How important is it that mental health professionals be well informed about alternative treatments

Client’s mother: I just don’t like the way it makes him act and feel. He doesn’t act like “himself” when he is taking the medications. He isn’t sleeping, and it’s like he is a stranger when he talks to me. I am worried that the cure is worse than his condition. Isn’t there something else we can try?

Mental health professional: I hear that you are concerned, and you are looking for something else for us to try. I have some options that we could consider…

Often mental health professionals see clients who are concerned that the side effects of the medications are worse than the disorder. Although some research supports the incorporation of a number of alternative therapies, many medical professionals are skeptical of alternative therapies. Additionally, some clients might hesitate to choose complementary or alternative therapies because they perceive them as unscientific.

How might your own preconceived ideas about complementary and alternative therapies affect the options that you suggest to a client? How important is it that mental health professionals be well informed about alternative treatments? How can you expand your awareness of alternative therapies?

For this Discussion, select a topic to discuss:

· Alternative approaches used to treat anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders

· Complementary approaches in the treatment of anxiety and depression

Post a brief description of the complementary or alternative approach you consider most effective in treating an anxiety disorder and why.

Explain the benefits and limitations of the approach.

Support the use of this approach with evidence from the Learning Resources and other scholarly sources.

Explain the role of the mental health professional in the use of these approaches.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources