ACA MEMBER BLOGS

In the three weeks since the election many things have changed in Washington, but as a practical matter nothing has changed just yet.

When we’re in the middle of a stressful situation, it can be challenging to find smooth or easy ways to handle them. The first step is to realize that you don’t have to do it alone. Try taking a little break to call a friend or trusted confidante so you can sort through what might REALLY be going on.

When I was a boy, one of the ways that I kept secrets was through coded messages. Now as a counselor, I have to send coded messages every day to insurance companies in order to send very private bills for my services.

The 20th century seemed to automatically give fathers the go ahead to be the disciplinarians. Many of us have heard the dreaded warning, “Wait until your father gets home!” I hope that the 21st century attitudes towards child punishment continue to challenge traditional models of child punishment.

A month ago I had surgery. When I used to work for a nonprofit, I accrued sick days which could’ve been used for continuing to get a paycheck, even if I had surgery. One of the problems of working in a private practice is that I only get paid if I am working in my office.

While at the 2016 Colorado Mental Health Professionals Conference, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Irvin Yalom speak about his career, psychotherapy, and existentialism. One key point that I picked up on, out of many, is that clients in therapy often do not approach, consider, or talk about, death and mortality.

Isn’t that what one song claims Christmas to be? It is not surprising to see how many clients out there do not find this to be the most wonderful time of the year, and in fact, even abhor the holidays.

A while ago I had the chance to volunteer with an organization that helps young people who live in poverty. While timing a hula hooping contest, I started asking the kids and some innocent bystanders questions.

America’s most powerful social product may very well be that of the politicized identity. Pick a label, shove the entirety of a person into it, then use this narrow caricature to condemn, belittle, dismiss, celebrate and worship, depending on whether you like or don’t like said label.

There’s evidence from a variety of research studies that when we are able to shift our emotional state into gratitude, our physiology follows. We’re able to think of creative solutions and find new ways of solving the problems we’re faced with.