In the world of stereotypes, a counseling session goes something like this: The client lays on the couch, revealing his innermost thoughts to the therapist, who sits in a leather chair, glasses perched low on her nose as she slowly nods and inquires, “And how did that make you feel?” In
Tag: Creativity
Creativity
With a Coke and a tub of buttery popcorn in hand, a comfy seat to lean back in and a larger-than-life screen to take you somewhere new, movies provide a great escape from life. But, helping professionals say, movies can also come in handy in counseling by offering clients a
Cynthia Chandler has a secret weapon in her counseling toolbox. He’s furry, has four legs and facilitates breakthroughs with clients that Chandler suspects would not happen otherwise. His name is Rusty, and he’s one of Chandler’s cocker spaniels. Rusty might not be able to talk, but there’s no doubt he
Picture this: Somewhere, a counselor sits with a client who is struggling to make progress. Traditional talk therapy isn’t moving the client forward. The counselor thinks, “I wish I were more of an artist because I’d love to try out a painting exercise with this client.” Substitute photography, dance, music
Have you ever been driving along in your car, listening to the radio, and heard a song that completely took you back in time? All of a sudden, you remember what you were doing, how you were feeling and who you were with. That seems to be a common experience
Early on in her career as a professional counselor, Sally Atkins was working with a client who was suicidal and experiencing severe depression. Progress was painfully slow, and after several sessions, Atkins feared she and the client had reached an impasse. “As a kind of last resort, I said out
“Yoga? I’m not doing no yoga! Not enough testosterone! Yoga’s for girls! It’s just not me!” These were the kind of comments thrown at me when I first introduced a yoga/meditation/relaxation (YMR) group to 15 adolescent boys. Now, three years later, when a new boy joins the program, I still
When only a few months old, Joey was taken from his birth parents. For the next 16 years, he was moved from house to house, physically abused and isolated in the dark for days on end. Today, in a stable home, his overall health has improved, but he will suddenly
Five years ago, Kay Sudekum Trotter arrived at a muddy Texas horse ranch wearing capri pants and sandals and wanting to learn more about equine-assisted therapy. By the end of the afternoon, her cute outfit was dirty, her shoes ruined, but this self-proclaimed city girl had been roped by this