Professor Kömpf ist in Säckingen im Raum Freiburg geboren und absolvierte sein Medizinstudium in Heidelberg.

Nach einem Forschungsaufenthalt in den USA machte er seine Facharztausbildung an der Universitätsklinik in Mannheim und Heidelberg und arbeitete anschließend als Leitender Oberarzt an der Universitätsklinik in Erlangen.

Von 1987 bis 2010 war er als Direktor der Neurologischen Universitätsklinik in Lübeck tätig und ist zusätzlich seit 2010 Generalsekretär der EFNS (European Federation of Neurological Societies). Diese Gesellschaft organisiert große neurologische Kongresse und bietet Fortbildungskurse für Neurologen im Osten an, wie z.B. in Russland, Weißrussland, in der Ukraine, in Moldawien etc. Das Ziel ist ganz klar, die Standardisierung der neurologischen Diagnostik und Behandlung in Europa.

Zum Thema „Klinische Neuroophthalmologie“ schrieb Professor Kömpf 1998 ein Buch, das im Thieme Verlag veröffentlicht wurde. Ebenso befasst er sich mit allen „Erkrankungen der Hirnnerven“ und veröffentlichte auch zu diesem Thema ein Buch im Jahre 2006.

Seit seiner Pensionierung betreibt Professor Kömpf eine private Bestellpraxis in Lübeck und ist alle paar Monate in dem von ihm gegruendeten Schwindelzentrum in Mallorca an der Klinik Juaneda, tätig.

Während seiner Tätigkeit als Direktor der Universitätsklinik in Lübeck deckte er die gesamte Breite der Neurologie ab, incl. Parkinson, Epilepsie, Multiple Sklerose, Cerebrale Durchblutungsstörungen, Schlaganfallvorbeugung, Gedächtnisstörungen, Demenz, Kopfschmerzen, Migräne, Polyneuropathien, Restless legs Syndrom, Rückenschmerzen und  Bandscheibenerkrankungen.

Sein Spezialgebiet sind aber alle Arten von Schwindel (ca. 50) sowie Seh- und Gleichgewichtsstörungen.

Schwindel ist immer nur ein ganz allgemeiner Ausdruck, der nichts Genaues aussagt. Hier muss man unterscheiden zwischen spezifischem Schwindel, d.h. alles dreht sich, und unspezifischem Schwindel, das kann bedeuten Schwarzwerden vor den Augen, Taumeligsein und Gleichgewichtsstörungen.

Das Problem dabei ist immer die Ursache, denn häufig haben heftige Symptome nur eine harmlose Ursache, die gut behandelbar ist hingegen kann eine leichte Symptomatik  gefährliche Ursachen haben. In diesem Fall ist eine schnelle Diagnostik unbedingt erforderlich, um z.B. einen Schlaganfall zu verhindern. Zwischen diesen beiden Polen bewegt sich die ganze Bandbreite des Schwindels.

Das Wichtigste bei der Behandlung ist immer die Anamnese und die korrekte Analyse der Symptome. Am Anfang steht die Neurologische Untersuchung mit Schwergewicht auf den Augenbewegungen, danach folgen die Neurophysiologie und die DUPLEX-Ultraschalluntersuchung der Hirnarterien und eine kombinierte Zusammenarbeit mit einem Ohrenarzt, einem Augenarzt, Orthopaeden sowie mit der Neuroradiologie (Kernspin und Kernspinangiographie) und einem Labor .

Wie Herr Professor Koempf schon jetzt erfreut feststellen konnte, werden alle fuer seine hochqualifzierte Diagnostik erforderlichen Leistungen in Dubai angeboten, ueberwiegend in Zusammenarbeit mit deutschen Aerzten, z.B. Augen, HNO, Orthopaedie, Kardiologie und Labor. Das macht die Behandlung vor allem der deutschen Patienten leichter, da exakte Angaben und Aussagen in der Muttersprache zur besseren Diagnostik und Behandlung erheblich beitragen.

Herr Professor Kömpf ist erst seit Kurzem in Dubai am German Neuroscience Center (GNC) und ist zurzeit sehr aktiv dabei, die Kolleginnen und Kollegen kennenzulernen, um eine gute Kooperation zu gewaehrleisten.

