Natural Shine Beauty

When you talk about Minneapolis, it's good form to recognize its twin city St. Paul, on the other side of the Missouri River. St. Paul is the capitol of Minnesota after all; and even though St. Paul has always been in the shadow of its neighbor across the river, the area has come to be known as the Twin Cities. With 3.2 million residents in the area, Minneapolis/St. Paul is the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the country.

In a metro area of that size you are going to find quality medical services and certainly quality plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures if you know where to look. While we don't have a specific set of instructions for you, here are some suggestions on how to go about finding the plastic surgeon that will work for you.

1. The most famous name in medicine for Minnesota and perhaps for the country is the Mayo Clinic. Mayo has one of the finest medical schools in the country, opened in 1972. Located in Rochester, Mayo Clinic and its medical school are eighty miles from Minnesota, but many of its graduates gravitate to the Twin Cities area to open practices.

The medical school has a two year graduate program in plastic surgery, described on their web site: "Approved by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, this unique program offers one-on-one training in the outpatient setting, hospital and operating room." One of your options might be seeking out a Mayo trained cosmetic plastic surgeon.

2. The University of Minnesota's medical school has a plastic surgery program that covers the gamut of both reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery. The school is active in research and uses state of the art equipment to teach the fine points of breast augmentation, facial lifts and the other common procedures. One of the University's medical schools is in Minneapolis and many of its graduates practice there. Until 1972, Mayo's staff doctors taught at the school. The state's medical school also graduates its own plastic surgeons.

3. Minneapolis itself has a population of about 370,000, which makes it less than 15% of the metropolitan area. There are a number of affluent suburbs where you'll find well established plastic surgery outpatient clinics. Today, many people find that liposuction or such procedures as a tuck or facial lift work well as outpatient procedures. Many of the clinics have been in operation for twenty years or more. You won't find a lot of clinics offering the array of day spa treatments, which depending on your perspective may (or may not) be a refreshing fact.

Women's Mental Health - Types of Therapy
By Marlene C. Griffin

Hi Ladies,

Please don't feel offended or ashamed of the terms women's mental health, when being applied to you/us specifically. After age 40 so much is happening to us, so many changes and transitions. We don't understand what is going on in our bodies. This means the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of our bodies.

A discussion of women's mental health will usually entail therapy of some sort. There is no way to avoid it. O.K.?

In this article, try to see the connections between women's mental health and her family. She is involved and a primary member. She may have her own personal mental health problems as well as those of her children and family. Women have a tremendous burden on their shoulders--and her mental health is strained and affected, to say the least.

What is therapy?

Women's mental health therapy is a way to help you understand yourself better and to cope better. Being in therapy does not mean you are crazy. Everyone has problems. Therapy is one way to help yourself with your problems.

Some of the problems that can be helped with therapy include:

• depression
• anxiety
• drug or alcohol abuse
• eating disorders
• sleep problems
• anger
• grief

There are many different types of women's mental health therapies, which work well for other's also. One kind of therapy might work best for you, such as play therapy for small children, or family therapy for family conflicts. The kind of therapy that is best for you depends on what best meets your needs.

What types of women's mental health therapies are there?

The more common types of therapy are:

Art Therapy. Drawing, painting, or working with clay with an art therapist can help you express things that you may not be able to put into words. Art therapists work with children, teens, and adults, including people with disabilities.

Behavioral Therapy-works well for women's mental health issues. This type of therapy is very structured and goal oriented. It starts with what you are doing now, and then helps you change your behavior. Behavioral therapists may use techniques such as:

• Exposure therapy or desensitization. First you learn ways to relax. Then you learn to face your fears while you practice these relaxation skills.
• Aversive therapy. This pairs something unpleasant with a behavior to help you stop the behavior. For example, putting something that tastes bitter on a child's thumb to help stop thumb-sucking.
• Role-playing. This may help you be more assertive or help resolve conflicts between family members.
• Self-monitoring, or keeping a log of your daily activities. This may help identify which behaviors are causing you problems.

Biofeedback. This type of therapy can help you learn to control body functions such as muscle tension or brain wave patterns. Biofeedback can help with tension, anxiety, and physical symptoms such as headaches.

Cognitive Therapy. This type of therapy takes the approach that how you think affects how you feel and behave. This therapy helps you recognize unhealthy ways of thinking that keep you stuck. You learn to identify automatic negative thoughts such as:

• "I never do anything right"
• "The world is always against me"
• "If I don't succeed all the time I am a failure."

You learn how to change your thoughts and this can lead to changed behaviors. It can also improve self-esteem and confidence. Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines behavior and cognitive therapy methods.

EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing). In EMDR the therapist helps you cope with feelings and thoughts about distressing past events. You move your eyes back and forth, usually following the therapist's hand or pen, while you recall the event. This type of therapy is considered by many to be experimental.

Women's mental health/Family or Couples Therapy. Family therapists view the family as a system. They work with the whole family rather than just one person. The goal is for family members to openly their express feelings and to find ways to change negative family patterns.

Women's mental health related to Couples therapy helps partners improve their ability to communicate with each other. It may help you decide what changes are needed in the relationship and in the behavior of each partner. Both partners then work to learn new behaviors. There are different forms of couples therapy.

Women's mental health/Group Therapy. In group therapy a small number of people (6 to 10) meet regularly with a therapist. There are many types of therapy groups. Some focus on a specific problem such as anger management. Process groups do not focus on a single topic, but instead explore issues raised by members. Short-term groups are problem-focused and meet for a limited time, such as 6 to 12 weeks. Long-term groups deal with ongoing issues such as self-esteem.

Massage Therapy. Massage therapy may help to reduce anxiety and stress.

Women's mental health and Pharmacological Therapy (Medicines). Medicines can help improve your mental well-being. They may be prescribed by a psychiatrist or your healthcare provider. Your provider will work with you to carefully select the right medicine for you. There are many kinds of psychiatric medicines.

• Antipsychotics may help with psychosis or other conditions.
• Mood stabilizers may be used to treat mood problems such as bipolar disorder.
• Antidepressants may help with depression or anxiety.
• Antianxiety medicines may be prescribed to treat anxiety disorders.

The right medicine may improve symptoms so that other kinds of treatment are more effective. Medicines may also be used alone.

Play Therapy. Play therapy allows children to act out their problems with toys and games. Play therapists help a child feel more confident and less fearful.

Psychoanalytic Therapy. This type of therapy was developed by Sigmund Freud. In this type of therapy, you work to uncover things from your past that affect your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This kind of therapy can take years. It usually involves meeting several times a week. It can be quite costly.

Psychodynamic Therapy. This type of therapy helps you bring your true feelings to the surface. If you repress (purposely forget) or deny painful thoughts, feelings, and memories, they can still affect your life. Once you are aware of these repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories they become less painful.

Psychoeducational Therapy. This type of therapy involves the therapist teaching instead of the client talking. You may learn about disorders, treatment options, and how to cope with symptoms. Therapists may provide you with useful information or may help you learn different skills. They work with individuals and groups.

Relaxation Therapies. Learning ways to relax can help to reduce anxiety and stress. Yoga and meditation may also be helpful.

Your guide to empowerment and good health!

Finding the Best Surgeon
By Andrew Jacobs

There certainly is no question that laser surgery of any kind comes with risks. When most potential patients consider the risks they tend to think of things like scarring or little success. Perhaps the greatest risk to your health though is the surgeon that performs the procedure. It should never be assumed that any person is qualified simply because they say they are. Finding the best surgeon is where your laser cosmetic procedure should really begin. There is no room to make mistakes when it comes to your health and potential dangers to your life. Shopping around shouldn't be limited to computers and cars. It's just as detrimental to personal and health related investments.

One of the best ways to learn about any product or service is to ask around to those who have made use of it. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. We've all heard that but time has proven it to be true. If you know of someone who may have had some laser treatments done, ask them about it. A satisfied patient will be more than happy to tell you all about their surgeon. On the flipside of the same coin, it's a good way to learn which clinics you may not want to visit.

Go to your family doctor. Provided that you trust the opinion of your family doctor, they may have plenty of information for you regarding laser procedures and practitioners. Depending on your condition or what you are seeking laser treatment for, your own doctor is a safe bet for a reliable referral. In cities where there are several laser clinics to choose from this is a helpful way to weed through them all. Because most of them offer similar practices, it's easy to get confused. Of course living in a small town can become just as difficult when you don't know where to go to seek safe and experienced treatment. Family doctors play many roles; don't leave them out of any of your health related issues.

Stay on top of the scam stories. It might come as a shock but there are many people practicing forms of cosmetic surgery with little to no professional training. Conduct an internet search and the results will turn up many stories of patients led astray by a con artist only to lose their money and end up with a botched surgery. Make yourself aware of scams and what a typical scam may look like to prevent becoming a victim of malpractice.

It doesn't take much for someone to be able to say they are a cosmetic surgeon. Even gynaecologists can become one if they so choose. This is why the patient must always ask for proof of qualified experience. A laser surgeon with full credentials will have no issues making them available for patients. Any doctor who refuses should most likely be avoided. Allowing someone to change something on your body requires a vast amount of trust. Finding the best surgeon possible is crucial to your experience. Careful research before laser treatment could make a great difference after.