It’s been a few months since my last blog post. Work ramped up at the end of March, as everyone panicked over Spring Break ending, end of year testing, graduation, and beginning summer vacation. During that time period, I had a lot of short-term clients with specific needs to address, including transitioning from one household to another (divorce, job relocation), and test anxiety (state standardized testing creates a lot of OMGs and panics in students, parents, and teachers). I also had a handful of clients transition out of services, which is both heartwarming and heart wrenching, as I dearly love my clients but am proud of them for progressing to where they don’t need my help any longer.

As summer has been going on for a month now, my client load has shifted from fewer children and adolescents, to more adults finding the time to get the help they need. And in that, I have been focusing more on parenting, relationships, and self-esteem. Not too unlike what I do most of the time, but focusing on the other side of the realm, which is a pleasant hop forward.

One of the cool things about summer being a little slower work-wise, has been having the opportunity to hang out with my family and friends a little more, and plan actual vacations! And gave me some needed down time to take care of some physical health things that have improved my overall mental health as well. In my recovery, I took the opportunity to go through client files to close out old ones; get my receipts and payments and all that good stuff in order for taxes next year; and catching up on some reading. Fewer clients in the office means I’ve had more chances to focus on continuing education, learning more about the therapeutic styles I employ, as well as adding a few new tools to my counseling toolkit. So yes, I have embraced a slower summer schedule!

And with that, I leave you with a link about some parenting tips as I finish my cup of tea to go forth and tackle today’s client needs.
How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids: Use These 10 Tips