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It can sometimes feel as if South Korea, overworked, overstressed and ever anxious, is on the verge of a national nervous breakdown, with a rising divorce rate, students who feel suffocated by academic pressures, a suicide rate among the highest in the world and a macho corporate culture that still encourages blackout drinking sessions after work. More than 30 South Koreans kill themselves every day, and the suicides of entertainers, politicians, athletes and business leaders have become almost commonplace. The recent suicides of four students and a professor at Korea's leading university shocked the nation, and in recent weeks a TV baseball announcer, two professional soccer players, a university president and the former lead singer in a popular boy band killed themselves. And yet Koreans - while almost obsessively embracing Western innovations ranging from smartphones to the Internet to cosmetic surgery - have largely resisted Western psychotherapy for their growing anxieties, depression and stress. Talk-therapy modalities with psychiatrists, psychologists and other types of trained counselors are only slowly being accepted, according to mental health experts here. "Talking openly about emotional problems is still taboo," said Dr. Kim Hyong-soo, a psychologist and professor at Chosun University in Kwangju. "With depression, the inclination for Koreans is to just bear with it and get over it," he said. "If someone goes to a psychoanalyst, they know they'll be stigmatized for the rest of their life. So they don't go." Mental health experts said many troubled South Koreans seek help from private psychiatric clinics (and pay their bills in cash) so their government-insurance records do not carry the stigma of a "Code F," signifying someone who has received reimbursement for such care. Even when Koreans do seek out counseling, the learning curve can be steep. A prominent psychiatrist with a practice in Seoul, Jin-seng Park, said it was not unc

Everyone gets angry once in a while if we are mistreated or feel we have been "wronged" and it is a normal and healthy emotion, you have to handle it appropriately. What we need to emphasized on is what we do with this anger. It is time to seek help when you feel like your anger is not doing any good with your day to day life such as work, relationship, ability to achieve your goal and many more. Anger management's goal is to learn methods and new ways to control your anger. Many people who suffer from this condition come to seek help to deal with their problem but most of the time, fear, resentment, and unmet expectations that are the root causes for their anger. Trough counseling the problem is addressed and the anger soon dissipates. After, the client is able to be aware that they do not have to be controlled by their anger. One more thing is that they are not being the "victim" of others or society but rather they are responsible for their own actions and behaviors. Some people just wouldn't want to show their real self so they stick with the reputation of an angry person or sometimes it is their way to resent from other people from getting too close to them. This may result to people afraid of you or if not disrespectful of you. Communicating your needs and frustrations in an productive and respectful way people will tend to listen more just to learn about your needs and frustrations. As stated earlier, anger is a normal emotion. The objective is to deal with the underlying issues and feelings indentified with anger. And the next goal is to learn healthy ways to deal with this emotion. Some may think that letting the anger out is healthy until they realize that the have secluded themselves from the people around them like relationships to partners, children, co-workers and etc. Added the fact that this can have a very negative impact on the way others see and treat you. For some instances, this type of behavior might be modeled fr

With the risks associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many women have turned to natural menopause solutions. But these also can bring risks. New report documents risks and introduces a safe and reliable alternative for women going through menopause Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) August 08, 2012 Today branded ingredient distributor Helios CORP/Sunbio released a special report on the risks women may face taking popular natural treatments for menopause. The report discusses data from studies on black cohosh, genistein and Amberen. It also introduces a new natural menopause ingredient, EstroG-100. EstroG-100 has a proven track record of safety and efficacy. "Menopause is tough enough as it is," says Michael Jeffers, Helios CORP/Sunbio CEO. "Women shouldn't have to put their health at risk to get through it with some comfort. A 2003 study shows that 80% of women turn to natural alternatives to help with the symptoms of menopause. Our goal in releasing the report is make sure women have the information they need to make a safe and reliable choice," says Jeffers. In 2002, the conventional treatment for menopause symptoms, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), came under fire when the Women's Health Initiative trial showed it increased women's risk for heart disease, breast cancer and stroke. Without this option, women have turned to natural alternatives. However § In 2006, the U.K. and Australia required labeling for black cohosh products warning about potential liver toxicity. In 2008, nonprofit standards and safety organization, US Pharmacopeia also made this recommendation. Denmark and Korea have banned its sale; § In 2007, a National Institute of Environmental Health study showed genistein, a soy isoflavone, to be carcinogenic in rats. Organizations like the North American Menopause Society and the Breast Cancer and Environmental Health Research Agency have called for more research on soy and genistein to clarify its efficacy and safety. § Rese

