For Healthcare Professionals
Stress can exacerbate almost any medical condition. If you don’t treat the stress, you are only treating part of the problem. As an adjunct to your other medical treatments consider:
- Take the Stress Out of Your Life: This interactive program consists of a book and double CD set. It will help patients learn to deal with stress. The program is extremely practical, straightforward, and even fun to read. It may be one of the most cost-effective ways to help your patient. Consider recommending this program and seeing your patient back in 2 to 4 weeks (or as otherwise necessary given the clinical situation). In order to increase compliance and get more information, consider to advising your patient to bring in the book to the follow up visit. You may ask if you can review their written exercises. Ideally, you would be familiar with the material as well.
- Two classes are offered in the Santa Barbara area. They may be done together or one after the other:
- Introduction to Stress Management is a larger group class done in lecture format. This class is free and it gives patients an overview of stress management techniques. Appropriate for both lay public and healthcare professionals.
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a smaller group class effective for stress, depression, and pain management. This class is both for the lay public and health professionals. Nurses, nurse practitioners, counselors, and psychologists receive up to 26 hours of continuing education credits.