Clients who enter mental health treatment come in with either an ego-dystonic or ego-syntonic view of the world. Using this characteristic of abnormal psychology assists the clinician in evaluating for personality disorder or a mental disorder. Both refer to psychoanalytic terms about how the ego, or our rational minds, manages our thoughts, feelings, values, and behaviors.
The difference between ego-dystonic vs. ego-syntonic has to do with whether a client sees their world in harmony or not. When most individuals experience mental health problems, they undergo some form of emotional pain. They lose some part of their functioning in their relationships, their home life, or their school or work. And the client is aware that something is not right. A form of conflict needs to be resolved for them to return to their typical functioning level. These individuals live with ego-dystonic behaviors. They know there are problems and that the problems originate with them. In 2011, Drs. Louise Bradvik and Mats Berglund studied the effects of anti-depressant medication on suicide ideation with ego-dystonic and ego-syntonic clients. They found that the ego-dystonic clients had poorer responses to the medications and higher incidences of successful suicides. This evidence could conclude that ego-dystonic clients have more difficulties resolving emotional pain than ego-syntonic clients.
The client who has ego-syntonic traits does not see problems due to their personal behavior. For example, suppose you have a problem with someone with an ego-syntonic personality. You talk to them about your concerns. But by the time you finish and they respond, you may leave the conversation thinking that you are at fault, instead of vice versa. The client who has ego-syntonic traits believes that “You’re the problem, not me.” The person with an ego-syntonic personality may not view their traits as a problem; instead, they may view them as an asset. Dr. William Hart and his associates in 2018 examined subjects with personality disorders. They indicated subjects found their traits were useful to them and not causing them emotional pain.
In looking at the distinctions between the individual with ego-dystonic vs. ego-syntonic traits, the world is either in disharmony (ego-dystonic) or harmony (ego-syntonic). When clients with personality disorders enter treatment, it may be due to mental disorders such as depression or anxiety that are impinging on their personality traits. Whereas with mental disorders a client can recover from an acute episode, a client with personality disorders can only resolve the conflict yet continue with their traits intact.
Praxes offers training in personality disorders. For more information, please contact us.
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Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
PRAXES has over 30 years of accreditation experience. We know what it takes to get your organization accredited. Whether it’s Joint Commission, CARF, or COA, our team can provide an evaluation of your current status and review the standards which need improvements. We will assist you with the policies, documentation, and training required to be accredited.
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