The Advocate Spring 2021
DEPARTMENTS
MEMBER REFLECTIONS / page 2 Helping those who are incarcerated , and working to heal a broken system By Sara Pickett , LPCC , NCC
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY / page 10 Don ’ t sell our profession short ! See how our profession stacks up against other mental health professions By Gray Otis , PhD , LCMHC , DCMHS-T
COUNSELOR ’ S DIGEST / page 14 Links to relevant research and results in the field . By Kathleen McCarthy
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE NEWS / page 15 Links to articles that spotlight the relevance of mental health By Kathleen McCarthy
ETHICS FAQ / page 24 Your questions , and the Ethics Committee ’ s answers
new !
new !
FEATURE ARTICLES
BLINDSIDED BY COVID-19 : ENDEAVORING THROUGH UNEXPECTED DEATH-RELATED LOSS / page 16 Grief differs during the pandemic , and strategies and best practices to help grieving clients cope
By Marcela Kepic , PhD , LPC , NCC , ACS
ARE WE REALLY HELPING ? COUNSLEING DIVERSE CLIENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS / page 20 Identifying access barriers , stress , and strategies for treating diverse clients with eating disorders
By Paula Edwards-Gayfield , LCMHCS , LPC , CEDS-S
• AMHCA Election Results for Three Positions :
INSIDE AMHCA : pages 6 – 9
President-Elect , North Atlantic Region Director , and Southern Region Director
• Former AMHCA Executive Director / CEO Joel Miller Retires After Eight Years — with tributes from colleagues and other association leaders
• Updated AMHCA Standards Includes Two New Standards : Forensic Evaluation and Gender Identity Counseling
• AMHCA Book —“ Essentials of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Profession ”— Is Updated
• A Social Worker Claims That the Social Work Degree Is Superior to a “ Counseling ” Degree — AMHCA Disagrees and Explains Why
• AMHCA Advocates for Expanding the Affordable Care Act , and for Mental Health Policy Reform
COLUMNS
From The President ’ s Perspective — page 4
By Beverly Smith , PhD , LPC , CPCS , NCC , MAC , ACS , CCMHC , NCSC , CFT , BC-TMH , HS-BCP , CCTP 45 th AMHCA President , 2021 – 2022
From AMHCA ’ s Executive Director / CEO — page 5
By Joel Miller , Former AMHCA Executive Director / CEO
CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS
Clinical mental health counseling is a distinct profession with national standards for education , training and clinical practice . Clinical mental health counselors are highly skilled professionals who provide flexible , consumer-oriented therapy . They combine traditional psychotherapy with a practical , problem-solving approach that creates a dynamic and efficient path for change and problem resolution . The mission of AMHCA is to enhance the profession of clinical mental health counseling through advocacy , education and collaboration .
The Advocate Magazine Spring 2021 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA )
www . amhca . org 33