U Are professional consultants considered essential workers?
What if a customer's insurance covers personal therapy but does not cover video or phone sessions?
Are Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom compliant with health laws?
My employer expects me to continue to see customers personally, but I'm not happy with the health risk associated with it. What can I do?
This spring, practitioners worried American Counseling Association ethics specialists with these and many other questions as the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 gradually became a problem, and then – very quickly – the landscape of the daily life in the United States. The last more than three months have given professional consultants a steep learning curve, especially with the pandemic that is causing disruptions and difficulties with something that is central to their work: connecting with people.
Many consultants in clinical settings responded to these new realities by adjusting personal interactions and quickly updating themselves to offer customer sessions on telehealth health. Most school counselors and counselor educators negotiated unplanned longer breaks or even abrupt interruptions in their school years in the spring. Many of these professionals had a similar problem to that of their colleagues in clinical counseling and had to introduce and use new technologies in order to continue to support and teach students online.
In addition to these challenges, the economy experienced a dramatic downturn that prompted many consultants to struggle with financial worries and even job insecurities. Despite the widespread increase in mental health concerns associated with or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, some counselors are facing loss of income due to a decline in clients. This is partly due to the fact that many customers have financial problems themselves, including loss of insurance.
Under the strain of adapting to this new normal, consultants say they have experienced a flood of emotions, from stress, worries and fears to vulnerability and frustration. At the same time, professional consultants find silver strips, such as learning the level of their own strength and flexibility.
"It's tiring," said Andrea Morganstein, a licensed Professional Consultant (LPC) and owner of a private practice in West Chester, Pennsylvania. By the time she was interviewed in mid-April, she had shifted all of her client exposure to tele-health sessions. "It was a constant evolution," she says.
Morganstein says that she relied on the support of her professional peer consulting group, which met practically more often in the spring. In addition, she says that her new self-care routine, taking a walk every morning at 7 a.m., will help her to anchor her day and keep a stable schedule, including regular meals and bedtime.
"I am not afraid of the virus. I try to take the approach that there is no productive reason to worry extra when there is nothing to worry about at the moment. [But] Sometimes I don’t feel good about myself and I’m worried because I’m not able to manage everything and do enough work, ”she says,“ I learned how natural I was in terms of daily social contact I had [before the pandemic] and that it is so important that it is worth using the extra energy that is now needed to maintain these relationships and feelings of connection. "
When this article was written in April, there were still many questions about how COVID-19 could affect the consulting profession in the long term. Will consultants return to offer face-to-face sessions as soon as possible – and will clients return to schedule them – after familiarizing themselves with online therapy? Will some of the immediate measures that offer flexibility in regulating telehealth health change in the future? Will a mental health pandemic follow the COVID-19 pandemic, as some experts predict?
Only time will tell. In the meantime, professional advisors will continue to do what they do best: support their clients and students, regardless of their environment or circumstances.
Navigating the learning curve
Morganstein had set up the office in her practice so that she and the client sat perpendicular to each other during the sessions. The convenience of this agreement was lost when Morganstein offered sessions by video and phone in mid-March.
In addition to learning and adapting to the technical health of telephoto behavior, including a new web camera that initially caused extreme frustration, the medium forced Morganstein and their customers to be "eyeball to eyeball" ”For video sessions. Some of their clients struggling with self-esteem also expressed discomfort at seeing themselves in the small video box in the corner of the screen for the duration of their sessions.
When Morganstein sits in her office with clients, she often uses her own body language and positioning to help clients feel more comfortable in moments of silence or struggling with difficult emotions. This subtle strategy is more difficult to implement in telebehavioral health sessions. Though Morganstein has prepared to sit further away from the camera over time to put more emphasis on her upper body language and less on her face, she says.
