I have said in other blog posts that depression and be categorized as two types:  Organic and Situational.  Organic depression almost always requires medication because there is a lack of serotonin being created in the brain.  Situational depression is the nasty result of some sort of past event that we can not for whatever reason get over.  Both types of depression are treatable.   The fastest method, bar none, that I have come across over the years is Neuro Emotional Technique.
     Neuro Emotional Technique is a mind/body approach to eliminating stuck feelings in the body.   It is so different from traditional talk therapy because it uses the scientifically validated energy systems of the body to locate specific feelings associated with the negative event.  This is done through a two step process of using a technique called manual muscle testing and touching on meridian pulse points on the wrist.  This process takes literally just a few minutes.   When I had this done to me, I literally felt a surge of emotions that felt like an electrical charge leave my body. The feelings are still gone, and chatter in my brain from before is not there. Most people who I do this technique with experience the same thing. It is strange, yet amazing.  
     Getting back to how Neuro Emotional Technique can treat depression.  Depression can rear its ugly head in so many ways, and sometimes the feelings of why we feel depressed are just masked by a feeling of dread and sadness. In traditional talk therapy, we would run around in circles trying to figure out some rhyme and reason to the depression, but with Neuro Emotional Technique, the research shows that the subconscious mind already knows, and is willing to let go with some simple investigative work.  Literally, by pressing the meridian pulse points in the wrist we know almost immediately the underlying feeling, and then, we generally know the cause. From there, we add a few more steps, and the feelings are released. As I have said in other posts, with Neuro Emotional Technique, I can quite literally get  a year's worth of traditional therapy done in under an hour.   Just the other day, I got a person to smile and joke for the first time in two years after they experienced what they experienced.  We did that in under 20 minutes. I can not begin to express how this has changed my practice, my life, and my view of the world.  I am going to keep doing these blogs and  tell as  many people as I can until everyone who needs it gets to experience the release that I felt and now many of my patients.

Till next time,


Justin
       

        As  both a therapist and a student of life, I am constantly searching for ways to help both myself and the lives of my patients.  I feel that any provider, whether they are a medical doctor, nurse, psychologist, or therapist, should be open to possibilities that what they currently know to be true could one day be turned upside down.  This is what happened to me this past March.  
           I have a colleague friend of mine that I have known since my early days of counseling.  She practices in my hometown in Florida, while I practice here in Gastonia.  Ironically, we each recieved training in the exact same forms of treatment that the average therapist never takes the time to learn. It was not until last year, I saw her post on Facebook about the Neuro Emotional Technique or NET for short.  I asked her how much better is it at helping people with trauma, anxiety, phobias, etc compared to traditional talk therapy, EMDR, and hypnosis.  What she said made my skeptical.  She said NET blew those treatments out of the water.   It was not until six months later when I was talking to an old friend from the church I attended as a child that NET became a reality.  She said that she went to my therapist friend for help, and was helped immensely in just a couple of sessions.  It was my friend's testimony that prompted me to sign up for the next training.   What happened at the training completely took my previous 16 years of practice and stood it on its head.
           I attended this training in Orlando.   I am not going to lie,  I was planning on going to the training, and if it was total garbage compared to what I had already known, I was going to leave and go on a mini vacation for myself, and spend the next few days lying on the beach with a cold one in my hand.   Well, within the first hour, I was mesmerized.  What I learned blew my mind.   NET is a technique and a treatment method that helps people uncover and understand how life events in the past contribute to how we feel today. Often times, the events appear to be seemingly unrelated.  We call these Neuro Emotional Complexes or just stuck points.   It also uncovers emotional setbacks that keep us from healing physically.  I literally watched people and now have treated people for chronic pain such as ear, leg, and stomach pain literally go away after uncovering and releasing past emotional stuck points. On a personal note, the physician who was teaching me asked me what I want to be different in my life, I said I want to be free of my addiction to sugar.  What was uncovered was that my sugar addiction became out of control when my parents divorced when I was 17.  To be perfectly clear, I am happy my parents are divorced and happily  remarried, but at that time, but it was traumatic for me to go through.  It was emotional residue, so to speak, that I was unaware that I still had in me.   Since March 22(as of this writing on 5/5/18), I have lost over 30lbs without even trying.  Another personal testimony is my elbow pain.  I injured my elbows lifting weights. My elbows hurt so bad that I could barely lift myself up from the chair without help.  I even had to have my intern open a bottle of water for me.  To doctor helped me find the stuck point to that as well.  My elbows have been bothering mefor about 5 months, and it was at that time, I remember making an off handed comment to my wife about a family member causing me a great deal of stress. That stressor was related to my elbow.  Immediately after NET, I was to lift myself up, open my own bottle with out pain, and do unassisted push ups.  My elbows now can finally heal.  Needless to say, I am a believer.
          So what does all this mean to the people that I serve and treat.  It means that I am one of only 8000 practitioners in the world that are trained to provide this service.  There are over 600000 therapists in the US alone.  So, NET is pretty darn unique.  What I have literally seen happen is that we can get through a year of traditional talk therapy in less than one hour.  The results speak for themselves.  I do not have to know deep, dark, family secrets. Nor do we have to rehash the painful past.  Check my link for NET on our website for a video demonstration.  It is really that simple.  To be fair, this is not a cure all.  The individuals who are not well suited for this technique are people who suffer from active psychosis, and people with severe mental illness that need immediate long term hospitalization.  Almost everyone else achieves success. So if you are someone else you love could benefit, give us a call. 

