Current Psychology News

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1525 Tamiami Trail S.

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http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/12/23/brains-reward-system-begins-normalizing-a-few-months-into-opioid-remission/79013.html

Brain’s Reward System Begins Normalizing a Few Months Into Opioid Remission

Florida has had its fair share of pill mills an opiate abuse. Here is an interesting new article that all people struggling with opiates should read! If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse and you would like to meet with a psychologist please call Dr. Davenport's office serving Sarasota and Venice Florida 941-321-1971.

A few months into recovery, patients who have successfully stopped taking prescription opioids show signs that their brains’ natural reward systems are starting to normalize, according to a new study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

The researchers assessed changes in the brain’s reward system in patients who were in residential treatment for their addiction to opioid pain medications.

One group had recently gone through medically assisted opioid withdrawal within the previous one to two weeks. The second group had been drug-free for two to three months. A group of normal controls were also involved for comparison.

After drug withdrawal, many people with opioid addiction experience persistent changes in the reward and memory circuits. For example, they may experience heightened “rewards” or “pleasure” in response to drugs and related stimuli, but greatly reduced responses to naturally pleasurable stimuli (such as good food, or friendship).

Posted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

Venice Office

1525 Tamiami Trail S.

Ste. 603 A

Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office

950 South Tamiami Trail

Ste 202

Sarasota, FL 34236

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/12/23/those-prone-to-guilt-may-be-hardest-workers/79027.html

Those Prone to Guilt May Be Hardest Workers

interesting new study shows that those who are most prone to feel guilt out of disappointing coworkers tend to be among the most ethically guided and driven employees. In contrast, as is the case with many psychological dynamics, the same people who may be good employees are more reluctant to enter into partnerships. It's possible this creates a powerful feedback loop where due to fewer partnerships outside of work does it work or concentrated resulting in intensification of the hard work to avoid the guilt. When things go wrong at work it leaves these people even more susceptible to feeling guilty and potentially having proof that closeness to others result in increased vulnerability.

Posted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

Venice Office

1525 Tamiami Trail S.

Ste. 603 A

Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office

950 South Tamiami Trail

Ste 202

Sarasota, FL 34236

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/most-u-s-doctors-now-support-assisted-suicide-survey-n269691

Most U.S. Doctors Now Support Aid in Dying: Survey

Empowerment in individual's end-of-life decision-making has always had a hard time finding a place next to Western medicine. The nexus of healthcare, life, death, having control over our own health and being completely out of control of aspects of life seemed to resonate in the topic of assisted suicide. Are we able to end our own lives with the support of medical doctors who can be an extension of popular culture? Do we even have the right to choose whether to end our lives are not?these are very powerful questions that have been wondered about for a long time and we as human beings may continue to wonder about well into the future. Here is a recent article on the topic of assisted suicide. Dr. Charles R Davenport, is a licensed psychologist, who works with people dealing with struggles and questions in life. If you have questions about the services offered or would like to see about scheduling an initial appointment please feel free to call 941-321-1971 or visit www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Posted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

Venice Office

1525 Tamiami Trail S.

Ste. 603 A

Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office

950 South Tamiami Trail

Ste 202

Sarasota, FL 34236

Thursday, December 18, 2014

3 ways to emotionally survive visits with family during holidays

To some, the holidays are the "most wonderful time of the year." This is not always the case in my family, even though it is a wonderful time of year, things sometimes are "just a bit" stressful.

Here are a few tips that can be helpful:

Have some rules of engagement and expectations for the visit. Having a plan to disengage and seek support from someone before things get too out of hand can be helpful. Having nonverbal cues or a plan ahead of time can be helpful.

Heep an eye out for old scripting or family roles. Getting together with family can feel like picking up in the middle of a very old, very tired story in which everyone knows their parts but no one really likes playing them anymore. Decide to switch up the script. The easiest way to do this is to change your perspective: see and interact with the players as individuals instead of characters. In other words, rather than "Mom," "Dad," "black sheep" and "good kid," think of them as Sally, Bob, Jane and Dave. So often, the problems in families stem from our not being acknowledged and respected for the individuals that we have become. If we want to be seen as a person instead of some label we outgrew ages ago, then we need to lead by example and start extending that same courtesy to our family.