“The greatest thing for me was the use of silence. I have found that sitting in telehealth feels different – more anxious and less pleasant for me, ”said Morganstein, a member of ACA. "When I explored this, I realized that it is a key word to say goodbye when a social video or phone call is silent. We said everything we need. But in therapy I will often use silence to give the client room to think or process [a question or topic] or to rethink a new idea that comes to him, you can see it in your body language that you “understand” it and see a concept it’s much more difficult to do this in telehealth anyway. ”
"Instead, I find that my brain tells me in my own internal experience with telemedicine that I should do something – I should keep this conversation going and do something to fill this space. It shifts the role that I normally play in consulting, ”continues Morganstein. “At some point, I think it would be helpful to put it on the table and say [to the client]: 'Gosh, it feels different. Here is a time when I [normally] would sit here quietly and let you think. How is that feeling for you "
Morganstein says she is trying to consider that this new normality feels just as different to her customers as this new normality feels to them. Over the weeks, she continues to look for ways to change her approach and restore the warmth and openness she seeks in face-to-face sessions.
She lives in a town house with her spouse and children, so she set up part of her bedroom to conduct video therapy sessions. She staged a wall section to imitate an office environment with a plant, a lamp and a canvas print. "I call it 'my home office' for my customers. But it's my bedroom and I can't leave confidential files lying around. That is the part that I find very stressful, ”says Morganstein.
Morganstein says the shift to telehealth health has also prompted her to adjust the methods she uses with customers. Personally, she often writes on a whiteboard in her office during the sessions to illustrate a topic. "I find that [now] I encourage my customers to log a little [in-session] themselves if I wouldn't normally have slowed down if they did," says Morganstein. "I find it powerful and will bring it more into my personal work." … I learned that I should get customers to write things down more in their [own] words. At the end of the session, they were more likely to internalize what we were talking about when their brains had to do the work to construct and put it on paper. "
On the negative side of the ledger, Morganstein says that the exposure component of the social literacy work she does with clients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has "stalled" because clients are not leaving their homes. She also notes that in-depth advisory work, such as trauma processing, is interrupted because customers need to focus on more immediate needs, such as: B. on the stress of going to a grocery store or for school-age customers to grieve for the loss of school activities and graduation parties.
"Trauma work temporarily makes clients more vulnerable," emphasizes Morganstein. "Now is not the time to make people more vulnerable or emotionally exhausted."
Morganstein also believes that some customers have taken her off a pedestal after watching her operate outside of her typical office environment – and she feels comfortable with it. If she sometimes sees her struggle with technology or occasionally hears her dog barking during sessions, her customers have more options to see her in a new light. "It's okay to be human with your customers," she says.
Morganstein remembers a session – or rather, an attempted session – that was planned in the first weeks after switching to telebehavioral health with a middle school client. Morganstein had sent a link to the customer's mother to connect to the video platform she was using. When it was time for the session, Morganstein couldn't get the microphone or camera to work on her computer. She knew she needed help from her husband – "my IT man," she jokes – but the confidentiality advice ethic required her husband not to see the customer who was visible in the video feed. The client's mother made suggestions and stayed online at Morganstein to solve problems. After 25 minutes, Morganstein gave up and rescheduled the session.
What could have been a frustrating or upset situation for both sides ultimately improved Morganstein's relationship with her young customer's mother. The client was relatively new to Morganstein's practice and before this incident the mother had been a little nervous and a bit reluctant towards Morganstein. After seeing Morganstein in a vulnerable situation, the mother seemed much more comfortable around her and even made jokes occasionally, and their relationship has grown since then, Morganstein reports.
Practice what you preach
Licensed mental health counselor Stacey Brown closed her group counseling practice in Fort Myers, Florida and began offering customer meetings by phone and video on March 13, long before many practitioners in her area did so. Brown realized how easily the COVID-19 virus could spread, and when she knew the number of customers who came through her office in an average week, she followed her gut feeling this Friday and made the decision spontaneously, the personal one Cancel meetings. "It just felt right," recalls Brown.
