Applied Psychological Services

So excited to spread the word that Alan Melot has joined the team at Applied Psychological Services. If you are looking for a therapist who doesn't deal in guilt or shame, who lives in the real world and who works hard to be good at his craft, he might just be your guy. You can schedule with him at 627-9601.

Carla, Jennifer, and I ran a 5k on October 2nd, 2021. This was not only In celebration of Carla’s birthday, but also Carla’s health. She’s lost almost 100 pounds this year and we are so proud of her!!

From our homes to yours, we wish you a
Merry Christmas! 🎁

Applied Psychological Services updated their address.

We are excited to announce the address of our new location.....

Those of you who have graced our office in the past year have had the pleasure of meeting our office manager, Carla Arnall! I made the mistake of forgetting to post a Happy One Year Anniversary to her yesterday.

Carla, we are super grateful that you came our way and allow us to do what we do!
You’re simply the best!!

I found this on a therapists website and wanted to pass it along. Happy Friday and go for those happy neurochemicals today!!

From my heart.

Todays message is a “thank you.” It’s a thank you to everyone in my area who is making a sacrifice for others. My thank you is about bettering the lives of people you may not even know.

Something big happened this week with many of my clients and other people that I spoke with. They started to leave their houses. Now this may not sound like much to you, but they haven’t felt like they could do this safely since February.

Some of them have terrible anxiety disorders. Some have medical conditions. Others are simply past the age that they felt they could safely leave their houses. And let me tell you, these people were getting seriously mentally ill. Their depression was off of the charts. You see, we are not designed to hide from society. It’s not how we are to live, but they felt like they had to do that to survive. Super sad, right?

But a new Joplin ordinance mandated that people begin to wear masks to protect others last Saturday. My people felt safe. These guys now had evidence that the rest of the people around them were doing what was necessary to protect them. It allowed these fragile, elderly, or anxious people to do things they hadn’t done for a long time. Little things. But big things when it’s been too long.

So to everyone who made themselves uncomfortable to help others, thank you. Thank you to the Joplin city council who made a very unpopular decision to help others, including buying thousands of masks for our citizens. Thank you to the people who didn’t decide they had “a HIPAA secret ADA accommodation saying they couldn’t wear a mask.” Thank you to people who thought it was ludicrous and even “sheeply” to wear a mask, but strapped it to their ears anyway. Thank you from a population of people who now are feeling safer than they have in a long time. And mostly, thank you from me.

Happy Fourth of July from the APS family!!
Be safe and enjoy!! ❤️🤍💙

Happy 4th of July everyone.

Today may not be celebrated in the same way for many of you. This whole summer has not had the same activities that I’m used to either. No vacations. No concerts. 2020 has held less “fun” than I can remember.

Many people I know are dealing with this disappointment. Things don’t always turn out like we plan and that can hurt. Material things don’t always materialize either. Our feelings about these things are valid. But we don’t have to get stuck there.

There is truly a gift that we can access at any time in order to find true happiness. We can find the happiness in making the best out of a situation. We can be grateful for the things that we have in our life. Happiness is not found in things or activities. It is found in us. We create it.

So I hope that you are able to embrace today. I pray that you are able to find joy in the moments. The happiness that we are looking for is here, if we allow ourselves to make the best out of everyday.

For everyone with whom I have had the honor to help.

Reach out and let someone know if you need help today. Please. You are worth it.

I have seen and heard heartbreaking stories from children and adults for over twenty years. You might think that it sounds like a burden, but mostly I count it a privilege. I have been allowed to walk down gut-wrenching paths with people while we do the work of healing. It is truly incredible. I am blessed beyond measure.

The thread that wraps around all of these folks is this ..... they have come to a place where the fear of facing the pain is no longer greater than the pain of remaining broken. Going backward and dealing with trauma is not enjoyable. It’s hard work. It’s so worth it.

You see we mostly just cover up trauma. We drink it away, eat it away, relationship it away, some people even achieve it away. But it’s not really gone. It just looks like other things and the pain is still there. Can you relate? Does this sound familiar?

This isn’t the end of the story, though, because once we peel away those layers, there can be genuine healing.

Someone out there needs to see this post today. We are living in a very difficult time and people are dealing with so much. I know I have. Please share, comment, or send me a message. There are people that care.

Irrational thinking is one of the things that we can process in individual therapy sessions.

7 Irrational Thoughts That Disrupt Your Life Steven Aitchison speaks about 7 common irrational thoughts that can disrupt your life and he explains how to overcome them,

Today’s interview with KOAM about age appropriate discussions we can have with our children about current events.

Officials at Applied Psychological Services give tips on how to talk to kids about current events - KOAM Mindy Miller with Applied Psychological Services in Joplin says there is no certain age to start talking to your kids about current events.

