Promoting Self-Care for the Public , and for LCMHCs
From the Interim CEO / ED
By Beverly Smith , PhD , LPC , NCC , CCMHC , ACS , NCSC , CFT , HS-BCP , BCC , MAC , BC-TMH , CCTP , BCPCC AMHCA President , 2021 – 2022 , and Interim CEO / ED
Promoting Self-Care for the Public , and for LCMHCs
Last year , I started researching how AMHCA could strategically promote self-care among Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors ( LCMHCs ). The pandemic served as a catalyst for recognizing the ways that stress and isolation affect our clients , our communities , our practices , and ourselves — and the need for routine self-care . As a result , I ’ ve been thinking about how AMHCA could intentionally : incorporate new self-care initiatives into the framework of membership benefits ; build self-care activities and workshops into our Annual Conference ; infuse well-being initiatives into the fabric of the AMHCA organization ; and provide ongoing self-care guidance to the public .
Self-care not only includes awareness ; it requires deliberately preserving wellness and well-being in all aspects of our lives : mental and emotional , professional and educational , financial , spiritual , physical , and social . Often , the reflexive approach to self-care is to focus on physical wellness and well-being , which includes a healthy diet , regular exercise , staying hydrated , and routine physical check-ups . Though physical wellness is important , mental wellness and well-being are equally important and too often overlooked .
Including Ourselves in the Need for Ongoing Self-Care
Strategic self-care focuses on awareness , knowledge , and demonstrated skills of the individual , professional , and the collective efforts of the community . Last year , I began a series of conversations with AMHCA members to take the pulse of people connected to each other through their connection to AMHCA . In addition to being AMHCA ’ s Interim chief executive officer and executive director , I have worked for more than 27 years as a psychotherapist , traumatologist , and behavior specialist . In bringing my experience to my interactions as part of “ Coffee & Conversations ,” my determination has grown to enable AMHCA to help LCMHCs — and the public — not only to recognize the importance of regular self-care , but also to encourage self-care as a priority .
Another issue that generated consensus from “ Coffee & Conversations ” was the idea of creating safe spaces for self-care that fostered compassion , gratitude , empathy , nonjudgment , and hope . Part of AMHCA ’ s goal is to serve the public , our patients , and our profession , while also giving attention to our own mental healthcare — life happens to everyone , including LCMHCs ! To encourage attendees to pause for self-care while at AMHCA ’ s 2024 Annual Conference , the Conference Planning Committee lined up multiple self-care opportunities , including aromatherapy , chair yoga , meditation , breath-work , and sound baths , which “ bathe ” a person with sound waves to reduce stress and aid relaxation . ( For more on the conference theme , and a sampling of photos and tributes from the conference , see page 8 .)
This was the first time AMHCA offered comprehensive , guided attention to self-care at the conference . AMHCA will continue promoting pausing for self-care by engaging in relaxing activities ; focusing on positive connections with family and friends ; discovering gratitude in daily life ; practicing calming the mind ; and taking breaks from life ’ s stresses . Acknowledging our thoughts and feelings while nurturing our authentic selves is one of the most important aspects of who we are as humans and as LCMHCs . How we silence the “ noise ” in our lives and set healthy emotional boundaries for personal and professional growth is important for resiliency . We hope to hear about your journey to continuous self-care . For more reflections and tips on self-care , see pages 9 – 23 of this issue .
AMHCA Board of Directors
President , 2024 – 2025 Yoon Suh Moh , PhD president @ amhca . org
President-Elect Courtney Ackerson presidentelect @ amhca . org
Past President Deirdra Sanders-Burnett , PhD pastpresident @ amhca . org
Treasurer G . Michael Pilcher , PhD treasurer @ amhca . org
Secretary Corey Milsap , PhD secretary @ amhca . org
Director-at-Large Luis Charles Hines , PhD directoratlarge @ amhca . org
North Atlantic Region Director Seth Wizwer northatlanticregiondirector @ amhca . org
Southern Region Director Cheryl Cummings , PhD southernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Midwest Region Director Napoleon Harrington , DBH midwestregiondirector @ amhca . org
Western Region Director Shannon Thompson westernregiondirector @ amhca . org
Graduate Student Representative Marcela Kepic , PhD graduatestudentrep @ amhca . org
AMHCA Staff
• Interim CEO / ED Beverly Smith , PhD DrBSmith @ amhca . org
• Director of Communications Whitney Meyerhoeffer wmeyerhoeffer @ amhca . org
• Director of Membership Melissa McShepard mmcshepard @ amhca . org
• Director of Events Rebecca Woodson rwoodson @ amhca . org
The Advocate Magazine 2024 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org 55