Introduction:
My idea of therapy is having a person become aware of their feelings, emotions, and thoughts through self-awareness. I believe that a person needs to take time to stop, breath, become aware of feelings, and even taking time to write out their feelings. This allows people to recognize problems, feelings and then they can react rationally. In Tom Raymond's therapy, he talks about interaction and communication being the key to successful relationships. I also believe this to be true. Dr. Driving said that destructive behaviors are the outcome of irrational beliefs. I believe this to be true in my own life. During the day, my mind is filled with so many thoughts and if I don't take time to become aware of my feelings, I may react irrationally. In Cyberspace Counter-culture, I can relate to the idea of cyberspace creating freedom for interaction and communication. I found an interesting site called Res Rocket and I recommend people to visit this site.
Cyber-Therapy: On-Line Counseling
Tom Raymond's page on the Participation Theory is an Emotional Fitness that's online. This is a "psychotherapy" that is interactive and instructional. I found the concepts to his Participation Theory interesting. His Participation Theory discusses five aspects in relating and relationships.
The first is Sanity which he describes as "the presence of a wide range of competences that, collectively, allow us to participate successfully and in creating intimate relationships." In the Participation Theory, emotional difficulties are the absence of something good rather than the presence of something bad. Mr. Raymond also says that sanity is learned and not lost. The second aspect of a relationship he discusses is Love vs. Intimacy. Mr. Raymond describes love as an emotion, not physically found and can involve only one person. Intimacy one the other hand, is the "closeness" that exists between two people. The Participation Theory says that "love and determination is not enough to create an intimate relationship in the absence of some shared need or interest." The third aspect is Getting Along. He says that "Every relationship must answer the same two questions- what are we going to do and how are we going to do it." The key ingredient in getting along successfully is interaction. When the interaction goes bad then the interaction becomes "out of sync." Constant feedback and interconnected skills helps people get along. The fourth aspect of the Participation Theory is Competence vs. Pretending. Mr. Raymond says "Stress occurs when the tasks we face require "tools" we don't have." Competences are abilities that enable people to participate with each other that is sane or intimate. When we pretend to be competent it is useless and may cause more problems because people then don't know the "true person." Mr. Raymond says "the cure for pretending is competence. The fifth and final aspect is Reality, which is "The third member of every relationship in the world." People must understand that abilities are specific to a particular context and also recognize the inner reality of their thoughts.
Mr. Raymond offers online help for Individuals, Families, Couples, and Helpers. A questionnaire is filled out by a person and he responds to them. The responses cost on average between $15 and $30.
Two ideas that are attractive to me are the idea of sanity being learned and not lost, and second the aspect of love vs. intimacy. The idea of sanity being learned and not lost was interesting because I heard many people use the phrase "-- lost their mind." Since the Participation Theory holds that sanity is competences that allow a person to interact, sanity is learned. I believe that sanity is based on what society feels is normal and conforming to that norm. Therefore, I also agree that sanity is learned. The love vs. intimacy aspect of the Participation Theory was very interesting to me. I found many ideas appealing such as intimacy as the closeness people feel when they satisfy each other's needs and is about "something." Another appealing idea was intimacy is created and recreated again and again. I believe that intimacy is an on-going process in a relationship because of contant changes in people's lives. Mr. Raymond also says that intimacy is about mutually satisfying each other's needs and I find this very appealing because in some cultures, only one partner is being satisfied while the other is unsatisfied. The last idea made me uneasy and a little scared, but I believe that it is true. This is that love and determination is not enough to create an intimate relationship in the absence of some shared need or interest. I believe that communication and interaction is the key ingredient to relationships and also seems to underlie many of Mr. Raymond's points.
Two ideas that puzzled me were first "It's these participatory experiences and the way in which they interact with our unique physiology that determines who we are, how happy we are, how sane we are." This idea seems a little confusing to me. It combines many interesting ideas, but very generally therefore making this sentence hard to grasp. The second idea that I didn't really like was that how is a person supposed to know just how long it takes to answer their problem. How does a person know they are getting charged fairly and not being taken for. How does a person know that Mr. Raymond is the one responding and not some person with no experience?
In searching the the Web, I found another site called Health: Real Time Chat. This site is not like Dr. Raymond's psychotherapy site, but a search engine to find other sites about Health related matters such as mental health, disorders, etc. I found this to be a very useful site because from there a person can find out about daily programs, events, and other useful resources. This site links to a Mental Health Chat hosted by Dr. John Grohol, PsyD. and links to Psych Central Station. Dr. Grohol has another site called Psych Central which is Dr. Grohol's own Mental Health Page. Dr. Grohol is also the director of a site called the Mental Health Net which is the most comprehensive guide to mental health on-line and award winning. This site covers over 6,000 individual resources and covers information on many disorders, professional resources, journals, and self-help magazines.
The two ideas about this site that was attractive to me was that this allows a person to find a support group for their own specific health problem. Secondly, people can chat with others that have the same problems and find out how they coped with the problem or what worked and what didn't. I believe that talking with people with similar situations sometimes helps to gain a better understanding and perspective of the problem as well as in finding solutions to alleviate the problem or difficulty.