Be mindful of what we are thankful for. To the increased arousal and overall intensity surrounding the holidays it can be hard for the real positive things to stay as front and center as the parts that are brought to our attention as a result of old patterns or hurts. If we are aware of this head of time we can work to offset this tendency by consciously focusing on what we are appreciative for while letting the more negative experiences run parallel. Squashing them usually doesn't help either.

sometimes it can be helpful to reflect and process what went well and what did not after the holiday season. If you're left overwhelmed by how well things went or a little stressed out by things not working out so well and you think Dr. Davenport might be able to help please call his Sarasota or Venice office for therapy, counseling, or couples work.

Posted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

Venice Office

1525 Tamiami Trail S.

Ste. 603 A

Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office

950 South Tamiami Trail

Ste 202

Sarasota, FL 34236

People who feel younger at heart live longer

Who wouldn't want a longer life and feeling younger? New research provides more support for the powerful impact our mind has on our physical health in physiological functioning.

Sometimes the connection between our mind and body is not crystal clear and so when we are under stress we avoid looking in these areas because when under stress we want clear black-and-white answers. This can be adaptive. for example if we needed to grab something defend office threaten our life we would be best served to grab the tool we can see clearly rather than one that's in the shadows and may not be what we think it is.

A willingness to explore the shades of gray in our lives can give us a chance to see where we may have more control or more ability to find change.

Go ahead lie about your age. It may be the very thing that helps you live a longer life. A new study shows that people who truly believe they are younger than their actual years have a lower death rate. New research published in JAMA internal medicine online looked at data from 6489 people with an average age of 65.8 years who reported they felt a little less than 10 years younger. What's interesting is that most people in the study didn't feel like their actual age. Most said that they felt about three years younger...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/17/health/healthy-aging/index.html

Dr. Davenport works with people of all age to help them thrive and live life to their fullest potential. please contact his Sarasota or Venice Florida office if you think you may be able to help you.

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/12/09/work-jerks-beware-even-good-ideas-can-be-hobbled-by-attitude/78403.html

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285
Venice Officeon

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Work Jerks Beware – Even Good Ideas Can Be Hobbled by Attitude

Being pushy at work can help to advance your cause — or not, according to a new study in the Journal of Business and Psychology.

While investigators found that being disagreeable sometimes helps to sell your idea to others, difficult or irritating people should be aware of the social context in which they are presenting their thoughts. The aggressive strategy will not always be successful, warn Samuel Hunter, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University and Lily Cushenbery, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University.

People are often labelled as jerks if they are disagreeable by nature, overly confident, dominant, argumentative, egotistic, headstrong, or sometimes even hostile. It’s often touted in the popular press that being so direct and forceful was what made innovators such as Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison successful.

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/12/10/parenting-style-may-worsen-toddler-aggression/78449.html

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285
Venice Officeon

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236
Sarasota Officeon

Parenting Style May Worsen Toddler Aggression

A new study dispels the theory that toddler aggression is associated with frustration caused by language problems. University of Montreal researchers now believe parental behavior may play a factor in the link between verbal frustrations and aggression. Physical aggression in toddlers includes frequent hitting, kicking, and a tendency to bite or push others.

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/12/10/distracted-to-learn/78452.html

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Distracted to Learn?

Surprising new research may rewrite learning theory as Brown University scientists contend that distractions do not necessarily impede the learning process of a motor task.

Investigators discovered that if attention was as divided during recall of a motor task as it was during learning the task, people performed as if there were no distractions at either stage.

Thus, the real issue is that inconsistent distraction can impair our recollection of the task...

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-everything-you-think-about-aging-may-be-wrong-1417408057

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Why Everything You Think About Aging May Be Wrong

With many aging people in Sarasota in Venice Florida this article is very relevant to our community. How we see the aging population changes drastically from culture to culture and frequently is marked significant cultural influence. For this reason many beliefs or expectations about aging may be inaccurate.

Everyone knows that as we age, our minds and bodies decline—and life inevitably becomes less satisfying and enjoyable.

Everyone knows that cognitive decline is inevitable.

Everyone knows that as we get older, we become less productive at work.

Everyone, it seems, is wrong...

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Stress may be unavoidable, but solutions are inexpensive

If you are stressed, you should read this -- but don’t let it stress you out.

In the high-speed, wired, always-reachable 21st century America, chronic stress is hard to avoid. The American Psychological Association finds year in and year out that the most common stressors are pretty much universal: money, work, “the economy,” family and relationships. So, odds are, unless you are wealthy, retired and have a perfect family and perfect friends, stress is a part of life...

http://www.post-gazette.com/healthypgh/2014/11/16/Stress-may-be-unavoidable-but-solutions-to-avoid-harm-to-health-are-inexpensive-elderly-seniors/stories/201411160228

Reposted by:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Talk therapy may reduce suicide risk after attempt

Therapy can be very helpful when things feel helpless. Here is some supporting research...

