My Self-Care Strategies

While I have always enjoyed walking, my physician has highlighted the ole of weightlifting in preventing muscle loss. As I type these words, I am hoping to maintain this routine when my workload intensifies. For now, I am letting go of that concern and enjoying this amount of exercise while it lasts.

The Power of Self-Reflection

What stands out to me the most from this past quarter is the realization that becoming a reflective practitioner is more than an academic exercise. It is a way of being. In my career as a teacher educator, I have known this for a while. I have seen that when teachers self-reflect, they develop a deeper understanding of their students’ needs, leading to more effective teaching practices.

Reflections on a Transformative Week: My First Residency Experience

The heart of the residency was centered around the integration of both basic and advanced counseling skills. In a series of role-playing exercises, we took turns being mock clients and counselors, providing each other with a unique opportunity to apply what we have learned in a controlled yet impactful environment. Under the caring gaze of our instructors, we engaged in these scenarios, receiving specific feedback.

Thinking about Hope

Hope is a key ally in building resilience. It enables clients to face setbacks with courage and perseverance. It offers a counterbalance to the despair or anxiety that many experience, not by eliminating these feelings, but by providing a perspective that coexists with them. Hope offers a glimpse of light in darkness.

A Peek into the Legal and Ethical Foundations of Counseling

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of my classes this term, bam, it’s almost over. The second quarter has been busier than the first, but it has also felt more real. We transitioned from a theoretical perspective of counseling to practicing specific therapeutic skills, and addressing the ethical and legal issues we may encounter in our counseling careers.

Interview: Dr. Alyx MacTernan

In this interview, Dr. MacTernan shares her motivations for pursuing a career in mental health, her perspectives on the challenges facing the field, and her experiences that have shaped her approach to teaching and counseling. She also discusses the evolving role of technology in mental health and offers advice to students...

Rediscovering My Inner Sanctuary: Reflections on My Time in Brazil

I felt loved and reconnected with those whom I also love and care about. I left each encounter with my heart full. But there was one more thing, something deeper, that these encounters provided me: They helped me remember who I am, what I value, and where I want to go.