The Work of Change
Thoughts on counseling, addiction, recovery, and meaningful change
Therapy Thoughts
Behavior Contracts
A family came to me with their 17-year-old son, who was running – not walking – through every house rule. He wasn’t checking in with his parents as they requested. He was dabbling in substances, coming home high and/or drunk, well past his established curfew. Grades...
Compassion Fatigue. It’s Real, Y’all.
This past week, I got hit - and I mean, hit hard - by compassion fatigue. I didn’t recognize the signs at first but here they are, in no particular order: I wasn’t sleeping well. I was thinking about my clients round the clock. I was leaving as late as I could from...
Why Your Therapist Needs Therapy
I rarely self-reveal to my clients during session, but a question I’ll always answer is this one: Do you see a therapist? Yes. Hells yes I do. I’m always more than baffled when I talk with a counseling colleague and I discover they are not seeing a therapist. If you...
Chronicles of Private Practice
Chronicles of Private Practice, Part 13: Why I Don’t Take Insurance
It’s usually the first question I am asked when a potential client calls or emails me. Do you take United/Aetna/Humana/BCBS/Tricare? No, no, no, no and no. And here’s why: Before opening my doors of my practice back in July of 2016, I struggled with this...
Private Practice Chronicles, Part 12: Rookie Mistakes, Part Two
I’m a year-and-a-half into owning my private practice (woot, woot!!). I wrote a blog back in June about my first set of Rookie Mistakes, and now I’m back to share Part Two of a few things I’ve learned the hard way. I know in retrospect when I read these they seem so...
Private Practice Chronicles, Part 11: A Few of my Favorite (Business) Things
The holidays are approaching, and maybe you’re thinking of gifts to get yourself or your small business. While I found I didn’t need much to get my practice up and running, these are some things that I have found invaluable for keeping my business running smoothly and...