How do we tackle the difficult societal topics of racism, sexism, and other forms of bias, stereotyping, discrimination and oppression when working with our clients in therapy? 

We embrace these issues just as we embrace our clients - with the clinical skills we’ve been taught and the inherent attributes we have as mental and behavioral health professionals. Take a moment to think about what those skills and attributes are. Whatever these mean to you, a key denominator for mutual respect and authenticity in a therapeutic relationship is an understanding that no topic is taboo.

Even when we feel lost, overwhelmed or stuck, we continue to experience new things as each day passes. With time there are new experiences, new ways to understand ourselves, new ways to take care of ourselves and new ways to relate to the world around us. There are healthy ways to come to terms with loss, find new meaning and gradually move forward with your life. Here are some key things to keep in mind as you cope with your pain.

作为一名身处海外的华人的心理咨询师，我能理解遇到一场突如其来的疫情时，我们想的是家，亲人，祖国，或者正在着急寻找一个安全的避难所。可是我们如今留在美国，为了读书，工作或者安居，可能很难突然放弃一切，放下当下所有，不顾一切的离开。 那么异国他乡的你是不是在这个时候会感觉更加的孤单，难过，和无助？感受不到亲人和家给你带来的温暖和依靠。面对远离了知己好友在身边玩耍和嬉闹的日子。以及工作上的解雇，无薪休假的选择，和没有了薪资的保障。而让你变得更加着急，忧郁，和无奈？那么我们可以先看看自己是否已存在患有抑郁症或者焦虑症的可能性。但是在自我检测的时候，不需要紧张，认识问题是解决问题的第一步。也不用马上对号入座，立马断定自己就是重度抑郁症，或者是严重焦虑症患者，真正需要诊断的话，还需要考虑很多其他因素。

Self-compassion is crucial during a crisis because it helps us deal better with the all of the bad, negative things that can weigh us down. It’s a way of making room for the bad, unpleasant feelings and acknowledging them instead of trying to shove them down or ignore them. Self-compassion can look like you reminding yourself “Yeah, I’m feeling anxious and scared right now, and it makes sense why I feel this way. It’s okay to feel this way, and so many other people are feeling it too.” Self-compassion can also look like you giving yourself permission to take a break or to engage in self-care.

Coronavirus presents new losses for us because it represents changes in our lives even if we don’t contract the virus. On a universal scale, there are collective losses in communities due to the closures and restrictions of things like schools, businesses, transportation, childcare, or recreational facilities. On individual levels we’re encountering changes in family life, interpersonal relationships and personal activities in new ways. Things, people, places, and opportunities that were there before coronavirus are now absent or different.

Here are 5 things you can do to feel empowered while you manage unexpected losses associated with coronavirus.

I took a walk today to get some perspective in the fresh air about the developments taking place around the world in reaction to the coronavirus. Along my travels it was clear how I was not alone in my efforts. At every turn people were processing their observations, questions, emotions, hypotheses, advice, and general thoughts with anyone who would listen. One universal thread among all the conversations was loss as a result of unexpected change and feelings of anxiety about uncertain outcomes. 

As mental health providers, this COVID-19 outbreak is an opportunity for us to talk with our clients about grief and loss from a unique perspective. Here are 5 things we can do to strengthen our work with our clients…

Think of a current challenge or life situation you are facing. Are you in the red zone, the place that is so stressful and overwhelming that finding growth is not possible? Are you in the green zone, the place where you’re feeling the stretch, but it ultimately still feels manageable? Or are you in the blue zone, the place where you are not growing due to lack of challenge?

Years ago I read an article about resentment and how it is created. It talked about our people-pleasing tendencies and how we have difficulty saying no to others’ requests because we want them to like us, want them to be happy with us, and because we simply can’t bear the disappointed response that is sure to follow when we say, no. If you can relate, you may want to read more. Saying yes to make other people happy might be creating the very situation you were trying to avoid.

Prior to starting telehealth, you and your provider will review and sign a Telemental Health Informed Consent document.  This document will cover important information about: the risks and benefits of telehealth, confidentiality and its limits, payment of services, the platform you will be using, steps to follow before and during your telehealth session, etc.. This way, you’ll know what to expect, and you’ll be prepared to make the most out of your session. 

Gardening and relationships probably aren’t words that typically go together, but if you’ve fallen into certain relationship traps, you just might need to hear this. I talk to so many people who desperately want to have a somebody, but when we start talking about the people in their lives, it becomes abundantly clear that these individuals are not their ideal partners.  One of the things that we ultimately end up talking about is needing to weed their garden. So let’s get started to see if you too have fallen into this same trap and need to do some weeding. 

Although “tis the season to be jolly,” the arrival of the holiday season can be poignantly sad and difficult for those who have experienced grief or loss. Holidays are a time rich in memories and rituals, and the contrast of the present to the past can be overwhelming. For many, things just aren’t the same anymore, hearts aren’t into planning all that needs to be done, and there is an overall feeling of wanting to fast-forward through this time period.

Ever feel like the odd man out? Dancing to the beat of a different drum? That’s how some of us start to feel once fall begins turning into winter. Suddenly it feels like the whole world is busy talking about decking the halls with boughs of holly, jingle bells and open sleighs, and letting it snow when dreaming of a white Christmas. So many folks out there just assume we’re all part of the gift-buying, carol-singing, glitzy- holiday décor collectors in the frenzied countdown to the end of December. Indeed, there’s no way to escape the season, whether looking online, going to a store, or joining in the water-cooler talk at work.

Around this time of year, many of my clients come to me for help with managing the stresses that come along with the Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of mindfulness, I encourage my clients to examine and challenge their beliefs (and accompanying behaviors) that may be making the holiday less healthy or more stressful. I have noticed two reoccurring automatic assumptions related to Thanksgiving that I’d like to share, along with mindfulness-based recommendations that I offer my clients to help make this a happier and healthier holiday.

This past September, LifeSpring Counseling Services facilitated our 2nd cultural immersion workshop in Mexico for mental health providers. Providing culturally-informed counseling services is required by our code of ethics, but many times mental health providers are left to learn about cultural competence in the classroom. Melissa Wesner, LCPC and Owner of LifeSpring Counseling Services decided it was time to take providers outside of the classroom to achieve these goals with first-hand experience.

Sometimes we crave creature comforts, and often this means comfort foods because they provide psychological comfort and are often associated with positive memories from our life. It got me thinking about chicken pot pie. I know you must be wondering “why on earth chicken pot pie?”. Simple....because who among us doesn’t need to feel encapsulated or protected at times by a thick shell? I often use this analogy with my clients when we talk about trauma and grief, anxiety and depression.