Mendel Psychological Associates' blog

NCPA Interview: Adult Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Dr. Mendel — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:08:30 +0000

Dr. Mendel has been interviewed by Dr. Pelz-Sherman for North Carolina Physiological Association magazine (Volume 63, April/May 2012) on the topic of ‘Evaluation and Treatment of Adult Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse”.

The complete interview published in NCPA magazine.

Radio: autism and social skills

Dr. Mendel — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:29:29 +0000

Last month I was a guest speaker at Breathing Underwater radio show at WCOM. We talked mostly about autism and social skills groups that I lead. You can hear the podcast of the show:

Dr. Mendel at WUNC Radio

WCOM is a community radio station with a studio in downtown Carrboro, North Carolina, broadcasting a 100-watt signal from an antenna at Scroggs Elementary School in Southern Village in Chapel Hill at 103.5 FM.

Helping Kids Deal with Grief through Digital Storytelling

ginger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:04 +0000

Kids document their story from before, during and after a loss to understand, express and grieve. They do this by creating videos that include photos, mementos, original art, voiceovers and favorite music. They will use the seven step digital storytelling process to create an unforgettable documentary.

Participants will need their own laptop and digital camera at each session.

Group Leader: Ginger Poole, LPCA, Art Therapist

Mendel Psychological Associates

Grades 7-8 - Three Mondays (6:00-7:30PM)Aug. 16^th, Aug. 23, Aug. 30

Grades 9-12 – Three Thursdays (6:00-7:30PM) Aug. 19th, Aug. 26th, Sept 2,

Call Ginger Poole at 919-876-1314 or email gingerpoole@drmendel.com

Digital Studio

ginger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:13:04 +0000

For teens who would like a small group social environment with an opportunity to express themselves creatively.

There is a new and innovative way to help your child express feelings and learn about themselves in a safe group of 6 members. Digital Art Therapy uses computer graphic software, stock photos and drawing software to highlight issues kids are dealing with through art where they can be addressed. Teens can make digital expressions in photo collages, digital paintings, music videos and animations to express their feelings and explore their situations. Every week we’ll learn a new computer technique from the leader and from a group member as well as social and personal skills as they come up in the context of the group.

If your teen can relate to these things they may be a good candidate for digital studio:

Feeling different than people at school
Holding in emotions
Unable to talk about what’s bothering them
Not having many friends
Feeling misunderstood
Loves the computer
Likes art, video games, or animation

Requirements for attending the group:

Bring your own laptop(Mac or PC)
Loaded with your own favorite graphic software
- A Photo program: Photoshop or Gimp (free), Corel, or other Photo program
- A drawing program: Art Rage ($20) or Corel, Illustrator, Paint or other program

For grades 9-12

Friday nights 6PM-8PM – $35 per session - Admission allowed at any time. Free consultation interview with parent and teen required before beginning group.

Includes private Digital Studio website where art work can be posted between sessions only for studio members to see and exchange tips.

All levels welcome.

Location: Mendel Psychological Associates

Call Ginger Poole at 919-876-1314 to find out more details and to schedule an initial interview.

Support for Parents of Depressed Teens

ginger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:03:24 +0000

Join other parents for this one time session to share experiences, offer hope and express yourself through an easy art exercise. No talent is needed and you don’t have to be able to draw. Come and let yourself receive support and encouragement during this difficult time.

Sunday, August 22, 2 PM-3:30PM

Mendel Psychological Associates, 1.5 hours, $35

Leader: Ginger Poole, LPCA, Art Therapist

Call Ginger Poole at 919-876-1314 to register

Support for Parents of Kids on the Spectrum

ginger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:43:59 +0000

Join other parents with kids on the spectrum to explore feelings of joy and complexity, excitement and exhaustion. You’ll be choosing images and combining them in such a way to learn about yourself and your child. You’ll be sharing your experiences and insights with others and you will be receiving encouragement from the group.

Saturday, August 28, 2 PM-3:30 PM

Mendel Psychological Associates (Directions) $35

Register online now or call Ginger Poole at 919-876-1314

Parents of Teens Support Group

ginger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:42:32 +0000

This 1.5 hour session centers around sharing with other parents the positive and challenging things that you deal with on a day to day basis while parenting a teen. You’ll find support in the midst of the group and have a safe place to share.

During the session we will as a group do one activity that will consist of choosing photographs to make a collage. This is a “no talent” exercise and will not be judged on aesthetic quality but will be used to learn about yourself and explore your relationship with your teenager. Many people find in this exercise an enlightening, easy and fun way to get insight without having to do a lot of talking.

Come and join us on Saturday, August 14th for a short time of rest and a time to spend allowing others to support you.

