You're the first to know!

It's here.

The 2014 Mind Your Own Business Conference Challenge: Clients Unlimited. 

And you're the first to know!

So? What's the big deal about that? (You may wonder.) 

Maybe you're thinking, "But I'm still in graduate school." Or, "I work in an agency." Or, "I'm still earning my hours." Or, "I can't afford training now."

"So..." you say, "why does this matter to me?"

It matters to you because:

Every counselor needs clients. 

If you're in private practice, that's how you earn your living. If you're working at an agency, you need to up the numbers OR you want to reach more people with your services. If you're an intern, you need hours.

The earlier you learn, the less time you'll spend stressing about it later on. 

All in all, I'd say I spent 2 1/2 years reading every business book I could get my hands on, buying advertising, testing copy, learning to talk about what I do, and falling flat on my face before I reached a point at which I felt I had a "pretty good handle" on business as it relates to client attraction and growth. If you're just starting your graduate program, or your internship, you are actually AHEAD of the game if you start learning now. By the time you really need client attraction to happen, you'll already be an old pro.

It's FREE. 

Registering for the conference gives you an all-access pass to:

• Six free, live video webinars with top private practice experts. (Recordings will be available for purchase, but everyone will have ample time to listen for free!)
• The exclusive MYOB Facebook group, which only opens admission once a year. (After this we'll close it till 2015!)
• Free gifts from me and the speakers (no one is selling during this conference - instead, we'll be giving something away at each event!) 
• The MYOB Conference Challenge, a community accountability exercise I'll be telling you about a little closer to the start of the conference. (Which will begin in July!)

How many more reasons could you need? Everyone who's involved in the conference will get:

• Real, actionable tips you can put to work for you tomorrow.
• Friendship and community with other counselors just like you.
• Tons of free gifts and goodies, as well as the inside track on our favorite services and private practice tools. 

Sound good to you? Then get in on the action here!

FREE 21-Day
Mind Your Own Business
Conference Challenge!
 

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Sign up now to get free access to pre-conference activities, the Facebook group and of course, all the details about how to sign up to attend the webinars! Only registered members will be sent information about how to attend each event for free. So don't wait, or you might miss out! 

Register here.

Important: If you registered last year, you are probably still enrolled for this year. To re-register, you don't have to do anything, just look for the emails. (The first email, "Welcome To The Conference" will go out today.) If you are registered and don't wish to be for this year, no problem. There's an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email. 

Will you be attending the conference? Share in the comments section below!

<<<< Register here! >>>>

Memorial Day

A hero is someone 

who has given his or her life 

to something bigger than oneself.

Joseph Campbell

We will resume regular posting next week. Enjoy time with your family and friends.

Why are you qualified?

How do you know what you're doing?

"Are you married?"

"Are you a parent?"

"How old are you?"

"How long have you been doing this?"

When you're a student counselor or a counselor newbie, these questions just come at you. Most of the time, the harshest questions come from yourself.

"Are you really good enough to help them?"

"What if you hurt them?"

"Do you really know what you're doing?"

The good news is, it gets better. I was inspired to write this today because it's been so long since I struggled with those kinds of thoughts. And trust me, it's not because I don't have bouts of crazy insecurity.

It's because I know what makes me qualified. It's what makes you qualified, too.

It's because I care.

It's because I give my clients a different perspective.

Because I listen when most people would talk.

Because...all that stuff.

It's just what we do. 

 What makes YOU qualified to be a counselor? Share below! 

The Medication Deliberation

Have you ever had a client say to you, "I'm just not comfortable with medication?" Do you, yourself, ever struggle with whether or not to refer out to a psychiatrist, or if you decide to refer, when it's appropriate?

People - and counselors - have a lot of competing ideas about medication for mental illness.

Is it a panacea? (A sweeping solution, with the implication that some aspects of the patient's needs will slip through the cracks.)

Is it a band-aid, that will slow the damage to a wounded heart but not heal?

Is it a last resort, which should only be used when everything else has been exhausted?

Is it part of the intake process, something that should be dealt with at the beginning of therapy? 

To be honest, there is no one answer that will satisfy all therapists, and all clients. Some therapists, usually categorized as holistic therapists, do not believe in the use of medication, instead integrating alternative therapies like aromatherapy into their practice.

And whatever the therapist believes, the client may be resistant to medication, perhaps saying something like this:

• It's a sign of weakness.
• I don't want to "numb out."
• I want to trust God, not drugs (or) my church doesn't believe in medication.
• I don't want chemicals in my body.
• I believe my body can correct itself.
• I want to try the natural approach. 

Whatever you believe (or your client believes) there are two major options for how to approach this.

Continue to focus on non-medication alternatives. There are several resources that medical doctors recommend for situations like depression, such as increasing exercise. You might also recommend books like Trudy Scott's The Antianxiety Food Solution. 