Er sieht hier vor Ort als Hauptproblemkreise die richtige medikamentoese Einstellung von Parkinson-Patienten, die Epilepsie-Therapie und die Schlaganfall-Vorbeugung sowie aber auch die Schmerztherapie z.B. bei den vielen Variationen des Kopfschmerzes und natuerlich vor allem die Versorgung von Schwindelpatienten. Schwindel ist eines der am haeufigsten geklagten Symptome in einer Neurologen-Praxis und als Ursache vieler Stoerungen und gravierender Erkrankungen nicht zu unterschaetzen.

Informationen über die Zeiten, zu denen Professor Kömpf in Dubai ist, finden Sie regelmäßig unter http://gnc.expataktuell.de/terminvereinbarung/ und unter http://expataktuell.de/termine/ und auf der Homepage des German Neuroscience Centers GNC, \gncdubai.com.

Herr Professor Koempf wird uns hier bald weitere Informationen über die Schwindelproblematik geben.

Professor Koempf is a genuine German University Professor born in Saeckingen, near Freiburg and studied medicine in Heidelberg.

After having spent one year of research in the USA, he continued his medical education at the University Hospitals Mannheim and Heidelberg and went on to work as Deputy Head at the Neurological Hospital in Erlangen.

From 1987 until 2010, Professor Koempf held the position as Director of the Neurological University Hospital of Luebeck, Germany where he worked as a Senior Consultant for Neurology, held lectures and taught students. In 2010 he was elected as General Secretary to the EFNS (European Federation of Neurological Societies) where he organizes large neurological conventions and further education for neurologists in Eastern Countries such as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldavia and others. Aim of these efforts is to standardize neurological diagnostics and treatment in Europe.

In 1998, Professor Koempf wrote an important book on the topic of “Clinical Neuro-Ophthalmology” which was published by the renowned Thieme Publishers. He also deals with all “Diseases of the Cranial Nerves” on which he also published a book in 2006.

Since finishing his Univerity career, Professor Koempf has been seeing patients in his private clinic in Luebeck and spends some months in Mallorca, Spain, in a Vertigo Center which he founded at Juaneda Hospital.

During his active time as Director of the Neurological Hospital at Luebeck University, Professor Koempf dealt with the whole range of neurological diseases including Parkinson’s disease, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral circulatory disorders, stroke prophylaxis, disturbances of the memory, dementia, headaches, migraine, polyneuropathies, restles legs syndrome, back pain and diseases if the discs.

But above all, he concentrated on the numerous kinds of vertigo (of which there are about 50) as well as vision disorders or disturbances of the equilibrium. Vertigo itself is just a very general term which does not mean anything specific. One must differentiate between specific vertigo meaning everything is spinning and unspecific vertigo which may mean short loss of vision, dizziness or disturbed equilibrium.

The problem always is to find the underlying cause because very often the cause of very strong symptoms may be quite harmless whereas a slight symptomatology may indeed have a dangerous cause. In the latter case, a fast course of diagnostics is of the utmost importance in order to prevent for instance a stroke. The whole range vertigo lies between these two poles.

The most important issue when dealing with vertigo symptoms is the medical history and the correct analysis of the symptoms. At the beginning of this procedure there will be a thorough neurological examination with a focus on the eye movements. From time to time it will be necessary to carry out a psychiatric exploration as well because vertigo can be due to psychic problems. Following this will be neurophysiological investigations such as EEG, VEP, AEP or others and the DUPLEX ultrasound examination of the cranial arteries and a combined cooperation with an ENT doctor, an ophthalmologist, maybe an orthopedist and a qualified laboratory.

Despite his being in Dubai only recently, Professor Koempf realized that all services he needs for his highly specialized work are available in Dubai, predominantly offered by German colleagues such as ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedics, cardiology and laboratory. This makes diagnostics and treatment easier since they all follow the same high German standards and uncomplicated communication between them allows secured results. Professor Koempf is devoting some of his time at the moment to meeting and getting to know these colleagues in order to guarantee best results for his patients.

