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Almost everyone knows about the typical holidays celebrated during the winter month but, there are many other holidays not traditionally celebrated that sometimes get forgotten. In being mindful, it is helpful to take an inventory of our personal willingness to be more aware of what others around us experience. This post provides questions and answers that you can apply this holiday season to learn more about both well- and lesser-known traditions, and open your mind beyond what you celebrate.
During this season, we are bombarded with holiday ads on TV, the radio, and in magazines telling us to buy more and more. It is easy to spend beyond your budget trying to meet holiday expectations for family and friends. However, with the right strategies, there is hope that you—and your wallet—can enjoy greater holiday bliss.
Dr. Nate Perron is a full-time core faculty member and director of clinical training for the Counseling@Northwestern program. During his time as a professional counselor, he has worked in a variety of mental health settings for over 12 years, teaching for more than 8. As the director of clinical training for the program, he ensures that students receive the best possible support during their field training so they can excel as counselors.
Core faculty member Cori Costello responded to the Red Cross’ national call for rapid deployment of mental health counselors to support with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In her personal reflection, Professor Costello shares her experience providing disaster mental health aid to those devastated by the natural disaster, while also helping disaster volunteers process what they were seeing and experiencing in the midst of a highly stressful situation.
On Saturday June 26, 2017, Counseling@Northwestern, the Master of Arts in Counseling Program delivered online from The Family Institute at Northwestern University, awarded its first graduating class with diplomas. Counseling@Northwestern provided these graduates with more than just the skills and experience they needed to become successful mental health counselors; the program gave them a community and a place to thrive.
Do you ever wonder where the day goes when you’re stuck sitting behind a desk? Your body does too. While your mind is busy forging ahead and tackling your workload, your body is not doing much other than just being sedentary. Stand-up desks, lunchtime walks, and frequent stretch breaks are all recommended ways to stay active and break up long workdays. However, if you find your body is softening or your metabolism is plummeting, you might need more than light movements throughout the day.
Breakups can be difficult, and many people experience discomfort during the process. But there may be a way to minimize the difficulty by implementing the concept of conscious uncoupling, which was developed by best-selling author and relationship expert Katherine Woodward Thomas.
While counseling continues to expand its influence within various domains of mental health, one area in which there seems to be an observable lack of counselor impact is the field of neuroscience. By promoting “neurocounseling”—a therapeutic approach informed by neuroscience principles—many hope to build a future in which counselors can become neuro-savvy practitioners as well as active contributors to a larger scientific conversation. In fact, one such conversation is already beginning to take shape in Counseling@Northwestern’s newest neurocounseling initiative: BRAINSTORM.
