What Clients Teach Me
the blog
The Question and The Answer
The Question and The Answer
I want to write about finding the answer. But first of all I will introduce you to the question.
So many people come in and just want to know what the answer is to living a good life, having good mental health, or healthy relationships with self.
Creativity and Your Mental Health
This winter I mentored a student (Y.P.B) who is doing a program in Art Therapy. I met with her regularly and as I listened to her talk about her studies I learned a great deal about how art therapy connects with the cognitive behavioural therapy work (CBT) that I trained in. It also connects with the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and mindfulness . So again, I learned from my student that there are many avenues towards mental health and well being. There is no straight path or one way of being well.
People who make a Difference
I have been thinking about people who make a difference in our community. The people who actually make a difference are sometimes invisible to the rest of us. The bake the pies, attend the functions, serve the coffee and generally make the city better. The people who make a difference care about others as well as have a larger picture of community well-being.
Peace of Mind and Canadian Racism
What I need to write about is peace. I also need to write about fear of other, fear of change and how to understand that people who people who are different than the person you see in the mirror are not the problem, even if their skin colour, gender identity, or world views are different than yours.
DEPRESSION - Part two
In today’s blog about depression I want to get a little bit more practical . But first, a very short rant.
We live in a world that values individuality. As individuals we are supposed to ’go it alone’. We tend to think that if we can’t fight through depression alone then we are less than. That is baloney! We need community , friends, family and helpers who support and challenge us. You do not have to go through depression alone. Rant done for the time being.
Depression: Part One
The isolation that comes with depression puts invisible walls around us. When I think about what I have learned from people with depression my brain floods with memories of people that struggled for a long time on their own before telling anyone about how their body was reacting.
Choosing a Counsellor and Your First Session
Counsellor for You
Evidence suggests that the quality of the relationship between the counsellor and client, or ‘therapeutic alliance’, is the single greatest predictor of therapy success. Though the skill and training of the counsellor is an important factor for predicting change, research indicates that the relationship between client and counsellor is even more important than the treatment style and techniques used. Therefore, if you are seeking counselling, it is important to select the right person for you.
That is my long winded way of saying…You have to trust your counsellor and you have to feel heard and respected.
For Families of People Diagnosed with a Mental Illness
Many of the families I have worked with are fine and strong advocates for their family member. Just lately, however, it feels like many of my clients are hitting a brick wall as far as support for family members, either adults or children, who have a mental illness.
The stress on families is longstanding and chronic. Even when things are going well for their loved one there is a worry that the family member might not be able to get the help they need at the right time. There is also a strong concern that once given a diagnosis and medication that either the medication might be incorrect or the diagnosis wrong.
Panic
This blog posting is dedicated to a client who stuck with me as her counsellor even though at that time I had no idea what a panic attack looked or felt like. I did not get it until one day she had a panic attack in my office. That was one of my most humbling experiences as a counsellor. I knew then that I needed to learn more, respect more and honour the clients who stuck with me as a counsellor even though I knew only the tiniest bit of what they were experiencing. This client also taught me that she was not overreacting and that my job was to both believe her and believe in her
SELF ESTEEM
Self esteem is a good sense of self and a real understanding and knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses. The work of maintaining the balance of self esteem is ongoing. You are okay because you are a human being.
Setting the Stage for 2021
Every year in the week between Christmas and New Years Eve I spend a bit of time looking back at how my life has changed in the last 365 days. I evaluate what the year has presented me, how I have grown, struggled and what lessons life has taught me. I also evaluate what kind of student of life I have been over the last year. Some years I just sit by myself and think about the year and its lessons, other years I write it all down
Generalized Anxiety - Part two
You have come back for a second session. Congratulations. So let’s sit with a cup of herbal tea or a glass of water and briefly revisit what you learned about yourself last week and what your next steps can be.
First lets check on how you managed with your homework. You most likely have gone down one of several paths since our last visit around the homework assignment.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This is the first in a series of blogs that I will write about anxiety. In this blog I will pretend that I am meeting with a new client about anxiety and explain to you how we can begin to address generalized anxiety disorder.
Anger: a natural response and a universal emotion
Anger is a natural response and a universal emotion:
Above all else you have to learn to love yourself then the very things that fuel your fire won’t matter. (Quote from S.K.)
Today what I have learned from my clients is the difference between anger the emotion and anger as a patterned response.
Covid, Anxiety and Flattening The Curve
How to live in a space of disruption. Anxiety is a normal reaction to uncertainty. The Corona Virus and the COVID-19 illness make for a very uncertain future. We are all worrying about their own health and the health of their loved ones. Y
