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Back in June 2017, I took a risk in starting this website. It was an idea I bounced around for a few months in the back of my mind. I spoke to a few friends and colleagues about it too. I had zero clue what I was getting myself into or if I would continue…
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Many individuals believe that my job consists of trying to figure out the “why” behind their presenting issue(s). People spend decades looking for answers to their life’s biggest conundrums, driving themselves crazy in the process. The vast majority of them will end up six feet under without ever having received peace of mind. By focusing…
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Working on a classroom assignment, my friend looked over at me. He asked, “Did you ask me something?” I peered back confused, “No, why?” “I heard you saying something.” “Oh, I was talking to myself.” “You know people who talk to themselves are either geniuses or insane.” I muttered without hesitation, “I still haven’t figured…
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Sitting in my kitchen, it was a little after one in the morning. I was hopped up on three cups of caffeine from my nightly Starbucks visit. I would not usually drink that much caffeine in one sitting, but I needed to get a LOT of paperwork done. Reminiscent of my college days, I took…
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There was a time when saying that you had someone in your “thoughts and prayers” was meaningful and appreciated. When someone says that it nowadays, it often feels like apathetic. The phrase gets bashed all the time, and the definition behind it appears to have been lost in translation. As someone who often focuses a…
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Nobody in their right mind enjoys feeling nervous. It is an icky emotion. The word “anxiety” evokes feelings of, well, anxiety. Of all emotions, anxiety and worry are among the most closely tied to our physiological responses. When anxiety happens, panic ensues. Our heart races. We hyperventilate. Our chest grows tight. Palms become clammy. Perspiration…
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You wake up one morning. You are not feeling quite like yourself. Something is off. Your neurons fire in multiple directions, or you are hearing colors. You throw open your front door in what feels like an ecstasy-filled rage. Your clothing strewn across the front patio. Without any particular reason, you sprint down the sidewalk…
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The counseling profession emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual. I always was open to other points of view though to open up my horizons. I wanted subject matter that would complement this “individual” perspective but that did not stray too far from the study of people. After speaking to my undergraduate adviser, I took up…
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Living out in the woods as a child, I encountered critters. This included multiple infestations inside my own home. I had battles with eight foot snakes. An entire colony of bats lived in my chimney for three summers straight. I regularly spotted lizards basking in the sun on the carpet. I spent a weekend in…
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You really think you have seen it all when you work in the mental health field. Once in a while, your clients like to remind you that you have not. The client of interest this time around was a 13-year-old adolescent male struggling with an extensive history of family conflict, abuse, and self-injurious behavior. He…
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The Caring Counselor 