Instagram tells millions of stories. Many exhibit our personal daily moments, and, from a wider lens, others describe entire populations and social movements. With 800 million users, Instagram is one of the biggest and richest collections of societal data on the planet. We can learn a lot by noticing what
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One of Cyndi Matthews’ most vivid memories of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian church was watching the minister point at her brother’s best friend during a service and say, “You don’t belong here. Get out.” The reason? The boy was gay. Matthews, a licensed professional counselor supervisor (LPC-S), says
“Thou shalt not be a perpetrator, thou shalt not be a victim, and thou shalt never, but never be a bystander.” ― Yehuda Bauer The sun warmed my body. Blissfully fatigued following several laps around the pool, I stretched out on the chaise lounge chair. I sipped my cool
An estimated one in three American adults are taking one or more medications that can – and often do – cause depression. A recent Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study found that many common medications that Americans take regularly, such as drugs for acid reflux or high blood pressure, have
The overwhelming number of women who have participated in the #MeToo movement has drawn renewed attention to issues of sexual violence, which remains pervasive in our culture. This newly risen wave has created a refreshed platform for addressing gaps in counselor training for sexual assault response. Even though statistics from
Superheroes have a profound influence on American culture. Recently, Marvel Comics’ Black Panther came to life on the movie screen. It appears the movie had a twofold impact. First, it brought heroic life to a seemingly little-known character. Second, unlike most other big-screen superhero movies, Black Panther placed value on
Superstorm Sandy. Newtown. The Pulse nightclub. Counselors were there to help people through all of those disasters, plus countless others, both natural and human-caused, through the past decade. Disaster mental health counseling has grown and become more standardized in the process. With each disaster, practitioners learn the subtleties of what
E ach July, you are likely to read the words “Happy New Year” from me, not because I can’t keep my months straight but because July is the beginning of ACA’s fiscal and programmatic year. This is the month we welcome our newest volunteers and leaders who are beginning 12
I n 1952, Mother Teresa opened a free hospice in the city of Calcutta, Elizabeth II began her reign as queen of the United Kingdom and Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for the first time (for nine months) as punishment for nonviolent civil disobedience for his role as volunteer-in-chief of the
We all have our biases — but just because bias is a universal part of the human experience doesn’t mean it is something we should ever dismiss offhandedly, either in ourselves or others. That’s because bias has serious consequences, and when left unchecked, it can turn into bullying. A 2012