For a few months now, I have been contemplating whether to write this column or to keep these thoughts to myself. I have wondered if the subject might be too self-reflective, too self-indulgent or maybe just too personal. In the end, I decided to move forward and share these thoughts
Category: Counseling Today
You should be ashamed of yourself.” How many of us have heard — or perhaps even used — that phrase? Being on the receiving end of such a pronouncement is never pleasant. More important, experts firmly believe that attempting to wield shame as an instrument of change is both ineffective
Prior to 2016, I never gave much thought to becoming certified or licensed in another country. I mean, why go through all the hard work, pay all the fees and have to maintain a credential in a country that I had no plans of living in, let alone work in?
The first paragraph of the preface in Richard Balkin and David Kleist’s book Counseling Research: A Practitioner-Scholar Approach acknowledges that research is probably not something that most counselors get excited about. However, it’s a much-needed endeavor and something that counselors are particularly suited for, they write. “Counselors make great qualitative
I do not want to get out of bed, so I press snooze on my alarm again. I feel nauseated and think about calling in sick. Finally, I drag myself out of bed and take my time getting dressed for work. I leave my house reluctantly. On the drive to work,
This past year, the American Counseling Association Governing Council endorsed formal competencies for the practice of animal-assisted therapy in counseling. The authors of the standards, and the coordinators of ACA’s Animal-Assisted Therapy in Mental Health Interest Network, contend that the competencies (available at counseling.org/knowledge-center/competencies ) represent a key step forward
When I talk to groups of professional counselors, I am always struck by two things: 1) their commitment to helping others and 2) how challenging it is for them to “blow their own horn” when it comes to sharing with others the amazing work that they are doing each and
Dear Counseling Colleagues, As you know, April is Counseling Awareness Month. It is also a month associated with new growth, fresh blooms and new beginnings. Now is the time for rebirth and reenergizing as we continue to celebrate who we are as counseling professionals across all venues. During my travels
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” — Anatole France ***** On Jan. 22, following a three-week whirlwind diagnosis and decline, my husband and I said goodbye to our 6.5-year-old goldendoodle, Lily. Her disease had rendered this Frisbee-catching superstar unable to
When a person is prescribed medicine by a doctor, the common assumption is that it’s best to take the dosage until it’s gone. In most cases, that’s true. But with opioids, a class of powerful, addictive and frequently prescribed pain relievers, dependence on the drug can begin within five days.