ACA MEMBER BLOGS

A person who strives to better themselves is not concerned with the perceived grievances of others. Nor should they be. Engaging in exercise and losing weight to contribute to a greater self-image is not a knock against those struggling with eating disorders.

Anyone who knows me knows how multicultural empathy is a critical aspect of my work and my everyday existence. Part of the reason for this is my own upbringing not only having been born in Costa Rica and later adopted at age 8 but then living in the northern D.C area for 7 years of my life.

Part of the beauty in my work is that I’m in a position of almost always being pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the ability of people to learn and heal.

Since the inauguration, I have spoken to many colleagues and students who feel overwhelmed by the number of troubling and complicated issues emerging with the new Presidential administration.

Guided imagery has a solid body of research that supports its use for a variety of concerns, from improving performance with professional athletes to helping cancer patients heal, and from reducing blood loss during surgery to accelerating weight loss.

There’s a post making its way to “viral” status right now on social media that bears some discussion, and a share here in this forum at the request of the poster that as many people as possible see the message.

St. Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. It seems that 2017 is already flying as fast as Cupid with his heart shaped arrows. This year I am going to write my wife and two daughters each a love letter.

Many of us get alarmed when we hear the word “spirituality” in our practice. Whether a client or patient mentions it, it’s in a curriculum in a psycho-education class, or we’re asked to incorporate spirituality into our own practice, you may freeze, feel unqualified or choose to ignore the subject.

While those of us in the addictions field already understand the concept of total abstinence from all addictive substances for those that have addictions; SAMHSA has now shown a prevention model that addresses those at mild and moderate risk, with the hopes of preventing drinking/use from progressing (About Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), 2015).

Everywhere I look I see and hear people picking on millennials. Going by the memes, so-called expert analyses, and a million personalized rants on social media, these millennial people must be lazy, entitled, undeserving of achievement, irresponsible, demanding, whiny, and rude.