Sam Blumberg Of Action Growth Therapy On The Benefits Of Using A Family Approach To Treating Bipolar Disorder
An Interview With Stephanie Greer
Do not be afraid to ask for help, you’re not in this by yourself.
Bipolar Disorder, a condition that affects millions around the world, not only impacts the individual diagnosed but also their surrounding family. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the journey towards mental wellness is not solely an individual pursuit but a collective one. Incorporating family perspectives and integrating a family approach in treatment methodologies can be pivotal in achieving holistic healing and stability. As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Blumberg.
Sam Blumberg is a marriage and family therapist with 10+ years of experience in the mental health field. In other words, Sam is passionate about helping people. As a therapist, Sam has supported foster kids, teens, young- and middle-aged adults, couples, and athletes. Sam works with those suffering from mood disorders, anxiety, depression, all while using a systemic approach mixed with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your childhood backstory?
I was born in Toronto, Canada and lived there until I was 6 years old. Then, moved to San Diego, Ca, where I refer to this as the best decision I never got to make. With that being said, I never left. San Diego has been my home, with Toronto as my home away from home. I would go back almost yearly to visit family that still lived there, which included my maternal grandparents, aunt and uncle, plus all my cousins. I have parents who are still married, which seems rare these days and a younger brother, whom I am very close with. I was very active as a kid growing up, loved playing sports and being outside. My parents had the mentality of play outside until the street lamps came on, I definitely ran with that idea. School and education was always valued in my home, so I had a goal of college at a young age. I wanted to be Elon Musk before he was who he was and create high performance electric vehicles, so I went to school for mechanical engineering, but that did not last long. I quickly switch to psychology. I saw it at engineering of the mind, and the rest was history.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My Grandfather told me ‘do whatever you want, but do it well and be the best you can at it’
This gave me confidence that no matter where I ended up or what I did, that I could achieve ‘happiness and greatness’ because it was something I chose to do and truly enjoyed doing.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your professional career treating patients with bipolar disorder diagnoses?
I have been helping teens, young adults, and adults with bi polar for 10+ years. I don’t believe I ever set out to work with this population initially, but I am happy I did. I started interning at an outpatient children’s hospital in San Diego, which lead me to continuing working with 0–18 population at my next opportunity where I worked with foster youth, helping them stabilize in their foster homes, while treating any mental health issues, using evidence based and systemic approaches. I worked there for 3 years before entering the private practice world. That is where I really saw an increase in bi-polar diagnosis. I took all the knowledge I had gained over the beginning of my career and realized how a systemic approach to treating certain disorders can be extremely beneficial. I have worked with dozens of clients who suffer from bi-polar and I see a difference when it one on one work being done, compared to when the family/friends are brought in treatment as well. With the latter showning really positive results.
When you work with patients, I understand that you often integrate family or friends into the treatment process. What do you consider the 3 primary benefits of including family?
Three primary benefits to including family is education, empathy, and patience. With bringing the family into treatment you can have hands on control of the information being given. Educating family members by teaching them about bi-polar, warning signs of possible shifts between lows/highs, how to support in specific moments based on the needs of the client, can be extremely helpful. Teaching empathy for what the client is going through can really make the client feel support during tough times and give perspective to the support system as to what is really happening for the client. Having family develop a sense of patience and understand that there is no quick fix and that there will be tirals and tribulations throughout the process is imperative.
What are some of the challenges you run into when working with families? How do you balance responding to the needs of the family with the needs of the patient?
This is a great question. With every successful session there could be a disaster in the next. It really depends on what expectations the family has and what the overall relationship is like between the family and client. If the relationship is strtained between family members and client, the issue is compliance and often ends in power struggles, because everyone is on a different page. This can even be seen between family members, aside from the client. I often will say the family has to work on consistency because bi polar can be so up and down and there is a feeling of lack of control, being consistent is a constant message I tend to rely on.
Family dynamics can greatly vary depending on the sociocultural backgrounds of the individuals involved. How do you tailor your family approach to respect and incorporate different sociocultural perspectives and values?”
I ultimately want to know what has worked and what has not. I am very aware of everyone’s individual and collective views but the goal is to make sure the client feels there is support and that their needs are being met in times of crisis. Hence, this is why they are all in therapy together. My role is also to work with what beliefs the family system as a whole has, which can be challenging. For example, pro or anti medication for the treatment bi-polar.
