Testimonials and Articles about AskTheInternetTherapist.com

Article:
American Counseling Association - Counseling Today - July 2005 - Surf Into My Office, by Angela Kennedy

December 2, 2005

Dear Doctor Gazley,

Here is a little background on my case and phobia history.I suffered quietly for many years with a debilitating phobia. One that seemed silly to most people but to me it was devastating, it was scary to have that phobia control my life and happiness. It was unbearable and I felt powerless to see that phobia grow uncontrollably.

Ever since I was little, as far as I can remember, I was always afraid of cockroaches. Eventually the fear took hold of me and kept me from sleeping and enjoying places where they inhabit. The fear was with me all the time and I was constantly “looking” for cockroaches. Since the worse of my phobia manifested during the hot months of the year, I always tried to suppress it and hope that the summer passed fast.

This year my symptoms increased and slowly I started feeling more and more hopeless, I knew I was getting worse and that I had to do something about it. I did a little research, visited a Psychiatrist that prescribed me sleeping pills, and visited a Psychologist that told me that in 10 months I could start to notice some change. Of course I was not willing to wait 10 months, and I was not willing to take sleeping pills.

One day I watched a Dr. Phil show. That night there were three women on the show with phobias as debilitating and as “silly” as mine. I felt compelled to take action and visited Dr. Phil’s site where I found a link to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (www.adaa.org) where I found a link to Dr. Gazley’s site (www.asktheinternettherapist.com).

That same week I had my first appointment with Dr. Gazley. After 10 plus years of poorly sleeping afraid of cockroaches, that first night I slept very well. His approach to my cure used new techniques that are proven to provide results faster than traditional talk therapies. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) along with Neuro Emotional Therapy (NET) worked in conjunction with hypnosis to relieve me of the phobia I suffered from so long. I visited Dr. Gazley 5 times and am totally cured of my phobia. I no longer think of cockroaches, no longer look for them everywhere, and no longer let fear control any aspect of my life. He also provided a hypnosis CD especifically for coachroach phobias, which turned out to help me a lot, in conjuction with the rest of the therapies mentioned above.

I am very thankful to have found Dr. Gazley and would recommend his therapy to anyone. I strongly believe that his therapy was fundamental in my cure.

Thank you Dr. Gazley for providing me the tools, and for leading the way.Sincerely,

C. H.

As a parent of a small child, I would've had to forego counseling if it wasn't for etherapy! It's difficult to co-ordinate hectic schedules and etherapy eliminates transportation and weather problems that can make getting to an appointment difficult. I've encountered only professional and therapeutic caring during my sessions on Ask The Internet Therapist! I couldn't be more satisfied, and am grateful that this practice exists.

I've found that you can obtain the same problem solving results with etherapy. In many ways, it's even better than face to face counseling because it provides an opportunity to compose your thoughts, so I feel it is a more effective use of time for both patient and therapist.

K.

After placing your grocery order online and choosing the delivery time that coincides with the chat room get together your family uses since everyone is scattered across the country, you update your profile on the Internet dating sites to make sure "the one" can find you. None of this was available even a few years ago but now it seems commonplace to have three e-mail addresses and four phone numbers for someone you know only as "Big Daddy".

With all the cyber activities that have become part of my world, I was a little leery about the online version of one of the last bastions of the face-to-face interaction, therapy. Yet my changing schedule and frequent trips out of town, not to mention limited financial resources led me to check out AsktheInternetTherapist.com as a method of working through some personal issues plaguing my life. The site is easy to navigate and provides lots of pertinent information for the most timid client and requires no special computer equipment or downloading of intrusive software. The profiles of each therapist with their areas of expertise and all related costs and methods of therapy are explained in detail and all administrative tasks taken care of before the therapy session. This increases the time available and professional feel of the experience.

