Saturday, February 2, 2013

Psychopharmacology and Mental Health Counseling



It seems that the more human development changes, the more there is a demand to understand the role of pharmaceuticals in daily life with regard to mental health.  In the article, The Mental Heath Practitioner and psychopharmacology, "a growing challenge for mental health counselors is to understand the potential benefits and limitations of many different types of drugs"  (Dickinson & Kaut, 2009 p. 204-205).  Incorporating a thorough treatment plan, which might include the use of prescription drugs (Anderson & King, 2004). 
Recommending or Prescribing Medication
            It is imperative for today’s mental health counselors to understand their boundaries and roles when it comes to pharmacology and the patient.  Having a clear and concise understanding of the benefits as well as the risk is an asset to the client, the prescribing professional, and the client (Anderson & King, 2004). 
Legal Limitation
            Counseling professionals that only have reached the master’s level of education do not possess the adequate training or knowledge to suggest medications to clients.  This is why it is imperative for a licensed professional administer.  A counselor may collaborate with a prescribing professional since he or she has an understanding of circumstances behind the recommendation.
Ethical Limitation
            Consulting with clients as well as various medical professionals are in the client’s best interest particularly when a psychoanalyst feels that his or her condition stems from biological factors.  Ethically a well-trained counselor will recognize the need for medications and will recommend him or her to visit an appropriate physician to responsibly write the correct dosage, and amount of times that it is needed to be administered. 
Counselor’s Role in Educating Clients about Medication
            Psychology is a self-educated trade, because not every client is in need of the same therapy.  That said, this is why Dickinson and Kaut have proposed that there needs to be specialized training in pharmacology and done so on a case-by-case basis (2007).  There needs to be continual upkeep with regards to pharmacology and mental health, as well as a clear understanding of its implications to the client  (Anderson & King, 2004).  A counselor’s role is to "understand(s) prescription medication (or other psychoactive drugs/substances) in order to capably address client concerns or therapeutic issues" (Dickinson & Kaut, 2009 p. 216).  Any therapist is capable of providing clients with the necessary information about treatment and prescription drugs and its possible side effects.  In some cases, medical personal can disregard some explanation therefor it is left to the counselor to answer questions about possible side effects from a certain drug because the client will be seen more frequently by the mental health professional than he or she would be by his or her issuing physician  (Dickinson & Kaut, 2009). 
Appropriate Referral Source
            A client can be referred to any medical professional with prescribing rights, usually a primary care physician will allow a patient to come in and under the advisement of a counselor be open to write a script for medications.  If someone needs a specialization drug for example an anti-seizing medication, a neurologist might need to be called in for a consult.  The right avenue of approach needs to be determined by the client’s issues  (Borresen, Gunn, & Ruddy, 2008).          Another road that should be considered is the collaboration with all of the clients medical professionals and have a clear "past history or contextual circumstances" (Kaut & Dickinson, 2007, p. 218).  Counselors might relay ethical information to a physician to provide adequate pharmacological treatment.  The ultimate goal is for the client’s best interest to be considered by both the physician and the mental health professional. 
            "Health care professionals must receive training in how to work together productively" and "must work toward developing interdisciplinary relationships"  (Borresen, Gunn, & Ruddy, 2008 p. 123).  The role of a mental health counselor is critical when communicating with any prescribing professional since it "maximizes client outcomes where integrative therapies are involved"  (Dickinson & Kaut, 2009 p. 218).  Because the psychotherapist is in contact with the patient, he or she has the opportunity to join forces with others in the medical profession and be their eyes and ears to the appropriate professionals.  As the treatment continues the mental health counselor re-assesses both the effects of treatment.  Overall, the focus is on the client’s best interest  (Anderson & King, 2004). 
Conclusion
            Based on the readings and information provided by scholars it is imperative for psychologists to communicate with both the client as well as the prescribing physician. Ethical and legal reasons are for the safety of the patient, thus resulting in trained professionals to administer any drugs felt required by a psychologist.  This is for the patient’s safety and concern.  A clinician will be in more contact with a patient so he or she will be able to ascertain if there are any complications arising from the medications.  Clinicians can educate and train those who require medications so he or she is aware of possible side effects.  Lastly, it is vital for the referral to work appropriately there could be a history that a physician could be unaware of that is needed to be know that a patient could not tell him of.  Maximizing the client is the outcome of any therapist and if it has to be done with the use of pharmaceuticals, then a client should be accepting to that option.  

