Upon being released from prison in the United States, the prospects for ex-offenders are grim. In some states, they might get $20 and a pair of clothes to wear out the door. If they’re lucky, they will receive a bus ticket back to the county where they were arrested. Almost
Month: September 2016
According to census data, there were roughly 125,000 same-sex couples raising approximately 220,000 children in the United States in 2010. Since that time, increasing numbers of same-sex couples have declared committed partnerships, capturing the attention of policymakers and bringing the issue of legal recognition of same-sex partnerships to the forefront of
An innovative partnership in North Carolina is pairing counseling graduate students from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with clients of a free medical clinic nearby. Many of these clients are recent immigrants. According to those involved with the effort, the partnership provides the student interns with a chance
Among the most common difficulties that bring couples to counseling are infidelity, financial problems, sex and intimacy issues, parenting challenges and ongoing tensions with the in-laws. Each of these problems has its own unique characteristics, but according to couples counselors, they tend to share a similar root cause — namely, lack
Dear Counseling Colleagues, I’d like to share some thoughts on how counselors, counselor educators and counseling students can plan and act in a strategic manner to accomplish many goals. I see the process of planning as strategic because it leads to the future along a path of accomplishment that is
Last month, I asked readers to think about the upcoming elections in the United States, not just for federal offices, but at the local and state levels as well. I didn’t suggest who to vote for, but rather reminded all of you about the important advocacy and services that you
Many counseling clinicians are working in nonprofit programs with very limited budgets. Some of us are working in programs that utilize a “catch as catch can” approach to funding, meaning there is no working budget. Things are paid based on urgent need and the ability to pay them. Whatever your
When I turned 39, I had a midlife crisis. I wasn’t home on my 39th birthday. I was on another continent, sitting in a hotel lobby at stupid early o’clock, jet-lagged and writing because I couldn’t sleep. I looked up, saw the date and realized my birthday had occurred while
The rate of veteran deaths by suicide increased 32 percent between 2001 and 2014, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The alarm was relentless, even with several taps on the snooze button. I finally surrendered to the morning and rolled out of bed, practically tumbling over my 65-pound goldendoodle, Max, who was snoring below my feet. With one eye open, I made my way to the shower and blasted the