Although many have posited sexuality counseling as a specialty, the universal nature of sexual experience makes it reasonable to expect counselors to have a basic knowledge of sexuality and sexuality counseling interventions. Because sexuality is a developmental process, the likelihood that a counselor will work with clients struggling with some aspect
Month: December 2013
For clinicians working with individuals who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a key component to any therapy (group or individual) is helping these clients see the “big picture” when it comes to social situations, academic assignments, the need to do daily chores at home, reacting to the size of
Nearly one in five adult Americans experienced a diagnosable mental illness last year, according to statistics released recently by the federal government. Less than half (41 percent) of these 43.7 million adults received any mental health services in 2012. While jarring, these numbers are consistent with statistics gathered for 2011,
“Anger is a signal, and one worth listening to,” wrote Harriet Lerner in The Dance of Anger, her seminal book about anger and intimate relationships first published in 1985. Lerner told millions of readers — in the counseling field and beyond — that our anger is a tool alerting us that
A counselor’s path forward is rarely linear. Agreed? Somewhere over the course of a career, something is almost guaranteed to happen that will change the counselor’s perception of, approach to or relationship with counseling. In fact, if you practice or teach long enough, you are likely to encounter several “somethings” that will
When South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Nelson Mandela had died Dec. 5, he said, “Our people have lost a father.” Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and champion of human rights, leaves behind a legacy of reconciliation. His message and inspiration have rippled across the globe, including in
Every other month, the print version of Counseling Today includes a section called Pages of Influence in which counselors discuss the books that have shaped them personally, professionally and philosophically. Since the section’s debut roughly a year ago, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl has repeatedly been named on
Are you an American Counseling Association member who works as a school counselor in a high-risk school? Then ACA and high-risk students across the country need your help. ACA has partnered with the American Psychological Association to implement the Safe and Supportive Schools Project (SSSP). Funded by the Centers for
“New word” is the empathic statement I find myself frequently using with my ninth-grade refugee group. As I attempt to explain what emotions are and as I ask each student how they are feeling today, I teach them a new word. That word being “mood.” When we discuss “stereotypes” and