Since then, Brown has been able to keep a full schedule of customer meetings while working from home. She has found that the majority of her customers prefer phone sessions. To keep focus during the sessions and to protect the privacy of family members or other people they live with, Browns customers spoke to her while sitting in a parked car, taking a walk, or even on a raft in one Pool in the back yard swam.
"All of my customers' problems [presenting] are still occurring, so they need support – or more. When people are forced to be alone, they have to deal with themselves. We talked a lot about how we should deal with ourselves [in sessions]”says Brown. "For me, if you're with someone [a client in session] you really need to be with someone. You have to be 100 percent present. You can't go to a meeting with preconceived ideas. It really messes you up. You can't get in go to a session and think, "Today we're going to talk about her mother." … It's the same on the phone – sitting and really listening and concentrating. I really feel like I can be with them and it will be fine . "
Client’s struggles with anxiety, trauma, and grief have intensified since the outbreak of the new corona virus, says Brown, clinical supervisor and ACA member. In addition to cognitive behavior therapy and other methods, Brown found it helpful to highlight calming techniques such as breathing work and meditation with clients. She has also stepped up conversations and check-ins on how well customers sleep, look after themselves, stay hydrated, and eat – some of the basics of Maslow's hierarchy of human needs.
Wellness practices can help counselors and clients process and digest emotions just like the body digests food, Brown says. "Now is not the time to do only counseling or just therapy," she says. "Ask your customers if they have neck and shoulder pain or how they sleep and what they eat. Everyone has just started up and we need to take care of our bodies. Talk about stretching and tension and the difference between shallow and deep breathing Remember the mind-body connection. "
As the pandemic continues to affect the work of counselors, Brown emphasizes that more than ever, practitioners must follow the guidance they give to their own clients: don't forget the importance of self-care and find ways to get around yourself move away from rigid and one-dimensional thinking.
"If we are upset because things are not as they should be, we will only become angrier and more closed." See this change as an opportunity, an opportunity to be creative and flexible, ”she says. "You have to take care of yourself and find the balance. This includes turning off the messages if necessary. Follow the same advice you give your customers. [to] Be aware when your fear increases. "
Likewise, counselors often encourage clients to deliberately think about their life choices and the goals they set. The same guidance applies to practitioners themselves, especially in times of crisis, Brown claims. Brown, who is certified to teach yoga and meditation, has found ways to diversify her work and add to her income from counseling. She not only offers meditation and yoga classes, but also paints and sells her works of art, writes and supervises training advisors.
From Brown's point of view, the business side of advice is like a tennis match. If your opponent wants to serve you the ball in tennis, you don't know where it will go, you have to be agile and "springy" to run and hit the ball. This also applies to the management of a company: You have to think ahead and be prepared and flexible when challenges arise.
“Consultants can no longer just sit in their office and see people. You need to diversify and have multiple income streams. We can't just be great clinicians. We also have to be great business people, ”she says. “We have to practice what we preach – and that's always the challenge. If you are in the box all the time, you will stay there. … If you are always reactive, you will have problems with your company. If you are intentional and manifest what you want, you will be fine. "
Professionally, Brown says that she has received lessons in creativity, patience, gratitude, and confidence in the past few months. Though she loves her office environment, she thinks about continuing to offer telehealth health from home one day a week after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.
"This gave me time to examine myself and to think about it and talk to others about how they run their businesses," says Brown. “Apart from health concerns, it was a rejuvenating time for me because of the creative element. When I was in the office, I was made aware of the daily activities. Now I could zoom out and see things from the big picture [ger]. It's kind of different. … It helps me to refresh my perspective and stay curious about how I can do this and grow my business sustainably to achieve my ultimate goal: to help people. "
Emphasize security
Linda Diaz-Murphy has been performing game therapy with young clients on telehealth health since New Jersey's emergency shelter was issued in March. Parents and young people have adapted easily to the medium, she says. A parent or caregiver is always present during the session, and young clients use a combination of their own toys and play therapy items like sand baskets that Diaz-Murphy previously sent home with families.
