Counseling

Resilience is one of the characteristics that characterize the experience of the Native Americans. These tribes date from before European exploration and colonization, which led to the renaming of these inhabited areas to the United States. These acts of occupation triggered the prevailing discourse and the deceptive narrative that the original people no longer exist and began long before the…

June 2nd marks the 100th anniversary of what many of us think in the field of rehabilitation counseling as the beginning of our specialist advisory area. On June 2, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Smith Fess Act (also known as the Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act), which introduced the first occupational rehabilitation program for Americans with disabilities. It was modeled…

I recently gave a lecture to a group of high school parents about using social media. Instead of focusing on their children, I first asked the parents about their own use of social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. As a consultant, I believe that considering this experience could help other practitioners when working with adolescent clients or their parents.…

Loss is a universal experience and the basis of many therapeutic problems. The currently unemployed client, the parents whose son is addicted to opioids, the client whose long-term relationship has broken up, and the client who has received a devastating health diagnosis have a common loss. As a professional advisor and specialist in grief trauma, I am sensitive to the…

As professional consultants, we both often participate in the reflection process to better understand ourselves and our customers. As African-Americans who grew up and live in the south, we both have to navigate through our share of "isms". Derrick, a black doctoral student and practitioner from an urban southern community, has had some striking experiences that raise issues of intersectionality.…

Richard Yep, Managing Director of ACA When I think about the embodiment of a true leader, I use descriptors such as inspiring, compassionate, caring, humble, willing to sacrifice, listening and putting people's wellbeing above personal gain. Before anyone assumes that it is a column that the current U.S. President has put down (though it could be likely), let me make…

We want to help people. It is a common reason why many choose to become professional advisors. Maybe we were told that we are good listeners. Perhaps we have had experience in overcoming psychological problems. Whatever led to advice, we want to use our skills to help people. At some point, we may decide to help people in the military…

During the months surrounding the 2016 presidential election, immigration rhetoric was criticized so that Daniel Gutierrez, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and member of the American Counseling Association, noticed a significant increase in panic disorders in a free clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. One therapist even told Gutierrez about a client who had panic attacks every time a political advertisement…

In popular culture, obsessive-compulsive disorder is often portrayed by characters who are unable to step on cracks on the sidewalk, are germicidal, or are obsessed with cleanliness and organization. These "hang-ups" are often played for comic effects. "There is a big misunderstanding that obsessive-compulsive disorder is cute and strange," said Shala Nicely, a licensed professional consultant (LPC) with a practice…