It’s Monday of a three-day holiday weekend, and I’m sitting on my couch at home, staring at my laptop, trying to write a story about how work affects life. Ironic? Certainly. And as for you, Counseling Today reader, you’re likely skimming this story after a long day of work with
Tag: Wellness
Wellness
Sometimes the easiest tasks can be so difficult to perform. Mindfulness meditation has always fallen into this category for me. I struggle so much to get myself to sit down and meditate on a regular basis, even though I know from experience that when I sit in meditation for even
When Willie Nelson crooned “Forgiving You Was Easy” in the mid-1980s, the song briefly reached No. 1 on the country charts. Despite the tune’s appeal, however, even Nelson’s biggest fans would probably be lying if they claimed to agree with the sentiment expressed in the song’s title. People struggle with
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
A normal day for a professional counselor too often entails focusing on remedial concerns. So many clients suffer from the aftermath of trauma and violence, while severe mental health concerns such as anxiety, co-occurring disorders and chemical dependency — among other mental health disorders — also necessitate in-depth therapeutic treatment. That reality
So, this is life. Long, busy workdays and weekends with little rest. A weak economy and constant worry over the prospect of losing a job or even a home. Nonstop technology that never allows us to unplug. Ever-growing pressure on kids (and therefore on parents) to be involved in every
“Experiences, thoughts, actions and emotions actually change the structure of our brains. … Indeed, once we understand how the brain develops, we can train our brains for health, vibrancy and longevity.” — John J. Ratey, A User’s Guide to the Brain Counseling builds new brain networks. Research in neuroscience and
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
Insights on wellness Counseling Today asked seven American Counseling Association members to describe how they use mind-body wellness techniques and concepts in their counseling. Stuart Bonnington has been a counselor since 1973. He is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and a counselor educator at Austin Peay State University.