The need for peace

On Friday, I was getting ready to go to supervision after my 1 o'clock session. I was speaking to my colleague Teresa, who stated that there was a school shooting in Connecticut. I was very shocked like I am always with events like these. Over the next several hours, we would discover just how massive this was. Many of the individual that died on Friday were kids. Kids ages of my nieces and nephews. I think everyone is in shock about this tragedy.


Only the past couple days I have been struggling with how to respond to the senseless tragedy. I find that writing is a way to make sense of this. In the office today, I figured how I wanted to respond. I knew that we need peace in society. Peace is absolutely necessary. Violence does not solve problems. We need a society that promotes peace and forgiveness for all. Now I do not know what was going through this individual mind on Friday. I do know that this individual was deeply disturbed.

I don't want to get into a debate about gun control. I feel uncomfortable with talking about the subject, because I do not know enough. But what I will say is something has to be done. Violence has never been a way to solve conflicts protectively. There has to be a better way then all while violence. I am praying for the victims of this tragedy. I am praying for peace in Newtown Connecticut.

As always I would appreciate any feedback you have about this blog.

The process of writing

I remember clearly distinctively having a conversation with a colleague of mine about the stresses of this profession. She is someone that I respect, and who is a trusted friend and colleague. At the time I was having difficulty managing my own stress at my job as a counselor. I believe I was a student at the time. She suggested that I write my thoughts and ideas down on paper. Ever since that time writing has it been a refuge for me. It has been a way to relieve stress and anxiety from my day-to-day life. Music also does the same thing for me. However, this blog is not about music that is about writing our thoughts and feelings. I choose to write because it alleviates my day-to-day anxiety.

 

I am not always felt this way. I remember a time when I used to hate to write. I’m a member time well I would have to receive help to write my thoughts and ideas down. I used to struggle with writing. Over the past couple of years, writing has given me a outlet to express my thoughts and feelings. It has been very useful to me, and especially when having problems with my job.

I hate to admit, but I have not done this much writing and I like to over the past couple of months. Initially I thought it would because I was too busy. Now I am beginning to see that my writing has a direct correlation between how stress I am. The past couple of months has been very stressful for me as a professional. Do not get me wrong, I am having the time of my life. However, the type of walk that I am doing does it generate some stress.

 

I came to this conclusion, a couple of weeks ago when I took my vacation for Thanksgiving. The weeks before Thanksgiving, having been very stressful. I was dealing with a lot of very complex client issues, and that need to be addressed. I think it is important for me to find effective ways to alleviate stress and anxiety. I recognize that I have not been doing writing, as a way to do this. If I am going to be able to be in the profession for the long haul, I must find ways to cope with stress. I am making a commitment to you that I will be trying to write more on a weekly basis. I think it is important to give my perspective on counseling and disability advocacy.

 

So to sum up, why is it that I write? Writing is a outlet to get my thoughts and ideas out to a public audience. Writing is a way for me to alleviate stress. Writing is away from me to document what is going on in life for me. I hope to continue to share with you my personal thoughts about counseling, about life and disability advocacy.

We need to do more: children living in nursing homes in the state of Florida

Individuals with disabilities have the right to live in the community with supports. This is something that I believe with all my heart and soul. I have spent most of my adult life, advocating for this right. There has been a series of deaths that have happened of children who live in nursing homes. Why do they live in nursing homes? The state says that this is the best option for them.

I absolutely believe that this is a flawed argument. Individuals with disabilities have the capability of living in the community with support. Especially those with more complex disabilities, that may need constant assistance. This is not the 1960s, where individuals with disabilities are just put away in a institution with somebody that doesn’t care for them. I argue that families know what it’s best for individuals with disabilities. We need to do everything that we can to support families with very complex support needs. We need to do everything we can to support individuals in the community in which they live.

I argue for the elimination of this practice. Now the state of Florida says that this issue is about parental choice. I disagree with this statement. I believe that all parents of individuals with disabilities wants what is best for them. They are struggling with a flawed system, trying to do what is best for their son or daughter. Some of them have been placed in a corner, and may have been forced to place them in a nursing home. This practice is not acceptable. We need to do everything that we can to support these vulnerable families. Families know what is best for their sons or daughters. The system must do everything that they can to empower and support families that want to keep their sons and daughters in the community.

