I'd like to talk with you for a moment about what I believe our profession needs before I reveal my New Years Wish for 2022. But first,...

There's only one really good way to salute the fear-based, often illogical, and highly stressful year that was 2021.

All together now,... "good riddance!"

The PracticeMentors' Objective

I get it, talking about the treatment of clients is way more fun than talking about everything else related to running a practice or protecting everything you own. I get it! But PracticeMentors is not about the discussion of "the fun stuff" and treatment modalities; we leave that to others.

Our audience is that group of counselors who not only understand there's more to the discussion but are willing to act on it to the betterment of their careers and their clients' overall health. That,...is why PracticeMentors exists!

A Broader Professional Discussion Needed

In my opinion, what we talk about around the water cooler is far too narrow in its scope. Limiting your knowledge of counseling largely to treatment topics is simply dangerous. It's an antiquated way of thinking and is holding back the progression of the counseling profession.

There are multiple reasons that our tagline is "Protect, Equip, and Defend". Ask yourself, what is there outside my practice's front door that I need to Protect myself from? What do I need to Equip myself and my people to deal with? And what might I need to Defend myself from? The answer is, "pretty much everything".

You never know where the crap-storm is gonna come from, when it's coming, or even why. And let's not forget how all of that may be affecting your clients. You just have to prep for it. There are simply far too many ways to get hurt today and way too many people willing to hurt you.

We must expand our defensive perimeters to include the professional discussion of any topic as it relates to the counseling profession. Let's agree right now to disagree, if we must, but let's at least have the conversation.

My New Years Wish For 2022

My wish for us this year is simple; that we all learn to do our own research and expand our understanding of what's going on in the world and how it affects our careers, families, and clients.

Our clients live in that mess. If we, as counselors, have a limited understanding of what's going on, what's behind it, and how it's affecting the public psyche, how will we truly be able to effectively help them? Don't we have a moral obligation to stay on top of every issue that's driving them into our offices? I think so.

Summary

I believe 2022 is going to be a much better year than '21. I do think it's going to get much bumpier before the road ahead smooths out, though. I have no idea how long scenarios are going to take to play out but I know I have a moral and ethical obligation to myself and my clients to research and understand what's going on in the world in order to better help them through whatever may come. Don't you?

Plan Smart. Be Safe. Serve Others.

Kathleen Mills, LPC-S, CEAP