Saturday August 21st 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Mendel Psychological Associates (Directions) $35

Register by calling Ginger Poole at 919-876-1314 or email gingerpoole@drmendel.com

Coping with Divorce and Separation in a digital world

ginger — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:03:50 +0000

Created on the iPad

As an art therapist, I see kids use their digital skills and talents to work through feelings of discouragement and grief they experience due to their parent’s separation or divorce. Using the computer, digital camera, video camera and iPad, they choose and create images to express feelings that have long been unsaid. By making music videos and painting alien space creatures, they tell their story and in the telling begin to find relief.
I see kids who have shut down or are acting out in anger. It’s important to listen, but what if they don’t talk? Many kids use their MySpace and Facebook pages to express feelings and send messages. Chances are your kids are leaving clues for both of you on their social networking page through their words and their pictures. Don’t miss that opportunity to hear.

New Support Groups

Dr. Mendel — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:23:12 +0000

Family members taking care of special need child need tender loving care too. Thus, Ginger Poole is forming several support groups to address this need:

Support group for moms with kids on the Spectrum
Support group for brothers or sisters of a special needs child

We hope that you can join us.

Autism and Health Insurance

Dr. Mendel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:35:51 +0000

On March 5th, 2010, Raleigh’s News and Observer published an article about insurance companies not covering mental health and “behavioral” treatment for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Aspergers. I have been leading social skills groups for children and teenagers with Aspergers and other ASD’s for over a decade and have been confronted repeatedly with the fact that various insurance companies do not cover this service if a child’s diagnosis is an ASD. They do, however, cover the same services if a child has a different diagnosis, such as an Anxiety or Mood Disorder, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Since problems with social interactions are at the heart of Aspergers and Autism, this, to me, is a supreme – and infuriating – irony. These children and adolescents are generally extremely socially awkward and often oblivious to social cues and the nuances of social interaction the rest of us find natural and obvious. Participation in a social skills group with similar peers is the ideal way to help such youngsters. Through such groups, these children learn to interact more and more appropriately. They make friends, first in group, and eventually outside of group as well. Their behavior becomes less awkward and they become able to compromise, to take turns, and to see things from the perspective of others, generally for the first time in their lives. While I have no doubt that this type of intervention is the best way to help kids and adolescents with ASD’s, I certainly understand and share the frustration of their parents when this best practice is not covered.
Fortunately for their parents’ pocketbooks – though unfortunately for the children themselves – many of the kids with whom I work have other diagnoses in addition to Autism or Aspergers. Many have Anxiety Disorders or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Others have Mood Disorders, in part because as they approach adolescence and begin to realize how different they are from their peers, their social isolation and repeated experiences of rejection become increasingly frustrating to them and they become depressed, dejected, and withdrawn. When a diagnosis other than Autism is present, my social skills groups are generally covered by their insurance. But this service – so essential and beneficial to treat their core disorder: Autism – is not covered on that basis. This, to me, is utterly ridiculous. I would call on all insurance companies to recognize that Autism Spectrum Disorders are brain-based mental health problems like any other and to cover effective and appropriate treatment of ASD’s through interventions such as social skills groups.

Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Art Therapy – FOR PARENTS

ginger — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:22:41 +0000

What is Digital Art Therapy?
Digital Art Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that encourages expression of emotions and changes in thinking through artistic activities such as creating photomontages, digital paintings, photographs, and videos with music. It is based on the evidence that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life-enhancing.

What kind of issues can digital art therapy help my adolescent with?
Adolescents dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety, grief and loss, stress, ADHD, adoption and foster care issues, anger, high functioning autism and Aspergers among others benefit from digital art therapy

Does my teen need to be an artist?
No art talent is needed. Most everyone interacts with digital photos, cameras and art to the degree we work with in digital art therapy. The goal is self-expression, not great art.

Does my teen need to be a computer expert?
Only average computer skills are necessary. If your teen can use a mouse and a keyboard, they can do digital art therapy. There is software for all skill levels.

Does my teen need to bring his own laptop?
Laptops are provided (PC or Mac) but if your teen has a favorite software package he already uses he is welcome to bring his laptop with that loaded.

How often will I meet with you?
I will meet with you for the first session without your teen. Then I would like to see them individually for three sessions. I will meet with you again after the third session with your teen to determine goals and a plan for success.

How much does it cost?
My fees are listed in the Service Agreement, under “master level therapist fees.”

Does insurance pay for this?
I am not on any insurance panels but some insurance may provide out-of-network benefits for my counseling services.

Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Art Therapy FOR TEENS

ginger — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:19:10 +0000

Can I use my own laptop?
Yes, I have a fast PC or Mac for you to use but if you are more comfortable with your own system and your own software, please bring it.

Can I use my own photos?
Yes! Bring your photos on your camera, DVD or flash drive. I love to see you use your own images. I also have plenty of stock photography if you don’t have anything of your own you want to use at first.