I felt like I must apologize. I live the past couple of months I have been not watching out for individuals that often do not have a voice. I am a individual that is supposed to be a advocate for those that do not have a voice. I am actively involved in these self advocacy movement. I vowed to do more friends. I encourage each and every one of you to do more.

Life lessons from fourth grade

Good evening and morning, I hope you are having a good day. Happy Labor Day. Tonight I want to talk to you about diversity and inclusion. So my nine-year-old nephew just started school in Florida this year. He has begun the fourth grade. Yesterday at a Labor Day cookout, he talked to me about someone that came to his class to give it a presentation about issues that affected individuals with disabilities. My nephew was amazed with the presentation. As someone that studies issues faced by individuals with disabilities, I was also amazed with what he was presented in class.

I feel that we don’t talk enough about the issues of diversity and inclusion. It wasn’t too long ago, when individuals with disabilities were isolated in the public school system. Regular education kids did not see individuals with disabilities. Fortunately, this is not the case now. I am very pleased that my nephew is learning about issues faced by individuals with disabilities. I think it is absolutely critical to engage in the dialogue with young children about the subject of disabilities. I believe that disability is a vibrant cultural, that must be taught at all levels in school. We need to embrace the fact that all individual’s with disabilities have the ability to be supported in the community. We need to look at this from the perspective that not all of us are the same. To my nephew Brandon, I hope that you continue to learn about issues that face individuals with disabilities. I am pleased that you were able to have this very valuable lesson about life.

Politics

I hope you are having a good day. Tonight I would like to talk about politics. No I am not asking you to change your political beliefs. Nor am I asking to believe what I believe. But something very important is happening right now, and I feel that it is very important to be discussed.This is a beginning of a series of blogs about the conventions. I will seek to bring you argument from both sides of the political landscape.

. Overall the next couple of weeks, the two major political parties will be hosting their respective conventions. This is a time for individuals of different beliefs can engage in debate about what is best for America. I had to be honest, I'm a little bit disappointed to with the state of political debate in this country. It seems like both the political parties are attacking one another, and not focusing on the real issues. The Democrats say that the Republicans have lost touch with reality. That the Republicans don't really care about America. That Barack Obama is the hope and change that we need. And now the Republicans saying that the Democrats have damaged America in some way..

I am embarrassed with what I see from the current state of politics. To be quite honest, I like some stuff that the Democrat bring to the table, and I like some stuff that the Republican bring to the table. For the record, I am not affiliated with any of the two major parties.

This is a important time for America. I believe that we need to stop attacking one another, and give solutions to solve America's problems. Attacking someone, without giving solutions is not an acceptable. We need a renewed solutions, not attacks.

The importance of communication

Let me say from the beginning that this blog is not meant to attack the media. This blog is also not meant to be a political blog. This blog is also not meant to discuss my beliefs about the employment for individuals with disabilities. This particular blog post is meant to discuss how we communicate about individuals with disabilities.

As many of you know, the Republican national convention will be coming to the Tampa Bay area. This is a very exciting time for some people in Tampa. For some people in Tampa, they will be outraged with the convention coming to town. Overall the next couple of weeks, we will be having 10,000 to 15,000 individuals coming into the Tampa Bay area. This will be a big boost for the area economy. One of newspapers in the Tampa Bay area, the Tampa Bay times has been providing fantastic coverage about the preparation for the convention. In the article published Friday, August 17 discussed the preparation of party bags for the convention. Now when I look at this article, I just passed it by without a second look. Like I often did you, I always come back and look at articles that I find this interesting. Assisting in the preparation of these party bags, is a organization called McDonald training center. This is a organization that provides support to individuals with disabilities. Now I am very strong feelings about this organization, which I will not get into on this blog. In the title of the article it stated that these individuals with developmental disabilities have little interest in politics.

