Today with the dramatic gains made in medicine, particularly, ER trauma, neurology, neurosurgery, it comes with a price in the form of cognitive residuals and behavioral adjustments problems. The medical community is aware of this and refers the medical patient for counseling assuming they will receive the proper treatment. Unfortunately, many of these patients are inappropriately referred to traditional behavioral mental health professionals. This, in turn, leads to patients being treated by the incorrect provider. Also, our behavioral health colleagues with good intentions are treating brain conditions with strategies that are inappropriate and potentially harmful, requiring a totally different approach in care.
The association between clinical psychology and conventional psychotherapy with neuropsychology is the degree of emphasis based upon brain related manifestations of behavior. Testing procedures in neuropsychology have a known relationship and dependance upon cognitive brain systems whereas in clinical psychology and conventional psychotherapy approaches, behavior is treated at face value and the biological bases are not of immediate concern.
Thus, the relationship and difference between these two approaches focuses upon behavior rather than an overlap upon cognitive brain functions.
Therefore, the basis for neuropsychological care vs. conventional psychotherapy systems is the neuropsychological examination (NPE) which serves as the “blueprint” for the counseling/rehabilitation process, and not merely the patient’s behavioral emotional changes.
To do this, we at Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Services|Life Span (NRS|LS) employ medical adjustment counseling (MAC)® which is a different approach based upon the NPE findings converted into a rehabilitative clinical pathway starting with validation of symptoms with explanation/education of their cognitive deficits manifesting in their daily functioning, accommodation, i.e., the necessary changes needed to be made, and finally, re-integration, the possession of a practical understanding of what they have, and what changes to make in daily functioning.
The traditional mental health approach merely allows a venting of their emotions (no less important), but the patient will never benefit from the strategies mitigating their cognitive inefficiencies through neuropsychological data driven adjustment strategies.
NRS|LS has a registered national trademark on MAC® and is the only program in the nation that offers training and certification.
Mere good intentions by our behavior health colleagues focusing upon emotions will not improve the larger picture of their neuropsychological impairment. Thus, mediating their daily efficiency unless the full spectrum of cognitive brain systems is integrated into counseling. This begins with a completed NPE “blueprint” converted into valid ecological application with MAC® directional treatment.
An in-depth explanation of this type of counseling can be found on Dr. Sica’s two journal publications:
The Integration and Application of Neuropsychology into the Treatment and Care of Patients with Brain Conditions (nrslifespan.com)
20200821_Medical-adjustment-counseling_-An-evidence-based-neurop.pdf (nrslifespan.com)
Dr. Robert Sica,
Principal Owner, Director