h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello! And welcome back to the Guide!
I was actually new for the first time last week (if that makes any sense).
I am just completing my Masters in Counseling this May after four long years of study and interning. I look forward to your discussions and information. I'm interesting in posting information about self-improvement. In particular, I'm interested in couple issues and anger management. I also enjoy dream analysis (which may be a good topic to write a guide entry on if there isn't one already - I should make a note to myself).

Do you have a particular theoretical orientation (i.e. - person-centered, cognitive behavioral, etc.)?

Talk to you soon!
T.C. Burgerpants

Hi there fellow therapist! Cool that there are 2 of us doing similar stuff. Would welcome discussions about counselling and therapy definitely. To answer your questions... I am completing an MSc in Counselling Psychology in London. I currently work in a GP practice where I work integratively, mainly CBT, humanistic, systemic and a little bit of psychodynamic counselling. I am also aware of the lack of literature on anger management. I treated a man a little while back for anger management and am currently writing it up as a case study. Maybe I could post it up on my site, or e-mail it to you if you wanted.

I've not worked with a couple as yet, only a mother and daughter for one session, which was interesting. As for dream analysis, I do feel dreams are often relavent to what's going on upstairs. Have you read any Jung? I dreamt of giraffes climbing on buildings last night - what the hell does that mean?!!! I wonder what Jung would make of that??

Where are you studying, and what is your orientation? Look forward to your reply.
Psycho

I'm studying in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. My degree will also be an MSC in Counseling. I don't know how different that is from Counseling Psychology, but it looks like we may be getting a similar background. I'm in a really good program here at the University. I mainly work from a person-centered (Rogerian or humanistic) perspective. But I really like CBT as well and use CBT techniques in my work. I am a Campus Minister at our church and will be doing counseling with college students as well as developing a private practice out of that office (a dream in itself, I'm told private practices are a pain to get going).

I would be very interested in your case study. I haven't done a lot of research into Anger Management yet, but I think that it is an area that needs to be highlighted in the mental health field. I've read a book called "The Other Side Of Love" which is by Gary Chapman. He is a Christian Marital/Family Counselor and presents a good model for dealing with anger in relationships. However, it's not a definitive work on Anger Management, and though it can easily be secularized, the Christian bent to it can be a turn off for some people.

I haven't read any Jung yet, though I have been to a few presentations. I thought I would wait until after I finished my degree before I did any intensive study of Jung. From what I gather, his work requires a great deal time to grasp and I'm a pretty slow reader because I don't move to the next paragraph until I understand the one I just read. Dream interpretation is cool, but so far I have only interpreted my own dreams (and my sister's a couple of times). It's not a major part of my work as a counselor.

I would like to get a specialization in Music Therapy. I'm a musician and I love to listen to a wide variety of music, so someday I would like to work that into my practice.