DISTRACTION THERAPY
Created by Sylvia Honig, LCSW, M.A.,DISTRACTION THERAPY is a wonderful technique we are successfully using to get fast results for our clients. Here is what Distraction Therapy entails: Many, perhaps most clients who seek counseling in private practice are troubled, indeed. Such clients do need to talk a lot about their problems, and continue to discuss it in all sessions. This is primarily because most therapists are still using outdated and broken models in their approach to clients and wellness—seeing the client’s “unwellness,” and “psychopathology” instead of seeing the client.
Dr. Jabin and DISTRACTION THERAPY creator Sylvia Honig, LCSW, M.A., are successfully helping clients normalize emotions and behaviors. These therapists have retired the use of labels and harmful diagnoses – forever. Licensed clinical social worker and creator of DISTRACTION THERAPY, Sylvia Honig and Dr. Desiree Jabin, Psy.D., see the “diagnosis and labeling game” as a roadblock to good mental health.
According to Ms. Honig, “Talking something to death, which often happens in therapy, usually makes it more difficult to penetrate and dislodge. Many times clients feel compelled to talk about their personal problems over and over and over...hoping to make the pain go away, but it seems to just reinforce it.” Ms. Honig continues to say, “My newly created DISTRACTION THERAPY approach gives the client two or perhaps even three sessions to vent and discuss the problem from his or her point of view—while Dr. Jabin and I engage the client with dynamic interaction.”
Dr. Jabin adds, “Typically by the third session we work together with the client by assisting in finding the distractions.” According to Dr. Jabin, “Our clients are able to express his or her interests, beyond the catastrophic or overwhelming problem—we help normalize the client’s emotions and provide clarity and context.” Ms. Honig adds, “Studying art, painting or sculpture as a hobby, studying history, mentoring students, volunteering for children in need, or animals in shelters, courses in hobbies like photography, yoga, baking, design, or short story writing...things of genuine interest and easy accessibility bring balance and perspective which restores the client to wholeness.”
“It might take two or three more sessions to find the DISRACTIONS that are appropriate and of sincere interest, and then future sessions would focus on the progress or lack of it, or new DISTRACTIONS to replace or add on to the client's life,” adds Dr. Jabin. During each session, clients can choose to spend 15 minutes or less discussing initial presenting problems...and to determine if distractions are easing the problems...diminishing them, or effectively moving past them.
The therapy thereafter can go on as long as the client chooses...no sealed commitments are necessary. Conflicts are addressed and resolutions found when some DISTRACTIONS that clients choose ARE inappropriate, self-destructive, illegal, immoral, or simply insubstantial.
Ms. Honig and Dr. Jabin help such clients confront these problems by gently pointing out those DISTRACTIONS that either therapist cannot accept, reasons for which the therapists would clearly explain to the client.
According to Dr. Jabin, “Some of our recent clients chose the following DISTRACTIONS and had great results: learning computer science; learning Chinese or some other language; studying comparative religions, art history, sign language, origami, flying lessons, teaching the blind to paint, voice-overs, collecting things of interest...nutrition, cosmetology, pet grooming, medical transcribing and many other things.
Ms. Honig adds, “Some are too expensive for some clients. Some require too much family time lost...some run into phobias, etc...but there is something...many things ...for everyone."
"This type of therapy is not for crisis situations or problems that need immediate fixing like hospitalization, mental breakdowns, arrests, etc. This therapy is for millions of people who are not happy. Clients who are discontent, worried, emotionally fragile, awkward, people with feelings of alienation, angry, traumatized, frightened people who need emotional stability and reasons to feel optimistic, worthy, and hopeful. There are many people in these categories,” said Dr. Jabin.
Anyone interested in learning more about DISTRACTION THERAPY should call Dr. Jabin at (760) 331-3035.
