ACA Blog

It’s funny how things capture our imagination and trigger memories. I was just walking across the waiting room and noticed a smiling face in a car at the road; a client who is early for a session and looking up at the office. Now this was not one of my clients, but a client who is treated in this office. It does not have to be mine to bring about a smile in return. Her smile warmed my heart and I found myself instead of doing paperwork, feeling the need to write about the memories she brought out.

I am back from an awesome time at the ACA conference in San Francisco. It was a great time for this small town guy as I experienced both the West Coast but also city life for the first time. Though I can do without the pan handlers, sky scrapers and tons of people but minimal trees, I have a new appreciation for those who prefer the bright lights and big city life. I found myself really getting into the concept of public transportation, small shops and maid service; all of which are not found on a farm or my town. I was also humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement not only by the ACA staff but from my fellow members. So many treated me as if I were part of the family; hugs were plentiful and enjoyed. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to be treated so warmly. As this was my first ACA conference I had imagined a lonely trip with me being lost in the shuffle.

Must a counselor have a spotless past and a picturesque present to effectively assist a client? Should a divorced counselor be the one to help a struggling couple stay together? Can a childless counselor give parental advice? Will a doctoral dropout be able to assist a fretful PhD student? What if a client walks into the office facing the exact same challenge as the counselor? Can and should the counselor help? Is there hypocrisy in this situation? Does the counselor risk being biased or blind to certain aspects of the client’s issue? ACA’s Friday keynote speaker, Dr. Irvine Yalom, tackled this question in his book, “The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients.”

According to the Pew Center on the States, One in every 28 children has an incarcerated parent (3.6%) (2010): A quarter of a century ago, one in every 125 children had an incarcerated parent. The Center continues to say that the rise, of course, can be attributed to the implementation of harsher laws for lesser crimes; two-thirds of today’s incarcerated parents committed non-violent offenses. The above stat is one of the most disconcerting of all U.S.-related prison stats because common sense dictates that a child’s chances of growing up as a productive, law-abiding adult are greater when both of their parents play significant roles in their life.

Like many of you, I’ve learned some valuable skills over the years that help me stay grounded during even the most stressful professional times. This is a work in progress, and I don’t always stay as serene as I would like, but I have what generally amounts to a healthy wellness practice that keeps me in the moment and sustains my work as a counselor.

I recently met some mental health professionals who told me that my blogs on DSM-5 were inflammatory and not helpful to the DSM-5 development process.

It’s one of the more important things we do yet it is also the thing that many of us dread. Trying to consult with other professionals can be akin to trying to catch a greased pig with your feet; though it is statistically possible, very few of us have ever seen it. Phone tag between colleagues can last days or weeks, even when we attempt to set things up via email prior to the conversations. This to a certain extent should be expected; try to get two busy clinicians available at the same time is difficult due to emergencies, meetings, paperwork and related insurance practices and the reality that our clients need us, at times they need us a lot.

Benjamin Franklin is known for his strict schedule. His personal notes show that he was asleep at 10pm, awake at 5am—and he spent most of his waking hours working, or reviewing his tasks. Starting a counseling practice isn’t a 40-hour a week job. Successful entrepreneurs either “Do the Franklin,” or burn the midnight oil. Or both! This is because an aspiring counselor-entrepreneur must stay relevant with the practice of counseling while learning (and executing) the myriad aspects of running a business (e.g., enacting a business plan, managing finances, setting up an office, getting the word out, etc.).

[caption id="attachment_4859" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Jennifer Bingaman"][/caption] I had a pretty good week last week. I’m starting to feel like I’m getting into the groove of things at my internship. I’m being asked to run groups, I’m taking on new clients, and I just have a good feeling about where I am in my life and my career. It’s a nice feeling.

Plans. We all have them. Some pan out and some do not. Some are intricate pieces of mastery while others are basic with few steps and little external influence. The more complex plans tend to involve greater steps, involve more important but uncontrollable variables such as relationships and time. So is it any wonder that with so many different possibilities that fall outside of the locus of control, that the clients we often see are deeply affected by plans gone awry?