According to Diaz-Murphy, the focus of game therapy remains the same: to strengthen clients' sense of security and to develop their coping skills and strategies, Diaz-Murphy says. This includes speaking and processing emotions when young customers draw or create scenes with characters.
"We use all the resources they have," says Diaz-Murphy, an LPC and registered game therapist whose private practice in Leonia, New Jersey, is 15 minutes from the George Washington Bridge, to and from New York City leads. "A child likes to cook [using a play kitchen] and feeds everyone in his family. We used to do it in the office, and now we do it in teletherapy. We continue to do the same things at home as we do in the office, which is really amazing. Except for the place, nothing has really changed. "
Diaz-Murphy also emphasized the security of their adult customers in the form of additional contact. As soon as she switched to Telebehavioral Health, Diaz-Murphy strengthened her communication with customers and checked in regularly (once or twice a week) by phone or SMS. She has informed her entire case number that she is available for additional sessions or even “just to talk”, although she limits customer calls outside of sessions to 30 minutes.
"It's more than I would normally do, but it's important," says Diaz-Murphy. "Years ago we called it proximity control, but it's only there for [clients] so they feel safe and know that you are there to help." It's also about staying close and being available to customers without being too intrusive, she explains.
One of Diaz-Murphy's clients, an adult man who lives alone and is geographically separated from his family, died of COVID-19 in April. At first, he hesitated to take advantage of telehealth health, but Diaz-Murphy remained in touch with him via text message. Finally, he agreed to attend a counseling session over the phone. Now they are in contact about twice a week and the client reaches them and not the other way round, which Diaz-Murphy sees as a very positive development.
"What is particularly important to me in this coronavirus crisis is always to be honest [with clients] to share my limits, to discuss options, to think about safety first, to be patient, to offer reassurance, in hopeful tones speak and use language hopefully, stay in the present and think about the future, make me available and remember [that] that my presence is important, ”says Diaz-Murphy.
Diaz-Murphy has completed extensive training in disaster mental health and is a crisis response consultant. This spring she used this knowledge to adapt her approach to the needs of her customers as fears increased and so much was unknown. Part of their own coping strategy during the pandemic was to continue learning. She recently completed a training course in providing disaster counseling for mental health and crises, including best practices on strategy and the language to be used.
A little bit of humor can do a lot when fear swells, says Diaz-Murphy. During the toilet paper frenzy (and resulting shortage) that accompanied COVID-19's first few weeks in the U.S., she found a website that calculated how much toilet paper each household would need to get through quarantine. She shared the page with some customers to lighten the mood.
"It is a source of humor, but [there’s] is also a reality where people fear that other resources will be used and not enough will be left over." It's the same with food. This [toilet paper calculator] relativizes things for people and then helps in other ways, ”says Diaz-Murphy, a member of the ACA.
Above all, she focused on ensuring that her clients have adequate self-care and coping mechanisms to deal with the concerns and uncertainties associated with the pandemic.
In times of crisis, professional consultants have to remember to trust themselves and use their core competencies in counseling: empathy, communication and listening. "They want [clients] to be in control and feel empowered," she says. "Do what you do in the office: don't panic, stay calm and treat your customers with respect. Let them know that they can manage this and give them the tools to manage it."
Finding connection on camera
Chris McClure is still driving to her private practice in Manassas, Virginia to conduct telebehavioral health sessions when customers are no longer coming in. She sits in the same chair and is in the same place where she previously gave personal advice to help her focus and shift from personal to professional, says McClure, an LPC and member of ACA.
She also believes it is important to maintain this familiar environment for her customers. When Counseling Today interviewed her in April, McClure was working on setting up her laptop so that customers see it at the same angle and with the same backdrop as if they were sitting on the customer chair in their office.
She admits that she is still struggling to find the right balance while using the health of tele-behavior. In the beginning she felt too distant and through videos to "pulled away from customers". Sometimes she feels that "she has to project my empathy larger than life" to get through to customers.