The annual list of the top 10 consumer complaints is out, and it features familiar scams. Once again, the report is a good reminder to be careful. Some of the scams have become more sophisticated, with more high-tech ways of stealing your money. Topping the list are auto complaints, including misrepresentations in advertising or sales, faulty repairs, and leasing and towing disputes. In second place are complaints about credit and debt. The category includes mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit-repair schemes, debt-relief services, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive debt-collection tactics. The five fastest-growing complaints are about fraud, debt-collection abuses, do-not-call violations, mortgage-related issues, and problems that people have had with both legitimate and sham home-improvement companies. New to the list this year are real-estate-related complaints. Hard times have left many people wanting to dump their timeshares, or at least get out from under yearly maintenance fees they can no longer afford. This desperation on the part of timeshare owners has been a boon to schemers. In one such swindle, "timeshare resellers" tell folks they can help them unload their unwanted properties and ask for an upfront fee for the service. I'm sure you can guess what happens. No buyers are found, no help is really offered and people are out of their money, stuck with a timeshare they can't afford. But then another timeshare crook swoops in to add insult to financial injury. Timeshare recovery companies offer to help owners get back the funds lost to resellers. They ask for an upfront fee. It's a double financial whack because this, too, turns out to be a scam.

A RECOMMENDATION BY CHEEKYFREAK Recommended by: cheekyfreak First to recommend shgcounselling 'Parenting towards Resilience' was the main theme discussed during a conference held recently, organised by Agenzija Sedqa in collaboration with the Office of the Children's Commissioner. Ms. Sina Bugeja, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Social Welfare Services during her opening address explained that Parenting towards Resilience, was the main theme chosen by the Foundation to celebrate this year's Children's Day. Moreover, Ms. Bugeja mentioned the recent launch of the National Children's Policy that safeguards children's rights and ensures space for their opinions before decisions are taken. She mentioned that parents need to be kept abreast with changing parenting styles as well as with different influences which might affect children's development. Ms Helen D'Amato, Commissioner for Children, said that the inherent vulnerability of children requires not only a strong legal and institutional framework of protection but also the consolidated ability on the part primarily of parents to nurture their children in such a way as to instil in them the inner strength and will to overcome the challenges that come their way during their childhood. This is important, she said, as there is a limit to how far the legal and institutional framework can go to actually protect children in the context of an increasingly complex and challenging social and cultural environment, and also because the development of such inner strength and will is an integral part of children's gradual maturity into strong, independent and responsible adults. The development of this inner strength or resilience should be seen as a main goal of the child's upbringing. Ms D'Amato thus urged all parents to continue helping their children develop these inner qualities. During his closing address, Mr. Jesmond Schembri, Operations Director, Agenzija Sedqa said that since its incepti

Pakistan ambassador Jamil Ahmed Khan has extended career-counselling for the brightest of Pakistani students reserving first working day of the month for an advisory chat over a cup of tea. He made the announcement while addressing a ceremony organised at the embassy on Monday to present commendation certificates to 32 bright young UAE-based Pakistani students enrolled in various schools in the UAE, who clinched top positions in the Islamabad board's matric exams and Cambridge exams held in the country. The ceremony drew a jolly crowd comprising students, proud teachers and happy parents. Khan, who is the patron-in-chief of all Pakistani schools in the UAE, congratulated the high scorers for bringing joy and pride to the community and the nation and praised the parents and teachers for providing the enabling environment for the young minds to excel. The envoy cited examples from South Korea and recalled how enhanced school enrolment in the country led to the making of knowledge economy with higher per capita output. "Knowledge economies all over the world are propelled forward by their brightest, like the ones we have in our midst today," Khan added. He termed education as the best remedy to cure the menace of extremism and terrorism, plaguing the world peace and security. VISIT US AT: http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/

