Emotional eating may be one of the most disguised forms of escapism clients turn to when dealing with stress or trauma. Carolyn Russo, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in Seattle, says fast-food drive-thrus have become a type of coping mechanism for clients who are stressed or struggling emotionally. That’s
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Recognizing burnout and compassion fatigue among counselors
When I was younger, I had a deep desire to be a crucial part of others’ lives, to help people unpack their emotions and difficult memories. I wanted to hold a sacred space for individuals to open up and share their traumatic experiences. As a result, when I was a
Learning to heal a busy brain
Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a board-certified physician and the founder of brainSHIFT at Work, opened the second keynote at the ACA 2023 Conference & Expo by reminding the audience that although healers are in the business of healing others, they often do not have the time to pause and heal themselves
‘Child abuse in disguise’: The impact of parental alienation on families
Ingo Weigold, a licensed professional counselor at Centennial Counseling Center in St. Charles, Illinois, sat at his desk as tears rolled down his face. For five years, he had been alienated from his children by his ex-wife, which emotionally harmed his children and prompted him to regularly feel like an
Is mindfulness a cure-all approach?
When it comes to self-care and counseling, there is perhaps no topic discussed more than mindfulness. In fact, there are entire apps dedicated to mindfulness practice, with Calm and Headspace being two of the most well known. Mindfulness is touted as a sort of “cure-all” for all people’s issues. Too
The maternal mental health of Black women
A professional Black woman in her early 30s arrives at a hospital with her husband to give birth to her first child. Although the woman has lupus and is considered a high-risk pregnancy, her doctor assured her that her pregnancy was normal and had been progressing well. They give her
Identifying psychological abuse
In their 2019 meta-analysis on psychological abuse and mental health (published in Systematic Reviews), Sarah Dokkedahl and colleagues found that psychological violence is estimated to be the most prevalent form of intimate partner violence, yet there is very little research on the individual impact of psychological abuse on mental health.
Does your personality make you more vulnerable to abuse?
Katherine (pseudonym) sits before me, meticulously dressed and exuding confidence. She makes great eye contact, and within minutes of our meeting, she has informed me of her high-powered position at one of the top law firms in the city. She is assertive in her responses, and I am left without
Generational trauma: Uncovering and interrupting the cycle
Ashlei Petion, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, noticed a common pattern in the counseling work she did with adolescents during her master’s internship. Her young clients would often talk in sessions about challenges and friction at
Counseling Connoisseur: Brain science, courage and chronic pain
‘Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.’ —Mary Anne Radmacher It all began with the numbing of my hands. Too much time was spent holding my smartphone, I surmised. I went to my doctor after