“Am I doing counseling correctly?” is a question I’ve heard more than once. My answer is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to do counseling. Honoring your own process and journey is important and although your counselor will challenge you at times, they will work with you at your own pace. With experience, counseling can feel more familiar and even for individuals who have been in counseling before it is normal to still feel unsure of “how to do counseling” sometimes. I mean, the whole counseling situation is a bit unusual. If you think about it, you meet a potential stranger trained as a professional listener with whom you share personal stuff without really knowing them. Of course, that’s not all there is to counseling, but when you think about relationships in general, you both usually share stuff to get to know each other. So, feeling unsure of the counseling experience is OK, and it’s OK to tell your counselor about it. Although there is no right or wrong way to do…

Since the recent murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd (following countless murders of people of color over centuries after the colonization of the Indigenous-occupied land now known as the United States of America), I have heard my white peers asking questions about ending racism, learning about how to be a better ally, posting on social media, and choosing the “right way” to react. A convergence of conditions has created new possibilities for raising awareness of racism in white people from which we hopefully will never turn back. We have a real opportunity for change.

Let us remember, however, this chance has come and gone before in our history. People have been fighting for centuries to correct the wrongs on which this country was founded. People of color have had to fight to survive the conditions of systemic racism and white supremacy. Unfortunately,…

 “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”   Lao Tzu

For the past several years, I’ve been set on becoming a counselor. Part of my certainty may be just because I want a concrete goal that I can work towards. But honestly, I think the biggest reasons are because I’m very interested in the human condition and want to have a positive impact on other people. More than anything, I wish that everyone could be content with their lives. Seeing a happier world would make me happy. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles in the way of this rather idealistic aim, but the one I want to address is self-confidence. Since starting college and trying to broaden my view of the world, I’ve noticed that many people my age, but also much older, don’t seem to have that much faith in themselves. While I totally understand that being self-confident is not…

In these abnormal times, we are all individually and collectively adapting to a new environment and new forms of stress. On top of that, social media messages push us toward productivity. It’s important to get things done, but we also need to care for our minds in order to do so. Having a calmer mind can help us achieve our own ideal level of productivity and reach our goals. Meditation can aid us on this path.

Even if you have no desire to be productive right now, meditation can improve your mental health. This includes reducing stress, anxiety, and maintaining better emotional health. Considering a meditation practice as a new form of self-care can lead you down a path of relaxation, insight and positivity. (These benefits to the mind and self are very rewarding but may not be a substitute for counseling. If you need someone to talk to, you can access the …