Now I’m someone that has been involved in the disability rights movement, for a long period of time I find this very offensive on several fronts. The statement that individuals with developmental disabilities have no interest in politics, is simply not true. I should know. I have a developmental disability. Now many of you may be scratching your head right now. Cerebral palsy is classified as a developmental disability. Basically, a developmental disability is any delay in a individuals development. Specifically for me, my speech was delayed, and I was delayed in walking.

I believe that what the times was trying to apply it was that individuals with intellectual disabilities, which is also a developmental disability have no interest in being involved in the political process. This is also not true, and really offensive. I have friends that have been classified as having a intellectual disability. I don’t look at disability, including those with intellectual disabilities. I see them for who they are. They are as a person. Not a disabled person. But a person that has much to contribute to society, outside of a disability.

Now I recognize that this was not done intentionally. I just don’t like how it was communicated. Individuals with disabilities can participate in the political process, if we provide them with the right support. This election is very important. We have two candidates, with very different ideas of what is best for America. It is important for all citizens to participate in the political process, especially those with developmental disabilities.

Counseling, advocacy, research

Good evening everyone, I have everyone’s having a good day. I would like to say thank you for being followers of my blog. I have truly discovered my passion for blogging. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about some of changes in my blog. You could say that this is a follow-up to my previous blog.

This blog will be written from the perspective of a student. Even though I have graduated, I went to take the postural of being a student of the craft of counseling. I believe that we always have something to learn as we practice that’s chosen profession. This blog will be written from that perspective.

I also want to begin to integrate my thought about the disability rights movement. This is the movement that I have been very blessed to participate in. I recognize, that I am not the absolute exporter of this movement. I do want to be able to, have a form that will allow me to give my perspectives on this very important movement.

Also my job responsibilities will be changing. I still provide counseling to people. I am beginning a new type of counseling, with individual that have developmental disabilities. I will also be providing supportive employment, to this population. I will also be conducting evaluations for a different agency altogether. My professional life is about to get very busy. I hope to share with you my journey as I begin this new stage in my professional life.

As of many of you know, my long-term goal is to pursue a doctorate in counselor education and supervision. To do this, I will be pursuing research related to self determination, and self advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Also I want to focus on counseling professionals with disabilities as a area of research. I hope to use this as a vehicle to update you guys about what I am working on.

The true definition of a professional

In school, I was introduced to the concept of counseling been a craft. This is a concept that I have often told about on the blog. I feel like that I’ve never really explained what I meant about the concept of being a craft. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss how I understand this concept now as a very young profession.

How do I define my craft? My craft is counseling. It is the craft of establishing helping relationships with people. It is certain to craft a of listening, and withholding judgment. This is a profession that I have committed myself to practicing, and developing my skills as a professional. I recognize that this is going to be a lifelong process. I will be constantly developing as a counseling professional. I will be acquiring the skills necessary to cope with my clients achieve the potential that they already have.

I would say from the beginning that I believe I am a green professional. I have a lot of class to knowledge established. I have had the opportunity to provide counseling to a couple of individuals. I am, still learning what it means to be a counseling professional. I recognize over the next couple of euros, that if I’m going to improve my skills as a professional I must commit myself to grow both professionally and personally. I am planning to go into greater detail about personal growth in a future blog. All I am doing right now is honing my craft as a Professional.

One of my professors and mentors has emphasized that the true definition of a professional, is someone that will be willing to do anything if it would mean that they will be able to practice their craft. This is something that has resonated with me, even in my counseling theories course when I came across this for the first time. I am constantly amazed at this statement.

My sister in law, and my brother are very worried that I might burn myself because of the job that I do. I am not going to lie to you and say that the population that I am working with is a easy population to deal with. I often don’t talk to my family what I see on a day-to-day basis as a professional. One of the ways that I prevent this is I am constantly doing something different. I’m involved in So Many Different Activities to Practice My Craft. I Am Involved in Individual Counseling. I Conduct Assessments with a Very Good Private Practice. I Do Pro Bono Counseling for a Couple of Organizations. I Am Beginning to Provide Counseling to individuals with developmental disabilities. I provide supportive employment services. Outside of counseling, I conduct research. I also present at conferences. I am actively involved with the disability rights movement in the state of Florida.

