Hello, and welcome to Counselor Weekly! Thanks again for being part of the community!

So let's get to it!

Here's the short and skinny of today's newsletter:

• Quote of the Day

• Interesting Articles

• Brief Intro To DBT

• Cat Photo

Today is 8/23/23 and it's National Cuban Sandwich Day! Pulled pork, ham, mustard, cheese, and dill pickles…. If you’ve never had one, today should be the day.

Until I have an official sponsor, looks like I'm the sponsor!

It’s live!

Find Your Supervisor is finally live! Just click HERE, or the photo above and it will take you right to the site. If you are an LPC Supervisor in Texas (sorry, starting in Texas only and will look at options for other states down the road), or a potential Supervisee looking for a Supervisor, this is the place for you! It's a directory for LPC Supervisors to market their services by listing their information so that potential Supervisees can connect with them and hopefully find a perfect match! If you have any questions, click REPLY to this email and I can answer any questions you have. Thanks again for allowing me this personal promotion! 🙏

Quote of the Day

And now some interesting articles:

To Take Notes Or Not To Take Notes

Note taking might just be the least fun part of counseling. Different therapists weigh in on taking notes during a session.

How Cross-State Licensure Reform Can Ease America’s Mental Health Crisis

“State-based licensure laws were written in the 1870s to protect Americans from the flood of post-Civil War quacks and charlatans. In today’s modern health care system, these laws no longer serve the best interests of therapists or their clients.”

Can A.I. Treat Mental Illness?

This article is a bit longer of a read, but shares some thorough insight into the history of AI and mental health initiatives.

A Brief Intro Into DBT

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that was originally developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s. It was initially designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but it has since been adapted and used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and more.

DBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with principles of mindfulness and acceptance. It is based on the idea that individuals with emotional dysregulation struggle with managing their emotions, leading to difficulties in interpersonal relationships, impulsive behavior, and overall distress. DBT aims to help these individuals learn skills to manage their emotions, improve their interpersonal effectiveness, and increase their overall quality of life.

Key components of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy include:

1. Emotion Regulation Skills: Clients learn strategies to identify and regulate intense emotions, manage distress, and reduce emotional reactivity.

2. Distress Tolerance Skills: Clients learn techniques to tolerate distressing situations without resorting to harmful behaviors. This includes using mindfulness techniques to stay present and centered during difficult moments.

3. Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills: Clients work on improving communication and assertiveness in relationships. They learn to set boundaries, make requests, and say no in healthy ways.

4. Mindfulness Skills: Mindfulness is a central aspect of DBT. Clients practice being present in the moment without judgment, which can help reduce rumination and emotional reactivity.

5. Middle Path Skills: This aspect of DBT encourages finding balance between acceptance and change. It helps clients avoid black-and-white thinking and extreme behaviors.

6. Individual Therapy: Clients meet one-on-one with a therapist to work on specific issues and develop personalized coping strategies.

7. Group Skills Training: Clients participate in group sessions where they learn and practice the various skills mentioned above. Group sessions provide support, feedback, and a safe environment for skill development.

8. Phone Coaching: Many DBT programs offer clients the opportunity to reach out to their therapists for phone coaching in times of crisis or when they need immediate guidance on using the skills they've learned.

DBT is often delivered in a structured format and typically involves a combination of individual therapy, group skills training, and phone coaching. It is effective for individuals who struggle with emotional regulation, impulsivity, self-harm, and relationship difficulties. DBT's emphasis on skill-building, mindfulness, and acceptance can provide individuals with tools to cope with distress and lead more fulfilling lives.

If interested in learning more, here’s a link to one of many training opportunities.

And, Finally the Cat Picture

Cuban Sandwich Cat! Created with an AI image generator.