In our culture, women receive many messages that can eat away at their self-esteem. For example, self-worth equals youth and beauty. Perfection in all areas of life — professional and personal — is not only achievable, but expected. Women begin to learn these “lessons” as girls, say counseling experts. American
Category: Counseling Today
Silken Laumann is a world-class rower and three-time Olympic medalist. But she says that isn’t the hardest and most important work she has done in her life. “The most incredible journey I’ve been on is the internal one – the journey of the soul,” says Laumann, a Canadian author, speaker
What drives people to violence? Is it nature or nurture? Jeremy Richman suggests the answer to this age-old question should be “yes, of course it is.” Richman, a scientist and the father of a child who died in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut,
Greetings, fellow counselors! As I prepare for the American Counseling Association Conference in Montréal (being held in partnership with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association) and reflect on what I was doing this time last year, I am amazed. What a tremendous year this continues to be. I feel such
You work hard, and the collective efforts of the counseling profession benefit millions of children, adolescents, adults, couples, families and communities each and every day. Although your work may not get reported on CNN or in The New York Times, the impact of professional counseling cannot be denied. You make
After 30 years in the counseling profession, I have arrived at the conclusion that we counselors are sometimes our own worst enemies. When a unified voice could be the key to advancing our profession — such as with current efforts to expand reimbursement for counselors’ services under Medicare, initiatives to standardize
Barely able to breathe, a young man battling a panic attack hesitantly enters the group room and makes his way to an empty chair. He and a dozen others “check in” and are then guided through a simple, calming breathing exercise. The lights are dimmed and the group members are
Andrew never knew his father. At age 4, he witnessed the death of his mother from an overdose. She was heroin dependent, and they were living in a car at the time. After her death, Andrew entered the foster care system. Between the ages of 4 and 15, he experienced more
This past December, a major pop culture event occurred for which millions of people had been waiting longer than three decades: Star Wars: Episode VII was released. Finally, the story from 1983’s Return of the Jedi was continuing. Many fans reserved tickets two months in advance, while others camped out
Often parentally micromanaged, pressured by high expectations, grappling with depression and anxiety, a bit socially awkward or just a little bit lost in a strange new world, today’s college students are seeking counseling in greater numbers than did previous generations, according to college counselors and other experts. Those who counsel students