You can say that I am involved with a lot of stuff. I do this for a couple reasons. The main reason is I want to be able to prevent burnout. The other reasons I am constantly looking for different ways to challenge my craft, and grow in how I practice this craft. I have been very blessed, with the opportunities that I have been afforded to me as I look to practice my craft.

I am alive good people

Hello everyone, I recognize that I have been a little bit off line for the past couple of months. Yes I am still alive. I have been working on trying to get my professional life on track. I would like to give you a update about where I am at in life. I am sure that many of you would like to know what I have been up to for the past couple of months. Let me try to bring you up to date. I am now a registered mental health counseling and a registered marriage and family inter with the state of Florida. To be quite honest, I am very excited about this. What this means is that I am still working with a supervisor who it discuss all my cases with. I am very excited again about this. I am now employed with a couple of organizations doing contact stuff. I am making these opportunities in the next couple of weeks. One of the organizations, I will be providing supportive employment services to its clients. I am also working with a different organization that provides counseling and other services to individuals involved with domestic violence and substance abuse issues.

I am also still at The Family Justice Center, providing pro bono counseling services to this population. I am in the process of building a private practice, so I can take on some private pay clients. This is going very slowly. You can say that I have been doing a lot for the past couple of months. I am very excited with the opportunity that has been given to me. I will try to publish my blog on a weekly basis. I am writing again.I am now working on a couple of projects on the side. I don't know what will become of these projects, but I am happy that I am doing them.I will keep you updated about all this.

what is it that we believe: a rehabilitation professional belief

I am happy to say that I am a graduate of the rehabilitation and mental health counseling program at the University of South Florida. I am a mental health counselor. I also believe that I am a rehabilitation counselor. Rehabilitation counseling as a discipline that focuses on working with individuals that have disabilities, mainly in issues dealing with employment and community involvement. Many of you know that I am actively involved in the disability rights movement in the state of Florida. One of the things that I like about rehabilitation counseling is the code of ethics that we ascribe to. The ethical aspects of this profession I take very seriously. One of the foundational ethical principles is that we as professionals must do what is in the best for the client at all times.

Recently I was at a meeting of professionals in the rehabilitation field, were I was giving a presentation. I had the opportunity to attend a legislative update that the executive director of the national rehabilitation Association was giving. She discussed briefly about the ending of sub minimum wage for individuals with disabilities. I wasn't really clear about what was the position of the national rehab Association on some minimum wage. For those of you that don't know, this is a technique utilized for rehabilitation desiring to get individuals with disabilities to get a job. Often sub minimum wage happens in segregated environments made up of individuals that just have disabilities. This is something as a disability rights advocate, that I have advocate for the elimination of these practices. This is not the best method to get individuals with disabilities employed. We knew that individuals with disabilities will have the greatest possibility of employment outcomes if they are supported on the job with individuals that do not have disabilities. Also, if there is a implementation of customized employment strategies, they can be supported in the community.

I was shocked with the response that I received from the executive director. The national rehab Association is in different about whether sub minimum wage should stop. Some people in the room, advocated for the belief that some minimum wage practices wore a good thing. This is a hypocrisy in the rehabilitation professional community. We as rehabilitation professionals have a ethical obligation to advocate for what is best for are client. We know from decades of research that segregate any employment does not work for individuals with disabilities, especially those that may have what society calls a more complex disability. Segregation does not work.

I am happy that I am a rehabilitation professional. I am disappointing at my professional organization, for not taking a more active stance on advocating for full employment for individuals with disabilities. If we cannot do this, and I believe that we as a profession have somehow lost are way. I am not asking you to agree with me, I'm just giving you something to think about

on why questions

hello everyone, yes I am still alive. Over the past couple of weeks it has been a very exciting time for me. I have graduated with my Masters degree. I am in the process of building a private practice with a group of my colleagues. I have job interviews next week for some contract work. Everything is going good. I am going to try to blog a lot more. I have been trying to work on getting my life organized.. I want to talk about why questions.

