Dr. Turk

picture frame, banner, status badge

Intrusive Thoughts: A Factor Underlying Many Problems

Intrusive thoughts are a commonly reported symptom of much larger problems. They are defined as “unwanted thoughts that intrude on our consciousness” (Donaghey, Egan, & O’Suilleabhain, 2018, para. 1). It has been estimated that over 94% of individuals experience intrusive thoughts and these thoughts are related to a variety of conditions including anxiety, posttraumatic stress …

Intrusive Thoughts: A Factor Underlying Many Problems Read More »

phone, display, apps

Technology and Psychological Well-being

Does technology affect our psychological well-being? This is a question that has been researched over many years since the advent of social media. However, this question has become even more important since COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing. A study by Horwood & Anglim (2019) sought to examine how smartphone usage affected dimensions of psychological well-being …

Technology and Psychological Well-being Read More »

smiley, emoticon, anger

Emotional Intelligence: A Growing Need In Our Communities

In a time of COVID-19 and civil unrest, it is more important than ever to foster emotional intelligence. What exactly is emotional intelligence? This concept has been defined to encompass four areas of emotional functioning: emotion perception, emotion expression, emotion cognitions, emotion problem solving, and emotional regulation (Elfenbein & MacCann, 2017). In order for individuals …

Emotional Intelligence: A Growing Need In Our Communities Read More »

cigarette, smoke, burning cigarette

Addiction Treatment: What Is Effective?

It has been estimated that 19.4% of individuals in the United States have used illicit drugs in 2018. The most commonly used substances include marijuana, prescription stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2019). These statistics indicate epidemic levels of substance abuse in the country. Drug addiction is a chronic problem characterized …

Addiction Treatment: What Is Effective? Read More »

bed, bedroom, blanket

The Importance of Sleep on Mental Health

In mental health treatment, difficulty with sleep is often a commonly reported problem. Traditionally, sleep problems have been viewed as a symptom and consequences of a mental health problem. More modern perspectives have suggested that lack of sleep contributes to mental health issues (Freeman et al., 2017). A vicious cycle can develop “…between the distress …

The Importance of Sleep on Mental Health Read More »

ghost, fear, shadow

Perfectionism and Depression: Is There A Link?

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders in the world and has been considered a world-wide epidemic (Ferrari, Yap, Scott, Einstein, & Ciarrochi, 2018). The alarming rate of individuals diagnosed with depression has prompted investigation into preventative measures. Perfectionism has been found to be a thought process underlying depression development and progression …

Perfectionism and Depression: Is There A Link? Read More »

video conference, online, home office

Telehealth Services: A New Avenue for Treatment

Telemental health is a form of healthcare in which services are offered directly to the client’s/patient’s home through telecommunications technology such as videoconferencing, phone calls, texting, and e-mail (Pruitt, Luxton, & Shore, 2014). Telehealth apps have developed to support service providers and telemental health has been utilized to treat a diverse array of mental health …

Telehealth Services: A New Avenue for Treatment Read More »