(CNN) -- South Korea is perhaps the world's leader in terms of identifying and treating gaming and Internet addiction. After wiring the nation with the world's fastest broadband infrastructure, South Korea's government spends millions per year to identify and treat gaming and Internet addicts. About 8% of the country's population age 9 to 39 suffer from Internet or gaming addiction, according to a 2010 government study. Some see South Korea as a window into the future: Perhaps other nations, including the United States, will see a wave of gaming and Internet addiction when our technological infrastructure catches up. Others say it's too soon to know if gaming addiction is really its own disorder. In the United States, Internet and gaming addiction are not listed in the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the next revision of that list, however, the American Psychiatric Association has proposed that "Internet Use Disorder" be listed as warranting further study. Open Mic: South Koreans take on gaming Some groups, however, have moved forward with treating Internet and gaming addiction. One of the leaders in that field is Dr. Han Doug-hyun, from Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea's capital. Han's research lab treats people who are addicted to games using techniques similar to those used to treat alcoholics, including counseling and virtual-reality therapy (Check out this CNN video to see inside his research and treatment space). As part of CNN's feature on "Gaming Reality," Han gave us his list of the top five warning signs that a person should seek professional help for Internet or gaming addiction. Take a look at the tips and let us know what you think of them, and of the science of gaming addiction, in the comments. Here are Han's top 5 warning signs of gaming or Internet addiction: 1. Disrupted regular life pattern. If a person plays games all night long and sleeps in the daytime, that can be a warning he or she shoul

Couples with thriving young children and struggling marriages aren't a new sight in therapy office. It can be a real challenge to shift from a married couple to married couple with kids. Arguments and little fights can be healthy sometimes and couple without kids had the plenty of time to attend to their relationship while now that kid's are present, their needs alone can leave both parents drained and exhausted. This could mean that at the end of the day couples will feel tired and no time for each other. There are many reasons why divorce happen but one possible reason is parents tend to get overboard attending to their children while neglecting their responsibilities as a husband or wife. Most of the parents can only have their alone time after the kids are in bed. And what make things worse after your long day is both of you has barely the energy to even ask how each others day went because you cannot even pull up the covers. When you reach this point maybe you are in the edge of your relationship. It will help so much if couples will find time for each other; it is always a good idea to have a day for the parents alone. Weekend mornings can be a good time whereas stress of the work week recedes and before the daily demands of the children start stacking up, couples sometimes find their best opportunity to shift into a mode where they can focus on each other. It is also important to talk to your kids and explain that parents need time for each other too. To make them busy, think of possible and safe way to make use of their time. As soon as a couple acquires some uninterrupted time together, now other challenges appear to happen such as how are they going to use this alone time well. Try not to do the following: Never compare, do not weigh against whose life is harder Do not complain and tell your partner the s/he doesn't give you what you need Expect your partner to instantly feel like being sexual Give up on intimacy and plan the children's week

An employee's job performance is dependent upon many things, includingemotional intelligence (EI). "It has been established that the emotions an employee experiences in their organization affect his/her psychological and physical health, and also that employee's attitude towards duties, the organization, and work-related accomplishments," said Tae Won Moon of the Department of Business Administration at Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea, and lead author of a recent study examining EI on the job. Burnout, also termed emotional exhaustion, is a key factor in determining how emotional intelligence affects job performance. "In our study we used the words emotional exhaustion and burnout interchangeably. Burnout includes three distinct states: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment," said Won Moon. "Among these three states, emotional exhaustion is at the core of burnout." When an employee is forced to exhibit emotions to customers that are insincere, such as smiling to a customer when having a bad day, causes emotional dissonance. "Researchers have suggested that sustained emotional dissonance reduces an individual's self-identity or even promotes a strong contrary (pseudo) identity and this leads to feelings of stress, frustration, or burnout/emotional exhaustion," said Won Moon. High levels of EI are linked to increased coping skills, on and off the job. Therefore, Won Moon theorized that low levels of EI would lead to emotional exhaustion or burnout. For the study, Won Moon interviewed 295 employees from a South Korean department store. The average age of the participants was 38, and all had been employed for at least one year. The results revealed that three key components ofEI, optimism, social skills and emotional validation, were negatively linked to emotional exhaustion. "We speculate that individuals who are good at utilizing their emotions by incorporating emotion in thought, and understa