Two things not too attractive about this site was first of all, a person must have access to a computer and allow for time differences among states which would cause meeting time conflicts. Secondly, if a person did not know how to use this health search too well, the person may get lost and confused.
In conclusion, I would advise people that cybertherapies are advantageous especially if they can't go to anyone else because of embarrassment since identity is anonymous. Also people could use the health search site to find information or resources. Sometimes people just need to vent and this may allow them to take time out and express their feelings. I believe that having to write or type what a person is feeling allows for better understanding of what actually is causing the distress or frustration because they must put their feelings into words. However, I don't believe that cybertherapies alone is enough for people with more serious problems and cannot take the place for communication with family, spouses, children, and friends. I believe that people still need the physical "closeness" of someone and the intimacy which is created by the interaction of people.
Driving Therapy:
Behind Driving Behaviors
The Driving Therapist is Sy Cohn, MFCC has combined professional driving training with behavioral psychology training to help people overcome their driving problems. He uses two tapes as tools to help people begin their therapy. In the first tape, he introduces people to "stress-free" driving. On side A of tape one, people learn to change associations about driving and increase self esteem. He also teaches stress relieving exercises. Side B of tape one gives a person step by step instructions to listen while they are driving. Mr. Cohn teaches people how to lower anxiety rates and to become more alert and to become a better driver by using positive visualizations. On the second tape, he teaches people positive audible affirmations with music. Mr. Cohn says that people need to be aware of many factors that affect health such as nutrition, stress, and "whatifs." He gives tips on how to handle stress and improve driving skills. Some tips are deep breathing and relaxation before driving, making a survival kit for the car, making the car "user friendly." Mr. Cohn also believes that a person should feel good before and after they drive. He recommends that five steps be taken: 1) Deep breathing 2) Visualization of special place 3) Imagine white light of energy for protection 4) Repetition of affirmative statements 5) Deep Breathing These exercises are included on his tapes along with soothing music to help people overcome their driving phobia.
I believe that by doing breathing exercises a person will be able to alleviate some of their fear of driving anxiety. The breathing technique helps to keep a person calm, but can also become negative if the person is faced with a possibly stressful situation, I feel that without proper practice and technique may hyperventilate. The second idea that Mr. Cohn talked about that I found helpful in helping those with their phobias is just to start overcoming a problem. He says, "What ever is your problem, there is only one thing that is required...your Desire to Overcome It and to Do It! Going from 0-1 is farther that going from 1-1000m because it's getting unstuck to Start." I believe this is the most difficult and important step in therapies because it takes the most energy and committment from a person. Just beginning something unknown is a reward and therefore, will help boost a person's self esteem. Mr. Cohn talked about BNT (Be in the Now) and I really liked this concept of living for the now. I believe this is a difficult thing to accomplish because many people including myself worry about thinking about the past or future events which cause us stress and anxiety. The mind fills with "What if" questions leaving the body physically and mentally drained.
Another Driving Therapy is Dr. Driving's book on the Inner Power at the Wheel. This is a self help book by Leon James, PhD. and Diane Nahl, PhD. In this book, they talk about people's attitudes while driving and the impact of the "dangerous and destructive feelings, thoughts, and reactions in traffic." The book also includes reports from drivers, the impact of the irrational thinking on driving and the cost to society. Dr. Driving says that the solution to this problem is to "regain emotional self control while driving." The book teaches three steps to help drivers become more virtuous. The first step is to acknowledge that a person is out of control at the wheel, next is to witness the self out of control, and the third step is to modify the behavior one step at a time. Each step is further broken up into subcategories. Acknowlegement is broken into attitude, emotional control and altruism. Witnessing is broken up into knowledge, judgement, and wisdom. The last step modifying is broken up into alertness, calmness, and kindness. Once the person goes through each step successfully then the will be a more virtuous driver. Dr. Driving three step program is put into the Chart of the Nine Zones for easier viewing and more in depth information. Dr. Driving also talks about psychological principles that make people become more rational and humane drivers.
Two attractive ideas I found in Dr. Driving was the self witnessing reports and irrational beliefs and thoughts. I believe that the road to recovery is to begin with looking at the self. A person must become aware of their thoughts, reactions, feelings and be open minded. Dr. Driving says that self-witnessing is the process of "building your own inventory of your feelings, thoughts, and actions." When a person witnesses a reaction they put it down on the chart beginning with zone 1. The second idea I found attractive in overcoming the dangerous and destructive reactions in traffic was the idea of irrational thinking. I believe that when we begin thinking irrationally and believing the irrational thoughts, we begin to react destructively. I believe that once we can understand and become aware of our own thoughts and feelings, we become more virtuous people. Dr. Driving's site contains many entertaining, and fun cartoons, issues, and a person may even read responses of Dr. Driving.
In comparing Dr. Driving with Dr. Cohn, I found some differences in
approach to problems as well as area in which therapy is being offered.