Till next time my friends,


​Justin

Let's face it, depression hurts. People not suffering from depression often say, "cheer up.  It's not that bad." or, "When are you going to get over it, and stop being a baby?"  What they do not understand is that the black cloud of depression makes those that suffer from it feel as if they are in a dark hole with little room and no way out.  

Depression usually consists in two forms.   1. Situational Depression  and 2. Persistent Depression.

Depression that is situational is usually quickly resolved once the situation is either worked through, or the person's perspective on the situation has changed.  This is usually done either through counseling or even hypnosis.

Persistent Depression is categorized by Diagnostic Book of Mental Disorders or the DSM as either Major Depression and persistent depressive disorder(formerly called Dysthymia).   This type of depression generally has a biological make up for it, and most people benefit from an antidepressant, and on going counseling.   Individuals suffering from this type of depression may experience bouts of depression with periods of relief.   In times of relief, counseling and/or hypnosis is recommended in order to prolong the relief, and continue to develop coping strategies to limit any set backs.

Recent studies are beginning to show that moderate, regular exercise is shows promising results that may mimic some antidepressants.  

For what ever reason, we are here to help.  If we can be of any assistance or need resources to continue progress, please feel free to give us a call.


Bright Hope Counseling Center
1558-G Union Road
Gastonia, NC 28054
704-772-0333 

The internal struggle of depression and trauma can run incredibly deep.  The scars and wounds of emotional pain , though not seen by the naked eye, cause infinitesimally more damage than anything physical.  Society places an unfair stigma on the people that suffer because the world just does not understand.   For some, many of these wounds have been going on since childhood. For others, they may be more recent.  Either way, the person feels that they are completely alone and have no where to turn.

To those suffering, there is hope.  I say this because our office has helped thousands of people find hope, purpose, and healing.  Have we helped everybody we met?  Unfortunately, no.  In working with emotional pain, there is unfortunately, no guarantee.  Will we give our best? Absolutely.  The people we were unable to help refused  to take the journey to healing with us.  The reasons are many, but core is the same.  They are afraid. Healing is scary, and sometimes past healers caused more damage.

I have heard dozens of stories where a person gave up hope because a therapist did not know what to do, or made a blanket statement that going back church will fix them.  To those therapists, I say, "How dare you."  There is nothing wrong with referring out to another therapist who has a different level of expertise, but to flat out deny the person the opportunity to heal is wrong.  

So here is our proposal:

Give us a chance. We will compassionately listen and hear you. Since we specialize in non traditional methods of counseling, our chances of success are far greater than just talk therapy alone.  Together, we will develop a plan of attack, and develop measurable goals for success.  At times, it may be painful, yet goal will be in sight.  If you feel that we are not a good fit, talk to us, and we will find someone that will.  We are diverse group of therapists working with a common goal. Just know that there is hope.


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