Attorney Anne Marie “Nancy” Wheeler and private practitioner Burt Bertram are collaborators in a mission to teach counselors how to steer clear of the profession’s common legal pitfalls. Serving as the consultant for the American Counseling Association Insurance Trust Risk Management Help Line for the past two decades, Wheeler is
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Throughout my career as a practicing counselor and counselor educator, I have admired and appreciated the contributions of school counselors and the central role they have played in the development of our profession. In many states, school counselors were the driving force behind successful counselor licensing efforts. As one of
The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” resonates for me when I think about the work of professional counselors. This is also true in terms of the preparation and continuing professional development that counselors undertake, first as graduate students, and then as they move into
As wildfires scorched Southern California in October and November 2007, the prevailing images that emerged from the news coverage were of the million-dollar homes, many perched precariously, yet grandly, on hillsides, seemingly standing sentry as the flames advanced to consume them. As these real-life dramas played out on national television,
Last June, Counseling Today reported on efforts by the Oregon Coalition for Consumer Protection and Choice in Mental Health Care to persuade state lawmakers to address issues related to the quality and availability of mental health services. The legislation being pushed by the coalition (H.B. 2687) urged consumer protection against
Q: You talk a lot about multiple income streams for a successful practice. In my practice, I have incorporated that concept and do traditional talk therapy, work with insurance and managed care companies, contract with employee assistance programs, give speeches on parenting and positive communication, and conduct a mood disorders
In recent decades, the American Counseling Association has given voice to a variety of issues that have helped to shape our profession. However, two areas continue to challenge our efforts to represent all counseling professionals. One question with which we continue to grapple: Who is or should be part of
Thanatology is the study of the effects of death and dying on humans, taking into account both psychological and social aspects. Thanatology also involves researching ways to lessen the suffering and address the needs of both the terminally ill and those they will eventually leave behind. For the past 23
For more than a decade, marriage and family therapists (MFTs) in Connecticut have advocated to be included as part of in-house student mental health services teams at schools. Last year, they achieved their goal when Connecticut quietly became the first state in the nation to pass legislation certifying MFTs to
I met my team members at headquarters at 4 a.m. so we could begin the 1.5-hour drive up the mountain for a briefing with local firefighters. On this day, residents of the Lake Arrowhead area of California would also be allowed up the mountain to see the sites where their