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Scott Waltman: How this psychologist is helping people through memes

Scott Waltman is an author, international trainer and clinical psychologist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He went to graduate school at Pacific University in Oregon, and did his predoctoral internship at the Colorado Mental health Institute in Pueblo. After that, Scott completed his postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. From there, he started working at the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked as a cognitive behavior therapy trainer under Dr. Aaron T. Beck, the originator of cognitive therapy and one of the most influential and famous psychiatrists of all time.

Working with Dr. Beck, Scott Waltman realized that Socratic questioning was a common challenge for clinicians. He, along with Dr. Aaron T. Beck, then studied how expert clinicians use Socratic questioning and put that information together to create a new format for teaching Socratic questioning to clinicians. Their framework was designed to both correct the common mistakes that people make and train clinicians to use the chronic question in a way consistent with an expert therapist. 

“While I presented this model at various international conferences to help with the uptake, we found that a number of clinicians we wanted to reach weren’t attending conferences. So we had to think of creative ways to reach clinicians who are normally difficult to reach,” shared Scott Waltman. “This is how I decided to start my Instagram page ‘socraticmethodcbt’. It’s a mix of memes and educational materials geared towards therapists and mental health advocates,” he added.

Though meant for therapists and clinicians, his memes are widely followed by the masses in general since it provides a lighter way to address their issues, normalizing the concept of mental health issues. The page is full of amusing memes and helpful tips with the intention of making useful information accessible in a format that is not only engaging but also entertaining. 

There is no doubt that memes have become a common way of communication in this day and age. Even when you don’t talk to your friends or relatives for weeks, you find a relevant meme to share with them. It’s a conversation starter and also a way to show others they are remembered. The fact is that memes have garnered immense attention over the past few years, and with social media becoming such an important part of our lives, the craze for fun content has increased exponentially. 

Where mental health issues are still considered taboo in some parts of the world, and people avoid talking about their problems for fear of being labeled, Scott Waltman has come up with an interesting and informative way to spread awareness about mental issues. People can associate with his posts and realize what they are going through, all the while taking useful tips to help them cope with their day-to-day lives. 

Scott Waltman’s book, ‘Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors: Learn How to Think and Intervene Like a Cognitive Behavior Therapist’ has gained international support from therapists around the world. Through this book, readers will learn how to apply his framework to specialty populations, such as patients with borderline personality disorder who receive dialectical behavior therapy. Apart from that, additional chapters contain explicit guidance on how to layer intervention to transform core beliefs and schema. This book is a must-read for therapists in training, early career professionals, supervisors, trainers, and any clinician looking to refine and enhance their ability to use Socratic strategies to bring about lasting change.

The expert psychologist believes that mindset is essential but not as important as the actions you take. “I am not an affirmations person because, in my experience, people often do not believe the affirmations they say,” shared Scott. “Instead what I find is often, when someone is looking to make changes in their life, the feelings are the last thing to change. What is important is to set a direction and take action. As someone takes action, the circumstances of their life will change too. As the circumstances of their life change, the narrative and emotions will catch up. It is all interconnected,” he added.

Scott Waltman is board certified in CBT by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is also a fellow diplomat and a certified trainer consultant for the Academy of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He also sits on the Board of The Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral 

Therapy and the International Association of Cognitive and Behavior Therapies. With vast experience in studying, practicing and then training therapists, he understands the importance of cognitive behavioral therapy and its life-changing impact on people’s lives. Be it his serious therapy sessions or interactive yet fun memes, all his work is based on helping people get better control over their emotions and have a healthy, constructive and positive mind. 

How Jennifer Pinkerton Empowers Individuals to Heal from Their Trauma

Harboring unprocessed emotional trauma can be damaging to any individual’s personal growth and relationships. It can also rob them of the opportunity to become the best version of themselves, have a productive career and have a thriving marriage. For these reasons, psychotherapist, writer, and motivational speaker Jennifer Pinkerton is dedicating her career to helping people suffering from trauma see their experience from the proper perspective so they can begin to heal and thrive.

The owner of Pinkerton Psychotherapy and host of the REDHEADREVEAL™ podcast is a well-known connection expert and emotional health advocate. She helps people reveal and understand their attachment wounds and unresolved emotional trauma that have been keeping them in survival mode for a great part of their lives. Pinkerton understands fully well that these unresolved issues in their lives tend to negatively impact their relationships and sexuality. 

