ACA Blog

I come from a family of schoolteachers. My mother is a history teacher at a public high school. My sister teaches English as a Second Language to community college students. My late maternal grandmother also was a teacher. I have aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives who were or are teachers, or work in the schools in other capacities. And education was always a major emphasis of my parents when I was growing up. I guess old habits die hard, because in some ways I still think in terms of the school calendar, even though I’m no longer in school. So it is that my mind turns to graduates and graduation ceremonies each May and June.

Quick introduction: Bikram yoga is a 90-minute class that takes place in a 100 degree room. Breathing exercises and 26 poses are incorporated into this series. Although the flow and movements are the same from class to class, the way one physically, mentally, and emotionally feels before and during class has a huge effect on how “well” one does.

Pain + Resistance = Suffering. I found myself reflecting on this throughout the week, personally and professionally. On a personal note, it was a week of daily migraine following 7 months of blissful absence. I had forgotten how all consuming they can be and I worked hard to be present to them instead of getting caught up in the story. I’ll admit it was a challenge which reminded me of one of my favorite mantras: 'suffering is optional'. There is no doubt that the pain of my migraines can be hard to cope with and can cause significant interruption in the quality of my life. However, what I choose do with them is up to me and in making a conscious choice to surrender, suffering did not occur.

Silence is golden, or so they say. There are times when we crave for silence above all else. In other moments silence can feel like the most awkward and uncomfortable situations we can imagine. For example, when we are among an unfamiliar group of people it can allow us to create doubts about ourselves in the eyes of those around us. Drawn out silences often give a powerful voice to all the insecurities we hold inside.

By the time you read this Rush Limbaugh likely will have announced that he is renouncing his United States citizenship and moving along with his current wife to Costa Rica. The fate of his show is likely unknown but in all reality with modern technology it could continue in his new locale. He announced this move upon hearing the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold what he affectionately refers to as “Obamacare.” Standing proud and holding firm on his previous statements dating back to 2010, Limbaugh likely said his move would commence immediately as he had stated it would should “Obamacare” become law…

Sometimes I get lazy, discouraged, or pulled towards work and family priorities, and I am consistently suffering from what I like to call a loss of the Counselor’s mindset. If you are familiar with my posts, of which there haven’t been many recently, you will notice that I am passionate about starting a Veteran and Family Counseling Ranch. Please take a look at my blogs titled: “Something Different", the “So What Factor 1-3", and "Rolling out the Model” if you’re interested. These blogs are lengthy but will be worth your read.

I have a new program to announce. I’m really excited about it. For more than a year now I’ve been working on developing a career transition program for a group of professionals that are highly ignored in the career counseling arena. After months and months of reading, research, planning and preparing I’m now ready to premier Sex Industry CEO’s; a career transition program for strippers, exotic dancers and other women who work in legal, sex-related entertainment jobs.

Mr. Carter was 6’2” and so I had to look up 14 inches to make glancing eye contact one last time before he said, “Grab your ankles.” Then I bent over. Then there was a loud pop. And then . . . the searing burn. It was my first and last classroom swat. I stood up quickly. I stuck out my chest and held my head high. I knew from watching the swat routine previously that it was all about the walk back to your seat. Don't strut too much. Don't smile or Mr. Carter might call you back for an encore. But keep your poise, don't look defeated, and never, ever cry.

We all need to feel connected, valued and supported in life. As counselors, fostering this is an important part of our work. Sometimes, I can become so focused on helping others to build connections that I forget to encourage my own. Recently, I attended a fashion show-fundraiser for a program that I managed for 8 years – The Looking Forward Program. This program provides cancer support, education and wellness services to those living with cancer and the people who support them. It was founded by a breast cancer survivor in 1994 whose philosophy once diagnosed with cancer has been to always look forward. The fashion show is an annual fundraising event to support the “extra” services that people going through cancer treatment often need but cannot afford. I hadn’t been to a fashion show since 2008 after leaving to take another position; I am so glad I attended.

Now that we are talking about marketing (see my blog posted June 4) your private practice… I’m sure the question “So where do I start?” comes to mind.