As main problems in this region, Professor Koempf notices so far the often faulty medicinal treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy, missing preventative measures for stroke and other diseases of the vessels as well as pain therapy regarding the numerous kinds of headaches or polyneuropathy caused by diabetes. Above all he is concerned about people suffering from dizziness and vertigo which is one of the most prevalent complaints presented in a neurological clinic and not to be underestimated regarding the possibly underlying serious causes.

Appointments with Professor Dr. Koempf can be made now Saturday to Thursday

from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the 25^th of October 2012.

You will find regular information on the next times that Professor Dr. Koempf will be available in Dubai on http://gnc.expataktuell.de/terminvereinbarung or http://expataktuell.de/termine/ or on the homepage of the German Neuroscience Center GNC  \gncdubai.com.

Professor Koempf will continue to inform us about the topic of vertigo on this site.

Sleep Studies

 A Review on POLYSOMNOGRAPHY

                                                         and it’s Technical Application

                                                     by Soraya Waradji , GNC Dubai

Introduction:

Sleep disorders are becoming a global problem these days. More and more patients come to our

GNC Center in Dubai Healthcare City complaining  “I can’t sleep!” “I’m always feeling tired”.

Our neurologists at GNC know how to deal with these problems.

Thanks to modern technology, Polysomnography was discovered and is considered to be a powerful tool to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography is a comprehensive recording of physiological changes that occur during sleep such as brain waves, oxygen level in the blood, heart rate and breathing rate as well as eye and leg movement. It is used to diagnose or rule out many types of sleep disorders, including Narcolepsy, Restless legs movements, REM behavior, Parasomnias and sleep apnea. This procedure is often requested or ordered for patients with frequent complaints of excessive daytime fatigue .nd severe sleepiness that may be caused by interrupted sleep.

How to Prepare for the Test

There are no major preparations necessary. The patient is advised not to take any sleep medicine or drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages prior to this test.

Risk factor:

Polysomnography is a non invasive procedure. There is no risk, except maybe some skin irritation caused by the adhesive used to attach the sensors to the skin. It is therefore a fabulous procedure for children too.

Mechanism:

Physiologic sensor leads are placed on the patient in order to record the following:

1. EEG (Electroencephalogram)

2. EOG (Electro-Occulogram)

3. EMG (Electromyogram)

4. ECG (Electrocardiogram)

5. Airflow (thermistor or thermocouple sensor)

6. Respiratory Effort (piezo crystal effort sensor)

7. Oxygen saturation (Pulse oximeter)

Procedure (How the Test Is Performed)

1. AT A SLEEP LABORATORY OR HOSPITAL

For the standard test, the patient comes to a sleep lab in the early evening, and over the next 1–2 hours is introduced to the setting and “wiring up” so that multiple channels of data can be recorded when he/she falls asleep. The sleep lab may be in a hospital, or in a center. A sleep technician should always be in attendance and is responsible for attaching the electrodes to the patient and monitoring the patient during the study. She must explain to the patient about the procedure to keep the patient relaxed throughout the night.

The sleep laboratory should be equipped with video cameras in the patient’s room, so that the patient can be recorded while sleeping. This allows the technician to review the tape at any time during the test and verify whether strange looking waveforms were caused by an actual arousal, a period of wake, or normal patient movements in bed.

 2. AT HOME

Nowadays, neurologists may carry out home studies to enhance patient comfort and reduce expenses, which is in the best interest of any patient. The patient is given thorough instructions as to how the screening tool is used. He will then use the equipment at home in his usual sleep surroundings and return it the next day.

Most screening tools consist of an airflow measuring device (thermistor) and a blood oxygen monitoring device (pulse oximeter). They are small and easy to handle and produce excellent graphs and other results.

At  the German Neuroscience Center our neurologists follow this new path and provide patients with a tool they can easily apply at home rather than putting the patient into an awkward situation at the clinic because they realize that especially in Arabic countries with prayer times and similar rules to follow, it might be difficult for the patient to carry out a sleep study outside their homes.

The patient will sleep with the screening device for at least one up to several nights, and then return the device to the neurologist.

