Should counselors be involved in the DSM-5 field trials? Considering that licensed professional counselors regularly utilize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the logical answer is “yes.” More than a decade after the American Psychiatric Association (APA) began developing the fifth edition of the DSM, the field
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A few years ago, we might have received a few calls each month at ACA headquarters from members who were having a tough time finding a job. Since that time, the frequency (and desperation) of these calls has increased significantly. For many, the tough economy has resulted in fewer new
No ethical counselor enters the profession and anticipates skipping over or ignoring a group in need of help. But in reality, some client populations aren’t easily reached or don’t readily avail themselves of counseling services. And others are simply overlooked, for one reason or another. To shed light on a
When I heard this month’s cover story would focus on the topic of underserved populations, I started pondering possible reasons that some populations remain underserved. Is it due to a lack of funding? Is it because they are not aware of the services available to them? Is it possible that
Pedra Ane clearly recalls the battle that played out in her office several years ago. It was orchestrated by a 7-year-old client who deftly maneuvered several plastic Army figures even as he worked through some of his toughest, most deep-seated issues. Ane, a counselor and registered play therapist who runs
This past summer, the counseling profession found itself at the center of two legal cases in which tensions between public universities and free speech and between the rights of the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender population and the beliefs of religiously conservative students continued to play out. In July, a federal judge rejected a
Children who have a parent in jail or prison often learn the many nuances of the phrase “guilty by association” the hard way. “These children have to deal with the stigma of having a parent in jail on many different fronts,” says Marcy Douglass, assistant professor in the Shippensburg University
In the United States, we will celebrate Thanksgiving this year on Nov. 25. Traditionally, friends and family gather on this day to give thanks for things with which they have been blessed. Although copious amounts of food are often included in the festivities, the real focus is on acknowledging and
Knowing that this month’s cover story was going to address the important topic of therapeutic play from the perspective of counselor practitioners specially trained in play therapy, I wanted to look at play from a personal perspective and share how it has manifested itself in my life. When I first
“I don’t have to talk with you, and you can’t force me to talk with you.” Not the ideal way for a counseling session to begin, but John Sommers-Flanagan didn’t let his young client’s rebuff stop him. Instead of fighting back with a clever retort, however, he simply told the