ACA MEMBER BLOGS

Each and every counselor will have their own ideas in regards to adding their personality and interests to their own counseling center, but this should help provide a good start for any ideas.

Nearly a year ago this month, I wrote about representation and racism in college mental health. And here we are as a nation grappling with the realities of institutional (aka systemic) racism once again. Yet the stakes have always been high when we remember the countless deaths of BIPOC in the last decade let alone for generations.

Being in a state of chaos or a prolonged state of chaos can cause immense amounts of stress within your body and mind. When stress arises, a lot of us shut down, overreact or lose track of what needs to be done. Meditation and mindfulness can help.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused people to constantly worry. Will they get the virus or spread it to others? How can they protect loved ones who are far away? Will they lose their job or business?

As the years have passed since my college graduation, I’ve had some really conflicting and incompatible emotions about Father’s Day. My parents made decisions starting around early high school and then throughout my life that would take me until adulthood to reconcile.

For the last few months, people have focused on flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases. During this time, front-line workers have experienced increased levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma. Without adequate support, the mental health consequences could be devastating for this population.

The story of Lorna Breen, an emergency room doctor in New York who died by suicide after treating people with COVID-19, underscores the psychological risks hospital staffs face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As school counselors during this pandemic and racial issues, we need to help each and every Black boy rise up to be strong, confident, proud of himself, and succeed in school, career, and life in general.

Mandated quarantine, fear of being infected or infecting others, isolation from friends and family, economic instability, and layoffs are some of the issues increasing people’s anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. And people may find that their usual coping strategies aren’t enough to successfully manage their heightened anxiety during this time.

Social connection plays a vital role in people’s mental health. Research indicates that people who feel lonely are 26 percent more likely to die early than people who are more socially connected.