The neurologist will retrieve data from the device and can make assumptions based on the information given, for example, a series of drastic blood oxygen desaturations during night periods may indicate some form of respiratory event (apnea). At a minimum, the equipment will monitor the oxygen saturation.

Summary:

Polysomnography (PSG) has proved to be a convincing tool for enhancing our understanding of sleep and its disorders. It is an essential diagnostic procedure to clarify the causes of sleep disorders thus enabling the neurologist to determine an appropriate form of treatment.

Ideally, and in accordance with international guidelines, sleep studies will be carried out by neurologists in close cooperation with an ENT specialist in such cases where first results point at a serious disease, as is standard at the German Neuroscience Center GNC.

Evaluation of sleep disorders must be made more readily available to the hundreds of thousands of patients with sleep disorders who still lack diagnosis and treatment. Lack of sleep or permanently disturbed sleep will lead to reduced concentration and failing personal efficiency. This will not only gravely affect the patients’ private lives but also their daily working capacity.

Sleep disorders, if not analyzed and left untreated, may lead to dangerous, even fatal, situations and  social decline by, for instance, losing one’s job. Today, thanks to Polysomnography, nobody has to take such risks, since our neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists at the German Neuroscience Center know of many ways how to treat sleep disorders adequately after having analyzed and diagnosed the causes thoroughly.

Soraya Waradij, B.Sc.

Neurophysiologist

German Neuroscience Center, DHCC, Dubai

References:

1. Collop NA, Anderson WM, Boehlecke B, et al. Clinical guidelines for the use of unattended portable monitors in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in adult patients. Portable Monitoring Task Force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med . 2007;3:737-747.

2. Personal communication: Michael E. Garrison RSPGT, Supervisor Sleep Disorders Center KUMC.

3. Rechtschaffen, Allan. Kales, Anthony. A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects. Brain Information Service/Brain Research Institute. UCLA Los Angeles, CA. 1986.

4. McDonough, James T. Stedman’s Concise Medical Dictionary. 2^nd edition. Williams and Wilkins Publishers. Baltimore, MD. 1994.

5.Sheldon SH, Spire J-P, Levy HB. Pediatric Sleep Medicine. W.B. Saunders, Co. Philadelphia, PA. 1992.

6. G. Hayak  E. Ruther, Insomnie  Schalffosigkeit, 1995

Professor Dr. Detlef Koempf, MD, PHD
Former Head of the Department of Neurology,
University Clinic Luebeck, Germany
Senior Consultant for Neurology
German Neuroscience Center GNC, Dubai

In the course of his outstanding academic career, Professor Koempf spent one year of research in the USA as a Fulbright Fellow at the Neurological Department of Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, after which he wrote his professorial habilitation in Germany.
In 1987 Professor Koempf was offered the Chair of the Neurological Department at the University of Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where he was Director of the Neurological University Hospital from 1987 until 2010.
Since his retirement from his University career in 2010, Professor Koempf, has continued being professionally very active in many ways such as holding consultation hours in Luebeck (Germany), in Mallorca (Spain) and now in Dubai at the German Neuroscience Center GNC.

On top of this, Professor Koempf as present General Secretary of the EFNS (European Federation of Neurological Societies) is also playing an important part within the framework of the entire European Neurology.

The GNC is extremely proud and very happy to have this world renowned specialist for neurology reinforcing our team in Dubai by bringing his vast knowledge and neurological expertise to this part of the world and to our daily work at GNC.

Predominantly, Professor Koempf deals with all kinds of movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis as well as the visual disorders, disorders of balance and vertigo which very often either precede or accompany neurological illnesses.
In 1998, Professor Koempf wrote a scientific book on “Clinical Neuroophthalmology”, published by the well-known Thieme publishers, Germany. Yet he also concentrates on all “Diseases of the Cranial Nerves” on which subject he published a book in 2006.
But beside these highlighted topics, Professor Koempf is, of course, just as experienced in all basic neurological diseases such as epilepsy, impaired cerebral blood flow with awareness of stroke, dementia, headaches and migraine and on the other hand polyneuropathy, restless legs syndrome or discopathy.

