ACA MEMBER BLOGS

During a Pandemic and overwhelming racial injustice, counselors, healthcare workers, and other helping professionals may find themselves experiencing secondary traumatic stress and self-deprivation.

The Civil Rights Era has evolved, not ended. I need my fellow white colleagues to continue caring about George Floyd, those before him and those after him. Will you wait for another name to make headlines, or will you be moved?

I identify as a Black woman who grew up in a lower socio-economic city in the Midwest not far from Chicago that was made up primarily of other people who look just like me. Growing up in a city where YOU are the majority is kind of insulating and not reflective of what the real world looks like, which is so much more diverse.

It's 2020 and our country consists of youth from many diverse backgrounds which includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Our goal as counselors is to help them accept themselves for who they are, discover their strengths, help them succeed in school, help them make healthy choices, give them skills to cope with issues that are hindering their progress, and help them stay strong through the coming out process.

Each and every counselor will have their own ideas in regards to adding their personality and interests to their own counseling center, but this should help provide a good start for any ideas.

Nearly a year ago this month, I wrote about representation and racism in college mental health. And here we are as a nation grappling with the realities of institutional (aka systemic) racism once again. Yet the stakes have always been high when we remember the countless deaths of BIPOC in the last decade let alone for generations.

Being in a state of chaos or a prolonged state of chaos can cause immense amounts of stress within your body and mind. When stress arises, a lot of us shut down, overreact or lose track of what needs to be done. Meditation and mindfulness can help.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused people to constantly worry. Will they get the virus or spread it to others? How can they protect loved ones who are far away? Will they lose their job or business?

As the years have passed since my college graduation, I’ve had some really conflicting and incompatible emotions about Father’s Day. My parents made decisions starting around early high school and then throughout my life that would take me until adulthood to reconcile.

For the last few months, people have focused on flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases. During this time, front-line workers have experienced increased levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma. Without adequate support, the mental health consequences could be devastating for this population.