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Name: Candice Reiling

Program: LPC

Professional goal: My professional goal is to become a licensed professional counselor and become employed as an LPC.

Personal Goal: My personal goal is to make it through graduate school while raising a velcro baby and a teenager whose band activities take up way too much of everyone’s time, while also remodeling my home and keeping all the animals on my tiny little farm alive.

I want to gain a deeper understanding of trauma overall. I am interested in the long-term effects of trauma as well as how to support someone in their healing process.

Code of Ethics: https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

The American Counseling Association maintains the code of ethics for Licensed Counselors. As an LPC, I will follow this specific code of ethics daily.

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Introduction and assessing prior knowledge

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Introduction and assessing prior knowledge

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In America a total of 1 in 5 adults have mental health issues. This number was shocking to learn. Even more shocking is the huge number of people who are going untreated everyday.

Part of the issue is it can be hard to motivate people to access help but it can also be very hard to access help even when motivated.

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This reference guide includes information for different mental health disorders and breaks them down into subcategories. One thing I learned while doing this research is that all mental health disorders need to be treated as quickly as possible. Earlier intervention leads to much better outcomes and reduces safety risks for the individual and those around them. Left untreated, all of the disorders lead to either aggression, health issues, suicide risk, or risk of death. Therapy, medication, and inpatient options are all choices for treating mental health issues.

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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I believe that the ACE studies are an important starting point, but they may be missing some significant factors.

Trauma can come from so many sources and be seen so differently by different people. Personally, I see some sexist aspects to the ACEs.

Chronic trauma and complex trauma have some key differences, but can be similar in presentation. My theory is that vicarious and organizational trauma often go hand in hand.

Children are more susceptible to trauma overall because they are more vulnerable. Therapists should always be trauma and grief-informed.

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The documentary was eye-opening in many ways. I learned a lot from researching and then from watching the documentary. The trauma from this school shooting spread throughout the nation and had tragic, long-lasting effects for the people involved.

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate

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This program taught me a lot about helping in the event of a crisis. The details about how to engage with people and help them during a crisis event were helpful.

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online_Certificate

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This crisis prevention and intervention plan was based on teen dating violence within schools. The plan details how to identify at-risk students, assess for needs, and intervene in identified issues. Dating violence is a serious issue within schools and multiple community agencies are important in implementing crisis planning and intervention.

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The ABC model is a guide for supporting clients during a crisis. The process of creating rapport with clients by showing empathy and using appropriate verbal and non-verbal techniques is laid out in the as well as the steps for supporting a client to find appropriate services.

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!!!Free counseling for anyone who has ever been in foster care

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!!!Free counseling for anyone who has ever been in foster care

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For 30 years, we've connected individuals currently or previously in foster care with dedicated volunteer therapists, empowering both to thrive.

2024 is A Home Within's 30th Anniversary! Throughout the year we're celebrating the strength that comes from our extraordinary history, and enlisting our community in building the future.

If you're a therapist and can offer one free hour of therapy each week to an individual with experience in foster care, we invite you to join the A Home Within community! Volunteers gain access to ongoing virtual clinical consultation, continuing education, and a variety of individualized professional development opportunities.

It is one of the most rewarding experiences of my clinical career, and now, more than ever, the best antidote to helplessness in the face of social injustice I have found.
- A Home Within Volunteer

I am so thankful for this amazing program that has, and does, change my life. My therapist says what we don't treat we repeat, I'm not repeating any of these cycles.
- A Home Within Client

We provide open-ended, individual psychotherapy-free of charge-to current and former foster youth. If you've experienced foster care and are interested in receiving one free hour of therapy each week from an A Home Within-affiliated therapist, we encourage you to learn more about our network and services.

At a Glance

16,000 hours of free therapy provided each year.

Over 600,000 youth in foster care nationwide need access to mental healthcare.

Over 500 therapists in 20 chapters across 10 states.

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For 30 years, we've connected individuals currently or previously in foster care with dedicated volunteer therapists, empowering both to thrive. 2024 is A Home Within's 30th Anniversary! Throughout the year we're celebrating the strength that comes from our extraordinary history, and enlisting our community in building the future.

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Therapeutic group is a general term that refers to groups with the purposes of increasing members ’knowledge of themselves and others, clarifying the changes them want to make in their lives, and providing them with tools needed to make these changes.

