-
Continue reading →: Broaching Race in the Counseling RoomAddressing race, microaggressions, and systemic racism is a difficult conversation to have. The conversation becomes even more delicate when the power dynamics between a counselor and client come into play. There has been a lot of recent research on broaching race in the counseling room. Looking into some of these…
-
Continue reading →: Initial MeetingThere is a lot of information that needs to be given to a new client. You have to introduce yourself, address confidentiality and its limits, when you will be meeting, how the client wants to be addressed, and their background information. All of this is often addressed before you even…
-
Continue reading →: Understanding the Competencies: Sprituality and ReligionSpirituality and Religion in Counseling One of the requirements of the counseling profession according to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics is respecting your client’s beliefs. Many people are deeply invested in their spirituality, religion, or both. While spirituality and religion may never come up in counseling, it…
-
Continue reading →: Physical Symptoms and Mental DisordersTables from James Morrison’s “Diagnosis Made Easier Principles and Techniques for Mental Health Clinicians” (2014). This table is a good way to visualize substance induced symptoms that clients might be experiencing. Here is another table that is useful to understand how different medications can affect a client’s physical and emotional…
-
Continue reading →: Intake FormsEverybody Hates Paperwork Intake reports can be overwhelming and interrogatory. You are asking someone to give you as much details as possible about the most personal parts of their life. The goal of an intake form is to gain as much information about your client as possible before the initial…
-
Continue reading →: Understanding the Competencies: DisabilityDisability Competencies The ACA Code of Ethics (2014) requires competency and accommodation for individuals with disabilities. The Disability-Related Competencies as outlined in the ACA-approved document (2018) include: Understanding and accommodating the disability experience and supporting self-advocacy is crucial to supporting the dignity and autonomy of your client. This involves research,…
-
Continue reading →: Beyond Mad, Happy, and Sad: Exploring How You FeelExploring Our Core Emotions The classic psychotherapy cliche that starts every tv therapy session is actually difficult to answer. Often, we reduce complex or confusing feelings to mad, happy, or sad. After all, these are three of the core emotions humans across cultures feel. Many agree with psychologist Paul Ekman’s…
-
Continue reading →: Understanding the Competencies: LGBTQIA+One of the requirements of the counseling profession according to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics is competency surrounding your client’s identities. The ACA acknowledges and supports LBGTQIA+ identities. There are many subcultures within LGBTQ+ culture and to understand all of them would take years of research. One…
-
Continue reading →: Understanding the Competencies: MulticulturalAssociation for Multicultural Counseling & Development (AMCD) The Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development (AMCD) is dedicated to educating and supporting counselors in their pursuit of multicultural competency- more recently known as, cultural humility. The concept of cultural competence is a tall order, but AMCD offers many resources for members and…
-
Continue reading →: Useful Numbers to Know – Phone DirectoriesWho Do You Call? Phone directories are really useful when you run into a problem that is out of your area of expertise. It is also nice for your client to know there is someone they can call 24/7. I found a number of useful and reputable hotlines and warm…
Recent posts
Categories
- Career Counseling
- Child Abuse
- Client Forms
- Competencies
- Disability
- Family Therapy
- Feedback
- Hotlines
- Interventions
- LGBTQ+
- Licensure
- Mandated Reporting
- Mental Health
- New Clients
- Resource Recs
- Resources for Counselors
- Spirituality and Religion
- Understanding Emotions
- Working with Families
- working with teens
Rookie Counseling 