Appointments at GNC with Professor Dr. Detlef Koempf will be possible from Saturday, 06th of October 2012 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

back to GNC Dubai again:                                                                             01.09.2012 to 13.09.2012

NEW:

Dr. Marquardt made the best of her time in Germany and prepared everything for introducing

Polysomnography  (Sleep analysis) as a new topic to GNC’s medical services, starting on 1st of

September.

She will bring with her all the necessary technical devices and up-to-date expertise.  In carrying

out the  sleep studies, she will be assisted by Ms Soraya, our Arabic speaking Bachelor of

Neurophysiology, who also has longstanding experience with Polysomnography as well as all

neurophysiological procedures.

Sleep studies are of essential importance for all those (even children) suffering from sleep

disorders (problems with initiating and maintaining sleep, snoring, sleeplessness, disturbed

rhythm of sleep, somnambulism, etc.), since the various forms of sleep disorders may

indicate some serious illness such as narcolepsy, an epilepsy related disease or respiratory

failures during sleep such as sleep apnea. On the other hand, stress related or other psychiatric

disturbances may cause sleep disorders or vice versa, just as inappropriate bedding.

For all these reasons it is of the utmost importance to analyze sleep and sleeping customs

thoroughly  in order to determine by aid of the neurologist the individually correct diagnosis

and ensuing possibilities of treatment.

The sole application of sleeping drugs does not represent an ideal solution but may even be

dangerous because it could lead to dependencies as unwanted side-effect.

Other methods, such as relaxation techniques or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) will lead

to sustained changes of habit and improvement of the sleep.

Close cooperation with the ENT-Clinic of Dr. Marc Mueller even enables us to diagnose

potentially life-threatening cases and together find the suitable kind of therapy such as

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) or oxygen application.

Dr. Marquardt’s Consultation hours:                      Saturday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Our office hours are:

Saturday – Thursday

9 am – 6 pm

Ramadan Kareem!

Being kind to yourself is a surefire way to improve your mental health and reach your goals, a growing body of work suggests. Now research has revealed an easy way to boost this self-compassion—by showing kindness to others.

Self-compassion is distinct from self-esteem, a trait that can shade into narcissism. Nor should it be confused with self-pity or self-indulgence. “Self-compassion is treating yourself with the same kindness and care you’d treat a friend,” says Kristin Neff, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the leading researcher in the growing field of self-compassion. People who are self-compassionate avoid harsh cri-tiques or negative generalizations of themselves, and they see their troubles as part of the human condition.

Research is showing that this gentle, nonjudgmental approach helps individuals bounce back even after major crises. For example, in a study in press at Psychological Science, scientists found that newly divorced people who spoke compassionately toward themselves adjusted significantly better in the following 10 months than those who spoke more harshly, with self-compassion outperforming self-esteem and even optimism as a predictor of good coping.

Contrary to what many people think, treating yourself kindly is also good for achieving your goals. “People believe that self-criticism helps to motivate them,” Neff says. Those low in self-compassion think that unless they are hard on themselves, they will not amount to much—but research reveals that being kind to yourself does not lower your standards. “With self-compassion, you reach just as high, but if you don’t reach your goals it’s okay because your sense of self-worth isn’t contingent on success,” she explains.

All of that is good news for the naturally self-compassionate, but what about the half of the population who tend to beat themselves up? Luckily, mounting research shows that you can cultivate your self-compassion through meditation and even simpler techniques. For example, pressing your hand against your heart or hiding this gesture in “a surreptitious hug” can give your self-compassion a momentary boost, Neff says.

A recent study at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests an even more surprising way to heighten self-compassion: acting compassionately toward others. In a presentation in January at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference, researchers Juliana Breines and Serena Chen described a set of experiments in which they asked one group of participants to give support to another person, such as writing down suggestions to make a friend feel better after causing a fender bender. Those in the support-giving condition went on to rate themselves higher in compassion for themselves than did participants who had been asked either to recall a fun time with a friend or to merely read about the suffering of others.