Task groups, also known as task facilitation groups, focus on the application of group dynamics principles and processes to improve practice and foster accomplishment of identified work goals.

Psychoeducation groups focus on developing member's cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills through a structured set of procedures within and across group meetings. Structured groups focus on a particular theme and are often psychoeducational in nature.

Counseling groups focus on interpersonal process and problem-solving strategies that stress conscious thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Psychotherapy groups have the purpose of assisting members remediate psychological problems.

Brief group therapy (BGT) generally refers to groups that are time limited, structured and last 2 to 3 months, and consist of 8 to 12 weekly meetings.

Support Groups: a group of people with common experiences and concerns who provide emotional and moral support for one another

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Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2010).Groups: Process and practice, 8thed.       Merriam-Webster:

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Do include:

individuals who share a common problem or concern

members with similar diagnostic backgrounds (Homogeneous groups) or,

a mix of individuals with different emotional problems (heterogeneous groups)

typically range from 5-12 people

Do not include:

individuals who are homicidal, psychotic, or in the
midst of a major life crisis ( until stabilized)

individuals with organic brain injury and other cognitive impairments

individuals with sociopathic traits

Self help groups such as AA are outside the scope of therapy

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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-Instillation of hope: progress of others gives group members hope

-Universality: group members feel similar and understood rather than isolated

-Information giving: Group members learn more information about their shared illness

-Altruism: group members have a chance to help and support others increasing their self worth

-corrective recapitulation of the primary family: group relationships can resemble and improve upon the group member's experiences with their family of origin

-Improved social skills: group members offer and receive feedback on the appropriateness of each others behavior leading to improved relationships in and out of the group

-imitative behavior: group members experience appropriate behaviors and skills as modeled by the therapist

-Interpersonal learning: group members are given opportunities to improve their ability to relate and connect to others

-Group cohesiveness: group members can feel truly accepted and valued within the group leading to a sense of belonging

-catharsis: group members may be lead to a felling of catharsis- a powerful emotional experience that includes the release of either conscious or unconscious feelings followed by a feeling of great relief

-Existential factors: group members are allowed to explore their feelings surrounding unavoidable existential factors such as death, isolation, freedom and meaninglessness after the foundation of trust and openness is established within the group helping the to accept difficult realities.

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Psychotherapy. 4th edition. Basic Books, New York, NY,

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Yalom, Irvin D. The Theory and Practice of Group

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Leadership styles are classifications of how a person behaves while directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. There are many leadership styles. Some of the most widely discussed include: authoritarian (autocratic), participative (democratic), delegative (laissez-faire), transformational, transactional, and situational.

Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate. As you start to consider some of the people who you think of as great leaders, you can immediately see that there are often vast differences in how each person leads.

Fortunately, researchers have developed different theories and frameworks that allow us to better identify and understand these different leadership styles.

Lewin's Leadership Styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership.﻿﻿ While further research has identified more distinct types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles that have provided a springboard for more defined leadership theories.

In Lewin's study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. The researchers found that democratic leadership tended to be the most effective at inspiring followers to perform well.

Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic)

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.

Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership.﻿﻿ Lewin also concluded that it is harder to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

Lewin's study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin's study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a higher quality.

Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group.

Delegative Leadership (Laissez-Faire)

Lewin found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently.

Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members. While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin noted that laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work.

Observations About Lewin's Leadership Styles

In their book, The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, Bass and Bass note that authoritarian leadership is often presented solely in negative, often disapproving, terms. Authoritarian leaders are often described as controlling and close-minded, yet this overlooks the potential positives of stressing rules, expecting obedience, and taking responsibility.

While authoritarian leadership certainly is not the best choice for every situation, it can be effective and beneficial in cases where followers need a great deal of direction and where rules and standards must be followed to the letter. Another often overlooked benefit of the authoritarian style is the ability to maintain a sense of order.

Bass and Bass note that democratic leadership tends to be centered on the followers and is an effective approach when trying to maintain relationships with others. People who work under such leaders tend to get along well, support one another, and consult other members of the group when making decisions.

Additional Leadership Styles and Models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, researchers have described numerous other characteristic patterns of leadership. A few of the best-known include:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.

These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential.

Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles. One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members.

Transactional Leadership

The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed.

Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Situational Leadership

Situational theories of leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership stylesis one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

1. Telling: Telling people what to do

2. Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages

3. Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process

4. Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions

Later, Blanchard expanded upon the original Hersey and Blanchard model to emphasize how the developmental and skill level of learners influences the style that should be used by leaders. Blanchard's SLII leadership styles model also described four different leading styles:

1. Directing: Giving orders and expecting obedience, but offering little guidance and assistance

2. Coaching: Giving lots of orders, but also lots of support

3. Supporting: Offering plenty of help, but very little direction

4. Delegating: Offering little direction or support

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It seems like there are as many different styles of leadership as there are leaders. Discover some of the most common leadership style frameworks.

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What local group therapy options are available? 

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What local group therapy options are available? 

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Texas Family Institute:

Offers twice-monthly educational workshops on Saturdays starting September 6, 2025, at 100 Chestnut St. #101 to support individuals with depression and other life struggles.

NAMI Abilene:

Provides general meetings and connection/family support groups on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Mental Health America of Abilene:

Hosts an open support group on Thursdays from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at 333 Orange Street, with no cost or referral needed. They also have a bipolar support group every Tuesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

GriefShare:

Offers support groups for grief recovery through local churches like Pioneer Drive Baptist, First Baptist, and Wylie Baptist.

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Daniel Goleman - Emotional Intelligence, Social Intelligence, Ecological Intelligence

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Welcome to the website and blog of psychologist Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., author of the New York Times bestseller Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Dr. Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses.

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Trauma / PTSD: How to Cope & Understand Their Impact - The Mental Health Coalition

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Trauma and PTSD can be overcome. This Roadmap provides an understanding of what trauma and PTSD are, their potential impact, how to cope, and where to find credible resources to further your healing journey.

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https://westcoastuniversity.edu/blog/cultural-competence-in-counseling

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Tips for Survivors- Coping with Grief After a Disaster or Traumatic Event

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• Boys Town Suicide and Crisis Line: 800-448-3000 (voice) / 800-448-1833 (TDD)

• Covenant House Hotline: 800-999-9999 • National Youth Crisis Hotline: 800-442-HOPE

• ChildHelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-4-A-CHILD (voice) / 800-2-A-CHILD (TDD)

• National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-25-ABUSE Domestic Violence Hotlines

• National Domestic Violence/Child Abuse/Sexual Abuse Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (voice) / 800-787- 3224 (TDD) / 800-942-6908 (Spanish speaking)

• Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-829-1122 Substance Abuse/Alcoholism Hotlines •Al-ateen: 800-352-9996

• National Cocaine Hotline: 800-COCAINE • National Drug Information Treatment and Referral Hotline: 800-662-HELP Poison Control Hotline

• Poison Control: 800-362-9922 Rape Hotline

• National Rape Crisis Hotline: 800-656-4673 Suicide Prevention Hotlines

• National Suicide Hotline: 800-SUICIDE (voice) / 800-799-4TTY (TDD)

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK / 888-628-9454 (Spanish speaking)

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Workbooks, Videos, Worksheets, Guides, Booklets, Advice Sheets, Story Books, Downloads & Printables

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Mental Health Coalition Resource Library 

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Mental Health Coalition Resource Library 

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We all have mental health, and it's more important
now than ever that we take care of ourselves

For immediate support 24/7, reach out to Crisis Text Line by texting COALITION to 741741, or call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. It's free and highly confidential, unless it's essential to contact emergency services to keep you or your friend safe. In an emergency call 911.

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Resource Library - The Mental Health Coalition

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Find mental health resources & help for anxiety, stress, depression, grief, therapy, parents, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities & more.

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U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). The vicarious trauma toolkit. Office for Victims of Crime. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/vtt/what-is-vicarious-trauma. 

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What is Vicarious Trauma? | The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit | OVC

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Find a definition of vicarious trauma and how organizations can addressing the negative impact of this occupational challenge on their employees.

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Explore free resources to help children’s mental health before there’s a crisis or concern, covering topics from anxiety, happiness, social media and more.

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Free Psychoeducational Resources | Judy Belmont | Belmont Wellness

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Free psychoeducational resources for mental health and emotional wellness

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American Counseling Association. (2014). Code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Cherry, Kendra. (2023, June 23). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2010).Groups: Process and practice, 8thed.

U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). The vicarious trauma toolkit. Office for Victims of Crime. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/vtt/what-is-vicarious-trauma.

Yalom Irvin D. (1995).The theory and practice of group psychotherapy(4th ed.).New York: Basic Books.