Pinkerton offers online workshops and intensives to help her clients navigate their wounds. She is also best known for her love lessons that have effectively helped her clients develop better relationships and intimate experiences. In her podcast, she addresses the intricacies of developing personal resilience and discusses it with thought leaders who contribute to the topic. 

Her private practice in Houston, Texas, has allowed her to work with children, teens, adults, individuals, couples, and families who wish to elevate their life experiences by letting go of the pain in their past. Pinkerton Psychotherapy is dedicated to providing high-quality, thoughtful, and empowering psychotherapy and coaching services to its clients from all walks of life. The practice’s mission is based on the mindset to meet clients where they are and customize therapy and coaching to each person’s needs to provide the most opportunity for growth, self-awareness, and resolution.

Throughout the course of her productive professional career, Pinkerton has seen adults get stuck in life, unable to move forward due to their traumas in the past. Primarily, they cannot function in relationships and achieve connection, authenticity, and vulnerability. When left unresolved, relationships often become a casualty. 

“If we were taught love under difficult circumstances that dealt with betrayal, inconsistency, intrusiveness, unmet needs, lack of attunement, mental illness, abandonment, abuse or addiction, this shapes our emotional balance, and we seek to repeat the cycle. This inheritance doesn’t have to be accepted. We can create a new narrative of self-actualization and awareness, basically, a new story in your head that doesn’t encompass trauma,” Pinkerton revealed. 

As a professional psychotherapist and coach, Pinkerton believes that healing is not linear. People will repeat what they do not heal. That is why she believes in the value of engaging in an intentional transformation that allows people to create an entirely new narrative without discounting or invalidating the trauma that took place. Thanks to Pinkerton and her personal advocacy, her clients can begin to live more meaningful lives and return to the person they were born to be. 

Inspiring My Generation Launches Clothing Line “Therapy for All” to Promote Mental Health

Despite having persisted for decades, mental health continues to lack attention in numerous institutes worldwide. However, several endeavors have been launched to remedy this and raise the conversation on mental health – among those being Inspiring My Generation’s newest venture “Therapy for All.”

As a nonprofit organization established by Francesca Reicherter, Inspiring My Generation operates on the mission to bring warmth to people dealing with mental illnesses. “I wanted to build a brand centered around giving back and encouraging activism,” the inspirational founder shares.

“I wanted to build a brand that served as a source of hope and encouragement for individuals living with mental illness to know they are not alone and there are people out there willing to lend a helping hand.”

Francesca has also designed “Inspiring My Generation” as a voice for those who lost loved ones to suicide in honor of the lives that they were not able to live.

Furthering this mission, Inspiring My Generation has been instrumental in the fight against the stigma surrounding mental health. By becoming an indispensable voice of faith and strength and normalizing the conversation on mental illnesses, the influential nonprofit organization has helped countless individuals worldwide survive and thrive.

On January 17, 2021, Francesca Reicherter’s successful venture launched its first clothing collection called “Therapy for All.” The collection’s proceeds are donated to the T3 Mental Health Grant that provides financial assistance to people living with mental illness who cannot afford the treatment they need.

To appeal to its international audience, “Therapy for All” carries merchandise with uplifting messages centered on promoting mental health. Through T-shirts, notebooks, and hoodies, the collection echoes the advocacy that inspired its launch. 

“We also have limited edition items coming out at the end of every quarter, giveaways at the start of every month on our Instagram, and a second collection launching in July 2021,” Francesca reveals.

While her dedicated team gets busy with their upcoming projects, Inspiring My Generation grows its impact in the community. Continuing to develop its legacy, the nonprofit organization provides support and encouragement to those hospitalized with suicidal ideation. Inspiring My Generation also educates its reach on mental health, illness, and wellness. It also writes imperative letters to state government leaders to increase the support and call for funding for its cause – communicating the need for supportive treatment laws for individuals dealing with mental illness. Slowly changing the world with every letter, and now, with every item sold, Francesca plans to grow Inspiring My Generation’s clothing collections.

Five years from now, she hopes to see people worldwide wear the organization’s clothes daily and casually converse about mental health. “I want Inspiring My Generation to be a recognizable brand that encourages positive and impactful conversations on mental health and serves as a safe place.”

While her nonprofit venture will transition into a household name, Francesca sees her organization as generating enough profit to broaden her mission. Through her efforts and countless others’, mental health will, one day, no longer be a taboo or shameful topic in all parts of the globe.

Save lives through shopping. Browse through Francesca Reicherter’s “Therapy for All” collection online. Learn more about the awe-inspiring mental health advocate and how she furthers her cause on Inspiring My Generation’s official website