The Alzheimer’s Association’s Brain Donation Initiative

When not acting as a licensed clinical psychologist for Irvine, California families, Miriam Galindo advocates for multiple nonprofit causes. One group Miriam Galindo supports is the Alzheimer’s Association. Through funding programs like brain donation, the Alzheimer’s Association seeks to determine the causes of the disease and eventually find a cure.

One of the most valuable contributions an ally of the Alzheimer’s Association can make is to join neurological clinical trials during life, alongside donating their brain to science after death. The generated data will further researchers’ efforts to identify factors that increase and decrease a patient’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and the changes in the brain that occur as a result of aging. Interested parties can sign up for clinical trials via Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs), located regionally, and candidates undergo screening to determine if their closest center needs brain samples from that candidate’s demographics.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), the group that allies with the Alzheimer’s Association to coordinate brain donation, emphasizes that researchers need brain donations from diverse individuals. To maximize the impact of collected data, the NIA calls for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds of all age groups, with and without a brain condition themselves. The NIA also asks that candidates who have non-Alzheimer’s forms of dementia, and those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and a family history of the disease, also contribute, to fill in gaps about how all dementias develop, and help in discovering the genetic markers that increase risk for Alzheimer’s.

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Outstanding Caregivers to Be Recognized by Alzheimer’s Orange County

Based in Irvine, California, Miriam Galindo is a licensed clinical psychologist and social worker who provides reunification and co-parenting counseling services through her private practice. In addition, she serves as a psychologist with Families in Transition and as a member of an approved panel of experts that is used in child custody cases for the Orange County Superior Court. In her free time, Miriam Galindo volunteers with Alzheimer’s Orange County.

Established in 1982, Alzheimer’s Orange County provides information, education, resources, and support to local families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory loss conditions. One of the organization’s many events is the annual Visionary Women Caregivers Luncheon. The event is designed to honor caregivers in Orange County who have demonstrated outstanding compassion for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The level of care carried out by the honorees far exceeds expectation and serves to inspire others. The 2019 Visionary Women Caregivers Luncheon is scheduled to take place in mid-September 2019 in Silverado, California. Emmy-nominated actress Eva LaRue will attend the luncheon as a special guest speaker.

There are five categories in which women caregivers are nominated for the Visionary Women Caregivers Luncheon. These categories are Youth/Young Adult Caregiver, Family Caregiver, Medical/Clinical Professional, Professional Caregivers, and Administrative Professional. Each category distinguishes a different facet of dementia and Alzheimer’s caregiving, thereby ensuring that the Visionary Women Caregivers Luncheon recognizes outstanding individuals from varying segments of the field.

Supporting the CAMFT Educational Foundation

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Image: camft.org

Since 2004, Miriam Galindo, PsyD, has provided co-parenting, child, family, and reunification therapy to clients in Irvine, California, through her own private practice. Active in her professional community, Dr. Miriam Galindo belongs to such organizations as the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).

An independent professional organization, CAMFT establishes and promotes high ethical standards and advances the marriage and family therapy profession. Toward this end, it maintains the CAMFT Educational Foundation.

Established in 1977, this charitable organization awards grants and scholarships to help professionals earn their license as a marriage and family therapist. It also offers other assistance to people pursuing a job or conducting research in the field. This financial support largely comes from donations from members and other committed individuals. These gifts can be made in the form of a monetary gift using a credit card or check. Gifts of this kind provide immediate funding to grants and scholarships.

Individuals can also support the CAMFT Educational Foundation by shopping through Amazon Smile. Or they can make a bequest to the organization. Both methods are simple to establish. However, bequests have the added benefit of either establishing a new scholarship, donating in honor of a loved one, or designating funds for a specific purpose. Regardless of the method used, contributions made to the organization are entirely tax deductible.

Why Staying Unhappily Married May Be as Bad for Children as Divorce

 

Dr. Miriam Galindo
Image: galindopsychology.com

Dr. Miriam Galindo, a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Social Workers, offers counseling services from her practice in Irvine, California. In addition, Dr. Miriam Galindo provides child and family therapy to clients involved in high-conflict divorces.

Many adults believe divorce should be avoided at all costs, but staying in an unhappy marriage may be as damaging to children as a turbulent divorce. As children develop, they naturally internalize both of their parents. When their parents are constantly at odds, children internalize those conflicts.

Over time, children start believing they are responsible for their parents’ unhappiness. Researchers believe this occurs because children are egocentric and believe they are more powerful than they actually are. Combined with the other stressors of living with parents who do not get along, this problem may result in a child’s fear of intimacy, mood issues, self-esteem issues, or mental health concerns, such as depression.

How Can Single Parents Handle a Child Custody Evaluation?

 

Dr. Miriam Galindo
Image: galindopsychology.com

California-based psychologist and social worker Dr. Miriam Galindo serves at-risk children and families through her own practice in Irvine. A diplomate of the American Boards of Forensic Social Workers and Forensic Evaluators, Dr. Miriam Galindo has been working as a child custody evaluator for more than a decade.

For single parents, child custody evaluations can be extremely nerve-wracking. But they don’t have to be. When such an evaluation is ordered by the court or requested by the other parent, individuals should talk to their lawyer about the experience. They will have more information about the evaluation process and will give single parents information to guide them during the process. It’s important that single parents follow this guidance.

In preparation for an evaluation, single parents must make sure they have clear answers about any question the evaluator asks. All answers must be honest and directly address the question. Parents must avoid going off on tangents during their answers and must avoid lying. Part of an evaluator’s training is to spot behaviors associated with lying and it will not reflect well when a person is caught being untruthful.

