The Thoughtful Counselor

A conversation with Dr. Dee Ray - professor of counseling and higher education at the University of North Texas and Director of the Child and Family Resource Clinic - on what play therapy is (and what it's not), the functions and messages of play, and the long history of history and effectiveness of play therapy. Dee's Faculty Page at University of North Texas A Therapist's Guide to Child Development: The Extraordinarily Normal Years Center for Play Therapy @ UNT The Association for Play Therapy For the APA citation for this episode visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com

A conversation Dr. Samuel Gladding - professor and chair of the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and former president of the American Counseling Association - on defining creativity, creative mediums counselors can employ in their work, and the SCAMPER model of becoming more creative. Oh, and a poetry reading. Sam's website at Wake Forest University Sam's book: The Creative Arts in Counseling (5th edition) at Amazon Rainer Maria Rilke's I Love the Dark Hours of My Beijing... Maya Angelou's Human Family

A conversation with Dr. Donna Sheperis - remote core faculty at Palo Alto University, former co-chair of the ACA Ethics Committee, and author of numerous articles and a textbook on counseling ethics - on how counselors can navigate counseling after a turbulent and divisive election. We talk about post-election stress, managing values conflicts with our clients, helping clients prepare for the holidays, and the counseling profession's role as advocates for minorities and the marginalized. Email Donna at: dsheperis@paloaltou.edu Donna's faculty page at PAU Donna's Book: Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor

A conversation with Dr. Janeé R. Avent - assistant professor in the counselor education program at East Carolina University - on African American mental health, the need for counselors to understand African American spirituality and the influence of the Black church, and general best practices for counseling and advocacy with our African American clients. An article in The Professional Counselor by Janeé called The Black Church: Theology and Implications for Counseling African Americans Janeé's staff page at ECU Email Janeé at aventj16@ecu.edu

A conversation with Dr. Megan Speciale - assistant professor in the counseling program at Palo Alto University - on defining sexuality, how to bring talk about sex into the counseling room, understanding sexual wellness, and being culturally sensitive with clients from diverse backgrounds. Megan's email is mspeciale@paloaltou.edu Megan's profile at PAU Visit www.thethoughtfulcounselor.com for the APA citation for this episode.

A conversation with Warwick Pudney - professor of counseling and psychotherapy at Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand with a specialization in violence and trauma - about systemic influences on how we experience and express anger, working with anger in children, adolescents, as well as men, and our expression of anger as an indicator of helplessness. Warwick is the co-author (with Elaine Whitehouse) of A Volcano in My Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger Warwick's profile at AUT

A conversation with Dr. Allison Kramer - assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University - on navigating multiple/dual relationships, attending your client's wedding (among other things), and the risks of post-therapy friendships with your clients. Allison's bio at Johnson & Wales University Allison's article in CT Today - "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Dr. Barry Duncan discusses common factors in therapy, emphasizing client feedback. The importance of building strong alliances and focusing on client strengths for effective therapy is highlighted. The podcast also explores the challenges and effectiveness of psychotherapy, as well as the evolution of outcome measures towards client-focused approaches.

A conversation with Dr. Laura Hensley Choate - professor counselor education at Louisiana State University and author of several books including Girls and Women's Wellness: Contemporary Counseling Issues and Interventions and Swimming Upstream: Parenting Girls for Resilience in a Toxic Culture - on the toxic culture that encapsulates girls and young women and how counselors can help them build resilience. You can connect with Laura via: Facebook Twitter @drlaurachoate Girls, Women, and Wellness (Laura's blog @ Psychology Today) Laura Profile at LSU Laura's Amazon Author Page

A conversation with Dr. George Hu - a clinical psychologist and Director of Psychology and Mental Health at Jiahui International Clinic in Shanghai - about the stigmas around counseling for men, common presenting concerns, and strategies to build a strong alliance with your male clients. You can email George at george.hu@jiahui.com or view his profile at http://www.jiahui.com/en/ourteam/doctors/george-hu/