Many people like sipping on something throughout the day, but what we choose to sip on can have negative versus positive impacts on our health. Choosing tea can help you steer away from unnecessary sugars found in juices and sodas, while still giving you lots of flavor, and providing many health benefits! You can choose your tea based on what type of health benefits you would like. Black tea combats inflammation and supports healthy immune function. Green tea also combats inflammation, helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, boosts heart health, and may combat certain cancers. Both green and black teas provide a caffeine boost. Oolong tea is also anti-inflammatory, can help reduce anxiety and prevent cognitive diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and can increase alertness and attention. Chamomile reduces stress and improves relaxation and sleep. Peppermint can help with digestion and provide relief from headaches and migraines. Ginger tea relieves nausea, combats inflammation, and stimulates the immune system. Lemon balm tea supports cognitive health. And this is just to name a few. Whatever health issue you would like to address, there is probably a tea that can help, so start exploring!
New appointment scheduling for all locations: Call to speak with someone at 919-572-0000
Happiness Blog
Sometimes we need to take a step back and soothe ourselves. Maybe after work, before bed, or after a frustrating conversation. It can be helpful to have either a mental or physical list with some soothing activities on it so you can easily draw from it when needed. This list could include lighting a candle, putting on some relaxing music, making some hot tea, putting on a face mask, taking a hot bath or shower, using some essential oils, or reading a book. Whatever helps you relax! If you’re not used to engaging in soothing activities, you could run through those options and see what works. It’s helpful to get into the habit of identifying when you need some time to cool down, and then engaging in an activity that can help you get there.
Maybe you have to work from home but you wish you could spend more time outdoors. Maybe you are looking for a way to brighten up your home. Maybe you’ve always wanted a pet but can’t commit to taking care of it. We have a solution for you–become a plant parent! It may sound silly to think of a plant as a replacement for a pet, but plants really can feel like companions. People find that watering and tending to a plant can result in feelings of bonding with the plant, and research shows caring for them has a therapeutic effect. A lot of people even name their plants! Research shows that being in touch with nature improves our well-being, and while being around indoor plants is no substitute for walking in the park, it does provide similar benefits. Studies have shown that indoor plants boost mood, productivity, concentration, and creativity. They reduce stress and fatigue. They also enhance indoor spaces by adding life to them, reducing noise levels, and even helping to clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity, and producing oxygen. So, go adopt a plant or two!
Theodore Roosevelt said “comparison is the thief of joy,” and science has supported his claim; comparing yourself to others can hurt your self-esteem and lead to depression. There are billions of people in the world with jobs, relationships, houses, possessions, looks, and lives different from our own. There is no way to have it all, and comparing ourselves to others distracts us from the joys and successes of our own lives. There are ways to break the comparison habit. Identify your strengths. Work on fully accepting and embracing yourself; don’t try to be anyone but yourself. Let others inspire you rather than deflate you. If you have people in your life who constantly criticize you or make you feel less-than, try and limit your exposure to them. Spend time with people who celebrate you and make you feel good about yourself. Do the same thing to others in your life. Log off social media. And, perhaps most importantly of all, practice self-compassion.
There are many reasons we bottle up our emotions; we may be scared of being judged by others, we may be trying to “keep the peace,” we may not understand our emotions or how to deal with them, or we may be scared of our own emotions. Many people learn as children that their emotions are not safe to share; they may have been dismissed, belittled, made fun of, or simply ignored. You may have even gotten in trouble for expressing anger, fear, or sadness. This can lead to being a stifled adult. But hiding our emotions can backfire. It can put a strain on our emotional, physical, and relational health. Some signs you may be bottling your emotions include feeling like other people don’t understand you, feeling dissatisfied from your relationships, and experiencing a growing anger, frustration, and resentment with the world and others. You could be experiencing physical symptoms such as an upset stomach, digestive issues, headaches, a racing heart, and tension. Emotions need to be expressed in a healthy way, which isn’t always easy to do if you are not in the practice of it. Sometimes the easiest way to start is simply by expressing your emotions to yourself. When an emotion comes up, instead of pushing it down, let yourself get curious about it. Maybe start writing about your emotions in a journal, or start talking about them with a therapist. Eventually, you will want to be able to express yourself in your relationships. You can start with small, positive comments, such as, “I really enjoy eating dinner with you.” Gradually, you can begin to express yourself in more difficult ways, such as being able to say, “sometimes I feel like you don’t hear me.” While some people might push back, the right people will respect and appreciate you speaking up for yourself, and feel closer to you in the end. You will begin to feel more seen, understood, and connected with yourself and others.
Lewis B. Smedes said “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner is you.” By holding a grudge, we think we are holding someone accountable. But more often than not, we are just holding onto hate or anger in our own hearts, and it only hurts us. If someone has hurt you, you can remember that and set the appropriate boundaries with them, while also working to let go of the anger, pain, and desire for revenge. This can be done in a couple different ways, and you may have to try multiple. You can express your feelings about it with a therapist or someone you trust. You can write a letter to the person expressing how you feel without actually sending it. You can try to empathize with the person without minimizing what they did. The silver lining of trying to empathize with and forgive someone is that it makes it easier to forgive yourself for mistakes you have made. Once you forgive, you will feel lighter and happier in your life.
