Viewing clients, and their presenting issues, through the lens of their family systems often leads to insights and understandings that might remain obscured otherwise.
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As professional counselors, we are braving telehealth, juggling our own mental health needs amid those of our clients, and helping friends and family members adjust to uncertainty and unemployment, all while trying to pepper in some self-care and generally navigate this unprecedented time for ourselves.
If we can see how grief might be driving our clients’ dysfunctions, then what we should be treating is grief rather than just depression, addiction or other symptoms of grief. We cannot change loss. Facing it and finding ways to cope are the keys to resolution.
Through education, outreach and advocacy, counselors can encourage the communities in which they live and work to develop trauma-informed programs and early intervention efforts.
When mental health professionals are left to base their decisions on what they feel or think is effective rather than on the results of research and standardization, they are putting their clients — and themselves — at greater risk.
How can the counseling community help domestic violence clients who are trapped at home with their abusers? There is no “how-to” manual to deal with the current situation, of course, but the safety of this vulnerable population demands us to do our best.
It is crucial to understand the social ramifications perpetuated by this outbreak so that we can promote optimal care for the clients we serve.
Award-winning essay by Rebecca Alexandra Smith of East Carolina University
ACA has invested in a multiyear project that would finally allow professional counselors to move seamlessly from one state to another without jumping through hoops to secure a new license.
“The bottom line is that as a counseling student today, you will be even better prepared than some licensed clinicians once you enter the counseling field. You will be able to show great empathy to clients when they seek services to manage the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”