7 comments:

  1. Hiv disease for the last 3 years and had pain hard to eat and cough are nightmares,especially the first year At this stage, the immune system is severely weakened, and the risk of contracting opportunistic infections is much greater. However, not everyone with HIV will go on to develop AIDS. The earlier you receive treatment, the better your outcome will be.I started taking ARV to avoid early death but I had faith in God that i would be healed someday.As a Hiv patent we are advise to be taking antiretroviral treatments to reduce our chance of transmitting the virus to others , few weeks ago i came on search on the internet if i could get any information on Hiv treatment with herbal medicine, on my search i saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from Hiv her name was Achima Abelard and other Herpes Virus patent Tasha Moore also giving testimony about this same man,Called Dr Itua Herbal Center.I was moved by the testimony and i contacted him by his Email.drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com We chatted and he send me a bottle of herbal medicine I drank it as he instructed me to.After drinking it he ask me to go for a test that how i ended my suffering life of Hiv patent,I'm cured and free of Arv Pills.I'm forever grateful to him Drituaherbalcenter.Here his contact Number +2348149277967...He assure me he can cure the following disease..Hiv,Cancer,Herpes Virus,Lyme Disease,Epilepsy, ,Bladder Cancer,Colorectal Cancer,Breast Cancer,Kidney Cancer,Leukemia,Lung Cancer,Non Hodgkin Lymphoma,Skin Cancer,Lupus,Uterine Cancer,Prostate Cancer, fibromyalgia ,ALS,Hepatitis,Copd,Parkinson disease.Genetic disease,Fibrodysplasia disease,Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva,Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome,Liver/Kidney Inflammatory,Men/Woman infertility, bowel disease ,Huntington's disease ,Diabetes,Fibroid...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very informative and well written post! Quite interesting and nice topic chosen for the post Nice Post keep it up.Excellent post. I want to thank you for this informative post. I really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your work.
    bipolar 1 disorder

    ReplyDelete
  3. Most prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, cancers that arise in glandular cells of the prostate’s epithelial tissue. Prostate cancers usually progress slowly and produce no symptoms in the initial stages. Eventually, the tumor may enlarge like mine use too, the prostate gland, pressing on the urethra and causing painful or frequent urination and blood in the urine. So I was so uncomfortable with this prostate cancer diseases then I decided to do online search on how to cure cancer because I well have read a lot about herbal medicine,I came across a lot of testimony how Dr Itua cure HIV/herpes then Cancer was listed below the comment.with courage I contacted Dr Itua and he sent me his herbal medicine through Courier service then I was asked to pick it up at my post office which i quickly did. I contacted Dr Itua that i have received my herbal medicine so he instructs me on how to drink it for three weeks and that is how Dr Itua Herbal Medicine cure my prostate Cancer, The treatment takes three weeks and I was cured completely. Dr Itua is a god sent and I thank him every day of my life. Contact him now On:Email:drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com/Whatsapp:+2348149277967.
    He listed to that he can as well cure the following diseases below.... Cerebral Amides. Lung Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Adrenocortical carcinoma. Alma, Uterine Cancer, Breast Cancer, Allergic diseases. Kidney cancer, Love Spell, Colo rectal cancer, Lottery Spell, Bladder Cancer, Skin Cancer, HIV /Aids, Herpes, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Inflammatory bowel disease, Copd, Diabetes, Hepatitis

    ReplyDelete
  4. I’m really amazed with your posting skills as well as with the layout on your blog site.Very informative and well written post! Quite interesting and nice topic chosen for the post Nice Post keep it up.Excellent post.
    college student mental health statistics

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am very happy today to share this amazing testimony on how Dr. idahosa the herbal doctor was able to cure me from my HIV Virus with his herbal medicine. I have been a HIV patient for almost 8 months now and have tried different methods of treatment to ensure that I am cured of this terrible disease, but none worked for me, so I had to leave everything to God to handle as I was a Christian who had faith that one day God would intervene in my life, yet I felt so sad and desperate as I was losing almost everything due to my illness, A few months ago while I was surfing the internet I saw different recommendation about Dr idahosa on how he have been using his herbal Medicine to treat and cure people, these people advice we contact Dr. idahosa for any problem that would help immediately, I contacted Dr idahosa and I told him how I got his contact and also about my disease, after some time Dr. idahosa told me to have faith that he would prepare for me a medication of herbal herbs, he told me I would take this medicine for a few weeks and also asked my home for home address so as possible for him to submit the drug for me, so my good friends after all the process and everything Dr idahosa actually sent me the medicine, I took it as I was directed by Dr. idahosa, after a few weeks passed, while on Dr.idahosa medication I began to experience changes in my body, I had to call my doctor at the hospital for some blood test after test my hospital doctor told me that I was no longer with the Hiv virus and my blood is pretty good, I can not even believe this, Friends well today i am Hiv Free and i want everyone to know that there is a cure for Hiv for those who will contact Dr idahosa after reading my testimony, you can kindly contact Dr. idahosa in (dridahosasolutioncenter@gmail.com) or call his WhatssaAp number +2348134261542, God bless you all ...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing this great article. Great information thanks a lot for the detailed article. That is very interesting I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this.
    college mental health statistics

    ReplyDelete