Our Blog: Upward Alabama

What is "Evidence-Based Psychotherapy"? Is it better than other types of therapy?

By Susan Rathmell

Posted: August 9, 2024

Research on Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (EBP) compares a protocol against another treatment approach in order to demonstrate that the EBP is more effective than the other approach. In order to be considered an EBP, a protocol must repeatedly be demonstrated in well-conducted research studies to be effective at a level that can’t be accounted for by chance. EBPs that are supported again and again by research eventually become known as “gold-standard” treatments and are generally considered by the healthcare community to be the best treatment approaches because they have been demonstrated repeatedly to be the most likely to bring about change or relief for the clients who receive them.

Virtual therapy: Is it as good as in-person?

By Misti Norton, Ph.D.

Telehealth, Virtual, Psychotherapy

Posted: July 26, 2024

The rise of telehealth has revolutionized access to high-quality mental health care. Just 15 years ago, Upward Behavioral Health would likely have been limited to providing services only to Birmingham residents, or individuals willing and able to drive to Birmingham. Thankfully we are now able to offer care anywhere in Alabama. Our telehealth platform is private, secure and simple to use, even for clients who do not consider themselves to be computer-savvy. If you have an email address and an Internet connection, then chances are that you can use our platform with ease.

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month: Why is it Important?

By Susan Rathmell

Minority Mental Health, BIPOC, LGBTQ, Awareness

Posted: July 12, 2024

Mental health symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, and PTSD affect members of all racial, ethnic, and sexual orientation/identity communities at similar rates; however, for individuals who are not a part of what would be considered the “majority” community in Alabama (“majority” meaning white, heterosexual, and Christian), these mental health symptoms can have a disproportionately significant, negative effect. There are several reasons that mental health-related suffering is often more pronounced in minority communities. In this blog post, we will give an overview of some of those reasons.

PTSD Awareness Month: What is PTSD? What help is available?

By Misti Norton, Ph.D.

PTSD

PTSD Treatment

Posted: June 26, 2024

PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This diagnosis only occurs after someone has been exposed to a traumatic experience, such as threatened death, serious injury, or sexual assault. Witnessing someone’s else’s actual or threatened death can also result in PTSD, as can repeated exposure to trauma details (such as a journalist reporting on war or a social worker hearing details of child abuse). Some examples of traumatic events include combat, natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes, man-made disasters like bombings, childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and serious accidents. Estimates indicate that about 70% of American adults have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives.