Imagine if people reacted to a friend or neighbor’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder or depression no differently than if they just learned that person has breast cancer or heart disease. “Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness. It shouldn’t be treated differently,”
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Highly trained and uniquely skilled, school counselors are often the first – and sometimes the only – mental health professionals a young student sees. They’re an essential piece of the American educational system — a piece that deserves support and funding. That’s the message a panel of counselors gave on
Denial is a powerful defense mechanism, and despite all of our knowledge and training as counselors, many of us still stick our heads in the sand concerning the potential for the unexpected to affect us, our practices and our clients. In dealing with insurance companies, taking notes, handling phone calls
The American Counseling Association’s professional staff and ACA elected leaders have intentionally collaborated with a number of sister associations, individuals and groups during the past year, including government agencies that are instrumental in decisions involving TRICARE, Medicare and hiring practices by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This collaboration takes place
Last month, ACA served as a co-presenting sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign’s Time to Thrive Conference. This is a gathering specifically focused on the safety, inclusion and well-being of young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ). Keynote and content sessions for practitioners and those working
Counselors are familiar with the meaning of the word oppression. We take a multicultural counseling course that covers the definition during the early developmental stages of our counseling career. Many of us feel the weight of a biased system that puts immense pressure on us, both systemically and individually. We
Technology has changed the way adolescents bully one another. What once happened during an eight-hour school day now happens online within the home environment. This form of bullying is inescapable and occurs at all hours of the day and night. For victims, the consequences of being targeted by this behavior
As of Jan. 1, there is official recognition that a cancer diagnosis can, and often does, affect a patient’s mental health. At the beginning of the year, a requirement was put in place for cancer programs to screen all patients for psychosocial distress in order to receive accreditation through the American
As a counselor, which of the following elements are absolutely essential for you to do your job well? a) Thorough grounding in counseling methods and techniques b) A strong sense of empathy and compassion c) Adequate sleep d) Regular vacations or breaks e) All of the above The correct answer is
The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics is meant to be a living document, applicable to a growing, changing and active profession. It would make sense, then, for counselors to familiarize themselves with the code through the lens of real-life scenarios that might arise in their office. Barbara Herlihy and Gerald