“There was a unique benefit to giving support—the benefit wasn’t just from feeling connected or realizing that others had problems, too,” explains Breines, a doctoral candidate in psychology and the study’s lead author. During tough times, people naturally tend to focus on themselves and find it difficult to support others, she says. “But actually, as many people intuitively discover, taking the opportunity to support other people can make you feel better about what you’re going through.”

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) announced the launch of the world’s most trusted book for international medical and health travel ‘Patients Beyond Borders Dubai Healthcare City Edition’.

Available in both English and Arabic, the DHCC edition aims to connect medical tourists with the healthcare offerings available in the integrated healthcare free zone. The reference guide also plays the role of a budget planner, providing innumerable tips for selecting the safest and most cost-effective treatment.

Over the past six years, Patients Beyond Borders’ print and digital publications have helped thousands of healthcare consumers find the safest, most affordable options for medical procedures all over the world. The earlier editions of the guide have been generated for the Accredited Hospitals Association of Turkey, Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia, Korea Health Institute Development Institute, Taiwan Taskforce on Medical Travel, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Dr Ayesha Abdullah, Managing Director at Dubai Healthcare city, said, “The launch of ‘Patients Beyond Borders Dubai Healthcare City Edition’ complements our initiative to promote medical tourism in the UAE. This is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, to position Dubai as a medical tourism hub in the region.”

Dr Ayesha added, “We believe the book is the perfect tool for all healthcare travellers seeking treatment outside of their home countries. Offering a detailed overview of the world-class facilities at Dubai Healthcare City, the book offers thorough information on accreditation, treatment specialties, and comparative costs. We are privileged that a prestigious global publishing house has showcased DHCC and its wide-ranging quality healthcare providers.”

Authored by Josef Woodman, a healthcare travel expert, and published by Healthy Travel Media, a US-based publishing house, the book was launched during Arabian Travel Market 2012, the leading travel and tourism event unlocking business potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals.

Josef Woodman said, “Centrally located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, Dubai now boasts 25 American-accredited hospitals, facilities, and programmes — nearly half of the JCI-accredited programmes in the UAE. With its multicultural surroundings and accessible, convenient tourism infrastructure, Dubai Healthcare City is poised to become a leading medical travel destination for patients from the region and beyond.”

‘Patients Beyond Borders Dubai Healthcare City Edition’ is an outcome of extensive research and a series of interviews with patients, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers in the healthcare sector. It also involved an extensive analysis of safety records, accreditations, success rates, and consumer trends.

Josef Woodman has helped shape the international health travel industry. In addition to lecturing at Harvard Medical School, UCLA School of Public Health, he has headlined medical travel conferences in 14 countries. He has appeared in numerous print and broadcast media including CNN, ABC News, Fox News, Oprah.com, The New York Times, International Living, Frommer’s, US News and World Report, and AARP Magazine

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C. Burmeister
Psychologist, Counselor, Diplom Psychologist

Ms Christina was born in Germany, yet grew up in America. She took her A-levels at the German School in Washington and is equally used to speaking German as well as English. She started her studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, finishing with her Bachelor’s degree. Ms Christina went on to continue her psychological education at Bowie State University, Maryland U.S.A. where she obtained her Master’s degree.
Since 2008 she has been living in the U.A.E. Prior to this, she spent some years in Munich, Germany, where she worked in a Private Out-Patient Clinic as psychological Counselor. During this time she focused on the treatment of depression, anxiety syndromes, eating disorders, couple counseling as well as addiction problems and obsessive compulsory disorders.
When starting her work in Dubai, she was confronted with the phenomenon of “culture shock” problems which she made into one of her professional topics, having grown up in two different “cultural worlds” herself and knowing about such problems from her own experience.
Ms Christina worked in Abu Dhabi for two years as School Psychologist at the German School Abu Dhabi. During this time she treated students with any kind of juvenile problems as well as family problems, adjustment disorders, violence and other problems concerning children, youth, parents and teachers.
Today, Ms Christina is additionally focusing on the various kinds of sleeping disorders which will be a new topic at GNC in the very near future.
Ms Christina has always had a special focus and interest on validated psychometric tests which she finds very useful for determining psychological disturbances or grades of disorders. Psychometric tests can also be applied to test a person’s intelligence, vigilance, concentration or impairment. Also in diagnosing the various kinds of dementia such specific tests are most helpful to find the right diagnosis.
The GNC is happy to welcome Ms Christina Burmeister to their team as a true gain due to her positive and understanding attitude but also due to the fact that she is holding sessions in English and German alike.
Ms Christina will take appointments from the 6th of June 2012 any day, Saturday to Thursday,      from 9a.m. to 6p.m.