"Video doesn't feel very intimate and therapy is a very intimate interaction," says McClure. "It can be pushy. I come home to a customer and some feel uncomfortable with it. "
McClure is also trying to use her facial expressions to get more in touch with customers. The human brain is hardwired to recognize emotions in the faces of others, so customers can see subtle clues, she says. "If they can see that we look reasonably calm and deliver very calming messages, they are better able to deal with their fear," she says.
When customers feel uncomfortable when using videos for consultations, e.g. For example, if you notice that your home is messy, or if you apologize to family members who move to the screen, McClure admits that adapting to the new medium is difficult. To further confirm her feelings and reassure customers, she sometimes notes that it would be difficult for her to let someone into her house and that she is grateful for her hospitality. It can also be helpful to add something that she sees in front of the camera, such as a pet or artwork on the wall. With customers who still feel a little uncomfortable, McClure will take up the topic again in future meetings to help them make further adjustments.
“After a while, most customers forget that they are out of the office and only focus on me. Others are more aware of the limitations, ”says McClure. “I am a perfectionist and a caretaker, and I want this to be as pleasant and smooth as possible for customers. I am very aware when things are missing. [But] I think that with this technology it is possible to get there. "
A particular challenge that McClure has encountered when using Telebehavioral Health is to capture customers' non-verbal cues – something that they personally consider second nature to them. She recently had a session with a customer, and the image quality and delay of the video feed made it difficult for McClure to see that the customer was about to cry until tears ran down his face.
“I'm working overtime to listen to these subtle clues in her voice. After almost 30 years [as a counselor] a lot of it is self-evident, and [now] I have to bring it to a more conscious level of listening, ”she says. "When you're with [client]you may notice the slightest twitch of an eyelid or small facial movements that can convey so much, especially when people try to hide their feelings."
At the same time, McClure admits that her clients are currently expressing more basic needs, such as: B. Coping with anxiety and getting enough sleep, which are not as dependent on non-verbal cues or at least not on a deep level, as other counseling topics could include. "It would be an exaggeration to say that people are going back [in therapy] but that's true. Among other things, I do crisis management, ”says McClure.
So much felt like a moving target as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to unfold and new information became available, McClure notes. She has tried to strike a balance between being informed and limiting her exposure to the news.
"I see many [clients] with fear and am trained to help them with [distinguishing between] rational and irrational fears, and it was very unclear between the two. I have some people who are absolutely scared and do not want to leave their homes and others who think we are overreacting. It is hard to feel that I, as a consultant, have a relevant message when there is so much mixed information. … I think the vast majority of Americans are very concerned. This [virus] is a significant threat to our way of life, our well-being, both for health and for the economy. "
McClure hat im Laufe ihrer Karriere eine Reihe von Schulungen zur Gesundheit des Televerhaltens absolviert, obwohl sie diese bis zum Ausbruch der COVID-19-Pandemie nicht viel benutzte. Sie plant, sich weiterzubilden, um sich weiter an das Medium anzupassen. Schließlich möchte sie in die Altersteilzeit übergehen und Klienten auf Reisen über die Gesundheit des Televerhaltens beraten können.
