John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates

Transcription

1 John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 Thank God for therapy Welcome to the inaugural edition of the John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates Newsletter! This is a great way for all of us to stay up to date on the new things going on in the practice and to keep up on current trends in the field of psychology. Matamoras Office WE RE OFFICIALLY ON THE GRID! Seeing as its 2014 and all, JGK&A has officially (finally?) made it onto the social media scene. Find us (and like us!), now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Practice News and Updates! Phil Zuckerman is now licensed in PA. He previously worked in NY/NJ and now practices at our Matamoras office. Congratulations to Sara Grier! She completed and earned her LCSW. Welcome to the Team/New Additions! We welcome Jodi Weskerger, LSW who specializes in children and practices out of our Tunkhannock office. Welcome also to Jeanne Decker, LSW. Jeanne specializes in autism and trauma cases. Welcome (back ) to Marcy Duffy. Moosic St. Office

2 FEBRUARY 2014 John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 CCBHO Certifications We had 16 clinicians apply to CCBHO, with some completing certifications in clinical Trauma, Eating Disorders, PTDS, Grief Loss Certifications, as well as other online classes. We know this was a tremendous undertaking in such a short amount of time. It was especially difficult considering the busy time of year with the Holidays. The final CCBHO meeting was scheduled for February 4 th. We hope to hear soon after of the accepted clinicians. Thank to everyone for the hard work put into this endeavor! If nothing changes, nothing changes THE INSURANCE CORNER Insurance News: Medicare rates have changed for Copay is now a 20% coinsurance for client or secondary insurance (it was a 35% coinsurance). Our FB presence seems to be doing well! Thanks to everyone who helped out so far! FYI s: Some EAP (Employee Assisted Programs) plans allow members to get new authorized EAP sessions in the New Year. Remember to look into your benefits.

3 FEBRUARY 2014 John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates VOLUME #1 ISSUE #1 Psychology Corner Each month we plan on offering our readers brief snippets of current trends in psychological theory and research. This week we introduce the concept of Mindfulness. Mindfulness, as understood in current psychology, refers to the practice (and rest assured, it does take practice!) of a state of conscious attention on the present moment. Mindfulness means observing your thoughts and emotions as if from a distance. It is non-judgmental. Sensations, perceptions, cognitions and feelings are acknowledged, but not placed in categories of good or bad. One is simply aware of the sensations, and meets them with acceptance, openness and curiosity. The empirical research on Mindfulness is vast, and researchers have found is that the practice of mindfulness is correlated with positive outcomes, such as stress reduction (Farb et al., 2010; Williams, 2010), improved memory (Moore & Malinowski, 2009), and relationship satisfaction (Barnes et al., 2007). Research also suggests that the practice of Mindfulness has value to therapists as well. Schure, Christopher and Christopher (2008), for instance, found that therapists who practice mindfulness were more comfortable with silence and more attuned to the therapeutic process. Other research has similarly found that therapists who practice mindfulness tend to me more empathic (Shapiro, Schwartz & Bonner, 1998). Stay Mindful! Your suggestions and contributions are always welcome! NOTEWORTHY NEWS! Two really exciting things have happened for us recently: 1. Marywood University, Dr. Kuna s alma mater (Marywood, 98), will be running a cover story on Dr. Kuna and his practice. The story will appear on Marywood s home page, so keep an eye out for it! 2. Phil Kuna, adjunct professor of Religious Studies at Marywood University, has recently published an article for us in The Abington Life a local paper in Clarks Summit, PA. The article discusses the stigma of mental health, and how to combat it.

4 In the Community KINGSTON OFFICE Dr. Kuna and Catherine Schramm have begun a support group for parents of children with Autism. The group offers a safe environment for parents to share their experiences, find support resources, and learn from the experiences of others. The group will be conducted from our Matamoras Office. Until Next time. Thanks for reading our very first issue! We look forward to many more to come! We are already putting together some cool features for future issues, (like interviews with local experts in psychology), so stay tuned! And please don t forget to submit your Q s for next month s Q/A section! Questions can be submitted to FB, Google+, or john@johngkunapsydandassociates.com We offer services in 33 Counties including: Wayne, Pike, Carbon, Monroe, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, and Susquehanna Counties. Therapy may take work, yet we can t do it without you. We have received training and we are privileged to work with persons who present with depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, anger, and marital stress. We accept couples, individuals, adults, children and adolescents. Taking the first step towards getting help is often the most difficult. Please don t hesitate to send an to john@johngkunapsydandassociates.com

5 February 2014 John G. Kuna, Psy.D. & Associates Vol. #1 Issue #1 Q& A Corner IN future issues of JGK&A Newsletters, we d like to offer the opportunity for feedback and questions from those who matter most YOU! So please send in questions relating to our practice, general psychological questions, or anything you happen to be curious about! We look forward to hearing from you OUR LOCATIONS Wyoming County Warren Street Tunkhannok, PA Phone Luzerne County 189 Market Street Kingston, PA Pike County 1011 Pennsylvania Avenue Matamoras, PA Phone Lackawanna County 1418 Main Street, Suite 103 Peckville, PA Phone Moosic Street 301 W. Grove Street Clarks Summit, PA Birney Avenue Moosic, PA 18517