I was a meeting a couple weeks back, with a client. This client is someone that I have provided support for her family. This is a individual is that I have grown to respect. Thiswas a planning meeting of some type. Yes I am being a little bit vague, because I went to be able to protect my clients privacy. Some of the individuals in the meeting, I felt like they were trying to seek a explanation of why something may have happened that calls the client to become involved with are system. They were asking a why question.

Now I have to say that sometimes we can not explain somethings. What we tried to do is figure out ways to explain the unexplainable. Often times when we do this, we seek to control the client's activities. I have, coming to the realization that some things we cannot explain. As mental health professionals we do not have to answer these difficult questions. We often try to do this because we need a explanation. What we do is to facilitate a process, that allows the client to reach their full potential. This process also allows the client to recognize the abilities that they already have.

I believe that there is a different way of doing this. Instead of asking why did this happen, ask what can we do together so that this does not happen again. Often times we cannot explain why, all we can do is recognize that forgiveness is possible. As a mental health professionals, we do not judge or condemn. We give client's hope that change is possible.

living for today

The past is done with. What ever happened in the past is done. There may be things that we are not proud of. Things that we may have wished I never happen. This is done with. All we can do is seek forgiveness for what has happened, love the ones that are with us and live for today.

I've been thinking about this statement today. I have had a really interesting day with a client, my work with this client has made me write this.I know that I normally don't write this, but this has been on my mind

So what did you do today?

Good afternoon everyone, and happy Tuesday. I am right, now sitting in the FMHI library. I am the only student in the library right now. I have decided to take today off from my responsibilities at success 4 kids and families. I am doing this for a variety of reasons. One reason is I do not have any client's today. The other reason is, in my clinical supervisor said you need to take time off for spring break. I am working with some very good clients at this time, but I am also working with some clients that have a lot of complex issues. My supervisor didn't want me to lose my passion for the profession.

I have to be a little bit honest with you guys, this is a little bit difficult for me. Don't get me wrong, I definitely knew how to relax and take time for myself. If I'm really honest, I have trouble setting my work responsibilities aside. I consider myself very dedicated to the clients that I provide services to. What I must be able to do is to find some kind of balance between my professional and personal life. If I am not able to do this, my clients will not be receiving the best type of help that I can provide. I also have to figure out a way to have a lot of fun in the process.

So on this Tuesday, how am I having fun? I've spent the majority of today at a café that my friends have on the USF campus. Yes I did do some school work, but it is stuff that I like to do. I have also been working on some stuff for a federal grant review panel that I will be on in April. I have also been listening to some incredible music. I am having the opportunity to publish this blog, which I have not had the opportunity to do. Plus I was able to sleep late.

I recognize that this is a area that I will have to  work on throughout my professional life. I also am recommending that we need to find some balance in the professional and personal life. This is absolutely critical.

home and family

I have been reflecting recently about what it means to be home. Having a home is something very unique. I believe it is not only having a roof over your head, but it is about the people that live with you. For many of us we live with family. Family is also really important. Families love us, families also forgive us. They also set appropriate boundaries, to help us grow. I feel very fortunate that I grew up with a family like this.

Recently I have had the opportunity to shadow and to facilitate sessions with clients in the home. This is a very unique opportunity. This is also a privilege. I am being invited into one of the most intimate places a individual has, the home. For those of you that have provided treatment inside the home, you know exactly what I mean. Will being invited to see what really goes on in a family.

What I have a recognize is that there are many definitions of what home is. I believe that as long as we can keep the family intact, it does not really matter what home look like. I have had the great privilege of being in individual homes, and truly see what is happening. For that I am grateful. Again, I keep coming back to what we do is absolutely amazing, and a privilege.

what they don't teach you in graduate school

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is having a great day. This past week has been very interesting. It has been good, and difficult at the same time.I am realizing that I have the great privilege of being associated with some of the brightest minds in the mental health profession. I am doing a lot of stuff that I am not done before. I am seeing a lot of stuff that I have not seen before.What I am realizing it is I really loved its job.

