Sierra Style Articles

A HUGE thank-you to Sierra Style for asking me to participate in some recent articles. One about New Year's Resolutions:

http://www.sierrastyle.com/products.asp?prod=455&cat=109&hierarchy=02

Another on Seasonal Affective Disorder:

http://www.sierrastyle.com/products.asp?prod=470&cat=114&hierarchy=02

And another on dating as a senior after losing a spouse:

http://www.sierrastyle.com/products.asp?prod=488&cat=119&hierarchy=02

Self-care for counselors

Sometimes the old adage of "the cobbler's children has no shoes" is incredibly obvious in the counseling profession. How often have I talked with colleagues about their feelings of stress and when I ask them, "What are you doing to take care of yourself?" they look at me blankly. These therapists are REALLY GREAT at helping their clients get better-but not always so good at taking care of themselves. Self-care is important-for me AND for my clients. Self-care can include:
-regular exercise
-good nutrition
-staying away from caffeine
-playing with your family pets
-getting a massage
-going to therapy
Yes, I said it. Counselors can go to psychotherapy, too! I offer a sliding fee for ALL college students that qualify, and I really encourage graduate students and MFT Interns/ASWs to contact me if they are interested in getting counseling. I used to supervise volunteer peer counselors and I noticed one thing-clients seemed to do a lot better when the therapist was taking good care of themself. Not only am I committed to providing THE BEST care possible for my clients, but I encourage other professionals and pre-licensed professionals to also model good self-care-whatever that might mean for YOU!