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/13224/20141123/talk-therapy-may-substantially-reduce-suicide-risk.htm

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Home cooks eat better — and fewer calories when they eat out

f you’re a home cook, there’s some good news about your health. A new study suggests that people who cook at home most of the time consume generally healthier meals with fewer calories. An especially surprising observation about home cooks: they tended to consume fewer calories even when eating in restaurants.

These data might have a strong implication for the typical American, who increasingly cooks at home less —for a variety of reasons.

Of particular note was the finding that people who reported cooking at home six to seven nights also had a strong association with a lower calorie intake when they ate out. This suggests that the home cooks have a mindfulness of healthy and nutrient dense meal preparation along with portion control, since these qualities seemed to be maintained when dining outside the home.

http://www.today.com/health/home-cooks-eat-better-fewer-calories-when-they-eat-out-1D80293351

Reposted by:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Online life for teens may lead to real-life problems

Teens' online behaviors may create real-life problems like relationship abuse and negative thoughts on body image, according to two new studies.

The studies, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that education and monitoring by parents may help reduce these behaviors and their negative consequences.

Both studies confirm "what we’re finding out in research, that the online behaviors seem to mimic offline behaviors,” Jeff Temple told Reuters Health...

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/18/online-life-for-teens-may-lead-to-real-life-problems/

Reposted by:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Do you feel like you are under more stress than is healthy?

According to a large survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) last year, most American adults live with more stress than they think is healthy – a 5.1 on a scale of one to 10, when they consider a 3.6 healthy.

How can we find the balance in life between fulfilling work, meaningful relationships, and other pleasures? Here is an interesting article in News & World Report. Dr. Davenport at Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC. works to help you find ways to feel less stressed. Counseling and therapy services are offered to couples and individuals in Venice and Sarasota, FL.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-health-benefits-of-simple-living/ar-BBd8TL3

Posted by:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

New Website of Resources for Parents of Kids w/ Learning & Attention Issues

A new web site of resources--"Understood: For Learning & Attention
Issues"--is available on the web.

Here is an excerpt from their statement under "About Understood":

For the first time ever, 15 nonprofit organizations have joined forces to
support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention
issues throughout their journey.

With the right support, parents can help children unlock their strengths and
reach their full potential.

With state-of-the-art technology, personalized resources, free daily access
to experts, a secure online community, practical tips and more, Understood
aims to be that support.

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Saturday, November 1, 2014

New website for Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC. is excited to announce the launch of a new and improved website. The new design highlights both office locations. Check it out...

http://www.drcharlesdavenport.com

By: Dr. Charles R. Davenport, Licensed Psychologist

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Exercise also helps kids do better and feel better!

We all know exercise is good for us and can help us feel better and work better. However, we don't always put enough weight in how powerfully exercise can impact our children. The Sarasota County YMCA for the South County opened a school focusing on physical activity and its impact on children's functioning. This study supports a model of regular physical activity being a requirement for whole body health and well-being....

W. Douglas Tynan, director of integrated health care for the American Psychological Association, wrote this for a the kids health blog.

We all know exercise generally benefits children, and another study to confirm that was recently published in Pediatrics. Though this finding may yield a yawn or two, the latest research goes well beyond quantifying what most of us think is true.

Charles Hillman from the University of Illinois and colleagues found kids who took part in regular physical activity enhanced their cognitive performance and brain function. His group looked at the impact of a little more than an hour of vigorous exercise followed by 45 minutes of a less-vigorous skills game for a total of two hours every day after school during 150 days of a school year.

On measures of concentration, attention, flexible thinking, controlling impulses, and actual brain activity measured by scalp electrodes, the exercise group of these 8- and 9-year-old children did much better overall.

http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20141026_Exercise_is_good_for_children_s_brains__too.html

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Childhood Psychological Abuse as Harmful as Sexual or Physical Abuse

This new study speaks to the severe impact of psychological abuse on children. This study finds that psychological abuse could have more severe impact on children that sexual or physical abuse alone.