I was working through some issues of grief and loss, problems with a current romantic relationship and compulsive behavior and decided I needed some professional guidance. The therapist I chose, Joyce Willis, was a perfect fit, professional and insightful; we clicked as completely as I have ever done with an in-person mental health professional, and more so than most. She is a great listener and does not seem to follow any proscribed agenda of her own or limit herself to one theory of counsel but instead provides insight and more often than not, asks the right probing (yet supportive) questions to allow me to discover my own insights into the issues I am facing. Joyce is flexible about scheduling and always treats me with respect. The online session is as focused and productive as any real time, real life appointment with a medical professional. I would and have recommend AsktheInternetTherpist.com in general and Joyce in particular to anyone struggling with life's challenges. And, as an added bonus, while you are online you can always find out the latest Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt-Jennifer Anniston gossip!

S.

Jef,

Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how well I am doing.  I haven't had a panic attack for the past two years. 

I really appreciate that you were willing to counsel me by phone...it would have been hard to get a new counselor up to speed on my history but your ability to continue the counseling process by phone sure did allow me the time to find a counselor locally.  It also made the transition easier because I wanted you to discuss my situation with my new counselor...it saved me a few sessions and allowed me to continue in my growth process. 

Thanks again for all your support, it has afforded me the time necessary to find a counselor and to continue my therapy without much down time. Regards,

P.

Jef-

A. O. here. I received the Hypnosis CDs and though I have not had a chance to listen to the Self Esteem one or the Panic Attack one yet...which I should have made time, but that's part of my problem.

I have on the otherhand, used the Sleep CD for the last 3 nights I have had it. I think it is amazing and I have slept very wonderfully! Thanks. At least I hope it's the hypnosis CD...and I think it is. It gets me to relax which is where I have most trouble. I just listen to what you say and I've only been getting to about the same point in your hypnosis CD and I haven't heard the whole thing yet because I am falling asleep beforehand. Also one thing I thank you for on that...everyone else, psychologists and all alway say focus on your breathing, do this, do that, count for this and that. You are the first one that has told me to "relax and do not focus on your breathing, just know there is nothing else you should be doing right now." It seems when I try to do things the way people have said, "control your breathing" it sends me into more panic and hyperventilation. IT DOES NOT WORK FOR ME. But your style does. Thank you.

Anyway, I won't bore you anymore. I am sure you hear enough of this everyday. But THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! So far your tapes have most possibly saved my life.

Always,

A.

I am so excited to see your article on ADD. Yours is the first article that addresses the emotional component that I have been asking about for quite a while. I have described my son, who is 15, as unable to empathize with others and the impact he has on them, and if we do seem to get through, he doesn't seem to have the ability to feel or express needed emotions to cause change in behavior. Just recently, I was able to verbalize what I observed, but nowhere did I see anyone aknowledging it or discussing it.

Almost all the characteristics you list describe him. He has been on Ritalin since age 6. Currently, (for the past 2 years approx) he has been taking 54mg Concerta, which the doctor told me is maximum dosage (he weighs 150 lbs). He still is extremely active (more so than my other 3 kids), but it makes him tolerable. Evenings are tough, because the meds have worn off. He is just so mean and onery to his siblings (and we are very strict on any name calling and put downs).

Sincerely,

D.J.M.

I have felt for a long time that something within me was sabotaging all my endeavors. But I could not put my finger on it. I have had problems controlling my anger in family situations since I was a child causing untold suffering in my relationships. I had problems with depression and obsessive behavior that had derailed many well planned and executed schemas.

I had been successful at achieving intermediate objectives primarily through intellectual work. I can deeply concentrate on intellectual tasks. I willed my way through many situations by forcing myself to compensate for things that at the time I did not understand. The internal pull for compulsive behavior and lost of equanimity were the immediate causes of the sabotage. But the root caused remained hidden.

It was unexpected when I was told that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) could be, partly, the cause of my anger problem (rage) in particular. And the cause of the sabotaging force within me in general. After reading Amen’s book on ADD I accepted this possibility. We started to look at alternatives for dealing with the ADD on a physical level by balancing the brain function through the use of medication.

There were two main general symptoms areas. One area was the depression and two my anger. I took an antidepressant that worked well in alleviating the depression symptoms. But I could not find a medication that would turn on my higher level thinking centers. I tested several stimulants without success. This is very much an understatement. The stimulants not only did not bring the desired results but they made me irritable, hyper-alert, more compulsive and in general they made me feel worst.

