The Behavioral Approach System for Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

 

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder
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A licensed therapist in private practice in Irvine, California, Dr. Jorge Galindo provides family services that include marriage counseling and pediatric therapy. Dr. Galindo completed his doctoral internship at the award-winning St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California. This internship gave Dr. Jorge Galindo targeted training in the assessment/treatment of bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD).

As reported by journals such as Current Directions in Psychological Science and the Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, the behavioral approach system offers an attractive treatment option for patients who suffer from BSD. A behavioral approach system is believed to regulate appetitive motives, in which the objective is to move toward something the patient desires.

Behavioral approach system (BAS) treatment works by regulating appetitive motives to help the patient move closer to the desired goal. In short, BAS provides a framework for patients to analyze their motivations by paying constant and detailed attention to their reactions to stimuli of something desired.

Therapeutic Treatment Services for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

 

Jorge Galindo
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Irvine, California-based counselor Dr. Jorge Galindo runs a private clinical practice with his wife, Miriam Galindo, Psy.D. Dr. Jorge Galindo, a licensed family therapist and Certified Domestic Violence Provider, handles court-referred cases involving intimate partner violence.

As an alternative to incarceration, many courts and law enforcement departments refer male and female perpetrators of domestic violence to treatment and diversion programs. The goal of these programs is to lower the likelihood of reoffending by addressing the underlying psychological causes of violent and aggressive behavior.

Many of these diversion programs take place in a group therapy setting. During the program, past offenders examine their views on domestic conflicts and gender roles and learn to take responsibility for their reactions and actions. Some intervention programs also include couples counseling sessions and anger management therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy-based programs enable the perpetrators to become more aware of situations that trigger their anger and equip them with calming exercises and other tools to reduce violent reactive behaviors. Diversion programs based on psychotherapeutic approaches have been shown to reduce violent behavior and improve self-control.

Differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder

 

Bipolar
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As a privately practicing therapist, Dr. Jorge Galindo works with individuals, couples, and families. While working at California’s St. Joseph Hospital, Dr. Jorge Galindo received in-depth training in the evaluation and treatment of bipolar disorder.

Most people with recognized bipolar disorder receive a diagnosis of either bipolar I or bipolar II. The conditions are similar in many ways – both involve extreme emotional highs and lows as well as periods in which no symptoms are present.

The primary difference between the two diagnoses lies in the type of emotional highs the person experiences. A person with bipolar I disorder experiences manic episodes, which are periods of intensely heightened emotions and energy. The period lasts a minimum of seven days and may feel euphoric or sexually driven.

A person experiencing true mania often engages in reckless behavior, such as excessive impulse spending or promiscuity. The person may feel reckless, have trouble concentrating, and have a minimal need for sleep. Symptoms typically are noticeable even to the casual observer and are often so intense that they mandate hospital care.

In bipolar II disorder, the person experiences hypomania, a period in which energy and mood are elevated, although not to the degree evident in mania. The person’s behavior is different from the norm and may be noticeable to others but tends to be less disruptive than the behavior of a person with mania.