie about Nate Saint, Jim Elliot and the other missionaries who were killed in Ecuador when they tried to spread the gospel to a native tribe.  As a result, many of the tribe came to know the Lord.  Jim Elliot was the husband of Elisabeth Elliot, the woman about whom the article was written that we discussed in class today.  

If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can view the movie for free.  Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/End-Spear-Chad-Allen/dp/B06Y64FQGC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LTK3BN7T4QMH&keywords=end+of+the+spear&qid=1551746990&s=gateway&sprefix=end+of+the+%2Caps%2C486&sr=8-1.

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If you choose to watch the move, please obtain your parent's permission before viewing as it is rated PG-13.

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