Joe Nelson

Joe is a psychotherapist in private practice in Minnesota, where he specializes in the psychology of chronic disease and sexual problems and works with couples, families, children, and teens. He has been a Licensed Psychologist since 1985 and has earned a master's degree from St. Mary's College Winona, a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, and an associate's degree in human services from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Joe has worked with troubled youth in Chicago and Minnesota and on a special project on Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. He was the first social worker hired by an affiliate of the American Diabetes Association. He worked at the International Diabetes Center for 20 years, directing psychological services there for 12 years. A Certified Sex Therapist, Joe co-developed the Sexual Health Center at Park Nicollet Clinic.

Having practiced meditation for over 30 years, Joe offers instruction in mindfulness-based meditation to patients in groups and as individuals. Joe is married, has a 23-year-old daughter, and enjoys scuba diving, motorcycling, golf, and being outdoors doing almost anything.

May 30, 2007

Take Care and Be Well, My Friends

Joe Nelson

It is with some regrets and some relief that I begin this last blog entry for DiabetesSelfManagement.com. It has been a very challenging exercise to continue to find new things to write about every week. I will be relieved that that pressure to perform will be lifted. As you see from my 40+ blog entries, emotional issues are plentiful, yet sometimes difficult to put into the words that all can benefit from. I hope that I've at least given you something to think about, even if you didn't agree with what I've said.

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May 22, 2007

Keep on Keeping on

Joe Nelson

During the last session of the TCOYD (Taking Control of Your Diabetes) conference I attended yesterday, the moderator, Steve Edelman, M.D., asked those of us on a panel what messages we thought were most important to give people who live with diabetes. To summarize all five responses from the panel would be difficult, since each came from a different medical bias, but the essence of all the responses had to do with encouragement to “keep on keeping on.”

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May 16, 2007

Heal Thy Self

Joe Nelson

Today I have met with several people, some of whom have diabetes and some who don’t. When we interact, we often start by looking at the things that seem outside of the person's power to control—things like work deadlines, anger from others, behavior of other people, or the numbers on the blood glucose meter. As the conversations continue, they provide an opportunity to identify how to manage those things outside of a person’s control. They also provide a chance to look at what can we do as individuals to heal ourselves.

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May 09, 2007

What is Mental Health?

Joe Nelson

May is apparently Mental Health Month. I learned this from a presentation last week called “How Harley Davidson Saved Me From the Asylum.” It was presented by a man named Pete Feigel, who did a wonderful job of telling the story about his own depression and his struggles with multiple sclerosis (MS).

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May 02, 2007

Trying to Get Diabetes Right

Joe Nelson

I read an article today on perfectionism and its impact on blood chemistry. As you may guess, people who want to do things perfectly tend to have more stress around whatever their areas of focus might be.

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Apr 25, 2007

The Wisdom and Courage of Children

Apr 18, 2007

Support in Action!

Apr 11, 2007

Anger! What Do You Think It's Good For?

Apr 04, 2007

The Weight of Work Gets Heavier

Mar 28, 2007

56 Years of Diabetes and Still Learning

Mar 21, 2007

The “Terrorism” of Diabetes

Mar 14, 2007

Getting the Group You Need

Mar 07, 2007

Depression, Diabetes, and Heart Disease

Feb 28, 2007

Attitude of Gratitude

Feb 21, 2007

Depression in Men

Feb 14, 2007

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Feb 07, 2007

The Cost of Therapy

Jan 31, 2007

Guided Imagery—A Complement to Conventional Therapy

Jan 24, 2007

When Therapy Doesn't Help

Jan 17, 2007

Barriers to Therapy

Jan 10, 2007

Independence vs. Dependence

Jan 03, 2007

To Tell or Not to Tell, That is the Question

Dec 20, 2006

When Therapy Makes Sense

Dec 13, 2006

Back on Track

Dec 06, 2006

A Nod of Acceptance

Nov 29, 2006

Struggles with Panic Attacks

Nov 22, 2006

SAD and Sleepy in Minnesota

Nov 15, 2006

Meditation 101

Nov 08, 2006

Women's Sexual Health

Nov 01, 2006

What's Your Wild Card?

Oct 25, 2006

When Support Isn't Enough

Oct 18, 2006

Support, What Do You Think It's Good For?

Oct 11, 2006

Diabetes is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Oct 04, 2006

Taking a Vacation From Diabetes

Sep 27, 2006

Taking the Risk

Sep 20, 2006

The Courage to Live With Diabetes

Sep 13, 2006

The Stages of Change

Sep 06, 2006

Working With Emotional Eating

Aug 30, 2006

Q&A: Depression and Diabetes

Aug 23, 2006

Taking Charge of Feelings

Aug 17, 2006

Sex and Diabetes

Aug 10, 2006

Opening Up

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