ACA Blog

So, needless to say, the date with my buddy never happened. And we’re not actually friends anymore . . . Sorry for the depressing start to this, but it’s actually good news in the end! You know how I mentioned that listening to my emotions was a big part of moving on from my last relationship?

After completing the first year of my doctoral program, I believe I need to make myself a t-shirt that states “I survived my 1st year of my PhD.” But beyond that I have recently come to the realization of how mentorship is all around us. Upon acceptance into my program, I was assigned to a faculty mentor who is also serving as the chair of my dissertation committee. I immensely see the importance of her mentorship in creating my planned program and during the dissertation process. Just think of if you had to embark upon uncharted territory without anyone to confer with. This would be quite the fete; however, quite manageable with one’s mentorship.

Counseling is a powerful treatment for most ‘mental’ conditions: depression, neurosis, anxiety, addictions, defiant personalities, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, psychosis—in fact most dysfunctional conditions the DSM IV identifies.

Well, this has been a long process and we are in the home stretch. Therefore, we of the Ethics Revision Task Force (ERTF) would like to inform you all of what’s been going on and what’s ahead.

Romantic relationships provide an unparalleled opportunity for personal growth, but they’re sure as hell not easy. They can trigger our worst qualities; they can leave us in a state of depression or anxiety for months or years. We can lose track of ourselves in a relationship--stop doing things that make us feel good, lose touch with friends who bring out our best or even forget who we really are.

One of the largest mistakes would-be interns make in attempting to find internships is very, very easy to avoid. Here’s how.

Ever wonder what the profile of the person ‘least likely’ to seek out counseling is? Look at your client list. You will find that it is noticeably lacking in this population: the older, white male. Now get this: 73% of suicides are committed by, yeah, “older, white males.” Do they need us? You bet. Will they come to us? Probably not, even though their suicide rate is higher than older, black males and women put together.

One of the most daunting challenges I find as a mental health counselor working in a domestic violence and sexual assault agency is having patience – patience with clients who are resistant to change. And, boy, so many are.

I was approached recently by a very shy, humble woman who was just starting out on her career as a counselor. Though her words were quiet and her eye contact all but nonexistent, I sensed a real kindred spirit, kind heart and friendly soul. As we talked she told me that she had read some of the text books that I contributed to and followed my blogs. It is always humbling to know that there are even a few folks who take the time to read even one item that I have crafted.

In the 80’s, there was much ado about the baby boomers latest trend: cocooning. It was heralded that theirs would soon be a generation of stay-at homes, who wore sweat clothes and flip-flops instead of tuxedos and stilettos. No longer would they be out on the town, but instead at home watching movies on their VCR’s. And that is exactly what happened, but not just because the VCR had been invented, but frankly, because they were getting tired.