Counseling amidst the Coronavirus: While video sessions are good, nothing can replace face-to-face sessions.
After nearly two months of being locked down and tucked away in my home office, I finally saw my first client in-person this week. While some clients are more cautious and have no issues with teletherapy, others have been asking if they could see me in-person.
So with a few safety adjustments to my office (mainly ensuring 6 feet of distance between us, requiring hand-washing of clients, etc.), I re-opened with little fanfare. But what was noticeable was how alive, energized, and rejuvenated I felt compared to the endless Zoom sessions I’ve been accustomed to that left me emotionally and physically drained, depleted, and exhausted.
Jogging while Black: The killing of Ahmaud Arbery exemplifies systemic racism in our society.
The video will make you cringe in horror. 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery is seen jogging on February 23rd near Brunswick, Georgia. He is confronted by two white men, Travis McMichael, 34, and his father, Gregory McMichael, 64, blocking the road with a truck. As Arbery tries to run around the truck, he is grabbed by one of the men and shortly thereafter you hear two gunshots, leaving him dead on the ground.
The killing occurred nearly 3 months ago but neither of the two men was arrested until camera video was released last week. Both were charged with murder and aggravated assault, two days after the graphic video of the shooting of Arbery became public.
Domestic Violence amidst a Pandemic: It includes “non-violent” behaviors too.
When you ask people to describe what domestic violence is, most will say it involves physical violence of some sort (i.e. hitting, slapping, kicking, shoving). But what most people don’t realize (including therapists), is there’s a number of other areas that are included in domestic violence also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), where the victim is never touched.
Now more than ever, as we are in the midst of a pandemic, the public needs to be aware of what domestic violence is as rates have surged due to stay at home protocols that limit a victim from accessing shelters and escaping an abusive home and relationship.
