One way that counselors can help victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) is to create behavioral crisis response plans with clients who are perpetrating the abuse. We (the authors of this article) have both worked in various roles with IPV programs, from direct service and administrative roles to research and
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A counselor’s journey to healing from chronic pain
From 2005-2007, I suffered from excruciating back and leg pain. My pain was so bad that I was unable to sit for nearly a year. The only time I would sit was to drive myself to work, and the pain during that drive was so intense that there were several
Putting first responders’ mental health on the front lines
A firefighter/emergency medical technician (EMT) in Maine answers an emergency call. He grabs his gear and performs a job he knows well. The next day, he discovers that the person he helped has tested positive for COVID-19. He immediately starts worrying not just about himself but about his wife and
Counselor considerations for disclosing LGBTQ+ identity
The question of what is appropriate to disclose about ourselves to clients is one that all counselors face, whether it be about an upcoming vacation, an emotional reaction to a client or how our own past struggles may parallel those of a client. Beyond these more common self-disclosures, we also
Encouraging T-shaped thinking in the counseling profession
I thought it was a most ridiculous assignment. The instructor of my Introduction to Counseling course in 1988 asked us to write, of all things, a book report. “Make sure the book has nothing to do with counseling,” he directed. I was incredulous. “My first class in counseling, and he’s
Mental imagery as an intervention for emotion regulation disorders
Although many evidence-based practices emphasize addressing the cognitive aspects of mental health disorders, research suggests that we may be missing helpful interventions that do not fall under the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model of “thoughts, feelings and behaviors.” Several predominant CBT models fail to emphasize mental imagery by continuing to
Supporting families on their autism journeys
Maria Davis-Pierre, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in Lake Worth, Florida, first suspected her daughter might be on the autism spectrum when she was 6 months old and showed signs of sensory issues. Then at 10 months, her daughter, who had been saying simple words such as “mama,” “dada”
Life after cancer
To the uninitiated, a favorable cancer prognosis may appear to follow a challenging yet relatively linear path ending on an upward trajectory: diagnosis, treatment, elimination, champagne. After all, what’s not to celebrate? Treatment is over! You’re cancer-free! Everything is great! You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming. You
The counselor’s role in community outreach and resiliency building
Professional counselors do not practice in a vacuum. Counselors practice, regardless of the setting, in community with others. Counselors practice in neighborhoods, in schools, in mental health agencies, in inpatient mental health hospitals, in colleges, in homes, in homeless shelters, in assisted living homes, in prisons, and the list goes
Spotlight on: ACA Tomorrow’s Counselors Award winner
This award recognizes graduate counseling students with exceptional insight and understanding about the counseling profession and the work of professional counselors in mental health, private practice, community agency, agency, organization or related counseling settings. Winner: Adriana Walsh Adriana Walsh is a master’s student in the clinical mental health counseling