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(We have resources on many other topics not listed here, so please reach out to us with any questions.)
| Addiction and Substance Abuse | According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), nearly 20 million American adults battled a substance use disorder in 2017. Practitioners in the helping professions are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the trajectory of the substance abuse epidemic and in the lives of those most intimately affected by it. |
| Anxiety and Stress | The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2023), identifies Anxiety disorders as the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million Americans (18 and older). Specific disorders falling under Anxiety include General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder (PD, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Stress, and specific Phobias. |
| Cultural Conflicts | Decades of empirical research and data mined from practice confirms that racial or ethnic factors may act as impediments to counseling (Carkhuff & Pierce, 1967; Ruiz & Padilla, in press; Sue, 1975; Vontress, 1971), just as they may be barriers to any interpersonal communication. |
| Depression | Tied to diminished quality of life, relationship and familial strain, and suicidal ideation, depression afflicts roughly 3.8% of the U.S. population. Barriers to effective care including financial hardship and social stigma associated with treatment seeking are as prevalent as this widely afflictive disorder. |
| Grief and Loss | Types of grief and loss include separations from loved others, incapacitation, bereavement, migration, relocation, job losses, birth of a baby, retirement, and professional loss. The stress of major loss can increases risk of heart disease and suicide and contribute to psychiatric disorders, such as clinical depression and anxiety. The complex process of grieving, however, can also foster personal growth and maturity. |
| Life Transitions | Both positive and negative life changes can cause stress. A person facing a life transition that will affect their life might experience depression, anxiety, or fatigue. When change disrupts an individual's normal coping mechanisms, that individual may be diagnosed with an adjustment disorder. |
| Racism and Discrimination | Resources for understanding racism's effect on individuals' mental health, reflecting on historical and cultural informants of racial and intergenerational trauma, and developing skills for addressing clients' experiences of interpersonal, internalized, systemic, and institutional racism; discrimination; oppression; and racial trauma in clinical practice and social science research. |
| Relationship Issues | Difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships are a common reason for clients to seek outside help – whether it is between romantic partners, siblings, parent and child, friendships, or colleagues. Also, the obstacles will be as varied as the kinds of relationships: loneliness, abuse, poor communication, different viewpoints or priorities, intimacy issues, codependency, severe illness, and more. |
| Sexuality and Gender | While sexual orientation/identity is separate and distinct from gender identity, worries about these issues – as well as more general issues related to sexual intimacy – can profoundly affect a person’s mood, thoughts, and well-being. Sexual diversity counselors strive to be affirming and supportive as the difficulties these clients face can be especially painful and isolating. |
| Trauma and PTSD | Trauma results from exposure to an incident or series of events that are emotionally disturbing or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a recognized psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 5% of Americans – or more than 13 million people. |
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