"Ich bin begeistert von der Möglichkeit, dass sich viel mehr Menschen an [telebehavioral health] gewöhnen und sich daran gewöhnen werden", sagt McClure. "Ein Grund, warum ich mich für Fernberatung interessiert habe, ist, dass es viele unterversorgte Bevölkerungsgruppen gibt [that could benefit]. Ich bin auf die Arbeit mit Transgender-Klienten und Klienten mit geschlechtsspezifischen Bedenken spezialisiert, und es gibt nicht so viele Praktiker, die wirklich geschult und qualifiziert sind, um mit diesen Klienten zu arbeiten, wenn Sie an größeren Städten vorbeikommen. Es gibt große Teile des Staates [my]die in bestimmten Fragen einfach nicht gut bedient werden. Ich mag die Idee wirklich, dass ein Klient eine wirklich hochwertige Therapie erhalten kann, auch wenn es innerhalb von 50 Meilen keinen Therapeuten gibt. … Hoffentlich bleiben einige der vorübergehenden Ereignisse, die während dieser [pandemic] geschehen sind, an Ort und Stelle und [result in] positive Veränderungen. “
"Wir sind stärker als wir denken"
Celine Monif hat eine Privatpraxis in der Nähe der Kreuzung zweier Bundesstaaten, Iowa und Nebraska, die keine Schutzbefehle erlassen haben. Das hat eine schwierige Situation geschaffen, sagt Monif, weil sie nur auf die Gesundheit des Televerhaltens hinweisen und ihre Kunden ermutigen kann, diese zu nutzen. Die andere Möglichkeit wäre, ihr Büro freiwillig zu schließen, aber Monif ist nicht bereit, dies zu tun, da dies die Behandlung für Kunden stören oder aussetzen würde, die nicht in der Lage sind, die Gesundheit des Televerhaltens zu nutzen. Für diejenigen, die sich dafür entscheiden, mit persönlichen Sitzungen fortzufahren, hat sie Kunden in ihrem Büro in Bellevue, Nebraska, gesehen, die Sitzungen so weit voneinander entfernt haben, dass sich keine zwei Kunden kreuzen und das Risiko eingehen, sich gegenseitig zu infizieren.
"Es war eine starke Mischung aus Nachfrage und Widerstand, in die Telegesundheit zu gehen, was in einem Shelter-in-Place-Staat nicht passieren würde", sagt Monif. "Einige [clients] kommen herein, weil dies ihr sicherer Raum ist, und sie glauben nicht, dass sie die Privatsphäre oder die Freiheit erhalten würden, zu Hause frei zu sprechen."
Monif, ein ACA-Mitglied, besitzt zwei Lizenzen. Sie ist eine lizenzierte Psychiaterin in Nebraska und eine lizenzierte Psychiaterin in Iowa. Sie schätzt, dass ungefähr ein Drittel ihrer Fallzahl weiterhin für persönliche Sitzungen anfällt. Einige dieser Kunden fühlen sich mit der Technologie des Televerhaltens einfach nicht wohl. Für andere stellt es logistische Herausforderungen. For example, one of Monif’s teenage clients continues to come to the office for in-person sessions because she doesn’t have a cell phone of her own and her large family has only one computer to share between them.
To minimize the risk of infection, Monif has been sanitizing her office and waiting room after every client, taking her temperature each morning, washing her hands regularly, and opening the door for each client so they don’t have to touch the doorknob. She has also posted a sign on her office door asking that people who are sick or have a fever not enter.
Monif admits that she has experienced a roller coaster of emotions this spring. “Because it’s the Midwest and we’re not the epicenter of the virus, we still have a percentage of people who are not taking this as seriously as they probably need to. This can be frustrating,” she says. “But at same time, there’s compassion. I understand about their fears or hesitancy to give up the safe space of my office. I understand the anxiety and feel a lot of compassion for them. … My emotions fluctuate so quickly throughout the day.”
In the past, Monif typically accommodated one or two pro bono clients at any given time to help those who couldn’t afford counseling or had lost their insurance coverage. With the recent economic downturn in the wake of COVID-19, that number has increased, with Monif offering pro bono sessions for several clients who have lost jobs or been furloughed.
“It would be unethical for me to stop [treatment] and not try and help them,” she says. “My husband and I are both working and will be OK for the near future. We have that luxury, so I will continue [to offer pro bono services].”
A trained volunteer for Nebraska’s Critical Incident Stress Management program, a statewide team that offers mental health debriefing for first responders after major incidents, Monif is also offering free sessions for first responders who need counseling.
The counseling profession’s swift and unexpected pivot to telebehavioral health this spring has revealed a few challenges that will need to be addressed for the long term. For example, there have been mixed messages concerning which telebehavioral health platforms are compliant with health privacy laws. Professional counselors need clearer guidelines both from licensing boards and insurance companies, Monif says.