If you choose to recommend medication, I find that you get the best results with your clients when you follow the following guidelines:

• Do your best to coordinate care with the client's prescribing professional. Ask the client for a release form from the doctor's office to speak with the doctor or the staff nurse about their medication and possible side effects. Most doctors do not have the time to fully explain every possible side effect, and will not see them on a weekly basis. Therefore, your doing research on the medication they are taking for possible side effects can help them greatly. If you see a side effect popping up, you may be able to recognize and intervene more quickly than they can recognize it themselves. 
• Reinforce medication instructions. Medication non-compliance is one of the BIGGEST challenges facing medical professionals today. A lot of that comes from misunderstandings of the risks of incorrectly taking prescription medications and lack of accountability. For example, many people tend to stop taking anti-depressant or bipolar medication when they start feeling better. But abruptly stopping some medications can drastically increase risk of suicidality and it must be addressed both before and during the implementation of a new medication.
• Emphasize the client's ability to choose what they do what they feel is right with their medication, but to do it SAFELY. Remind them regularly that you will listen if they truly want to cease medications, even if you do not agree, so that they will share with you if they stop medications and you can help them do it safely. Otherwise, they may hide it from you in order to avoid your 'disapproval' and follow an unsafe medication regimen on their own.
• Remind them of the importance of discussing non-prescription supplements with their doctors. "Natural" remedies, including St. John's Wort, can STILL interact with certain medications and cause unsafe side effects. 
• Don't neglect the emotional impact of societal perspectives on medications for mental health. Whether the client's immediate society is their church, their regional area, or their family, it matters what others think about them. They may worry about judgment from others, about keeping 'secrets', about being shunned or blacklisted. They may worry that others will simply think they gave up or sold out. And they may have transferred that judgment to themselves. 
• Consistently help them see the "big picture."  You can tell them that: "You don't have to be on medication forever, necessarily. Many people believe it is no different than taking a blood pressure medication. You have tried all the other alternatives. You may have to to dull side effects like sleeplessness, apathy, etc., so that you can implement what I am working with you on in talk therapy." Of course, if you don't believe in these things, don't go against your conscience, but if you approve of these statements they may be what the clients need to hear. 

What has been your experience with helping clients who have been prescribed psychiatric medication? What is one tip you think other counselors should know when working with clients considering psychiatric drugs? 

Post your comment below!

My Guest Post on Recovering Grace

I've really enjoyed this opportunity to share with you what I've learned since specializing in sexual assault recovery. It's a subgroup of clients that I've come to care about a great deal. 

To wrap up this series, which has been in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I wanted to share with you a guest post I wrote for the Recovering Grace blog.

Recovering Grace is an organization devoted to supporting those who have been impacted by the ministry of Bill Gothard, a fundamentalist teacher and founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles and the Advanced Training Institute. His teachings have been popular among conservative or "fundamentalist" societies and homeschool groups, most notably the Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids And Counting. 

Through this blog, former employees and students of Gothard's group have come forward to share their stories of sexual abuse and harassment under Gothard's leadership, some perpetuated by Bill himself and some by sanction of his authority or teachings. Hallmarks of his training are below, but it should be noted that not everyone who has been involved with the Institutes or those who have followed his teachings (such as the Duggars) believe in every principle put forth by him. Major beliefs usually include:

• A desire to allow God to control fertility, meaning no birth control including vasectomies and tubal ligations. 
• Strict standards of modesty in dress and behavior, such as no kissing or handholding before marriage, skirts for women, no sleeveless tops, no shorts for guys, etc.
• A distaste for worldly things such as "rock" music (including Christian rock), drinking, dancing, and dating.
• Conservative standards on television, movies and internet use. 
• Obedience and conformity to authority and conservative standards.
• Homeschooling, avoiding college, and avoiding debt.

Because I was homeschooled, I was raised on the fringe of this movement all my life. I was extremely fortunate to be raised by parents who were not involved in this movement and obviously supported my going to college, dating and marrying a man of my choosing, and pursuing my career as a counselor. But I had several friends who were involved in this group, and some of them still bear the scars of it today, such as shame, guilt, rejection of religion, depression, anxiety, and family strife. 

This is an article more personal than perhaps any I've written, because I share briefly but honestly about a my experience on the fringe of a legalistic group. 

I hope it will give you a window into a world that you may have never experienced before, and expand your awareness of a quiet but wounded group of people courageously seeking healing. 

Click here to read my guest post, 12 Characteristics of Fundamentalist Societies That Shelter Sexual Abuse, on the Recovering Grace website. 

Goals of Sexual Trauma Therapy: When Are You "Done?"

Because nothing you can do in therapy can erase the trauma, it can be hard to know when you have helped your client to the point where they are ready to move forward on their own. This video will share with you several major milestones that tell you that your sexual trauma client is moving to a place of healing.

To Tell The Story Or Not To Tell The Story?

When I first started working with clients who had been through sexual abuse and assault, I could see the pain in their eyes when they recounted what they had been through. 

Click here to watch the video in YouTube.

In therapy for sexual assault, the beginning counselor can wonder whether or not to encourage the client to tell their story, causing the client distress. But is it important enough that the therapist should encourage the client to talk about it even when they don't want to? What should the therapist be careful about when they ask the client about the situations they've overcome in their past? This short video helps the therapist know what precautions to take when recalling an assault with a client and ultimately how important it is to the client's recovery. 

*Note: The advice in this video is intended only for licensed therapists trained in working with clients who have experienced sexual abuse or assault. Nothing in this video should be considered a substitute for professional counseling, training, or supervision.*