Murrell Psychological Service

The past month I have been doing a great deal of online study of E.M.D.R. If you have not heard of this counseling technique it is the first choice for treating clients who suffer from various sources of trauma. It has been recognized by the Department of Defense as the preferred treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since the late 1990s. I received my training in E.M.D.R. in 1996 and have been consistently adding to my training each year. Often service mem...bers and first responders are referred for this treatment because it is so helpful in treating the effects of being exposed to severely traumatizing events. For example, each month I travel to Fort Leonard Wood, a basic training and specialty military training facility between St. Louis and my home in Springfield, MO. There I interview and do psychological evaluations on service members many of whom have been traumatized by being blown up by an I.E.D. while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or watching one of their fellow soldiers experience something similar. Whether their physical body is wounded or not there are significant psychological scars that are inflicted which are often very disturbing. These often include nightmares, distrust of those around them (often including family members), increased irritability, severe panic attacks, anxiety when in crowds, fear of intimacy even with their spouse or children, and a tendency to isolate themselves from others who have not had similar trauma. This reaction of PTSD may be the result, not of a war time experience, but the shock of an unexpected loss (such as a death, divorce, or even the loss of a job). It is unfortunate that so few people search out treatment for PTSD because it is very treatable. Instead many individual, especially untreated veterans, choose suicide instead of EMDR treatment. There are an estimated 22 deaths a day from veterans who commit suicide from PTSD and the associated depression that often accompanies that diagnosis. If you or someone you know suffers from similar symptoms please give us a call. Dr. Jeff Maloney and myself have decades of experience treating the severe and potentially lethal phenomenon. See more

When you are thinking about new years resolutions you may wish to think outside the box. One means of doing that is to list what have been your best moments in life and pick out one that you would like to replicate and relive again. Many clients take a "sentimental journey" back through their lives to relive a moment that still holds great meaning to them. Going back in time with photos or conversations with old friends who shared the experience brings back not just the memor...ies but some of the emotions as well. Getting out a scrapbook and looking through the photos or reviewing photos saved on your camera or cell phone can fire up your imagination and energize you to create more new important memories in 2019. Making a Bucket List for 2019 that is meaningful may require some time and expense but it is well worth it. Having a goal of doing something that makes your all start Best Memory list can add excitement and motivation to reach an especially significant goal. One goal for me is to spend time skiing with my family. We enjoy the adventure of challenging ourselves to overcome our fears of heights while at the same time making lifelong memories that we save with photos and dairies. Remember that things appear to be risky only until you take that first move and take the risk. I know that peering down the side of a ski run can fill me with momentary dread, but as soon as I tip the skis downhill the adrenaline transforms the fear into excitement. Boy is that ever worth it. Happy New Years Resolutions! See more

Our clinic is focused on supporting our military veterans and all first responders. We are so proud to provide financial and emotional support to those brave men and women who run toward danger to protect us all.