Can I listen to music while I make art?
Lots of people listen to music while making art. Some exercises require talking but most don’t. My only request is that I get to listen too. I have a multiplug iPod port so bring something good!

What software will I use? How good do I have to be ?
Only average computer skills are necessary. If you can use a mouse and a keyboard, you can do digital art therapy. There is software for all skill levels. We use the Adobe products but there’s also Art Rage, Painter and free products like GIMP and SketchUp. If you have a request, let me know ahead of time and I’ll see if I can get it.

Do I need to be an artist?
No art talent is needed. Most everyone interacts with digital photos, cameras and art to the degree we work with in digital art therapy. The goal is self-expression, not great art.

Do my parents hear what I talk about or see my art?
Your parents are allowed to see your art and be privy to our conversations however, I make a deal with them that they will let us have our privacy before we start except in extreme situations. I feel it’s important for artwork and conversations to be private.

Can I post my art on Facebook or DeviantArt?
It’s so important that the art be private that I expect the artwork to stay on the drives in my office and not be posted anywhere public. It’s tempting to create something you want to share only to have it commented on inappropriately by someone who doesn’t get it. For this reason, all digital artwork stays in your file and is private between you and me.

Supportive therapy groups for teenagers with diabetes

Dr. Mendel — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:03:37 +0000

For over 20 years, I have been leading various groups: groups for kids whose parents have divorced, social support groups for kids with Aspergers Disorder, groups for kids who have lost a parent, groups for kids with ADHD and conduct disorders. One of the few things I have been doing even longer than leading groups is managing my blood glucose levels. I was diagnosed at age 22, with Type 1 Diabetes. Since that time, I have tested my blood sugar levels many times each day and given myself insulin shots or, more recently, used an insulin pump. Now, I have decided to put together these two parts of my life — group leader and diabetic – and start a therapeutic support group for teenagers with diabetes.
The feedback I have received from my diabetic clients, and from their parents, is that the fact that I have diabetes gives me an insight into their struggles that I would not and could not otherwise have. These children and teenagers often feel that I can understand what they are going through in a way that a non-diabetic simply cannot. I know firsthand the exhaustion and misery that come from high blood sugars, the confusion and inability to express a simple thought that come from extreme low blood sugars. I know all too well how desperately we diabetics wish we could – just for a day, just for a few hours! – stop being diabetic; how wonderful it would feel to be able to take a break from being aware of every bite we eat and its impact on us. At the same time, I know that many diabetics, particularly teenagers, are often all too adept at “pretending” they’re not diabetic. With an adolescent’s belief in his own invulnerability, a teenage diabetic may ignore the warnings he gets from his parents, his doctors and educators, and from his own body, and fail to manage his blood sugar levels adequately. And I know how painful, terrifying, and infuriating that can be for his parents.
For the past few years, I have been helping young diabetics learn to manage this disease and to cope with its psychological impact as well as assisting their families in dealing with this new reality in their lives. But I have been doing so one client at a time. I am so excited to announce that early in 2010, I will be initiating a weekly group for teenage diabetics. The group will be open-ended and non-time limited; that is, clients may join at any point and remain in the group as long as they benefit from it. The start date, day of the week, and time of day will be announced in the near future. I look forward to hearing from anyone interested in this group.

Parents: Talk to your Kids about Sex!

Dr. Mendel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:54:07 +0000

I know that this sounds like an utterly uncontroversial bit of encouragement; surely everyone believes that parents should speak to their children about sex – providing them with information, guidance, and moral direction.

But here I’d like to bring up a somewhat trickier, more challenging proposition: talking with your son who has Aspergers Disorder or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) about sex. I suspect that many parents think that there’s far less urgency to talk with these boys about sex. Consistent with their general social deficits and lack of peer interaction, boys on the Autism Spectrum begin to date much later than do their non-Autistic peers and sexual activity starts significantly later.

I believe, however, that it as least as important to speak with these boys about sex. Because of the rigidity in their thinking, their confusion about “gray areas” and subtle nuances of interpersonal interactions, I have found that kids and teenagers with Aspergers or HFA are often extremely confused about various aspects of sexuality and harbor significant distortions in their understanding. I believe that this tendency is maintained and amplified by their social isolation: they do not have the sort of friendships and peer interactions in the context of which they could bounce their thoughts off of others.

