Thursday, April 20, 2017

Understanding Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy


A California mental health professional, Jene Edwards holds a PhD in clinical psychology. Dr. Jene Edwards is an experienced therapist whose training includes Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT). 

TF-CBT is an evidence-based psychosocial therapy that was originally designed to treat trauma related to child sexual abuse, and has since been modified to address treating children and adolescents with a variety of traumatic experiences. Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy models were broadened to include other models, such as family therapy, utilizing a trauma-sensitive approach. 

The primary aim of TF-CBT is treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by providing both children and parents or caregivers with psychoeducation to help then recognize and better deal with thoughts, behavior, and emotions. Sessions include child-only, parent-only, and joint parent and child. TF-CBT is a short-term treatment model with improvements occurring over as few as 16 sessions. There is much relevant data to support the effectiveness of this form of treatment.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Replacing Common Ingredients in Vegan Baked Goods




A clinical psychologist, Jene Edwards holds a PhD from Walden University. Aside from professional endeavors, Jene Edwards enjoys cooking and baking, and she often makes vegan desserts. 

As more and more people become concerned about their health, the environment, and animal welfare, many are beginning to pursue a vegan lifestyle. In a vegan diet, one avoids all animal-derived products including eggs, milk, and butter. Though these ingredients are mainstays in traditional baking, they can be substituted with little effort. 

- Milk - When a recipe calls for milk, bakers can substitute almond, coconut, soy, rice, cashew, or oat milk in the same quantity. It is recommend that chefs look for a replacement milk that pleases their palate. Usually, plain flavors work better than vanilla-flavored milks, and it is a good idea to look out for sweetened milks, as they can affect the recipe as well.

- Eggs - Instead of using eggs as a binding agent, chefs can create what are commonly known as flax eggs with one tablespoon of flax seeds and three tablespoons of water. Alternatively, bananas, nondairy yogurt, or silken tofu can be used in lieu of eggs.

- Butter - Many vegan recipes call for margarine to replace butter. However, when a chef wishes to avoid hydrogenated oils and the trace amounts of animal products often found in margarine, such as whey and casein, coconut oil or applesauce is preferred.