Expert Interviews & Perspectives in Counseling

It is a well-established fact that the pandemic has devastated America’s mental health. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, one in five adults in the US had experienced mental illness last year. Since then, the rate has increased to an estimated one in three. Racial and socioeconomic inequality in policy and practice exacerbate the issue further: today, only one in three Black adults with mental health issues receives care.

Self-compassion is never a bad idea, but it can be particularly helpful when we’re in a situation that brings out strong, negative emotions. Instead of berating yourself for feeling negative emotions and anxiety, treat yourself with respect and self-kindness.

Every April is World Autism Month. For family and friends of people with autism, each day brings a new awareness of autism. But many people who are not close to someone with autism still have questions about just what autism is and how they can help.

Working together, the student support services team will collaborate to make sure their efforts are reaching the needs of all students and that they are not duplicating their work. In team meetings, they look at data, review requests for resources from parents and families, and consult with one another to choose the best response to both schoolwide and individual needs. It takes a team of support professionals to ensure that all students can be successful.

Winter months can be challenging for a lot of people. While the dark presents its own issues, the cold and ease of isolation can compound feelings of sadness and loneliness. Other countries that also experience long and dark winters have developed traditions and rituals to help deal with the loneliness and sadness that can creep in this time of year.

Knowing that what we’re feeling is loneliness, why it’s there, and what it does to our behavior and cognitions are key steps on the way to feeling better. As with all psychological conditions, our tendency to feel like we’re the only ones on the planet with the same problem is a considerable obstacle to recovery. Understanding that what we’re experiencing is normal and well-understood takes some of that fear away.

There are over 19 million military veterans currently living in the US, making up nearly 10 percent of the adult population. In November, there are two events that acknowledge both our military and their family members.

On July 12, 2012, the United Nations established March 20th as the International Day of Happiness.

Telling kids to ‘just say no’ just doesn’t work. Today’s approach to drug education and substance use disorder programs has to focus, instead, on high doses of compassion and science. The stakes are high: nearly 21 million Americans have at least one addiction, but only 10 percent receive treatment; more than 90 percent of those who do have an addiction started to drink alcohol or use drugs before they were 18 years old.

Sex and gender aren’t synonyms, though they’re often treated as such on medical documents, legal forms, and in casual conversation. Therapists who intend to work with intersex and gender diverse people must understand how independent sex and gender are, in order to comprehend how they intersect.