I recently posted a new blog to Huffington Post (which can be found here) about what I want individuals to know when they walk in the door to their first day of counseling. Each thought is something that I’ve wished, at one point or another, that my new clients could know before walking in the door. They are things that I think could make counseling – and me as a counselor! – less intimidating. It’s written with my therapist hat on, rather than my food-allergy hat. Sometimes starting from scratch means cooking, and sometimes starting from scratch means allowing someone else in to help – which is what I hope to do in my work as a mental health counselor.
Tag Archives: counseling
What I want my clients to know when they start from scratch
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Filed under Health, Social issues
Wishes for 2016
As we approach the New Year, I think about resolutions for myself and I think about my hopes for the clients I see as a counselor. When you have had to start from scratch in your life, where did you find your strengths? How have those become resolutions that you take forwards with you into new years and new experiences?
Starting from scratch for me has been about food and cooking, but it’s also been about so much more. In developing food allergies I learned how to communicate better with family and friends, how to engage in a faith community, where to find silver linings, how to manage food-related anxiety, and how to use my personal strengths to grow. And more recently, how to challenge myself (I’ve been getting much better at figuring out restaurants that may be safe! – but more on that in a separate post).
In my latest Huffington Post blog, I’ve written an open letter to my clients wishing them self-compassion, connection, insight, and growth as they head towards the new year. These are things that I think we all could use as we head into 2016, myself included.
Happy New Year!
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Filed under Health
Thoughts from a Therapist
My most recent Huffington Post piece is not on cooking, or coping with food restrictions, but rather on my thoughts as a therapist at the end of the day. I’d like to share it with you here:
“What Does Your Therapist Think at the End of the Day?”
My goal with this piece was to work to reduce the stigma of going to counseling, with the realization that your therapist is a person too. With that in mind… If you find that you are feeling stuck or having a difficult time emotionally, especially with managing restricted diets and coping with health issues, you may want to take care of your emotional health and see a counselor!
I hope you all are enjoying this fall weather as you start to think about Thanksgiving recipes. I know I’ve been taste-testing various apples in preparation for the perfect blend for apple pie…