ACA MEMBER BLOGS

If you notice that your child is constantly withdrawing from family interaction or activities you may want to dig a little deeper. Here are some warning signs that your child may be bullied...

Did you know that DANCING is good for your mental health?! According to a 2013 article by Scott Edwards from a Harvard Newsletter from the Mahony Neuroscience Institute dancing has such positive effects on the brain that it’s being used to treat individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

In my counseling advocacy work with marginalized youth, I have witnessed the way that art has the potential to reclaim cultural identities, empower historically targeted communities, bridge seemingly opposing groups to foster understanding, and inspire hope.

If you are not a veteran, you may have some thoughts about what PTSD is and how it may impact veterans. If you’re a coworker or employer of a veteran, you might think to yourself, “I love veterans. I thank them for their service. I shake their hand on Veteran’s day.” When it comes to sitting at the desk next to them, however, you might be a little more concerned.

All you have to do is take to any social media outlet, turn on your television, or try to talk politics with relatives and you may note that anger is seeping out of the cracks - even when you try your hardest to contain it.

I was forced with a decision to put my ten-year-old black cat, Midnight, to sleep after being told that what I thought was an infection turned out to be an inoperable tumor. The pain was indescribable. My heart was breaking, and life was still going on.

As I continue with my internship, my most recent challenge has been with a client who is progressing in the wrong direction, and I believe this is because she has been able to hide her addiction from me so well. This troubles me most because of her age, and I can’t help but wonder what else she’s hiding from me, but more importantly, what is she hiding from herself?

Of particular difficulty in a world of constant social media presence and information overload is how areas of life bleed into one another. We carry with us the news, analysis and opinions of those around us and the globe in the palm of our hand. Each tweet, news headline and status update pulls associations from within us every moment of the day.

I walked out of an assessment in the partial hospitalization program at The Ohio State University to see my cell phone lighting up with phone calls and texts. My phone vibrated in my hand, flashing the contact name, “Dad.” We text more than we call, so I knew something was up.

Our society is still adapting to the idea that a father can stay at home while their wife or partner forges ahead in their respective careers. According to a Pew Center study in 2012 there were 2 million stay at home dads. Most of these dads decide to make the transition out of necessity (economy, lack of education, etc.) and not by choice.