According to a study conducted at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, among teens with substance use disorders, those who also have social anxiety disorder begin using marijuana at a mean age of 10.6 years - an average of 2.2 years earlier than teens without anxiety. "This finding surprised us," said principal investigator Alexandra Wang, a third-year medical student at the university. "It shows we need to start earlier with prevention of drug and alcohol use and treatment of social phobia [in children]." The study was consisting of 195 teens ages 14 to 18 which 102 of them or 52 percent \ were teenage girls. They met the current diagnosis of substance use disorder and had received medical detoxification if needed. The researchers evaluated the participants' history of drug and alcohol use and digged into whether they'd had any of three anxiety disorders: social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Out of 195 teens, 92 percent had marijuana dependence and the most disturbing part was it is starting at the age of 13 years. And on the other hand, 61 percent were alcohol-dependent, having started drinking at 13.5 years on average. This shows that marijuana was the most popular drug of choice. Teens with either social anxiety disorder or panic disorder were far more likely to have marijuana dependence, Wang said. Before marijuana dependence both of these disorders were more likely to occur. More or less 80 percent of teens suffering from social anxiety disorder and 85 percent with panic disorder had symptoms of that disorder previous to the onset of their substance abuse. In addition, panic disorder has a propensity to start before alcohol dependence and came about in 75 percent of alcohol-dependent adolescents. According to the authors, there was no clear evidence showing whether agoraphobia came before or after either marijuana use or the first drink. A limitation of the study, according to the research team, was that 12

A limitation of the study, according to the research team, was that 128 (66 percent) of the teens were juvenile offenders who had received court-referred treatment for their substance abuse. These findings might not generalize to a less severely addicted population. Yet again, interventions to lessen social anxiety might help avoid substance abuse in teens. "We need to treat these young patients initially with non-pharmacologic means, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness meditation," said Christina Delos Reyes, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in addictions at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Patrick Bordeaux, M.D., a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Quebec, Canada, said that "comorbidities tend to be the rule in adolescents, not the exception." "Adolescents are more likely to have social and mental disorders that make them more likely to use drugs," said Bordeaux, who was not involved with the study. Source Link: http://springhillgroupcounselling.tumblr.com/

In today's economic climate, who will help you protect your company and your clients from the devastating impact of fraud? Fraud can creep into your business in a number of ways. You may find you need an objective expert to deter potential problems, investigate allegations or provide resolution. A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) offers anti-fraud knowledge and skills you need to: * Investigate allegations against one of your employees * Recommend strong anti-fraud internal controls * Conduct interviews related to sensitive issues * Provide assistance with financial dispute resolution * Resolve irregularities discovered during your company's audit * Provide expert testimony on financial and investigative matters A Unique Set of Skills Fraud Examiners have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other discipline; they combine knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of law, criminology, investigation and how to resolve allegations of fraud. CFEs work in a variety of disciplines including accounting, auditing, fraud investigation and security, as well as in different industry segments including government, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and retail distribution.

In today's economic climate, who will help you protect your company and your clients from the devastating impact of fraud?Fraud can creep into your business in a number of ways.You may find you need an objective expert to deter potential problems, investigate allegations or provide resolution.A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) offers anti-fraud knowledge and skills you need to: * Investigate allegations against one of your employees * Recommend strong anti-fraud internal controls * Conduct interviews related to sensitive issues * Provide assistance with financial dispute resolution * Resolve irregularities discovered during your company's audit * Provide expert testimony on financial and investigative matters A Unique Set of SkillsFraud Examiners have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other discipline; they combine knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of law, criminology, investigation and how to resolve allegations of fraud.CFEs work in a variety of disciplines including accounting, auditing, fraud investigation and security, as well as in different industry segments including government, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and retail distribution.