Beyond that, it’s important that single parents make a good impression when visiting with an evaluator. This involves making sure the house is clean and orderly and that their child’s medical and school records are easily accessible. Meanwhile, single parents must never bad mouth the other parent or make an accusation without evidence to support their claim. Instead, they should share the strengths and weaknesses that they’ve seen from their ex.

Play Therapy Techniques

 

Play Therapy
Image: playtherapy.org

Dr. Miriam Galindo is a licensed psychologist and social worker in California. Helping families involved in divorce, Dr. Miriam Galindo is a registered child play therapist.

The goal of child play therapy is to assist children in sorting through and communicating complicated feelings. A variety of play therapy techniques include:

– Baby dolls. 

Typically involving a therapist and a child with dolls, the play gives the therapist an opportunity to observe the child’s treatment of the doll. For example, mistreatment of the doll suggests that the child may have been mistreated.

– Coloring. 

In this creative arts technique, therapists may ask children to draw a timeline of their life and add colors to show their feelings during those times. Common colors may include red for anger and blue for sadness.

– Games.

Designed to help kids express their emotions, games such as pick-up sticks, checkers, chess, and other strategy games may build a bond between therapists and children and help children feel a higher level of control and focus in their lives. This, in turn, helps them feel happier.

Play Therapy for ADHD Children

 

Licensed psychologist and social worker Miriam Galindo, PsyD, has worked with the Orange County Superior Court as part of its approved panel of experts regarding child welfare issues. One area Dr. Miriam Galindo works in, play therapy, can be used to treat a variety of issues, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Play therapy can help children with ADHD express themselves, making a connection with their parents or professionals through play that they might not otherwise make. Even neurotypical children can often hide their thoughts, and play therapy affords them the chance to express themselves without aggravation or intrusion. Allowing them to play freely during play therapy helps ADHD children even more than neurotypical children, as aggressive imposition of structure can make a child feel abnormal or unwanted.

Some techniques that can help children with ADHD include helper toys and fantasy play. A helper toy, such as a puppet or doll, can help redirect emotions when a child is upset or struggling. Fantasy play, meanwhile, can turn a disappointment such as a missed opportunity or sad day into a chance to explore one’s mind and diminish irritation.

CAMFT Partnership Addresses Parent-Child Separation at the Border

 

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Image: camft.org

For more than two decades, Miriam Galindo, PsyD, has provided a range of child and family therapy services to clients in California. An active member of her professional community, Dr. Miriam Galindo belongs to such organizations as the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).

An independent professional organization, CAMFT advances the science and art of marriage and family therapy while maintaining high standards and ethics for licensed professionals. Toward this end, it recently partnered with Give an Hour, an organization dedicated to providing hope and help to people who have been faced with challenges resulting in emotional pain, to address the issue of parent-child separation at the Mexico-U.S. border.

Through this partnership, CAMFT hopes to create a network of licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) that can provide mental health services to people affected by the situation at the border. According to the organization, children who are suddenly separated from their parents have a greater chance of developing numerous cognitive, behavioral, and psychological issues, such as anxiety and attachment disorders. Fortunately, LMFTs are experts in handling this sort of trauma.

Both CAMFT and Give an Hour encourage California LMFTs to volunteer their time to serve immigrant and refugee children and families. While Give an Hour plans on calling on its own volunteer network, CAMFT plans on reaching out to members who can either volunteer to assist those who are affected by parent-child separation at the border or help the organization find mental health providers who speak Spanish and are willing to volunteer their time.

Popular Book Gives Hope for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
Image: amazon.com

Miriam Galindo of Irvine, California, a former social worker and a licensed psychologist focusing on family therapy during divorce, also assists the Orange County Superior Court system as an expert advisor. Her 20-year practice has often involved working with at-risk children and families. Miriam Galindo’s wide-ranging experience has enabled her to serve her clients with both insight and compassion.

There are a number of popular books for lay readers on the topic of children’s experience of trauma. One of the most popular–and one of the most widely praised by professionals–is The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook. Author Bruce D. Perry established the ChildTrauma Academy in Houston, Texas, with the mission of improving the lives and prospects of children who have survived extreme trauma. A decade ago, he published the book, a series of case studies from his own practice.

Reviews have noted the book’s harrowing, intricately detailed descriptions of how physical and emotional abuse blighted the lives of children in a variety of circumstances. In many of these cases, experts diagnosed severe forms of deprivation-induced cognitive, social, and emotional impairments as a result of trauma. But one of the key takeaways for many readers is Perry’s demonstrations of how compassion, human interaction, and patient, repeated re-patterning of experience can result not only in intellectual blossoming, but also in rich and happy lives.

Strategies for Effective Co-Parenting

 

Co-Parenting
Image: thespruce.com

As a privately practicing psychologist, Dr. Miriam Galindo has offered counseling in co-parenting to many families as they go through divorce. Dr. Miriam Galindo has also worked with the court system as a custody evaluator and co-leads family reunification and co-parenting courses through the Families in Transition program.

Co-parenting can be both emotionally and logistically difficult, as it requires two people to put aside a challenging and potentially intense history to make important decisions together. To succeed, the two parties must commit to open communication that is focused entirely on the children. This means finding a different outlet for frustrations about the other parent, particularly in conversations that the children may encounter.

When children are in earshot, parents must be careful to speak only in positive ways about the other parent. This guideline is applicable when speaking to the children as well as to the other parent, who is likely to be more receptive to parenting discussions if he or she does not feel accused or put down.

Meanwhile, it is important for co-parents to keep rules and expectations consistent across households. This provides the children with a crucial sense of stability and keeps them from taking advantage of what they may perceive as an unstable parenting situation.

Children will, however, be aware that things are different. Parents should answer their questions as freely as possible, when it is age-appropriate, and reassure them about things such as when they will change houses and whether the family dog will change houses with them.