CS Features – Expert Interviews, Guides, Professional Advocacy & Research in Counseling

An important part of the empathic process is holding the space or creating quiet moments for your client. It is in these times, when less is said, clients and counselors can have the most profound insights.

February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month, an annual event dedicated to improving self-esteem among people across the globe. And it’s especially important this coming year after a series of lockdowns have forced everyone to spend more time alone with themselves than usual.

Pregnant women often complain about sudden lapses in memory. We all have had the experience of walking into a room and then completely forgetting what we planned to do, but pregnant women seem to report these lapses more frequently than others of the same age. Are these experiences due to tiredness and sleep deprivation? Or are there other explanations?

Whether you are a client, friend, or family member, you can express gratitude for counselors and therapists’ invaluable contributions to mental health services.

Those who suffer from clinical perfectionism fear negative evaluation or failure. Some clients procrastinate, over-prepare for meetings, and seek over-reassurance from others because they fear the task they complete will not be exactly right.

CounselingSchools.com examined peer-reviewed research and other sources to explain what anger does to the body and compile tips for staying grounded when discussing heated topics such as politics with loved ones. Anger can take a physical toll by restricting blood flow and producing stress hormones, which can have short- and long-term effects on the body, particularly the heart.

It’s very common for counselors to struggle with a deep sense of “imposter syndrome” when we first begin our careers. Between the heavy nature of mental health counseling, the multifaceted approaches required to be an effective mental health counselor, and the steep learning curve involved, it’s no wonder that we may doubt ourselves or question our abilities.

Ageism, which includes stereotyping and discrimination based on age, is one of the most common forms of prejudice. A 2021 report from the World Health Organization found at least half of people are ageist against older people.

Many clients who struggle with substance misuse have experienced childhood or adult trauma. This is not to say every client who has had one or multiple past traumas will misuse substances. When treating clients with trauma, it is important to remember these experiences create a vulnerability in some individuals.

Many families grapple with this question when trying to identify underlying mental health issues their child may be facing. Still, it is a complicated question. Throughout the stages of development—from toddlerhood to the preteen years and beyond—different challenges emerge, and each stage is defined by very different behaviors.