First of all, Dr. Driving therapy is to help people who are already
driving. People driving with destructive and dangerous thoughts and
reactions. Dr. Cohn on the other hand offers therapy for people who have
to overcome the fear of driving. These people are afraid to get behind
the wheel. A second difference between Dr. Driving and Dr. Cohn is the
therapeutic approach to the problems. Dr. Driving's approach to the
problem is understanding irrational beliefs, using self-witnessing
reports, changing attitudes, and his three step approach. The three steps
are acknowlegement, witnessing, and modifying. Dr. Cohn uses techniques
such as deep breathing, breathing, visualization, positive affirmation,
soothing music, and the use of other tools to help a person. Both Dr.
Driving and Dr. Cohn use techniques to help people overcome
destructive behaviors by making people change their thoughts.
Cyberspace Counter-Culture: Freedom
The first section that interest me was about the Computer underground. In this section, phreaks were people who wanted total and open fundamental communicational freedom. Communication is defined as a "fundamental human right," but there are many barriers such as long distance financial barriers as well as institutional barriers. The Internet has provided opportunities for people to communicate without spending outrageous amounts of money charged by the "greedy telecommunication monopolies." I believe that communication should be accessible and speedy. The Internet provides quick access and retrieval of information. A drawback is that communication through the Internet may cause misinterpretation. In EFF "Net Culture-Cyberlinguistics" Archive, there is an article on the medium of email paper says that "electronic mail and messaging systems have novel characteristics that will lead toward their becoming a key, even dominant, communication medium in the coming decades. Understanding the unique attributes of this medium, and their effects on users, will help us all avoid unwanted side effects while obtaining the benefits from this new and important means of communications."
Radio Underground and Musical Transgressors. Radio Underground interests me especially the issue of how airwaves are sold off to the highest bidder even when they are supposed to be public property. Recently, a local FM radio station has been bought out by a company that already owns a few radio stations. This radio station was called Radio Free Hawaii 102.7 FM and played many different types of music, many that other radio stations don't dare to play. This station also played music by local aspiring musicians who don't get airtime on any other station. Now the new 102.7 plays "top 40 hits" that many other stations already play repeatedly. The idea of radio underground lead me to discover Musical Transgressors and how the Internet allows people to participate, join,learn, and create virtual bands that has thousands of members. This site is called Res Rocket. People meet at a virtual site and produce music live on the Net. Mission of Res Rocket is very interesting and this site creates a community for people. I found this to be a exciting and interesting site about how the Internet plays a role in forming communities of people from all over the world. Check this site out, it's really cool especially if music interests you!!!!!!
Final Considerations:
Future of Cyberspace
My conclusion of report one about virtual reality fits with report two in the sense that in my report one, I realized the capability of cyberspace to become a medium in improving a person's health. In report one, I realized how cyberspace could be a tool for expression. People could express themselves more freely by creating a virtual identity. In report two, the focus was on therapies in cyberspace and how cyberspace opens up new freedom by "breaking the boundaries" of societal and cultural norms. Report two also covered cybertherapies and resources on the Internet for people with mental health related problems or questions. The Internet is quick and anonymous which allows for greater expression. People do not have to feel embarrassed about a specific problem. The Internet also provides resources, general information on the problems, and support groups.
In the combination of both reports, I have discovered cyberspace creates more freedom and interaction for communication. Cyberspace allows for greater expression and awareness of a person's mind. Everything people write in cyberspace is created in the mind. By being able to write down feelings, emotions, and thoughts, people can begin to realize their problems. This awareness leads to power over the situation and change. People can interact with others who share the same dilemma and grasp a new understanding or a find a new outlook. Also, people may benefit by learning how other people are doing things and see what works and what doesn't. Cyberspace allows for all this interactivity that leads to growth and development of the mind's of people.
I believe a new type of human evolution is beginning. More and more people are on the computers and interacting through computers instead of mail or telephone. Many job requirements now include computer knowledge, knowledge of e-mail, etc. Communication has evolved from pictures that was etched on stone to computers that allow quick access and retrieval of information. This new technology has lead to new types of health problems are arising from the use of computers such as Computer Related Disorders. There has been some focus on CRD (Computer Related Disorders) interventions.
I believe that cyberspace is related to the spirit as well as the mind. I came to this conclusion after reading Dr. James' article on Spiritual Psychology and his other article on Spirituality and Cyberspace. In the Spirituality and Cyberspace article, "Spiritual psychology studies mind through self-witnessing of one's thoughts and feelings on the daily round of activities." People have to write about their feelings and thoughts and therefore, creates opportunity for becoming aware of their feelings. This leads to moral self-assessment, change and a new direction in life. In his article on Spiritual psychology, the mind and spirit are thought of as one. Cyberspace provides the medium and holds the thoughts and feelings of people. People interact and express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions through cyberspace. I believe this is how cyberspace is related to the mind and spirit.
| Report 1 | Report 2 |
 Dr. James'
Home Page |
 Our Class Home Page |
 My Home
Page |
 Email
Me |
