ACA Blog

I know we have all been taught about boundaries in therapy and keeping a professional detachment to our clients in which we are warm, compassionate, empathetic but do not get too close to our clients; they are not our friends and they are not our children. We know that such an attachment can interfere with judgment and open us up to litigation. I get that. I also get that there are different levels of boundaries based on treatment setting. For instance, in a not for profit community based program model it is not uncommon to have volunteers help with many non clinical projects. Most of us have come into such programs on our days off, or have been asked to cancel clinical appointments for a day to assist with community projects that find us elbows deep working with clients. To me, once you have broken bread with or built a room with volunteers there is a certain bond that may develop that you would not see otherwise. You are still professional and keep your boundaries but it is akin to Dorothy peeking behind the curtain in OZ, after she saw the bells and whistles she realized that behind the façade was just another person.

I’m putting my ego aside in hopes that this blog will help others who may find themselves feeling the same way I was feeling years ago. For lack of a better word, I was scared. Back in 2000 I was an undergraduate student longing to be a Psychologist. Human behavior and the brain fascinated me and I wanted to learn more and ultimately help empower others in understanding themselves more fully and taking control of their lives. I spent almost a decade delaying my interests and professional dreams due to being intimidated by research and the idea of undertaking this dreaded “Thesis” and “Dissertation” I had heard so much about. Besides, I was from rural Blooming Grove, Texas: Population 823. I’d never personally known anyone with a PhD (except for my undergraduate professors). Was I delusional or narcissistic in thinking I could actually be called “Dr.” one day? 11 years later, I know the answer to that question is “no”.

What is the real reason we become counselors, psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists? While being in the mental health profession equates belonging to the famed cliché of wanting to "help people," is there typically a deeper meaning that draws us in? Do we really want to help ourselves?

Overcoming barriers to continuing education for soldiers begins with finding a school which is truly military-friendly. This is one aspect military service students may overlook when enrolling in higher education programs offered by universities, colleges, or technical schools. There is much caution to base this on due to the fact some schools advertising themselves as service friendly, in actuality are not. This is due to the reality that there is no clear definition of service. When enrolling in a school, after military service, awareness of common barriers starts with knowledge of these obstacles and how to prevail over them. There are specific characteristics of veteran-friendly schools which require consideration prior to enrolling. These include offering programs specifically designed orientation, support groups, and dedicated resource centers. Discovery Learning, problem solving and computer technology will be address these misconceptions about seeking higher education while serving the military.

In my last blog, I was strongly advocating, rather evangelizing, counselors to first of all to DO NO HARM. This is especially a danger when dealing with religious and spiritual issues. As Nietzsche said, ’Those who were seen dancing were considered insane by those who could not hear the music.’ On the other hand, again especially in the area of religious and spiritual issues, so many advocates are like cowboys with ‘all hat and no cattle’—claiming faith and religion because of the effect it has on others but with no person experience. As counselors we should be able to distinguish between those who actually are hearing the music and those who are trying to get us to dance because of the silence in their lives. In either case, DO NO HARM.

“I want to go to the movies,” says one sibling. “But I want to go to the baseball game,” says the other sibling. “I want to make dinner on the grill tonight,” says the husband. “But I want to use our new oven to make dinner tonight,” says the wife. “Wash the dishes this way,” says Mom. “No, I wash the dishes my way,” says the daughter. The union wants a contract with a salary increase. But the company wants to impose a contract with a salary decrease. The high school senior wants to go to college, but his family cannot afford to pay for college. Everyday experience suggests that conflict cannot be avoided in interaction with others. So what are some practical strategies for resolving conflict?

The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) DSM-5 development website provides a myriad of information to the public about the proposed DSM-5; however, repeatedly reviewing the information provided on the website has left me with many questions. As the DSM-5 has progressed, I think we, the public, have been left in the dark. It is difficult to track the progression of the DSM-5 as we rapidly approach the publishing date.

Tomato plants have a particular smell. If you’ve planted them, you know. And there’s joy in tasting that first juicy tomato you’ve grown and placed on the kitchen counter to ripen. Better still? Letting it turn bright red on the vine and bringing it inside to rinse off and eat while it’s still warm from the sun. I’ve had a pretty decent crop of tomatoes, though they never got very large, just from the single Abe Lincoln heirloom seedling I grew in a big pot on the deck this year. I set it out thinking I’d be happy to get one tomato.

Tortoises are slow and steady, each step made with great intention. Not too dissimilar to the counseling process. For Catheryn Robinson, that’s a good thing.

Because I recently wrote an article about the importance of allowing ESL clients to express themselves in the course of therapy in their own language, I started thinking more about how the issue of language is so central to most forms of counseling, and even more so in couples and family counseling. I am not talking about couples of different linguistic background, but couples and families who speak the same language. What’s there to talk about, some might wonder!?