grad school

Geek at Work

January 23, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Life has gotten in the way, once again. It happens. I have a bunch of topics I’d love to write about, but this week was crazy, and I haven’t had time. I promise to come back next week with something new!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AZ2TdQBF-4g/TluakpLsnVI/AAAAAAAANJ0/_J7ZndKTAwk/w506-h380/geek-at-work.jpg

In the meantime, I’d like to follow up on last week’s post on female superheroes with another post on Geek Therapy by Josué Cardona. He asks the female superheroes to please step forward. You can check that out here: http://www.geektherapy.com/3/post/2014/01/will-the-female-superheroes-please-step-forward.html

So, check out the post, check out the site, and check out the podcast. In the meantime, I’ll be catching up on work, reading, papers…and get something written for next week.

Keep geeking out!

Coping with Games?

December 5, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Ok…so this week is most definitely a shameless plug. The end of the semester is upon me, therefore…final projects are in season. And I have one I need some serious help with.

I know, I know…I suck you in with a title that makes you think I’m posting about a study I found…then I ask you for something. But here’s the fun part! I need help running a study on coping and video games!

(Image via The Telegraph)

It’s a simple 20 question survey for me to explore survey building and data analysis. It’s not a real research study…and its results won’t be published anywhere…other than maybe this blog. For my clinician readers…don’t judge my survey design skills. This is my first go around.

When I was given the assignment, I knew I wanted to create a survey having to do with geek therapy. I know I use video games to cope a lot, so I figured I would see how many others do too.

You can find my Qualtrics survey here. I would really appreciate some help with this project…it will only take you a few minutes, and you’d be helping out a stressed out grad student! I only need 10 responses, but more would be great!

I can’t promise how valid my results will be. Or that the survey doesn’t suck. Or that you won’t be eaten by zombies.

(Image via Trender Bender)

But I can promise that I will be grateful, and that I will have more time for better blog posts…that aren’t shameless plugs.

If you missed the link earlier, here’s the url: https://hnu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4NNsAAVPoCBfw8t

Thanks everyone!

New Theraputic Code Every Monday and Thursday

September 18, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Ever get the feeling like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? Yeah…that’s how I’m feeling right now.

With working full time and keeping up with school, my time has been pinched a bit lately. So to keep myself sane, and keep this blog going (cause it’s been a lot of fun and really eye-opening), I’ve got to make a couple of changes.

First!

I’m cutting back on my original posts. While I love doing them, I feel like I need more time to fully think them through. So for now, those will be rolling out on Mondays and Thursdays, every week.

Second!

In between those posts, I may post links to awesome geeky articles I’ve found, just to keep the ideas flowing.

Hopefully this gives me more time to come up with ideas, link concepts together and put together some quality (or crazy) stuff. If anything major comes up during the week that just has to be commented on, I’ll probably do it. So keep an eye out.

The gist of it all is, check back on Mondays and Thursdays when new content rolls through. Check back any day you want for older stuff and possibly awesome articles I’ve found or hot topics in the nerd world. And follow me on Twitter @TherapeuticCode and on the Therapeutic Code Facebook page for announcements on new posts!

The life of a working grad student is crazy, and blogging on top of all that is crazier. I love it, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading, it means a lot.

(Image via Kaplan)

Back to School: A Link to the Past

September 3, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

The time of year in which I can come home from work and do nothing but play video games is at an end!

Instead, my spare time has been replaced with more work. Game time must now be balanced with papers, reading, group projects, presentations, and study sessions. Reading for fun? Ha! No more of that. Comic books and fantasy novels have been replaced with journal articles and dense textbooks. I couldn’t be more disappointed or happier, all at the same time. If that makes any sense.

Loving what you learn can make all the difference, but school has its own special way of becoming tedious no matter how enjoyable you find the subject matter. For me, this semester holds an extra dose of promise. This is the semester that I have found my focus.

In my counseling theories course during my first semester I was given the task of writing a paper on the subject of what theory or theories I was leaning toward and why. Pretty standard paper, right? I wrote a few truthful sentences about CBT and attachment theory and filled it with a lot of fluff since I had some idea of my theoretical orientation, but still wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to commit to anything on paper yet. I definitely wasn’t ready to start thinking about my thesis.

Fast forward to today and I am bursting at the seams, ready to jump headlong into a pool of theoretical mess and put a nerdy twist on it all. I have found my focus, everyone!

Or have I…?

See, my program is very small. My professors are super supportive as well, but I am not too sure I could find the right help to make my thesis as epic and well, me, as I want it to be.

How do you go about creating something from nothing, when the expectation is to find support for your focus of practice? The current research of these topics is lacking. Most of my instructors have probably never even opened a comic book, let alone thought about using them in their practice. Without the proper support, my new found excitement and passion might find itself fizzling out.

It would be wonderful if I could attend Dr. O’Conner’s class on Geek Culture in Therapy at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

While the information on geek culture would be review for me, the application of it to therapy would be significantly useful. Unfortunately, I am not a doctoral student, and I am no where near Chicago.

I continue to hope that someone will have a training or class on these topics out here on the west coast. For now, I’ll be checking for updates on websites and listening to podcasts, soaking up all the information I can get.

Until the epic purple journal articles start to drop, that will have to be sufficient.

Well, here goes..

August 26, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Here begins my first foray into the blogging world. I suppose I should start by letting you know who I am, what this blog is all about, and why the heck you should bother reading in the first place.

My name is Lara Taylor, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (born and raised), and I am a complete and total nerd. My interests are pretty general as far as geekery, I know a little about a lot. I’m an avid gamer, comic nerd, Ringer, Star Warsior, Brony…the list goes on. I’m also a Master’s student in Counseling Psychology on track for a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) license someday.

During San Diego Comic Con this year, I attended a panel called Geek Therapy: How Superheroes Empower us, and It blew my mind. Everything they spoke about was a way of combining my two biggest passions (nerdom and psychology) into one. Using comics in therapy? Had never thought of it, but loved the idea and it made perfect sense to me. Why had I not thought of this before?

After Comic Con I started listening to the Geek Therapy podcast and more and more topics came up, such as the use of video games in therapy. Or just using game terminology in therapy. The floodgates in my mind had opened and I could not stop the rush of ideas coming through them. I was inspired.

The information racing through my mind led me to the creation of this blog. I want a place to collect articles and discussions about nerdy concepts in the therapy world and how we can use them to make people feel better. I also want a place to combine those articles and discussions with my own opinions and ideas drawn from my current schooling and training as a future clinician.

Which brings me to a disclaimer: I AM NOT A THERAPIST!!!! I am a student, and the ideas I post are my own and are developing over time. Do not contact me to solve your problems. I’d love to help you, but I can’t, yet. This is a place for ideas and discussion….and geekiness.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings, and I also hope you stick with me. It’ll get more interesting soon, I promise!

Special Thanks to those who inspired me:

Comicspedia – using comics in therapy comicspedia.net

Geek Therapy Podcast – geektherapy.com