‘Therapy Bytes’ Fall 2015 Ezine

‘Therapy Bytes’ Quarterly

~ for the Therapy Savvy + Therapy Curious Reader

In This Issue


Video: Common Confusions When Considering Doing Therapy in California

What’s the Difference between a Psychiatrist, Psychologist + Psychotherapist? What’s an MFT?


In this short video I’m going to address the difference between a psychologist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist just because so often this is an area of confusion! Then I will explain what the 3 letters after my name mean: MFT.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who mostly prescribes medication. Sometimes a psychiatrist also provides counseling or therapy but mostly people are referred to them to get a prescription for meds. For instance if my client tells me they are considering tak- ing anti depressants or anti anxiety medication I will refer them to a psychiatrist.

Unlike psychiatrists, psychologists are also trained in giving psychological tests (like IQ tests or personality tests). People will go to a psychologist to be tested and also to do counseling or therapy. In some cases a psychologist might have completed a training that grants them prescription privileges but usually they just administer tests and do counseling.

So what about a psychotherapist? I am psychotherapist and all I do is therapy. I do not prescribe medication or administer tests. I am trained in all kinds of therapeutic modalities such as EMDR, hypnosis, EFT and so on. These are all just different forms of psychotherapy.

So in summary: a psychiatrist prescribes medication; a psychologist does testing and a psychotherapist does psychotherapy although all three might do some form of counsel- ing as well.

Very briefly before we end, I just want to highlight another area of confusion which is the 3 letters after my name: MFT.
MFT means that I am licensed in the state of CA that is all! If you want a licensed psychotherapist (which I recommend) look for these three letters.

MFT stands for Marriage and Family Therapist. However this title is misleading because not all MFT’s work with marriages or families. There are plenty of MFT’s who do not work with marriages or families! They might just work with individuals or children for instance but they are still an MFT because they are a licensed psychothera- pist in the state of CA.

So I hope this video has helped clarify some things for you because it can be confusing!
(If you prefer to read rather than watch the video click here)


For a limited time, get 15% off the complete series: “This Holiday ~ Empower Don’t Devour” to help with food + weight issues this Holiday season!

Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 10.13.27 AM

This series involves Ondina Nandine Hatvany, MFT interviewing 5 experts in the field of food, weight and body image for tools and tips on how to deal with food and family stressors during the holidays.
Learn about:

  • cultivating fierce self love
  • the importance of radical self care
  • how to deal with the “I want more monster!”
  • how to support your brain with proper nutrients so its chemically balanced

~ Get a concrete plan in place in order to avoid falling into negative patterns around food, weight and body image issues
~ This series will give you practical tools to empower you for the holidays so you can have truly happy holidays!
~ A Great Gift for Friends or Family too! ~
(Learn more here…)


I highly recommend my colleague ~

Darlene A. Hall, Ph.D.

An excellent psychologist, consultant and public speaker based in Oakland, CA

Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 10.19.55 AMHere is more about Darlene in her own words: Darlene A. Hall, Ph.D. is a Black lesbian Psychologist with strong social justice values. Darlene has worked for 25 years in the nonprofit sector as a clinician, administrator, funder, and consultant to strengthen racially/ethnically diverse, low-income, and disenfranchised communities, including LGBTQ, children and youth, women, and people who are homeless. Darlene started her consulting business, Intersections Consulting (IC), almost 7 years ago to continue her passion of helping organizations best serve the communities they care about. Toward this end, Darlene provides consulting in Mental Health, Organizational Development, Program Evaluation and Planning, Leadership and Youth Development, Fundraising, Power/Privilege and Diversity, and Sports/Athletics and Health. To learn more, please visit: www.intersectionsconsulting.com

Darlene also maintains a small private practice in Oakland serving adults in individual and couple/relationship psychotherapy. Offering sliding scale and student rates, Darlene’s approach is strengths-based, collaborative, grounded in the sociocultural realities of clients, and integrates psychodynamic, CBT, and family systems practices to support clients’ needs. Call 415.297.7265 about psychotherapy services.

(To go to Darlene’s website click here)


The Astrology Eye

Hope you all weathered the last Mercury Retrograde (9/17/15-10/9/15) which also included a full moon eclipse in Aries (9/27/15) This combo seemed to knock a lot of people off their feet!

Here’s what “Skywatch Astrology” has to say about this Fall:
Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 10.22.44 AM“Miracles, breakthroughs and damn good business deals will be highlights for lots of folks in October as a series of positive markers appear in the Skywatch. Pluto in earth sign Capricorn lines up in a trine, an aspect of agreement, with Venus, Mars and lucky Jupiter in earthy Virgo. Earth signs are practical, realistic and organized-and we all can borrow some of these gifts/abilities in October which creates an excellent atmosphere for positive developments and a healing of some kind in our lives.

Green lights kick on in a big way as Mercury resumes direct motion and Jupiter aligns in harmony with Pluto on the 11th. The good energy in this aspect will cover the month with positive outcomes but only for those who get into the game. Trines bring times of harmony and balance, and are good times to take action. The really good news is that this trine will return in exact alignment twice again in 2016! So we begin an era of healing earth energy that will last until next June-this is a
superb window of time to learn a new skill, diet and/or improve your health, and to expand a part of your life that gives you more power and control of your destiny.

Pluto rules divorces and marriages. Jupiter rules the law. The trine creates an excellent time to start and end matters in your life. For singles looking for a serious relationship, this is a good month to be in circulation and meeting people.” (www.SkywatchAstrology.com)

Finally Saturn is now permanently in idealistic Sagittarius until 12/19/17. Sagittarius’s enthusiasm will get reined in and put to work. Any outdated belief systems will be challenged. Look for this on the political front as well.

For more on how these transits might be effecting you in particular

call Ondina for an astrology reading (415) 381-1065

~ ~ ~ Here’s to the upcoming Holidays!!! ~ ~ ~


Ondina Nandine Hatvany, MFT

72Ondina assists traditional, alternative and queer couples with an approach that combines the latest discoveries in neuroscience with powerful and effective developments in couples research. She uses an approach called Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help her couples get past blame and shame to a place of more understanding, trust and intimacy.

As former Director of the Eating Disorders program at the Community Institute of Psychotherapy Ondina advocates a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach that empowers women to befriend their bodies.
Ondina works with trauma/ abuse survivors using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing,) hypnosis and somatic (body mindfulness) psychotherapy techniques with a high effectiveness rating.

Finally as a somatically trained psychotherapist and former yoga teacher, one of the ways she can assist you to make lasting changes is to foster body mindfulness. She uses somatic psychotherapies such as Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing to facilitate transitions and shifts that last.

Feel Free to call for a free initial phone consultation on Ondina’s confidential office line (415) 381-1065 or e-mail: Ondinah@gmail.com


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