A policy of engagement with North Korea is the only viable option to resolve the North's nuclear weapons programs, but Seoul and Washington must set "strict standards" to prevent Pyongyang from backsliding and repeating its nuclear hide-and-seek, a former U.S. point man on North Korea said Tuesday. Stephen Bosworth, the Obama administration's first special envoy for North Korea, also expressed skepticism that China, the North's key ally and economic benefactor, would wield an enough leverage to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambition. Washington's policy of deterring North Korea did not work, as Pyongyang conducted its second nuclear test in 2009 and revealed a uranium enrichment program in 2010 that could give it another means of producing fissile material for nuclear bombs. In 2010, North Korea launched two military attacks on South Korea. "So, I think we have no choice but to re-engage ourselves (with North Korea)," Bosworth told a forum in Seoul. To bring about positive changes in Pyongyang's behavior, Bosworth said Seoul and Washington need "a very careful diplomacy, patience and willingness, not simply to give to North Korea, but to set strict standards." Bosworth was the top U.S. envoy for North Korea from March 2009 to October 2011. He also served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea and is now dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Diplomatic efforts to resume the six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambition have been frozen since April, when North Korea defiantly launched a long-range rocket that failed moments after lift-off. The defiant launch drew strong condemnation from the U.N. Security Council as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology, and led to the collapse of the so-called "Leap Day" deal with the U.S., under which Washington would resume food aid to Pyongyang in return for a monitored shutdown of the North's nuclear activities. Although North Korea reneged on the deal, Bosworth expected Kore

http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/2013/09/04/teach-children-well/ There would come a time when you wish that every aspects of life is as easy as arranging the lines of seven-year-old students. It is like kindergarten students are more behave than the outside world. Does school really affect the way we behave when we get older and done with school? Isn't the concept of lining up, or waiting your turn, or listening while someone else is speaking, something that is supposed to be hard-wired from the age of five onward, thanks to attending school should be a basic and common etiquette for adults? Are people "misbehaving" in the adult world was an effect of their schooling when they were younger. If schooling does indeed have a significant impact on us up until our adult years, how does it manifest itself in the everyday world of being a "grown-up"? And perhaps more importantly, are we thinking of education as a means to a positively practical end as we leave school behind us? Canadians were raising their children and how it was negatively impacting their ability to function once they'd left home to go to university or work. Do not "helicopter parent" your kid rather spend the entire time wondering if it was possible that some of the struggles being discussed weren't a result of an education that had misfired in shaping these youngsters' skills sets. Years back, things are better. Today, students were being pushed through despite not having passed exams then blames the education system for not being the same as it was years before is a bit too get-off-my-lawn. Before schooling seemed rigid and wildly archaic, meaning learning is far more than any generation. Perhaps it was just a case of an education still being a good fit for the society it hoped to produce at the time. Or maybe education is an organism in a constant state of flux, and sometimes the growing pains of one generation will greatly benefit the one coming up behind. It all co

People under the age of 25 are 'struggling to cope' with everyday life, says the Prince's Trust. Their recent survey claims that one in ten young people are now struggling to deal with day-today life. Over 2000 16-25 year olds were surveyed by prince's trust across UK. They have discovered that those who are jobless and out of school are the most discontented. Due to this they are the most unhappy, these are the people who are likely to have grown up without anyone to talk to and converse their issues with. "I used to apply for jobs but after getting knocked back, it hit my confidence. I'd wake up and just not know what to do with the 24 hours in the day", says Leon White, 24. He is currently living with his family but his father passed away ten years ago and he left school without receiving any qualifications. He dreams of a career in music, but has only recently been able to secure a full-time job in a hotel, after taking a hospitality training course. The survey indicated that almost three out of ten people that were questioned said they felt their career prospects had been permanently damaged by the recession. Government said they are not satisfied with the rate of employment while the level of unemployment is at its lowest since 2009. A spokesman from the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Youth unemployment has fallen recently, and excluding full-time students, there are now 626,000 unemployed 16-24 year olds - the lowest figure since early 2009. But we are not complacent about the scale of the challenge we still face. "Through our Youth Contract we're offering nearly 500,000 work experience placements, wage incentives and apprenticeships over the next three years to help young people gain the skills and experience needed to get a job."