“[Practitioners] in my area often have clients across state lines, and there’s some confusion on what our license allows. It’s a new territory,” Monif says. “When everything comes out, we’re going to have a little bit to unravel. … It used to be that online therapists were a specialty, and now it will be more of the norm. There will be a huge influx of providers who provide online therapy.”
“If there’s a silver lining to this,” she continues, “I’m hoping this helps raise the awareness that this [telebehavioral health] is something we need. It’s an essential service. People need access, and right now it’s an imperfect system, and we need to work on it.”
The fallout from COVID-19 has ushered in an opportunity (even if unwanted) to learn and see things from a new perspective, Monif says. She has witnessed counselors in her area rise to the occasion and rearrange their entire practice to work online, all while caring for family and dealing with both the personal and professional stressors of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I have learned that if I have to adjust quickly, I can,” Monif says. “I went from having zero telehealth clients to [those clients being a major] part of my caseload in seven days. I learned that we’re all in the same boat and we don’t have the answers, but we’re learning as we go. This threw us all off-kilter, and we’re still day by day, [but] we’re all so adaptable, and that’s great to see. … We’re stronger than we think, [but] we also need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves. Find a balance between managing your own emotions, taking care of family, and being responsible for clients and helping them. Find that balance, and you’ll be OK.”
Identifying potential in crisis
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced some unexpected changes to the way professional counselors are working, it has also brought immense potential for practitioners to flex their outreach and advocacy muscles, says David E. Jones, an LPC in the Cincinnati area.
Counselors are well suited to help with the many needs that have arisen alongside COVID-19, from the anxiety and isolation that can accompany shelter-in-place mandates to the distress and burnout felt among health care workers and first responders, says Jones, an ACA member and assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies at Liberty University.
“There is a chance of having a mental health pandemic after all of this. What are we [counselors] doing? Was können wir tun? What should we do to help our communities? What are we going to do six months from now, beyond just our individual clients?” asks Jones. “Part of this is getting outside our walls of one-on-one thinking and coming together as a profession and collaborating across professions to address at-risk populations and structural disparities. We need to be collaborating with public officials and sitting at those tables for long-term planning and thinking of the mental health aftermath.”
Jones urges counselors to take their role as advocates seriously and to think about how they can reach across disciplines to address mental health in their communities. This could include collaborating with local organizations, schools and even houses of worship, but it should involve thinking outside the four walls of the counseling office, he emphasizes.
“Show up at town hall meetings or sit down with local politicians. Offer to go to your local firehouse and talk about mental health first aid. Or send them a letter and offer to have coffee with them and offer your insights,” suggests Jones, who was a public health researcher, including time spent as an infectious disease epidemiologist, before switching careers to become a professional counselor. “It doesn’t have to be a huge elaborate thing, but it’s a drop of water in a pond, and if you have a lot of people putting a drop of water in, it’s going to ripple and make a difference.”
For example, there will be immense need for career and employment counseling in the coming months, with millions of Americans being unemployed or underemployed. Counselors could host community workshops focused on learning job search and interview skills, seeking job training or studying for the General Educational Development exam.
“Counselors have so many points of contact to make a difference, [including] schools, parents and other nonprofits. Who do you know that could make a difference? Go and speak at groups, provide psychoeducation [about mental health]and shine light on local resources. We need to get out of our silos and work across professions. There’s connection points that can be made, and sometimes you just have to think outside the box to make them.”
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, there is great potential to expand the counseling profession’s reach and impact while meeting needs in counselors’ communities, Jones stresses.
“During a time like this, we get a chance to reflect on who we are. And that’s a good time to make us pause and look at things that are working, and things that aren’t working, and have a potential place to effect change,” Jones says. “You can focus on the distressing part of this, or you can introduce yourself to fellow counselors in town and ask if they need anything. It’s time to reflect and be more person-centered than we were before.”
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Professional resources
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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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Opinions expressed and statements made in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.