Have you ever thought about what you would do in your hometown or city if you visited as a tourist? Would you finally go to the art museum or the celebrated bookstore, or hike that popular trail? Would you try new restaurants? Maybe you’d sit in the park and take in the scenery around you, and passively observe the people who live there. Maybe you’d strike up a conversation with a local and ask them about their favorite spots. Sometimes we get into ruts when we’ve been living in the same place, doing the same job, and going to the same workout class every day, possibly for years. How can you approach your situation with fresh eyes? We encourage you to take a vacation right where you are. A staycation. Plan out a little day, and discover the richness and the breadth of the place where you already are.
Psychology and the Law: Psychologists’ Roles & Testimony in Legal Cases
“So…what exactly is a forensic psychologist?”
This is one of the most common questions we receive at Lepage Associates when clients or attorneys are looking for the best kind of support for their legal cases. Though the title “forensic psychologist” often conjures up misleading images from crime shows, psychologists can genuinely play a pivotal role in multiple parts of the legal process.
As expert witnesses, psychologists can provide both factual testimony and clinical opinions in family, civil, and criminal courts. Psychologists typically provide their educational background, curriculum vitae (CV), and other relevant information about their clinical and forensic experience. If asked to testify, a psychologist must be qualified as an expert in court with the judge’s approval. The psychologist may testify as a general expert on a topic, as an expert specific to the parties and case if he or she has treated or evaluated a party. Therapists also sometimes testify as a fact witness versus an expert witness.
An attorney can retain a psychologist to speak about their research – or the general state of the science – on a particular topic. In these instances the psychologist is acting as a general expert (on the topic), versus an expert who has meet with any of the parties and evaluated them specifically. For example, an expert on childhood trauma could provide information on trauma symptoms to a judge or jury. A psychologist can also speak on a topic of concern (e.g., parental alienation) by defining it, describing it for the court, and describing how it manifests or is relevant to the legal case.
As an expert witness and evaluator, a forensic psychologist can be retained for specific legal matters and fairly and objectively answer such questions. Psychologists can provide both written evaluations and oral expert testimony. Many forensic evaluations include common elements – clinical interviews, collateral interviews (e.g., treatment providers, family, friends), psychological testing, a review of records, and conclusions. Records can be wide in scope and include legal documents, mental health records, depositions, emails/texts between parties, and copies of social media posts. The content and test selection, however, differ significantly based on the court and referral question. Evaluators testify as expert witnesses since they form a clinical opinion on the case.
Another avenue where psychologists can give helpful information is as a treating psychologist, i.e., therapist. If a plaintiff, defendant, or other court-involved party has a psychologist as an individual therapist, that therapist can comment on the course of treatment with their client as a fact witness. As a fact witness, however, a treating psychologist could not answer questions such as, “Do you believe he or she was insane at the time of the offense?” For a therapist to be asked about their clinical opinion, they should be sworn in as an expert.
Family Court
Psychologists can assist attorneys and judges in divorce, custody, and guardianship or legal capacity cases. Psychologists can conduct full scale custody evaluations to help determine the ideal custody arrangement for parents and children, parental capacity evaluations that assess an adult’s ability to safely parent their children, or general psychological evaluations for children and adults to provide clinical information and treatment recommendations to the court. Testing can include but is not limited to personality tests and assessments of parental stress, substance use, or anger. By conducting thorough evaluations, forensic psychologists can weigh in with their clinical opinions and diagnostic impressions. Family courts can also determine a person’s competency to make medical, financial, or legal decisions, and intelligence, memory, and cognitive testing can give insight into specific capacities for certain types of decision-making.
Civil Court
Civil court sees a wide breadth of cases. One common area for psychologists to give expert opinions is regarding emotional distress and mental health problems incurred by a plaintiff. Personality tests and trauma inventories can help elucidate the extent of such distress. Immigration evaluations by psychologists are also commonly requested in civil court.
Criminal Court
In criminal court, psychologists are often court-appointed to conduct competency evaluations to help determine if a defendant can “understand and assist” in the trial process. Tests of personality and psychological functioning, specific competency assessments, and tests of malingering with validity scales are common for competency evaluations. Psychologists can also perform general psychological evaluations and risk assessments to gauge an individual’s risk of future violence or sexual offense. The results of these evaluations allow psychologists to give specific recommendations for treatment and risk reduction to benefit both community safety and the defendant. Contrary to media portrayals, the “insanity defense” is only raised in one percent of cases. However, forensic psychologists are qualified to evaluate someone’s mental state at the time of the offense.
In Summary…
This article explained a few of the ways psychologists can be integral participants in legal cases, and how they can. Testify, which is most often as an expert witness versus as a fact witness. The examples included are not exhaustive. The scope of psychologists’ involvement in the legal system continues to grow. Legal professionals have increasingly turned to psychologists to give insight into important and sometimes ambiguous questions about individuals, families, and capacity for change. Forensic psychologists possess the training and expertise to help courts make informed decisions that affect millions of people. If you are a legal professional or a client who is court-involved, consider consulting with a forensic psychologist to assist in objective and fair representation.
We’re still toward the beginning of 2022, so it’s not too late to make a bucket list for the year! What should you include on your bucket list? You may want to include some goals you want to accomplish, maybe involving your career or your home. But we encourage you to make at least half of your items things you’d like to do for enjoyment, or for the experience. Such as baking your first cake, or taking a vacation, or going to visit that college friend, or finally getting that fun haircut you’ve been too scared to get. Making a bucket list can help you brainstorm and get creative about the things you’d like to do. You may not always give yourself the permission to think freely about the things you want to do, so this activity can help you uncover some of your desires. Also, you know how we love lists. Writing things down in list-form makes it more likely you’ll actually do them. And you’ll get good feelings each time you check something off!
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