Counseling, alternative psychological links, resources from Path Ways Counseling in Plano,Texas

Path Ways Counseling
3729 Marlborough Court (near the Medical Center of Plano)
Plano, Texas 75075

972-596-1338 for appointments

Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marital & Family Therapist

30 years in Private practice in Plano & DFW metroplex

also serving Frisco, McKinney, Allen, The Colony, Richardson, Carrollton, Highland Village, Rockwall, and other surrounding cities.

Alternative therapies for your information

The information on this website is provided for educational purposes only. Medical / Psychological advice and services are not being offered. All medical information

should be reviewed with a health-care provider. Care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of the information provided on this

website; however, Pamela Smale Williams LPC, LMFT cannot be held responsible for errors or any consequences arising from the use of this information.

See a new Life Coach in Plano, creator of "G.T.R.", Charles Duncan. WEBSITE: angeldancer.net

*********************************************

Acupuncture has been steadily gaining respect from the mainstream medical world. In 1997, the National Institute of Health determined that acupuncture was an acceptable alternative to conventional therapy for a number of conditions, from carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis to lower back pain. Acupuncture can be a positive contributor to almost any treatment plan, and is beneficial for varieties of health issues including mental health, addiction, heart disease, nausea, respiratory problems, and stroke.

Acupressure is also growing rapidly in ways to help all these concerns, with new therapies developing that utilize both cognitive therapy and acupressure combined!

Taking chromium picolinate supplements may reduce the carbohydrate cravings observed among some patients with atypical depression. In a study published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, researchers from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University found that some patients treated with chromium supplements for eight weeks had reduced hunger, fewer carbohydrate cravings, were less likely to overeat and also showed improvements in their mood. The 113 patients who took part in the study were randomly assigned to take chromium picolinate daily or a placebo. The only improvement in depressive symptoms occurred among patients who reported having "irrepressible cravings" for sweets and starches. More study is needed to confirm these results and to determine whether higher doses of chromium, which is found naturally in meat, whole grains, broccoli, potatoes, and apples, might further reduce overall symptoms of depression among patients who crave carbohydrates.
Source: Medline Plus online, Oct. 2005

DELTA SOCIETY the Human-Animal Health Connection

Who can be helped by a Service Dog?

What do Therapy Dogs actually do?
There are many uses for Therapy Dogs; some of these are quantifiable, but most are not.

Promoting a general feeling of well-being (children, elderly, general hospital admission)
Providing unconditional affection to those who lack it (persons in prisons and shelters, especially domestic-abuse shelters)
Improving focus (Alzheimer's patients and persons suffering from clinical depression)
Interacting with those who have difficulty communicating (nonverbal clients; some psychiatric inpatients; persons with a range of associative disorders; Autistic persons)
Stimulating memory functions (especially in Alzheimer's patients)
Encouraging and aiding speech functions (e.g., in stroke patients.
Motivating simple physical activities for the mobility impaired (e.g., patting, brushing ,etc.)

Note that all the activities above rely on a combination of touching, talking about, etc., in most of which the dog does not have to "do" very much except act friendly and be willing to be handled a lot.

Providing practice for specific Physical Therapy functions (throwing ball, offering tidbits, etc.) In these cases, the dog may perform much more specific tasks, or at least may need more specific equipment.
Modeling perseverance (many Therapy Dogs have been through terrible times -- patients often find it comforting that the Therapy Dog has not only survived these but have become useful to others).

A Virtual Lecture on Therapy Dogs, from Professor Hunt's Dog Page

If you find a broken link or know of a link related to the field of Animal training or Pet Assisted therapy that you would like to see here, Email the Webmistress

Exchange links are on a "review only" basis.

Search for BOOKS you need from one of the foremost online bookstores, Amazon Books.

Always consult a trained mental health professional before making any decision regarding treatment choice or changes in your treatment. Never discontinue treatment or medication without first consulting your physician, clinician or therapist. If you are feeling like you want

to harm yourself or others, PLEASE consult a mental health professional or other health care professional immediately.

ONLINE RESOURCES ARE NOT MEANT TO NOR CANNOT REPLACE the specialized training and professional judgment of a health care

or mental health care professional.

Thank you for Visiting!

Path Ways Counseling services in Plano Texas, a private practice 30 years.