Simple things you can do now to improve your life

When it comes to change, we often make it too big.  That is not to say we should not have big goals but it is to say we should have small measurable actions.

Ask yourself what can you do right now that is in line with your goals.  I imagine you have the standard goals of being more productive, healthier, thinner and in some way a better person.  Great!  What can you do now?  The mistake that many of us make is to plan for a time in the future when we are going to roll out this perfect plan of behaviour, eating and exercise. I would guess that has not worked for you in the past.  I feel safe in saying that it will not work in future.

Ten Minute Rule

Back in 2005 I was training for the New York Marathon.  I had almost a year to train so I broke down the miles into smaller goals of 10K races and half marathons.  I trained every week and often 3x a week.  Towards the end of the year I was surprised how hard it was to go running.  Specifically, I was amazed how hard the first 10 minutes of running was.  I thought that I must be doing something wrong seeing how hard it was for me to get through that first 10 minutes.  I asked everyone I knew what their experience was and I even sought the advice of professionals.  The answer was the same from everyone.  They all suffer through the first 10 minutes of their workouts.  I was amazed.  Even the fittest people I could find said they often wanted to give up within the first ten minutes and struggled during that time.

Now, no matter what I am doing, I give myself ten minutes before I evaluate what I am doing or decide to stop.  Usually, I keep going.

This information transformed how I lived

Living by ten can transform your life

• Keep going for 10 minutes before you stop or judge an activity.

• Give 10 genuine compliments to others. Men, women and the young.

• Count 10 things that work and go well. The lift is working, my car is reliable, the service is good.

• Wait 10 minutes before you respond to an e-mail, your partner’s comments or someone’s bad behaviour.

• Allow 10 people ahead of you.  Let one person ahead of you in line; let another person in the line of traffic.  Look for ways for others to go first.

• Give 10 % of your money to good causes.

• Give 10% of your time to others.

You will feel ten times better.

The human mind is capable of amazing achievements and advancing amazing ideas.  When you look at your goals you will see evidence of that.  Think big but act small.

Put yourself in the present moment.  Give yourself one small thing to do that is based on your goal.  It could be that you want to lose 20 kilos and exercise everyday.  Great.  In this moment that may mean making yourself a cup a green tea.  It may mean going to a different place for lunch.  Change happens one brick at a time, in the present moment.

The biggest enemy of change is perfectionism.  I do not confuse perfectionism with high standards.  We all need to strive for those things that may be above us.  Perfectionism is saying I can’t do it perfectly (As I perceive it) so I will not do it all.  You can guess what will happen.  Not only will we not do the imperfect thing but we will often substitute the opposite behaviour.  An example might be that I want to go to the gym but ______ so I order a pizza instead.

Give yourself a gift.  Try something now, imperfectly, do one thing that is based on your bigger goal.  Try it ten times or perhaps for 10 minutes.  Don’t over think it or judge how you are doing until you have done it ten times or perhaps for 10 minutes.  Remember you are human and often the highest achievers feel as you do, struggle as you do.  Give yourself 10 minutes and you might be surprised what you can accomplish.

by J. Alden (American Board Certified)

Psychotherapist,Counselor
LCSW; Board of Behavioral Sciences in California USA
MBACP; British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy
HAAD accredited
MSW,TFTDx,EMDRIII

GNC, German Neuroscience Center
(Neurology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Counseling in Dubai, UAE)

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)
District 1, Bld. 64, Al Razi,
Block A, 2nd floor, Clinic 2006,
P.O.Box 505174, Dubai, UAE

FON: +971 (0)4 4298 578
FAX:  +971 (0)4 4298 579

MAIL: mail@gnc-dubai.com
WEB: gncdubai.com