I was 15 years into my career as a professional school counselor when I met a young man who opened my eyes to the life of navigating the education system as a student with undocumented citizenship status. I was working in an upper-middle-class suburban high school in South Texas. This
Month: December 2017
Licensed professional counselor (LPC) Hallie Sheade can’t remember a time when she didn’t love horses. She has been told that her equine passion started when she was 2 and begged to be allowed to ride a carnival pony without her mother holding her hand. Sheade, an American Counseling Association member,
“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” ― Emily Dickinson I recently had a visit from my daughter, son-in-law and (almost) five-year-old grandson, Nicolas. They reside in Florida and in an attempt to make up for an absent Thanksgiving, we combined the holidays in
H ere we are at the beginning of a new year. I look forward to it with a renewed hope that what we will face in the coming 12 months will be better than what we have encountered during the past dozen. Something about opening up that new calendar (printed
F or many people, the beginning of the new year is a time for resolutions. If you would indulge me for a moment, there are a couple of “professional resolutions” that I think are worth consideration. Many of us came into the counseling profession imagining ourselves sitting across from a
While reflecting on my clinical experiences with adult clients during my postgraduate internship, I discerned a common thread. The thread was that the feeling of being valueless was at the root of my clients’ depression, anxiety, anger and substance abuse, as well as the violence and verbal abuse experienced within
Even the most compassionate, empathic and dedicated clinician has to work to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Where you work can often play a big role in the making or prevention of compassion fatigue and burnout. High-stress, high-volume work with little rest or downtime can be a major contributing factor
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with email. Luckily, there are many software solutions to help counselors and counselor educators handle email more efficiently. Let’s begin by identifying the email issues you want to fix. If you choose more than one, don’t worry. We will take it one step
Suicides have increased steadily in the United States during the past decade. Suicide research has also grown, but pertinent findings are sometimes slow to reach mental health professionals and providers. Many misconceptions and gaps in the knowledge base remain. The role that mental illness plays in suicide is an area
Andrew’s mother was so happy that he had finally agreed to enter treatment for his drinking problem. He had been an excellent college student until his hard partying began to take over his nights, leading to missed classes and incomplete assignments. He still managed to get a decent job that