Jef recommended “Provigil” and I was hesitant to test it because of my experience with the other stimulants. I did some research about Provigil and among other things I found the following picture and write-up which were very useful in making a decision to try “Provigil”.

Here is a write-up on Provigil (Modafinil) from www.modafinil.com:

" ...modafinil ('Provigil', 'Alertec', 'Vigicer', 'Modalert', etc) is a memory-improving and mood-brightening psychostimulant. It enhances wakefulness and vigilance, but its pharmacological profile is notably different from the amphetamines, methylphenidate (Ritalin) or cocaine. Modafinil is less likely to cause jitteriness, anxiety, or excess locomotor activity - or lead to a hypersomnolent 'rebound effect' - than traditional stimulants. Subjectively, it feels smoother and cleaner than the amphetamines too. The normal elimination half-life of modafinil in humans is between 12 - 15 hours. So it's worth fine-tuning one's dosage schedule accordingly.

Current research suggests modafinil, like its older and better-tested analogue adrafinil, is a safe, effective and well-tolerated agent. It is long-acting and doesn't tend to cause peripheral sympathetic stimulation. Yet its CNS action isn't fully understood. Modafinil induces wakefulness in part by its action in the anterior hypothalamus. Its dopamine-releasing action in the nucleus accumbens is weak and dose-dependent; the likelihood of a euphoric response ('abuse potential'), dose-escalation and tolerance is thus apparently small. Modafinil has central alpha 1-adrenergic agonist effects i.e. it directly stimulates the receptors. Modafinil inhibits the reuptake of noradrenaline by the noradrenergic terminals on sleep-promoting neurons of ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO). More significant, perhaps, is its ability to increase excitatory glutamatergic transmission. This reduces local GABAergic transmission, thereby diminishing GABA(A) receptor signalling on the mesolimbic dopamine terminals.

Modafinil is proving clinically useful in the treatment of narcolepsy, a neurological disorder marked by uncontrollable attacks of daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy is caused by dysfunction of a family of wakefulness-promoting and sleep-suppressing peptides, the orexins. Orexin neurons are activated by modafinil. Orexinergic neurons are found exclusively in the lateral hypothalamic area, but their fibers project to the entire central nervous system. Genetically modified orexin-knockout animals offer a model of human narcolepsy. Selective orexin receptor agonists of the future may prove useful both to narcoleptics and the population at large.

Experimentally, modafinil is also used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, depression, attention-deficit disorder, myotonic dystrophy, multiple sclerosis-induced fatigue, post-anaesthesia grogginess, cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, spasticity associated with cerebral palsy, age-related memory decline, idiopathic hypersomnia, jet-lag, and everyday cat-napping. Depressives who feel sleepy and fatigued on SSRIs can augment their regimen with modafinil. In September 2003, an advisory panel to the FDA endorsed its use for treating shift work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea.

The US military are interested in modafinil too.

Modafanil is marketed as 'Alertec" in Canada - and over the Net. 'Alertec' is less expensive than 'Provigil'. Cheap generic modafinil should be available from 2006. But Cephalon is vigorously litigating to defend its patents.

In March 2005, Cephalon filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA for "Nuvigil" (r-modafinil, armodafinil) - a single isomer formulation of modafinil. Nuvigil will be marketed aggressively to offset the loss of revenue from Provigil.

Modafinil is increasingly used as a 'lifestyle drug' - a lucrative 'off-label' market its makers have not been unduly keen to discourage. Some prescribing physicians have reportedly been surprised at a previously hidden epidemic of narcolepsy among hard-working young professionals attending their surgeries.

Prudence, however, should be exercised in drastically curtailing one's sleep. Prolonged sleeplessness weakens immune function. Animals tortured in sleep-deprivation experiments eventually die from massive bacterial infections of the blood... "

I tried it. Provigil worked very well for me. It was a great relief but it was not a big bang experience. What I have experienced is more subtle. I can move from task to task with more ease. I am less irritable and more rational in what used to be difficult situations. I am more willing to contemplate my fallibility. I am willing to integrate the disowned parts of the ego to be able to transcend the ego.

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