These points were brought home to me very dramatically over the past few months when pre-teens and teens in my middle school and high school groups brought up sexual topics for discussion in group. In the context of the ensuing discussion I saw the extent of their confusion which, in a couple of examples, was a source of considerable distress. One boy recalled a time when he was playing with a female friend of the family and, to his shock and horror, found himself getting an erection. This signified to him that there must be something terribly wrong with him and rarely has a day gone by since then when he has not mentally “beat himself up” over this. Another time, the topic of pornography came up. A boy commented that babies see pornography all the time. I asked him what he meant by that and he replied “breast-feeding.” To him, a breast, since it represents an erotic image for him is, ipso facto, pornographic. Another boy picked up on this point, commenting that while people think that there’s more pornography in the United States, really there’s much more in Europe, since they have lots of nude and topless beaches there. Again, to this boy, nudity equaled pornography.

I encourage all parents – and especially those with children who have Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism – to open a dialogue with their children about sex. You will be helping them immeasurably if they can gain assistance in understanding this part of life which is so confusing for all adolescents, and that much more confusing for them.

Joining a Social Skills Group

Dr. Mendel — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:41:13 +0000

Perhaps the most frequent call or e-mail I receive is to inquire about joining one of the Social Skills groups I lead. So, the following is a description of the groups and of the procedures for joining.

I lead three groups – one for 5^th and 6^th graders, one for 7^th and 8^th graders, and one for high school students. Children and teenagers with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses are in these groups, but the common thread is that all of these kids have been on the fringes of social groups throughout their lives. These are kids who have struggled chronically to make friends and keep friends; many or most have suffered teasing, rejection, bullying, and humiliation at the hands of their peers. Some of the kids in my groups have the diagnosis of Aspergers Disorder; others have High-Functioning Autism. Others are extremely shy or socially anxious. Still others do not have a specific diagnosis along these lines but are awkward socially and have various difficulties with their peers.

When these kids join one of my groups, they quickly realize – typically within the first session or two –that here is a totally different social setting. Here is a place where there will be no teasing, where they can fit in and find a sense of belonging for which they have yearned so desperately. They see that here are other kids who have had similar experiences and suffered similar pains over rejection and teasing as they have. In short, here is a place where they can fully fit in with and be accepted by their peers. I find that kids in these groups generally love the groups and look forward to coming each week. For many, the group is a highlight of their week.

All of my groups are non time-limited; that is, there is no start date and end date. Kids join the groups at various points and remain in the group until they, their parents, and I feel that they have gotten what they need and can from group and they are ready to move on. At that point, we have a graduation ceremony (and pizza party) to commemorate their time in group and what they have gained through group.

Currently, the youngest group meets on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:45, the middle school group meets on Thursdays from 5:00 to 6:15, and the high school group meets on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:45. The fee for each group is $80.00 per group session. The maximum size for the younger two groups is 6 students, while the high school group has a maximum of 8 students. (It is an interesting and, I think, heartwarming story how the maximum size for the high school group increased from 6 to 8. At one point, we had a boy waiting to join group a few weeks before another boy was set to graduate. I asked the group how they would feel if we briefly had 7 students in the group, so he could join now rather than waiting for the graduation. They responded enthusiastically, saying that of course he could and asking if we could just have more kids in the group all the time. One said, “That way we could make even more friends.” Here are a group of kids who have generally dreaded social interactions because of their negative and painful experiences with their peers. Now, they look forward to these interactions and welcomed the opportunity to meet new potential friends.)

The procedure for joining group is as follows:

I always have the first session with parent or parents. In this session, I obtain a thorough history and background, including a clear sense of the problems and concerns. I learn about the child’s interests and his social history, including peer interactions and friendships. The fee for the initial intake is $180.00
Then, I have an individual session with the child or teenager. A portion of this session is spent with the child and his parent(s), with a portion one-to-one with me. This meeting is largely so that he and I can get to know each other, so he doesn’t walk into his first group meeting not knowing the other kids or me. I also learn about his perspective on social situations and what areas of his life aren’t going as well as he’d like.
Finally, during that meeting, we develop a behavioral contract. All of the kids in each of my groups are on individual behavioral contracts, based on their particular areas of difficulty. They work on these at home and the contracts are reviewed between parent(s) and child on a daily basis, with the parent scoring the child’s performance on each goal. The child gets points from these contracts which they can use, along with points they earn during the group itself, to purchase items from the “reward closet.” This serves as big motivator for many of these kids.

In reading this, many of you may have noticed that I always refer to a child or adolescent as “he.” Currently, all of the kids in each of my groups are male. I am open to including girls in group if there are 2 or more ready to join group. Over the years, I have had occasional referrals of girls to my groups, but it always seems to be just one at any given point in time and neither or nor her parents want her to be the only girl in a group of boys. There have been some occasions when 2 girls have been members of a middle school or high school group and this has gone quite well. I would welcome this opportunity again, since learning to interact with members of the opposite sex is certainly among the most vital social skills.

It is my great pleasure to offer these groups to kids with pressing social needs. I hope this blog entry provides all of the information needed for you, as a parent, to move ahead with getting help for your child.