Remembering all of my former clients who shared their stories with me. Praying you are better for our time together. Hoping you have peace. 💜💜💜

Today is a day of remembrance in my family and in the town I have lived in for more than 20 years. Today is the ninth anniversary of the day that an F-5 tornado took the lives of 161 souls. It decimated an over three mile wide swath through the middle of town. It almost broke me. I am forever changed.

It’s hard to tell snippets of the story without starting at the beginning of the day, but I’ll not write you a novel. Stories of trauma are almost always hard to tell in bits and pieces. It’s how our brains work.

The far left pic is of me embracing my beloved granddaughter after she was rescued. The middle pic is my middle daughter who was seriously injured and wears the scars from that day. The last picture was my destroyed private practice of many years. APS would never practice as a whole after that day.

I had both primary and secondary trauma from that day. I am forever grateful for my precious girls surviving. I spent years doing therapy with survivors who didn’t have the same outcome. It changed me.

So today, like every May 22nd since then, I will be grateful. I will hold my family a little closer. I will honor those that were lost with my memory and send silent prayers to their families. I will send thanks to those who rallied to come and be a part of the disaster relief. I remember so many of you! I will be thankful for my continual emotional healing. Better every year.

Do you remember this day, nine years ago? I’d love to hear your story. Feel free to like, comment, tag someone who was there.
#05/22/2011

Just in case someone else needed to hear this today! 💜

Sometimes I feel like my life is a series of being the scared kid trying to do trust falls at their first ropes course. When life gets tough, which is the only constant in life, I start getting rigid and doubtful. I shake my head at the universe as it pleads with me to let go. “I have this,” it reminds me, “You can trust me! I finally, in a moment of desperation, relent and just do it. I let go and God spreads His arms to safely break my fall. Ahhh relief!

Maybe you can relate to my anxiety over trying to control everything that surrounds me. Yes, I’m a psychotherapist. Yes, I am also a member of this club. I have a ton of empathy for anxious people because I share in working on these skills.

So, if you nod your head at my quote for today and admit you needed to see this, just know that it’s also for me. We walk together. If you know of someone else who needs to trust the process, feel free to tag or share. We’ve got this!

An interview that I did with The Standard. Just thought I’d share. Regarding the impact of the quarantine on college students, especially those with anxiety and or depression.

Quarantine blues? We know the drill by now. Speaking to teachers with the distortion of poor connection. Hiding behind the barrier of a digital screen to catch up with friends and relatives.

How are all of you couples doing out there? Some of you have been home together more recently than ever before. Is life getting a little more tense this far into in the stay at home orders?

Just as a reminder, James Clement, is the best couples therapist I’ve ever known. Give us a call if you need his services.

What role is fear playing in your life these days?

Hasn’t life changed so quickly? In the matter of just a few weeks, everyone, everywhere in the world, is at risk of contracting a potentially life-threatening virus. This has been a game-changer like none other.

However, what may be more contagious than the virus itself is the fear that most of us are feeling. Despite the fact that most people who contract Covid-19 will have minor symptoms, some even asymptomatic completely, there isn’t any guarantee that we won’t be one of the most impacted. That’s a risk most people aren’t interested in taking.

Virtually everyone you meet will be somewhere on the spectrum of obsessing about this virus. We are watching the news. Listening for the possibility of new information, hoping to find something to help us to feel better. But this strategy doesn’t really give us less anxiety.

The good news is that this is a great time to put some anti-anxiety principles into play. When your fear begins to get the better of you, try these steps. First, press the hold button on what is going on. Stop the news conference and take some big deep breaths. Notice how it feels. Shake out your arms and legs, roll your shoulders.

Pay attention here and describe what it was that just gripped your thoughts. Think about whether or not this thought is something that may never happen. Now talk calmingly to yourself. Tell yourself that you may not be in control of what is going on, but you can control your thoughts.

We all have a responsibility to take active precautions. Wash our hands, don’t touch our face, etc. We’ve heard all of this for weeks now. Take these same precautions on what you watch and hear. Understand the thoughts that are creating your fear. Talk logically to yourself and don’t forget to breathe.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE
We have the ability for our clients to do their therapy sessions in the comfort and safety of their own homes. We have been making these available for people who did not think it is wise for them to continue to come into the office. We had been letting each client decide that for themselves.

However, doing remote sessions is not just for the safety of the one client. This is for the safety of all of our clients. This is for the safety of us at APS as well. We have now had to make some decisions to protect everyone.

Effective immediately, if you have traveled outside of the four state area within the past two weeks, you must do your sessions from home. If you believe you may have come into contact with anyone who has been ill with the Covid-19 virus, you will need to do your session from home. If you are running a temperature or have any reason to believe that you could be ill yourself, your sessions will have to be a remote sessions as well. We will give you the information on how to access the remote link to conduct your session when we make your reminder call the day before. If you have any questions, please contact our office BEFORE you come to your session.

We care about everyone of our clients and hope that you understand that we are making these decisions to protect all of us. Thank you.