I have seen many examples of external ailments being seen as more "valid" by popular culture than things that cannot be directly seen on the outside. For example, if a student was struggling with depression and as a result had low energy levels, seemed to not care about things as much as they used to, and had a hard time with sustained concentration and attention they may be judged by teachers or parents as not applying themselves or being lazy. However, if the same student had a broken arm and couldn't write or engage in activities as they once did it would be more acceptable allowing time for them to heal. f we allow ourselves to take into account what happens inside we can create space for healing so it will change. If we criticize as in the case of the depressed student it is likely to leave the person feeling more intense feelings.

As related to this study, typically, sexual or physical abuse are seen, in popular culture, as likely to have more of an impact on children's functioning than psychological abuse however this does not seem to be the case.

http://apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/10/psychological-abuse.aspx

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Saturday, October 25, 2014

We can have what we hope for if we suspend disbelieve and vividly picture what our success would look like...

When things are tough in our lives we tend to more easily see roadblocks than what will help us get where we want. This can be protective, in that we can avoid the let down of failure or the frustration of contrasting how things are now compared to what we hope for, but it also stops us from more easily finding possible ways our or even having hope that we can. This article supports the importance of picturing the full image of hope for our future in high resolution to find an extra boost to overcome self-dobut.

Students who have chronic self-doubt may need an extra boost to pursue the dreams they are certainly able to achieve,” said study author Dr. Patrick Carroll, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University’s Lima campus.

“This study finds that what they really need is a vivid picture of what will happen if they succeed.”...

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/10/25/what-motivates-people-to-pursue-dream-jobs/76573.html

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Curiosity, passion, at times boredom... all good stuff for kids.

Here is a great article from the local newspaper the Herald Tribune. I do not know of the authors other work but this is a thought provoking article. Especially, during a time of such rapid change in the accessability to a seemingly limitless depth of information. This Internet of information offers video lectures on many subjects, volumes of written text and digital textbook available to download in seconds. With so much opportunity passion is a better outcome than the alternate of overwhelm...

What is it that we really want for our kids? We want them to be confident, courageous, content, caring and productive, right?

Although there's no insurance plan in child-rearing, we can at least know that our kids are well on their way to becoming all of those things if we can help them discover and nurture one thing — passion...

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20141019/COLUMNIST/141019658/0/search

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Monday, October 20, 2014

Misbehaving kids... what to do?

Stories of schools struggling with what to do with misbehaving kids. For teachers, it’s not clear how to get the kids to behave. Asking politely does not always work. Or detention. You can suspend them, but sending kids home from the thing they hate is a weird punishment. There's no general agreement about what to do... and evidence that some popular punishments actually may harm kids...

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/538/is-this-working

This is an interesting story... there is a racial component to the story but the message is a good one with or without race. Several points stood out to me... Hearing each student and letting them know you understand them seems to be an important part.The challenge of inspiring an internal drive for creativity and learning another.

At the counseling and therapy offices of Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC. I work with students, parents, and schools to help students thrive and overcome academic, mood, and behavioral difficulties. When things are not going well for students, it "stinks" but it is an opportunity to inspire our own curiosity and to try to understand what is going on any why. If you or a loved one is struggling at school, with mood or behavioral problems please contact Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC. 941-321-1971 for a confidential telephone consultation. Offices Venice and Sarasota.

Posted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Transgender getting local press

Here is a great resource for Transgender information in the Sarasota area.

http://transsarasota.heraldtribune.com/

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Report underscores link between mental health and learning on college campuses

We can easily miss or accidently overlook the impact of emotion on academic performance. Emotions are not always easy to identify on the outside they don't always have a physical presentation. This all makes it easier to overlook their presence and impact on academic performance. World class athletes hire psychologist to help them perform at their peak why not do this for our students?

Dr. Charles R. Davenport is a Licensed Psychologist who provides counseling and services in Venice, FL and Sarasota, FL. He works with students who are struggling academically or emotionally or who have a learning disability and or are gifted.

Check out this article below for more information about the impact of emotion on academic performance...

Common mental health myths as well as effective models and approaches for treating college-specific issues are included as part of the primer published by APA and other educational organizations. Providing culturally competent services and outreach to specific populations is vital to helping all students seek help when needed,” the report states. “Students who participate in counseling report improvements in their satisfaction with their quality of life.” About one-third of U.S. college students report having had difficulty functioning in the last 12 months due to depression — almost half said they felt overwhelming anxiety in the prior year, according to the 2013 National College Health Assessment. Along with stress, these mental health problems can interfere with learning, limiting students’ creativity and interest in new information, the primer states...

http://www.apa.org/pubs/newsletters/access/2014/10-14/mental-health-college.aspx

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

For Some, Multitasking May Not Hinder Performance

Although scientists and educators recommend focusing on a single task to aid retention and improve task proficiency, new research suggest some teen digital natives may be an exception.

Presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition, researchers caution that telling youths who are juggling multiple electronic devices to “focus on the task at hand” may not always be good advice...

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/10/13/for-some-multitasking-may-not-hinder-performance/76094.html

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Thursday, October 9, 2014

7 Ways to Deal With a Toxic Co-Worker

Do you feel exhausted the second you walk into your office in the morning? Do you sometimes come home from work feeling completely and utterly emotionally drained?

If it’s not the work itself or the job that’s bringing you down, it could be one of your co-workers. Let’s be honest: All of us at one time or another have brought personal issues into the office. The problem starts when personal issues affect the person’s work or the work of colleagues.

There is another type of co-worker: one who is unhappy with his or her job and shows it in a negative way each and every day. This fosters an extremely negative work environment. The question becomes: How can we handle toxic co-workers so that our work is not interrupted and we are not emotionally taxed at the end of every day?

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/10/02/7-ways-to-deal-with-a-toxic-co-worker

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Helping Kids Take Criticism Constructively...

Parents and teachers spend an enormous amount of time thinking about how to frame feedback for kids. We’re torn between the desire to teach and the urge to protect children from pain. In an attempt to make feedback palatable, we dress it up in pretty outfits, sand down its sharp corners and construct feedback sandwiches of critical meat between slices of fluffy and comforting praise.

We all face criticism, both constructive and destructive, but how we deal with that criticism determines whether we persevere and learn from experience or crumple under the weight of our own self-loathing and despair. Receiving feedback is a skill, and like most skills, it requires practice, and a willingness to change and improve. Most children get plenty of practice. Ironically, adults need to help them make that practice count — by giving them feedback on how they handle criticism.

1) Don’t hesitate to offer feedback.

2) Back off on constant praise. - Don't over use praise... it is helpful but so is acknowledging the parts they feel upset about and letting the feelings be there without a "fix"

3) Watch your body language.- be open not critical uncross your arms!

4) Switch up your pronouns.- help them share their feelings not just reflect yours

5) Formulate new goals after a big failure.- Hope about future success and opportunities to do well is very powerful and empowering.

Reposted By:
Dr. Charles R. Davenport
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.
Phone: 941-321-1971
www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Venice Office
1525 Tamiami Trail S.
Ste. 603 A
Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

Feeling adventurous? Extraordinary experiences could hurt your relationships, study says

If you’ve just returned from an exotic getaway, gushing about it may harm your relationships, suggests a study published in the journal Psychological Science.

“Extraordinary experiences are pleasurable in the moment but can leave us socially worse off in the long run,” study author Gus Cooney, a psychologist at Harvard University, said in a news release.

Cooney said the study was prompted by personal experiences. His inspiration isn’t uncommon: Imagine a situation when an ordinary conversation about TV or work is hijacked by someone’s tale of a fantastic trip, and everyone else feels left out...

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/10/06/feeling-adventurous-extraordinary-experiences-could-hurt-your-relationships/

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971

http://time.com/3433493/14-ways-to-be-a-happier-person/

Venice Office

1525 Tamiami Trail S.

Ste. 603 A

Venice, FL 34285

Sarasota Office
950 South Tamiami Trail
Ste 202
Sarasota, FL 34236

14 Ways to Be a Happier Person

There are a lot how to articles online that suggest you can change your life in just a few easy steps. If it were that easy wouldn't everyone just do these things have their life the way they would like it?

If your life is not how you would like it is because you failed to do this? Probably not! We are responsible for our lives however there are frequently underlying feelings and thoughts that get in the way of us "just changing." By implementing a list like the one below we can monitor where things "get in the way" of us making changes. It is from being curious and trying to understand these things I get in the way that stands a real chance to help us find change. This is how Dr. Charles R. Davenport works with many patients to overcome challenging patterns in their lives. Dr. Davenport is a licensed psychologist with offices in Sarasota and Venice Florida. For more information check out his website http://www.drcharlesdavenport.com

Sometime this morning, during your shower or at breakfast, you probably did a mental run-through of your day. You decided when you’d tackle various tasks and errands. Perhaps you vowed to hit the gym at lunchtime. Maybe you even plotted to get out of something. The one thing you forgot to plan for: happiness...

Reposted By:

Dr. Charles R. Davenport

Licensed Psychologist

Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D. LLC.

Phone: 941-321-1971