Understanding Parkinson’s

There is a lot to know about Parkinson's disease. Learn about symptoms, how it is diagnosed and what treatment options are available.
Living with Parkinson’s

While living with PD can be challenging, there are many things you can do to maintain and improve your quality of life and live well with Parkinson's disease.
Resources & Support

Living well with Parkinson’s disease (PD) means getting the support you need — from tools that help you work alongside your care team to resources that empower you.
Advancing Research

Our research has led to breakthroughs in treatment and improved care that bring hope to the entire Parkinson's community.
How You Can Help

There are many ways you can support the fight against Parkinson’s. Whatever form your gift takes, you can be confident that it goes toward providing crucial resources for those affected by this disease.

Podcasts

Episode 37: Mental Health in a Medical Setting

Mental health issues are often a part of a chronic disease such as Parkinson’s, but no one comes into a disease as a blank slate. They bring with them their whole being – their relationships, anxieties, social and personal experiences. Therefore distress in the setting of a disease should not only be ascribed to having the disease but should also take the whole person into account. In this podcast, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Kara Barton, a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, discusses how to recognize mental distress, ways to access care, the healthcare providers who can help, and possible ways of getting care when insurance does not cover it.

Released: September 11, 2018

Kara Barton, MSW, LCSW is a clinical social worker at the Keck Medical Center of University of Southern California in the Department of Neurology and in private practice. She provides resources and referrals for neurology patients and their families, and psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and groups. She has facilitated various support groups for caregivers and people living with Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, a writing group, a mindfulness meditation group, and is certified as a trauma-informed yoga instructor. She works from a strength-based, trauma-informed perspective, with self-compassion and mindfulness tools to expand capacity for coping with the unknown and the unexpected. She finds joy in connecting with people and connecting people to resources that improve quality of life.

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For all of our Substantial Matters podcast episodes, visit Parkinson.org/Podcast.

About Kara Barton, MSW, LCSW

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