It seems to me that we have a difficult time understanding the significance of just one person. We all tend to think that our actions, just one person, won’t really matter that much. But hear me here please. Your actions do matter. There is significance in what you choose to do.

We are being asked by our government on every level to do or not do certain things right now. We are asked to not travel. We are asked to not congregate in groups. We are being asked to slow down our lives and stay at home. This is not just for our own benefit. This is also for the benefit of others. People you will possibly never even meet.

This is not a good time to think, “Well, travel prices are so cheap.” “Just our family won’t matter.” “I’m so bored; let’s go shopping.” “I can do this thing.” Nope! Your actions matter!!

None of us are necessarily enjoying our freedom being restricted. But now is the time to think of others. Your actions have the ability to help or prolong this situation. It’s very simple; just do the right thing!

Take care of yourselves out there! Prayers for all.

Self-care has always been one of the most under-valued, but most highly necessary concepts around. The necessity of good self-care, however, has just become more vital. We now have to exercise good self-care in order to protect an important segment of our population.

We are now being told on a global level to slow down, to separate, and shelter in place as much as possible. Things are closing on a grand scale. Schools, public buildings, restaurants, amusement parks are shutting doors for a period of time. The point is to let life grind to a slow crawl for a period of time. And it’s really uncomfortable for a lot of us.

So hear me for a moment. If self-care has never been your bag, I get it. It’s not an easy habit to adopt and many of us haven’t ever done enough of it. We are, however, usually good at taking care of others. So, now is the time. Now, when taking care of yourself can mean the difference in whether or not someone else stays healthy, we have got to get it right.

Now, your self-care actions may mean the difference in someone else’s life. So let’s all join forces and self-care together. Let’s just do it separately. Take care of yourselves out there. You matter.

We want to support our community.

If you have a need due to the current situation, please let us know.

Our community, Joplin, Missouri, went through an F-5 tornado in 2011. It was a catastrophe of proportions I could have never imagined. It was horrible and unthinkable, but there were so many things that came out of that devastation. One of the best was that leaders and helpers emerged to do the right things to meet the needs of those most affected.

We, as a global community, are now in a time in which there are increased needs. We don’t know what is going to happen over the next 30, 60, even 90 days. This isn’t a time to become afraid and develop an “every man for himself” mentality.

This is the time to think of others and try to find ways that you can contribute to the community, not detract. We can look for ways to innovate what we do to benefit others in this situation. This can be our finest hour, people. But it is entirely up to us.

What can you do to add value to your community today? What can I do add to your journey today? We are better together, even if it is a virtual collective.

Sometimes I play uno with my clients. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Today is March 1st and that means it is the beginning of Social Work Month. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I do individual and family therapy in a private practice setting. I’ve been in this biz since 2003. There are so many other things that social workers do though.

Social workers help people in so many different capacities. They work to restore or enhance the ability of people to function at their highest level. There are many jobs that require a degree in social work and people can be licensed from the bachelors to the doctorate levels. The positions they hold range from agencies that protect the rights of others in communities to activists in the government at the highest levels.

So consider this my salute to my profession. This is to the men and women who are involved in making the world a better place. We honor you!

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at APS!!

Here are 13 Ways to Practice Self-Love!!

1. Make yourself your favorite food or treat yourself to a meal out.
2. Take some time for a special self-care routine. For example, go out for a massage!
3. Do something that makes you happy that you might not normally take time for. For example, read a good book, watch the sunset, or go for a walk.
4. Get some sleep! Staying well-rested is super important for maintaining your mental health.
5. Go volunteer. When you volunteer in your community, you are improving your own mental health while also helping others. This can also be a great way to be social and meet new people.
6. Have a friends day. Have some fun with your closest friends in order to help you de-stress.
7. Buy yourself one of those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates or something else cute that you’ve had your eyes on. (But, if you wait until the day after Valentines Day, all the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates will be half off.)
8. Do something that empowers you! Different things empower different people. Above all, on a self-love day, do things that make you feel great about yourself.
9. If you enjoy working out, hit the gym, go for a hike, or go running. Make being active fun!
10. Declutter. Cleaning can be a way to clear your space, so you feel calm and organized.
11. Unfollow people on social media who don’t make you happy or who post things that don’t make you feel good about yourself. Their negativity is not something that you need in your life.
12. Practice self-acceptance. In order to feel good about yourself, you must forgive yourself for past mistakes, appreciate yourself for who you are, and enjoy the person that you are becoming.
13. Be mindful. Whether through journaling, writing a Valentines Day card to yourself, or coloring, mindfulness can help improve your mental health.

How to strengthen your relationship this Valentine's Day Jim Clement of Applied Psychological Services and Susan Lopez of Spring River Mental stop by the KOAM Studio to talk about ways to keep your relationship strong and healthy ahead of Valentines Day. Comments comments

Flip the script!! We can all use this practice!!

Very good article! See what you think!

The Ability to Regulate Your Emotions is Quickly Becoming The Premier Skill of The 21st Century A place where words matter