Health and Fitness : Area Therapist published in Medical Journal

Elise Healzer, LMFT of Vinton shared her expertise to help publish paper in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases

Elise Healzer a local Mental Health Therapist or LMFT was published this week in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, a medical journal article entitled, "Development of a standard of care for patients with valosin-containing protein associated multisystem proteinopathy."

She was surprised to be approached about contributing to the project. "If you had told me a year ago that I would be published in a medical journal I would have laughed in your face," she said. The group worked together to create this article supported by grants awarded by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

As a therapist for, 10 years, she specializes in working with grief and loss, particularly in extremely complex or rare situations. She said that when she was approached about contributing to the project, she tried to redirect the researchers in a different direction. She even volunteered to send the group to others that she felt would be more qualified. Their response was, "we want your experience." So she began to work with them on their goals for the project.

She states "There is a significant disconnect between the medical world and the mental health world. People have described receiving life-changing, terminal or degenerative diagnoses and their provider handing them a pamphlet and coldly walking out. The need for mental health integration into care is essential," she said, "and I'm so thankful for the doctors and patients who pushed for a mental health component in this paper." While she recognized this accomplishment to be celebrated, the bigger lesson here she said was that it is humbling to be able to assist others on their journey.

Right now, 86 of Iowa's 99 counties are designated mental health professional shortage areas because they do not have an adequate number of providers for the number of people living in those counties. Healzer reports she's had a waitlist for new cases since the spring of 2020. "Telehealth options have really expanded since Covid and it is essential for increasing access. It also allows people to see specialists in other areas that they would not have had physical access to otherwise due to distance," Healzer said.

The rural lifestyle seems to affect how we look at mental health. It appears that in the midwest, there is the idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Healzer said, "Recognizing when we need support is one of the most courageous things we can do. If a child is struggling in school or with something developmentally we don't hesitate to get them the resources and support they need. Somewhere along the way we lose that as adults and get the message that we need to have it all figured out."

She likened mental health to preventative maintenance that we would routinely perform to keep our cars running. "We take our cars in for oil changes whether we know there's an issue or not. Why wouldn't we also check-in for ourselves and get a non-biased and professional perspective?" Just like cars, if there is a small issue and you ignore it, it only gets worse, and eventually, the cost will be greater than it would have been if it had been dealt with early on.

But how do you find a therapist? Most therapists have an online presence where you can check out their profiles or websites. Many work for a hospital clinic. Search for someone that seems like a good fit for you. Ask around. Friends or relatives may be able to point you in the right direction. Your medical provider can also assist you in finding the right support. Check with your insurance provider, they too will also have a list of providers who are in-network.