Effects of Stress on Health
The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory is a psychological tool developed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. It was designed to quantify the level of stress a person experiences based on life events and to explore the link between stress and physical illness.
Instructions: Mark down the point value of each of these life events that has happened to you during the previous year. Total the associated points. 150 points or less means a relatively low amount of life change and a low susceptibility to stress-induced health breakdown. 150 to 300points implies about a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next two years. 300 points or more raises the odds to about 80%, according to the Holmes-Rahe statistical prediction model.
The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory is rooted in the life events theory of stress,which suggests that significant life changes, whether positive or negative,require psychological adjustment and can accumulate to impact a person’s overall stress load and health. The model assumes a linear, additive relationship between life events and stress, where more significant events contribute more to overall stress.
Limitations of the model are that it treats all individuals as reacting similarly to life events, it does not consider social support,personality, or cognitive appraisal, some items are culturally bound or outdated, and it overlooks minor chronic stressors which current research shows can be harmful over time
One of their most important findings was that people can exercise a degree of life-style restraint to control the number of stress inducing changes that occur. The lesson is that not all change is bad, but that there are recognizable thresholds beyond which additional change becomes health-threatening. Other research points towards the benefits of regulating emotional and physiologic responses to stressful events, thus, many people are learning to counter life’s pressures through breathing exercises, meditation,regular exercise and other positive coping strategies.
Environmental stress may be unavoidable, however, it is possible to establish patterns of coping that mimimize the adverse effects. A significant way to reduce stress, and stress related illness, is to control, where possible, the number of life changes that occur within a limited time.
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The primary difference between therapy and coaching lies in their focus, goals, methods, and the qualifications of the professionals providing these services. Choosing between therapy and coaching depends on your current needs and circumstances. If you're unsure, contact me and we can discuss this further.
Therapy is a collaborative process where individuals work with a trained therapist to address mental health concerns, develop coping strategies, and achieve personal growth. It can involve exploring emotions, behaviors, and thought patterns.
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Look for a coach with experience in your industry who has expertise in your area of concern. You should look at their training and experience. You should feel a connection with the person, like their style, and feel genuinely heard. Listen to your intuition here.Education and training are also important. As a clinical psychologist and a business coach I am able to draw from a range of theories (outside of coaching) to creatively conceptualize your issues through multiple lenses.
Yes, online therapy or phone calls are as effective as in person therapy. I have studio quality audio and visual equipment to provide an experience that is optimal and natural for you.There was sufficient evidence to support VTC and telephone-delivered interventions…[have the same effectiveness as in person therapy],… for mental health conditions.
Yes, studies on coaching outcome have supported improvements in communication skills, self-efficacy and intentionality in making and holding boundaries for young scientists time and energy. A meta-analyses of studies on executive coaching found improvements in self-efficacy, psychological capital, and resilience indicating executive coaching is effective in producing change even on dimensions considered relatively stable over time.
Psychotherapy is effective for 75% of individuals.The general or average effects of psychotherapy are widely accepted to be significant and large, (Chorpita et al., 2011; Smith, Glass, & Miller, 1980; Wampold, 2001). These large effects of psychotherapy are quite constant across most diagnostic conditions and most types of therapy. Variations in outcome are more heavily influenced by patient characteristics e.g., chronicity, complexity, social support, and intensity-and by clinician and contextual factors, than by particular diagnoses or specific treatment “brands,” (Beutler, 2009; Beutler & Malik, 2002a, 2002b; Malik & Beutler, 2002; Wampold, 2001).