"How can I continue to give hope to my customers while I feel like I'm drowning?"
"How can I confront colleagues who commit microaggressions in customer meetings?"
"What advice do you have for students whose professors and textbooks do not deal with multiculturalism?"
This was one of the many challenging and honest questions raised during the online forum "Our Church Gathers: A Conversation With Counselors About Mental Health in 2020" hosted by the American Counseling Association on September 17 to make it easier for professionals to contact and share concerns. Much of the discussion from panelists and participants focused not only on the added stress counselors and clients experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also on the trauma, grief, and exhaustion caused by the recent social turmoil in the Linked to systemic racism in America.
The online event, sponsored by the ACA Foundation, drew more than 400 attendees, including ACA members and non-members.
"This event is all about you," said ACA President Sue Pressman as she opened the Zoom session. “Every day it feels like the fabric of our society is dissolving. The work we do for clients and students is so important, [and] to be honest, consultants are needed today more than ever. I could never be more proud to be a consultant. At the same time, consultants are in a crisis and need support. … Caring and compassion for our colleagues is important and can be very powerful, and this is one of the reasons for this event. "
S. Kent Butler
S. Kent Butler, ACA President-elect, moderated the forum while Pressman made introductory and closing remarks. The event panel featured several past ACA presidents and leaders from across the consulting profession, including Beverly O & # 39; Bryant, Courtland Lee, Gerald Corey, Ebony White, Mark Scholl, Anneliese Singh and Selma Yznaga.
The panelists were open and honest about how they too have fought lately. They challenged participants to focus on taking care of themselves, taking breaks and being aware of the body's signals that they are overwhelmed. They opened the session by discussing the need for counselors to seek their own advice.
White said that counselors are "secret keepers" and stressed the importance of dealing with the pain they endure for others in their own counseling sessions. At the same time, it can be challenging for black practitioners and other color counselors to find a practitioner who looks like them because the majority of counselors are white. This is a barrier that is of course also shared by clients of color when they seek advice.
“Even in 2020, as a Ph.D., LPC [licensed professional counselor] black counselor who has a [professional] group of people I am connected to, I have trouble finding one Right now, a black counselor “Said White, a clinical assistant professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. "This remains an obstacle, especially for people of color, and it needs to be addressed."
It is always a good idea for counselors to seek therapy, but right now, Lee, professor of counseling education at the Washington, D.C. campus of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, agreed. "Dealing with this [clients’] intense pain all the time will really reach us," he said.
Lee, former president of ACA and the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, emphasized the importance of resting and only taking on work and tasks that are personally important to individual counselors. He said this was a lesson he learned acutely and personally after his wife Vivian suddenly passed away earlier this year.
"What's not important is sitting in front of a computer all day and having my phone in hand all the time. Tonight was important to me; that's why I'm here," said Lee. "Find out. what gives you meaning, what is sacred to you. You have to find ways to rest. "
White suggested that consultants consider “the minimum” of time they want to devote to self-care and ensure that this mark is reached. For them, that's 1% of their day. “Dedicate this part of your day to something that is self-care. Whether for praying, dancing, drinking wine, whatever it takes, ”she said.
Corey and Scholl challenged participants to consider all facets of wellbeing – physical, social, spiritual, emotional, cognitive, etc. – and to focus on areas that they perceive to be exhausted and to look for activities that taper. For Corey, that includes Pilates; For Scholl, it's a nap that isn't limited to "power naps". Scholl also intends to get involved in activities to connect with his Native American heritage, including attending Native American meetings and reading works by native authors.
"One of the things I've learned is that wellness doesn't just happen, it takes discipline," Yznaga agreed. “I have to plan it, be on purpose. … For anyone who thinks, "I'm not fine and I can't be fine." Yes, you can, but you have to work on it. "
Participants in our Community Gathers flooded the platform's chat queue with questions and comments throughout the session. Many posted websites and resources that they believed others would find helpful and shared email addresses for continuing conversations offline.
Panelists stayed online for more than three hours until 10:30 pm. Eastern to answer questions and share ideas with attendees. Given the level of commitment at the event, the consultants found the dialogue to be urgently needed.
One participant asked for guidance on how to react if a client makes a racist statement or uses offensive language in a counseling session. The panelists emphasized the importance of being honest with customers in these situations.
"It is your responsibility to manage this tension in the room," said White, who noted that counselors are doing the client a disservice if they let a client's testimony go by without questioning it in the session ask even if it's another dialogue that doesn't match the client plays softly in their minds.
Confrontation can be a therapeutic tool, added White.
Lee emphasized in his response the term "spaces" and the importance of addressing the subject in order to help clients learn words and perspectives that may be ingrained in their culture and upbringing.
"Counseling is supposed to be an educational process," said Lee. "Consultants often skip educational moments, but you can't let them go by." If a client expresses a racist view in a session, "stir it up and use it as a teachable moment," he advised.
"We can be authentic and confrontational and still be respectful even when it's difficult," agreed Corey, an ACA fellow and professor emeritus of human services and counseling at California State University at Fullerton.
In one such case, Corey said he would reply to the customer and say, "I hear you say X. Let's talk about it." After that, it would be helpful for the counselor to find a mentor or colleague to discuss and find support, he said.
Several panellists noted that the United States is in the midst of a cultural change that offers opportunities for the counseling profession.
"Let's try to seize this moment and show the country what we have to offer to destigmatize mental health and teach people how to help [counselors]," said Yznaga, associate professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Lee noted that he never thought he would witness Confederate monuments destroyed while he was still alive, or that the Washington, DC professional football team would change their name.
"We are at a turning point that I have never seen before," said Lee. “It's a lot different from the 1960s. The 60's opened the door and made tremendous strides, but this era … It's more than just a teachable moment at this point. It's an opportunity we haven't had before. If counselors are agents of social change and social justice, we need to get out of there and close the learning gap. "
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Resources
Continuation of the conversation
ACA will hold a virtual event on October 14th at 2pm on racial injustice and political reform. (East). The moderator for the event will be the political commentator from Aisha Mills, CNN and MSNBC.
Look out for registration information in the ACA Member Minute newsletter or send an email to [email protected] to indicate your interest in participating.
Consulting today Articles on related topics
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Bethany Bray is a senior writer and social media coordinator for Counseling Today. Contact her at [email protected].
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