How Lifestyle Choices Shape Our Physical and Mental Health

As a future counselor, I want to adopt a holistic perspective when working with clients. Mental health issues, for instance, can be exacerbated by poor nutrition and an over-reliance on medications, which often bring a host of side effects without addressing the underlying causes.

Beyond Defeat: Embracing Cognitive Restructuring and Self-Compassion

Learning from our mistakes can be even more powerful if we keep in mind what moves us ahead: our core values. Reflecting on these principles helps guide our actions, especially in moments of pain and disorientation. Ethical reflection can ensure that our responses are grounded in integrity and purpose.

My Third Quarter in the Counseling Program

This quarter has given me a roadmap for growth, highlighting areas where I need to expand my comfort zone and deepen my knowledge. The responsibilities of a future counselor can be challenging sometimes, but they are also fulfilling. Counseling is a journey of lifelong learning, and I am grateful for the opportunity...

How Studying Counseling Changed My Perspective as A Client

As a client, I saw my therapist as a guide. Now, as a therapist in training, I see our relationship as a collaborative partnership. I am the expert on my own life, and their role is to support and facilitate my journey toward self-discovery and healing.

Tackling Learned Helplessness in Your Team

Learned helplessness can reduce an employee’s involvement at work. Employees perceive their employer as a rigid organization that leaves no room for personal control or influence. This perception can lead to fatalism, when employees attribute their successes to luck or destiny rather than to skill or hard work.

Guest Post: Cultivating Compassion and Counseling Skills by Nathan Hackler

What also surprised me was how quickly I was able to make friends. As my cohort was all online, I thought it would be difficult to connect with people and truly start making connections. These connections, to my surprise, came quickly due to the environment that was created at PAU.

The Road to Expertise: Unpacking Development and Diagnosis in Counseling

My third quarter in the Counseling program at Palo Alto University started yesterday. I am taking two courses this term: COUN612 Life Span Development and COUN634 Diagnosis. Today, I am sharing with you what these courses are about and some of my hopes for this quarter.