Counselors play a fundamental role in the well-being of children and adolescents, including serving as advocates against abuse. We are trained to assess and intervene if clients are experiencing sexual, physical or emotional abuse or neglect. Children are a particularly vulnerable population given their size, power status and general lack
Month: February 2017
Conversion therapy is, without doubt, an act of maleficence. If we find ourselves disagreeing with someone’s sexual orientation, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate our own principles, morals and why we chose to enter this field.
Counselors’ skills and expertise as mediators, relationship builders and client advocates are critical to improving the lives of children in foster care and providing support to both foster and biological families.
Chinese medicine has always acknowledged the link between the body and the mind. In Western medicine, from the time of the ancient Greeks through the Elizabethan era, the thinking was that four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood) influenced mood, physical health and even personality. Shakespeare built
The moment you decide to pursue a doctoral degree is one of the defining moments of your career. You have decided that you want to go further, push yourself and obtain the skills needed for training new counselors. You begin to research schools and their doctoral programs. A glimmer forms
To many people, social media is the best thing since the abacus, transforming the way we live and do business. It offers us a world of knowledge with the stroke of a few keys and the briefest of pauses. Of course, social media can be both a tool and a
It has been relatively well-publicized in the media that mental illness typically affects 20 percent of the U.S. population, or about 1 in 5 people, yet the source of this statistic is rarely disclosed. Furthermore, media sources typically discuss mental illness in general terms and don’t address its susceptibility by
The idea of this therapeutic short story is to creatively illustrate the various dilemmas that occur from the perspective of a socially awkward young man, Tommy Joe Peterson. Through the story, the reader is able to gain perspective on the thought process and problem-solving skills of this uniquely talented 11-year-old
The American Psychiatric Association has created an online portal for the public to submit suggested changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Launched this winter, the portal allows clinicians, scholars and members of the public to submit suggested additions, deletions or modifications to the DSM. Often
As the CEO of the American Counseling Association, I have many opportunities to meet leaders, members and those who are entering the counseling profession. Those who are newer to the profession or who are just starting along the leadership path bring energy, enthusiasm and new perspectives to the table. Just