September 9, 2010

This interview is one in a series of expert interviews on the AccessRx.com blog. We add new interviews on a regular basis. Please see our complete list of insightful interviews

1. What are some of the more common reasons people seek your counsel? What is the most common age range/life season (ie, young adult, middle age, senior, etc)?

The majority of client issues that come to my practice are adults seeking help for anxiety, depression, and relationship issues, including sexual dysfunctions. The above issues are common with 40 million Americans 18 and older have had anxiety according to the National Institute of Mental Health and depression affects more than 1 out of 20 Americans ages 12 and older according to the Centers for Disease Control. Relationship issues, particularly sexual dysfunction is more prevalent in women ages 18 to 59 than men according to a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association. I look for underlying themes that contribute to client presenting problems such as unexpressed anger, unresolved relationship conflicts, early trauma or abuse (if any), and learned attitudes, behaviors, and coping styles. It is amazing to discover how these underlying themes have pervaded to affect clients’ current functioning.

2. Do you think the incidence of depression has increased over the past 10 or 20 years? If so, what might you attribute this change to?

Depression has been increasing at a steady rate since 1945 and by the year 2020 it will be the second most disabling condition behind heart disease. Depression is usually caused by neurochemical (i.e. low serotonin levels) or hormone imbalance (i.e. increased levels of estrogen), situational life stressors, interpersonal relationship difficulties, and/or cognitive distortions. The past 10 years saw an increase of situational life stressors for many people with instability brought by 9/11, the war on Iraq/terrorism, and the economic recession. People are usually resilient and recover quickly from unfortunate events, but sometimes their coping skills are inadequate to deal with life altering events beyond their control.

3. Can depression be prevented? Can it be “cured”?

Feeling “down” and sadness is a natural human emotion. Emotions cannot be prevented, erased, swept under the rug, or bottled up. Depression can be treated by ameliorating its effects with medications and/or psychotherapy. While drugs may help depression in the short run, psychotherapy has been found to be most effective in treating depression long term. There is hope even for debilitating, crippling depression.

4. You specialize in working with mothers, both stay-at-home and working. What challenges do each of these types of mothers face and how can they overcome them?

As a mother myself, I know too well the challenges and the joys that come with the territory. Being a mother is a full time job. The job is even more challenging when a mother is working full time or part time and/or is single. Other than dealing with typical childhood rearing dilemmas, a major challenge that both stay-at-home and working mothers especially of younger children is the lack of personal time for self-care. Fatigue is all too common for mothers and getting plenty of sleep will go a long way to energize mothers for arduous daily tasks. Mothers strive to be good moms for their children and when that is acknowledged by others, it is music to their ears!

5. What 3 tips would you give to someone looking for personal improvement and fulfillment?

Tip #1 Start with your nighttime dreams. – No matter how strange and far fetched they may be, dreams are a window to our deepest, innermost feelings that we may not be consciously aware of. Pay attention to the emotions you have during dreaming and correlate that with current life situation in the past week. There are clues abound.

Tip #2 Experience new things you never thought you’d do or are afraid to try. – I have a colleague who was afraid of speaking on radio and flying in a parachute. She faced her fears and did exactly those things and as a result, felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment and personal growth. She now regularly talks on radio! New experiences do not need to be a huge undertaking. It can be something simple as trying new food or getting that haircut. Not to mention it is a great conversation topic!

Tip #3 Participate in regular psychotherapy sessions. – Believe it or not, psychotherapy is not only useful for dealing with life difficulties, it is a good tool for personal growth and improvement. Receiving honest objective feedback from a caring and ethical professional can go a long way. I had many clients who have said they liked how they have grown to become as a result of going to psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is a good investment in yourself.

About Lisa Fischer, PhD: DrLisaFischer.com

Lisa Colangelo Fischer, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her Ph.D. degree in Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University and her Master’s in Counseling degree also at Arizona State University. She attended the University of Arizona and University of San Diego as an undergraduate. For her predoctoral internship, she was trained at Northwestern University and did her postdoctoral residency at the Maricopa Medical Center. Dr. Fischer is a member of the American Psychological Association, Arizona Psychological Association, Arizona Psychoanalytic Society, and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She served as President of the Southwest Psychoanalytic Society. She is currently studying to be a Diplomate with the American Board of Sexology. The main theoretical orientation of Dr. Fischer’s practice is relational psychoanalysis which is considered as the cutting edge of contemporary psychoanalysis.

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