Stormy Filson

Last week I briefly touched on a few of the challenges rural counselors face regarding maintaining confidentiality and personal privacy. After re-reading an article from the April 2010 issue of Counseling Today on this same topic, I'd like to delve a little deeper.

One thing you notice in a small town, is that everyone pretty much knows everyone else. Most people are related to one another, either by blood or marriage.

Last week I wrote about two significant challenges counselors face in Wyoming: a culture that doesn't encourage people to ask for help, and what I call the (seeming) lack of resources to fund mental health services.

Sadly, Wyoming has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Some blame the long, cold winters. But in my short time here I've observed two other critical contributing factors: a (seeming) lack of resources, and a culture that doesn't encourage people to ask for help.

To age is a privilege, if for no other reason than to be able to look back on where we've been. How we've grown. To connect the dots, and see how the lines between them create a coherent picture.