I am finding it interesting to be going back to the classroom at this point in my life.  I plan to continue in my private practice while pursuing my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision.  I've always wanted to do this but only recently decided it was "now or never"!  Most of the classes are online through Capella University.  I was advised by a colleague that I respect greatly to go this route.  When he said it was not an easy degree program, I knew it would be a lot of work.  I was not expecting the adjustments to my learning style!!  This is my first online class, which I'm in the fourth week already.  It is SO different not having a teacher in front of the classroom or peers sitting next to you that you can lean over and ask a question.  The first two weeks I think I was totally petrified with the amount of reading and research (really!!) that I was expected to do.  

I have thought about the anxiety level that so many of my clients deal with on a daily basis and I'm really getting a taste of that myself.  It's funny that I can suggest to others what to do to get past it but it's a completely different thing to do it myself!!  You know the old saying about a plumber's wife always has stopped up drains...

Even though it will be a busy, hectic, two years, I'm feeling confident that I'm going to learn so much that will help me in my work and I'm looking forward to reaching that place to help other counselors LEARN how to do this job.  

I must go for now.  There's a paper due this week!  =)

It appears that it has been quite some time since I added a new post to my blog.  I am going to try to improve on that!  It has been a crazy few months:  total knee revision on my left knee in December and two new grandchildren born to my daughters in February!  

I've finally had a moment to take a breath and decided that I wanted to update my website and add a few photos tonight.  It's funny how the very things I encourage my clients to do all of the time are often the things that I forget to follow through myself.  I know that I need "down time" and "time to take care of myself" but it seems that my list keeps growing of things to do so I rarely take TIME OUT!  But when I do it brings such sweet relief from the stress of life.

I'm often asked how I can do this job every day.  It's really a thing I do because I love helping people.  It is so rewarding to see positive results when counseling.  I've learned how important it is to try to leave the issues and problems that we've worked on throughout the day at the office when I leave to go home.  Most of the time it works.  Occasionally I'll have one situation that is hard to shake off.  Those are usually ones that hit a personal note for me or that I feel that change is unlikely for them.  

I'm excited that spring is here.  I love this time of the year.  Even with the potential for storms, I love it!  It's wonderful to have more sunlight at the end of the day and to be able to put the top down on my little Volkswagen to head home.  That is actually very therapeutic for me!  I guess because that's the one time that I can literally feel my worries leaving me.  It's great.  

It's a busy time in my life as it is for most of you.  I encourage you to take time to enjoy it....remember it's all about the journey not the destination.  I need to remember that too!

I saw this statement on Facebook this week and thought it was extremely thought provoking.  It reaches out to so many of us in so many different areas of our lives.  

It seems that it is so easy to just continue with the "status quo" of how things are in our lives, even when we aren't very happy with how things are.

Why are we so afraid of change and why do we work so hard to resist it?  

I often see clients that are unhappy with areas of their life and come to counseling looking for a way to make things better.  However, when they begin sharing their background and the situations that bring them to counseling, I learn rather quickly what the real issue is.  They have been surrounding themselves with people and situations that do not help them work toward living their best life--allowing them to keep them in a shadow of the "status quo.'  

So, whether it is a good or bad thing that you are allowing in your life, as long as you continue to allow it nothing will change.

If someone is constantly critical of you, trying to control you, treating you unfairly, or in any way leading you away from peace and happiness in your life....perhaps you are encouraging that very treatment by allowing it to continue.  

Worth thinking about for sure.