·, Having said that, this is couple weeks has been very challenging. I have been and what it means to be a mental health counseling, professional. This is the stuff they do not teach you in classes. This is real life . Let me give you a couple of examples.

Always, always trust the process: having a very good session with a client of mine, and all of sudden she took the session and direction that I did not see happening. On the inside I was freaking out. On the outside, I was still in like I knew what I was doing. What I was doing was trusting the process. What I need to realize is that the client will go will he or she needs it to go. You just have to trust the process.

The therapeutic relationship the most important aspect of change: okay this is what I already knew. I think it is important to emphasize that I believe this is absolutely critical. The client must be able to fill safe so that they can deal with the issues that has brought them to see you. If the client doesn't feel safe, then they won't be able to engage in counseling. This is why the therapeutic relationship is very important. This takes time to develop. That's not going to happen at session 1, it will take a couple weeks. It could even take a couple of months.

When something is not working with the client, modify your style: I don't like labeling of client as a resistant individual. I have often said that resistance is just another way of saying that we don't know what the hell you're doing. Some times we have to think outside the box to help the client. .we have to be willing to do this. It is very important to do this. I am working with a client that has required me to abandon my typical style of counseling, and do something totally different.what I need to recognize is this is okay.

a man man is on the loose: fight for USF

The University system is a very unique place in society. It is about the free exchange of differing ideas. There is no God or does God exist. How should we solve global warming. What is the best way to facilitate peace in the middle east? How can we best support people with disabilities? This is what the University system seeks to find out. I am proud to go to one of the top universities in the state of Florida. The University of South Florida.

Unfortunately the University of South Florida is under attack by the state legislature. The Florida Senate has proposed a 60% budget cut for the University of South Florida. This is 100% political. There is no rationale and logic behind the purposes budget. If this budget cut succeeds, it will prevent the University of South Florida to carry out its mission the expansion of knowledge around the globe. I believe that this is ultimately not going to pass, but only if we as a community stand up and fight.

As a mental health profession, I believe this will have a devastating impact on the profession . USF provides me with the knowledge necessary to treat my clients.I have the privilege of learning my craft from some of the brightest minds in the profession. This will have an impact on the delivery of this information. Ultimately, work with clients will be affected. This is not acceptable. I encourage you to contact the Senate to express your concerns about this very important issue. Let's fight for the University of South Florida.

perspectives on resistance

Often times we talk about how to deal with a resistant client. I would like to talk about my perspective on the nature of resistant. I believe there is another name for a resistant client. I believe that when we say that a client is resistive, what we all really saying is that we don't know what the hell we are doing as counseling professionals. As you may now know about me, I believe the therapeutic relationship is the primary vehicle of change in the counseling relationship. If the client sets the pace in the relationship, how can you say that they are resistant men they are not following everything that we want them to do. The client is the one that sets the process in the counseling relationship.

The group psychotherapy process is something that I find really fascinating. Often times we talk about the working stage of a group. The working stage is the stage that deeper issues are allowed to be explored. What I have come to realize that we don't all work in the same way. Some of us find it very easy to work. On the other hand some people find it very difficult to do the work. I believe that we do not all work the same way. Some of us deal with the issues in a very direct way. For the people, they'll work consists of making the room safe, so that they can do deeper and more complex work. We all do not work in the same way. You should now label someone as a resistant, simply because they are not doing what you are doing.

Individuals counseling I believe is a lot like the group psychotherapy. It takes time to develop that skill. Relationship, so they can trust the therapist and explore deeper issues that need to be addressed. I like how psychodrama addresses resistance. Psychodrama says that there was no such thing as a resistant client, they say that the client is just simply slow to warm up. Good psychotherapy takes time. Resistant, is a copout for the professional. It blames everything on the client, who is actually the one in charge of the counseling relationship. The client is the one that sets the pace in the counseling relationship. It might take time, but we must be willing to walk with the clients, regardless of how long it takes to warm up.