Natosha Monroe
In the past few days, I’ve experienced more than one alert that our area was receiving IDF–indirect fire from Taliban (most likely) outside our perimeter—and instructing us to put on our body armor and seek shelter. I actually heard one of the rockets fly over my housing and felt/heard the impact as it landed. This was my first time to actually feel it, so I think I may always remember that moment in time.
Joan Phillips
We’ve all seen the children’s book “Are you my Mother?” (P.D. Eastman, 1960) and it is a perennial favorite among children. But I am using this and inspired by recent films to open a discussion of the issue of children wanting to know who their parents are. Two recent movies have me thinking about it- in each the issue of sperm donor parentage is focused on. While I have not dealt with someone becoming re-united with a “donor” , I have many times had cases where an adult or child is seeking their birth parent, or information, or connection and I don’t think the issues are any different. It is a longing to know. A longing to connect. A natural curiosity.
Bob Walsh and Norm Dasenbrook
Being a well-trained and ethical counselor is the foundation for being successful in private practice. While competence is essential, you also need to challenge yourself to think outside of your “helper” training. But “just” being a good counselor doesn’t mean you will make it in private practice. You need to challenge your belief system in order to see yourself as a businessperson.
Krylyn Peters
In my experience, many people view songwriting as some mystical process that only few, gifted people are endowed with. It’s sometimes difficult for me to address this because songwriting has always come quite easily to me. But I liken it to other skills I don’t have that I am mystified by and try to see the process through the eyes of someone who doesn’t have (or doesn’t think they have) the gift.
Pete Saunders
In my last post, I wrote about the importance and benefits of loving our clients. I proposed that in order to know our clients, we have to truly love them. In this post, I will continue my argument on the benefits of loving and where it can take us. I believe that through really loving others, we will experience a growth so powerful that it will encompass all areas of both our lives and our clients’.
Carol Whiteley
“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters”. Lucius Annaeus Seneca, philosopher, c. 3 BC – 65 AD.
Is there a certain age that you decide to give up your dreams? I contend that as long as you have dreams, it is not too late to pursue them. I am in the counseling program in pursuit of my second career. It is invigorating to be a part of this fascinating field of study. No, I don’t have to do anything. I already worked for 27 years as an educator and I have retirement income.
David P. Diana
“If I’d have asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse!’ ” -Henry Ford
In the 1920’s and 30’s, the standard form of treatment was psychoanalytic in nature, consisting of four to five sessions per week for years at a time. Psychological problems were seen as the result of intrapsychic conflicts and unconscious motivations with an unwavering emphasis on the past.
Let’s think about this for a moment.
Krylyn Peters
In Part 1 of Lessons from Lyrics, I talked about the power of thoughts, words, and lyrics. Here in Part 2, I’m going to share some examples of how I use lyrics in my songwriting therapy work. Here is an example:
Changing the words
One activity I use involves taking an existing song and just changing the words. This works well with familiar songs that most people are likely to know because they already know the melody. When I was an elementary school counselor, I used Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (aka the ABC song) quite a bit to write new lyrics for various lessons I was teaching. Following is an example of lyrics I wrote and sang to the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with incoming kindergartners:
Changes, changes all around
Places, faces, sights, and sounds
Talk to teacher, mom or dad
When I’m angry, scared, or sad
Changes, changes it’s okay
Happen each and every day
The views expressed here are solely those of the blog authors; they are not necessarily the views of the American Counseling Association.