Unleash & Uncover

  To all LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! This is a month to celebrate the strength and love of the queer community. Pride month can be riddled with complications, from corporations putting rainbow stickers on their logos but not actually supporting any LGBTQ+ organizations or individuals with their time or money, to protests at pride from those who don't believe in basic human rights for all people.  In a counseling setting, it is incredibly important to find a provider who is not only tolerant of your identity and orientation, but affirming. I see many counselors and mental health providers touting that they are tolerant of their LGBTQ+ clients thinking it is a positive stance to sit in a neutral zone; not actively opposing LGBTQ+ rights and interests, and not actively advocating for equal treatment and rights. In short, tolerance sounds a lot like this: "I work with clients even if they are gay" "You can talk about your partner if you need to...

  "I'm so burnt out"     "I'm totally drained" "I've been burning the candle at both ends" "I'm running on empty" If you've ever said or thought this, you may have been suffering from burnout. Burnout is defined as " a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands," (Help Guide, 2021).  Over the past year, we have all been operating in a state of increased stress due to enduring constant changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic that have shifted our vocational and recreational activities. If you've found yourself feeling fatigued, exhausted, irritable, bored, and overall just feeling not like yourself, you are not alone. These changes can contribute to and exacerbate the symptoms of burnout. The most common symptoms of burnout are feeling tired, changes in mood, low energy, loss ...