by Clinton Nowicke, PsyD | Jan 21, 2021 | Behavioral Health Topics, Lifehacks, Tips & Advice
Typically, when therapists are asked to define “cultural competence” their response is usually race-based or location-based. Occasionally some include gender and sexual minorities, age, and ability. It’s rare that clinicians and therapists with little experience in deafness consider “Deaf” as a culture.
The topic of deafness and Deaf culture is vast, with many aspects to consider. It would be impossible to cover everything in only a few blog posts. This article is the first of a series about working with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) clients is intended as a starting point for clinicians to begin their own research into deafness and Deaf culture.
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by Kyler Shumway, PsyD | May 20, 2020 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Self-Care, Student & Intern Resources
Graduate students and early-career professionals know how challenging, nay, grueling our work can be without a good night’s sleep. With all the demands of practice, coursework, family matters, research, and so forth, how can we hope to squeeze in a solid 8-hour sleep session?
Furthermore, how can we fall asleep when our minds are racing through that seemingly endless list of responsibilities and deadlines? We toss and turn and check our phones, remembering that each waking moment is wasted rest time.
All of us (well, hopefully all of us) try to practice good hygiene by bathing regularly, brushing/flossing teeth, and so forth. Yet, few of us try to practice good sleep hygiene.
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by Amy Muscarello | Nov 7, 2018 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Personal & Professional Experiences
Although previous generations probably did not swap cat pictures or tell 350 of their acquaintances what they ate for dinner, even the most seasoned among us has to pause when we think about life before social media. People use their private social media accounts for a variety of reasons and clinicians are no different. Perhaps you are looking for a new job or even a relationship through social media. Or maybe you use social media to decompress by doing online workouts and watching Dr. Pimple Popper videos. Whatever the case, the chances are good you will run into a client on social media. This article explores some of the most common scenarios a clinician will encounter and the ethical implications of receiving a friend request from a client. Here are some of the most common scenarios you will encounter in the field.
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by Keeanna Powell, MS, LAPC | Sep 5, 2018 | Behavioral Health Topics, Lifehacks, Tips & Advice
So, tomorrow is your first session with a new client. First, congratulations! Every new client is a new opportunity to assist and provide support to someone along his or her journey. Whether this is your first session with a new client or the very first session of your career, it is completely understandable to feel nervous or experience jitters.
Fear of the unknown regarding new clients can be intense. You may be asking yourself questions similar to these as you prepare to meet your new client: Will I be able to help her? Will he like my therapeutic approach? What if he asks a question I can’t answer? Will she even show up? The following are some tips to help you prepare for your first session.
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by Krystal Bowen, M.S., M.A | Apr 30, 2018 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
For parents, the idea of pursuing an advanced degree can sound daunting and even impossible. Being a successful parent and student can require a bit more juggling than what’s required of those who are in just one role.
Yet, many do make it work — in fact, 4.8 million undergraduate students, or 26 percent, are raising dependent children.
The key to joining this group of colleagues who are seemingly doing it all? Mastering the three keys of balancing parenthood and your studies: setting boundaries, practicing time management, and being compassionate.
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by Matthew Eisenhard | Feb 16, 2018 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice
Four years of undergrad. Five years (or more) of graduate school. Postdocs. We’re talking a minimum of 10 years from start to finish in order to become a Licensed Psychologist! If you’re like me, you are paying your tuition and school expenses largely through student loans, whether federally funded or private loans. Each year, that number keeps adding up. What was once a small hill has now formed into a mountain of debt! And once you’re no longer a student, that mountain looms over you as you begin a required low repayment plan.
But what can a student do? Here are seven tips from my experiences a 32-year-old early career psychologist.
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by Paige Blankenship | Jan 22, 2018 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
Students within a graduate program will share research interests, goals, and dreams. By nature, graduate students share the qualities of motivation, diligence, persistence, and focus. We share accomplishments as well as setbacks. We also share supervisors, textbooks, friends, and Netflix accounts. Yet, despite these commonalities, graduate students within one program can be vastly different.
Remember The Breakfast Club? The Brain, the Athlete, the Basket Case, the Princess, and the Criminal had nothing in common other than the fact that they were in detention. Yet by the end of the movie they learned to connect with one another and bonded despite their differences. Graduate school is a lot like The Breakfast Club; it is full of unique personalities that come together for survival, but often results in strong personal and professional relationships that last a lifetime.
Conflict is common when a group of individuals is working toward a shared goal while simultaneously trying to meet their own needs. Needless to say, graduate school is full of conflict. It’s an environment where you willingly compete with those you are closest to, allow yourself to be vulnerable with those who evaluate you, all while trying to develop and maintain your identity as a professional.
Although conflict is often viewed negatively, it is not always a bad thing. When managed appropriately, conflict helps us to achieve our goals, express our opinions, learn new ideas and points of view, and strengthen our relationships. Essentially, conflict can help us to grow both personally and professionally.
Although conflict can often be beneficial, many people remain uncomfortable with the mere idea of it. Due to the inevitable conflict of graduate school and the common discomfort surrounding it, students are often left wondering, “How do I best navigate this diplomatic environment, achieve personal and professional goals, all while building and maintaining professional and personal relationships?”
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by Traci W. Olivier, Psy.D. | Dec 4, 2017 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Professional Resources, Student & Intern Resources
The concept of resilience has become quite a popular one lately. There are countless articles, workshops, lectures, and even centers that focus on resilience.
But what exactly is it? And from where does it come?
Is it an inherited personality trait predetermined by genetics? Or is it something that can be taught, fostered, and developed? Perhaps more importantly, why do some people seem so much better at it than others?
These are exactly the kinds of questions that have inspired my colleague, Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, and me to probe deeper into the concept of resilience. Our research and experiences eventually transpired into a book, which was recently published.
We described the hallmark of resilient people as being grounded in today, learning how to benefit from yesterday, and imagining themselves in tomorrow. Resilience is not just about surviving, but also about thriving in the midst of challenge.
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by Jon Reeves, PhD | Oct 9, 2017 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Professional Resources
Licensing protects you, the public, and the profession. I appreciate that it exists, now that I have joined the ranks of licensure. However, the pursuit inspired many sighs, groans, and eye rolls between me and my colleagues. Complaints formed for many reasons – cost was (and still is) one of them.
What should you do to prepare – financially, at least – for licensure? Below, I outline seven steps with an estimated time that it will take for each. I will give you concrete suggestions, with real numbers and links included.
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by Margherita Gaulte, MA, MS | Oct 2, 2017 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
Many couples must separate physically for a variety of reasons, including career and academic advancement, military deployment, immigration restrictions, or familial obligations. Long distance relationships are becoming increasingly common [1] and graduate students and early careers professionals have even more reasons why they might need to live apart from their partners.
Being prepared by knowing the challenges ahead can help to ensure that your relationship and career are actually strengthened by the time apart.
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