Nearly half of the cigarettes consumed in the United States are smoked by people dealing with a mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The federal agency says that rates of smoking are disproportionately higher — a little more than double — among those diagnosed
Month: November 2016
When counselors look to build a board of directors and fill key positions in their nonprofit programs, it is imperative to remember that there are many different types of leaders. Some leaders are great thinkers and developers of new ideas and programs but lack the desire to maintain or reconfigure
To be who you are, you don’t have to wait a lifetime. I knew at age 5 that I was attracted to the same gender. This realization occurred during a time when, in my mind, it was not OK to be gay. I just couldn’t see it. It wouldn’t get
“W hat are you?” That is a question commonly asked of individuals who are multiracial. As a society, we have gotten used to checking off a metaphorical — and often literal — “box” when it comes to questions of race. We seem to expect everyone to “just pick one.” But the
I wake up in the early morning to the sound of birds chirping delightfully outside my window. I quietly make my way to my yoga room, where the gentle flow of the tabletop waterfall cascades rhythmically, inviting me to my morning meditation. I inhale deeply, letting the stream of thoughts
In the client-counselor relationship, describing traumas from past experiences can reveal unresolved suffering in which a client’s beliefs, emotions and behaviors are filled with deep negative images. Ideally, clients will share their trauma with therapists and how images from the past continue to affect them. By describing their trauma, many
It’s been some time since I have conveyed knowledge about a technical concept here in the Technology Tutor column. Now seems like a great time to discuss something that continues to be confusing not just to counselors but also for others who don’t possess inside knowledge of how the internet
Dear Counseling Colleagues, This month, Counseling Today includes a cover story on death, dying and grief counseling — topics that can be difficult to reflect on and discuss. However, counselors have learned to embrace what is, hope for what can be, and the deep and consistent resilience that can emerge
Anger is sometimes an important emotion because it results in taking action to protect yourself and your family, friends, students or clients. For example, anger over some policy or act of evil can bring people together to make changes in society or local communities that result in a safe and caring
Counseling is not a profession that has a knowledge ceiling. We are always working diligently to grow our knowledge so that we can be more efficacious for our clients. All too often, however, counselors may find themselves studying the same general areas: their chosen theoretical orientations, research studies on their