The most effective solution to rampage violence, such as school or workplace shootings, is early, easy and frequent access to care for potential perpetrators, says Brian Van Brunt, author of Harm to Others: The Assessment and Treatment of Dangerousness. Counselors play an integral part in this care, through identifying individuals
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One of my favorite things about graduate school was doing literature reviews. I enjoyed finding the perfect articles to support my positions, gaining really useful insights and simply being amazed at some of the things that we have learned about being human. A thought frequently ran through my mind as
There has been a good measure of animosity mixed into the complicated relationship between the United States and Cuba over the past half-century. Yet Eddie Moody, a counselor who has been making trips to Cuba for more than a decade, says one of the first things he saw on his
A flurry of activity has taken place these past several months around your national ACA headquarters. I can remember in the “old days” when there was a bit of a lull for a few weeks after the annual conference. That was good because it allowed staff, leaders and members to take a
The 2014-2015 year as the 63rd president of the American Counseling Association has moved at a rapid pace. It has been an honor to serve as your president during this fantastic year, highlighted by the ACA Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida. Special for me are the relationships established during
One of the many profound changes within the counseling profession for mental health counselors has been a gradual shift from psychodynamic and person-centered therapies to an emphasis on the medical model. The full history of this shift is an interesting one, featuring as much sociopolitical influence as scientific influence, but
How do you determine your level of effectiveness in your work with clients? In everyday practice, counselors typically rely on clinical judgment and their own assumptions about the therapeutic alliance and client progress. Few would argue against the importance of good clinical judgment, but there is persistent evidence that counselors’
The 10 days that Jeffrey Kottler spent in earthquake-ravaged Nepal this month were exhausting and painful but also some of the most worthwhile work of his career, he says. Kottler served in a medical team with Empower Nepali Girls (ENG), the nonprofit he founded 15 years ago. The help the
A client comes in for his first counseling session. He has a carrot sticking up his nose and a banana in his left ear. “Help!” the client cries. “Can you tell me what’s wrong with me?” “Simple,” the counselor says calmly. “You’re not eating properly.” Laughter is an essential part of the
When a client seeks help, often the focused, tailored nature of individual counseling is exactly what he or she needs. But sometimes there is a particular alchemy in a group. Many clients benefit from group counseling, either in addition to or instead of individual treatment. Why is that? The counselors