Likewise, inter-generational dynamics can sometimes play a significant role in the therapy process. Can you share any insights or experiences on how inter-generational understanding and communication facilitate the healing process?
The biggest intergenerational dynamic is that of social media and the emphasis that is placed on it. The role that plays is just as important as any other dynamic. The view that is placed on social media by baby boomers is far different than that of the current generations. It all really depends on the age of client suffering from bi-polar and the degree of which social media plays a role in their life. Other dynamics that are part of the therapy process is how emotionally open those are and how accepted emotions are in general with in the family. If the family is closed off because it was tauight to suppress emotions, that could play a negative role and make it more difficult communicate or feel safe to do so based on how it will be received.
Many mental health professionals don’t have training in working with families. How did you learn the techniques you use and what would you recommend to professionals that want to learn more about this approach?
My education was always through a systemic approach. I was taught to incorporate the family and the support that surrounds the client. Through repetition and looking/practicing through a systemic lens, it really helped me develop a sense of comfort and confidence in being able to apply it day in and day out in my practice. I would strongly recommened to anyone taking family systems workshops or read up on the literature that is out that because it is extrememly effective in my opinion in working with those who suffer from bi-polar.
Caring for a family member with bipolar disorder can sometimes be challenging and might lead to caregiver burnout. How does your approach incorporate strategies for self-care and support for family members who are involved in the caregiving process?
Self-care is so important for everyone involved. Yoga, breath work, running, going to the gym, or enjoying other activities of leisure, would be ideas of self-care I would recommend. Essentially, being able to engage in any activity with intent will provide a break from the stress and mitigate the burnout, that could possibly occur. From helping those in the process organize and set up a schedule that works for the individual to being able to hold those same people accountable for the self-care they want to partake in, is a role that I take pride in.
Preventive education is often seen as a powerful tool in managing bipolar disorder symptoms. How do you integrate education and awareness for family members within your family approach to treating bipolar disorder?
Education is extremely important. I make sure to always include psychoeducation when working with those dealing with bi-polar as well as those who are there for support. To better understand, the educational piece will be invaluable, being able to relate and explain symptoms, behaviors, and moods can better prepare all those involved and give tools to better cope and be aware of what is happening. Knowing what to look for is a great way to support those that may not be aware of what is happening for them in the moment.
Thank you. Here is the main question of our interview. What are 5 things you wish more people knew about people navigating life with bipolar disorder?
1 . It is extremely difficult to conquer by one’s self.
2 . Do not be afraid to ask for help, you’re not in this by yourself.
3 . Not everyone’s bi-polar is the same.
4 . There are 2 different types of bi-polar.
5 . Family is there to help, Don’t push them away!
There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to mental illnesses, especially involving psychosis. What do you wish more people were aware of either in the professional field or the general public?
Everyone has a unique experience with mental health. Their experience is real and should be treated as so. It is not easy to live with, but as long as the client feels supported and know they have people in their corner, they are more likely to preserve.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
I am strongly connected with the world of sports and I am a huge advocate for mental health in sport. I hope that every professional sports organization mandates mental health support for its players where a licensed therapist or psychologist is with a team at all times. I see it with youth sports and collegiate athletes who struggle with their mental health and when they get to the professionals, from those who I have spoken to lose that service or feel like they cannot seek that help that they have been so reliant on.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Thank you for your time and thoughtful answers. I know many people will gain so much from hearing this.
About The Interviewer: Stephanie Greer, PhD is the Co-founder and CEO of Akin Mental Health — a company dedicated to guiding families on their journey supporting a loved one with mental health challenges like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and severe depression. Stephanie is passionate about this topic from her own personal experience growing up with a mother who struggled with bipolar 1 disorder and found a path forward to overcome the obstacles and live well. Stephanie’s professional experience includes a doctorate in neuroscience as well as design research roles at Hopelab and Apple. Stephanie brings this personal passion together with her world-class science and technology background to support families across the US in their personal journeys supporting loved ones with mental illness. To learn more about Akin Mental Health and join our community, visit us at akinmh.com.
Sam Blumberg Of Action Growth Therapy On The Benefits Of Using A Family Approach To Treating… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.