Posts in Counseling and Therapy
How COVID-19 Is Teaching Us Self-Reliance

The pandemic has given each one of us more challenges than we knew what to do with — in various aspects of life, at that. With these challenges, however, came golden opportunities to learn more about ourselves and our capabilities, too. At the start of lockdown, many cried foul as services and resources were reduced or, in some cases, taken away. However, fast-forward to just a few months later, and people have learned to adapt and pick up invaluable skills along the way — in turn, becoming more self-sufficient and resourceful.

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Three Groups Counseling Will Not Work With: Part II

It’s rather common thinking amongst mental health practitioners that in order for this group (the not ready, but wish they were group) to change, first, there usually has to be some type of negative catalyst mixed into their current situation. The drugs run out; wife leaves; car crashes; electricity gets turned off; friends stop loaning money, etc. The belief is that in order for them to change, the consequences of not changing have to finally outweigh the consequences for changing.

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On Your Mark, Get Set…Wait, I Can't Help You!

I can’t tell you how many times I come across people that say things like, “I’m ripe and ready for counseling, but I can’t get it.” It’s like we live in a vineyard full of mature grapes with no one to pick them. The grape pickers are trained and ready to start a pickin.’ They have the gloves, the machines, the know-how; but, they’re glued to their chairs; only able to pick the grapes within a 3-foot radius of them…

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Two Steps Ahead

After doing therapy for some time, it didn’t take me long to feel that I was involved in some kind of game as a therapist. I began to feel like I was on candid camera or I was part of a mass prank…

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Caring When It's Cold

I used to resent homeless people, especially in the winter. I had this autopilot response when I’d see them bundled up, clouds of carbon monoxide vaporizing above their heads, trading spots on cold concrete to try and find some kind of warmth…

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