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References

Agency, T. E. (2020, December 14). Grief Informed & Trauma Informed Practices. Tea.texas.gov. https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/mental-health/grief-informed-trauma-informed-practices

Australian Institute of Professional Counselors. (2009). Five Counselling Microskills. AIPC Article Library. https://www.aipc.net.au/articles/five-counselling-microskills/

Boston Children's Hospital. (2024). Suicide and Teens | Boston Children’s Hospital. Www.childrenshospital.org. https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/suicide-and-teens

CarePatron. (2025, January 16). Counseling Referral Form & Template | Free PDF Download. Www.carepatron.com. https://www.carepatron.com/templates/counseling-referral-form

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 29). Suicide data and statistics. Suicide Prevention; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html

Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2011). Supporting children with traumatic grief: What educators need to know. School Psychology International, 32(2), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034311400827

Healthery. (2018, October 12). Mental Health Statistics in America (US) (Statistics, Facts, and Data). YouTube. https://youtu.be/aCyd_3zqkhY

Hughes, R. L. (2025). Cultural Competence in Counseling. Youtube; Innova Recovery. https://youtu.be/WvngSjvmFko?si=wlojcwtatxJALN8K

Mental Health America. (2020). Take a Mental Health Test. Mental Health America Screening 2 Supports. https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/

MHMR Tarrant. (2024). About Us – My Health My Resources of Tarrant County. Mhmrtarrant.org. https://mhmrtarrant.org/about-us/

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (n.d.). Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

NTBHA. (n.d.). Home. North Texas Behavioral Health Authority. https://ntbha.org/

Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. (n.d.). Categories of Trauma .

Right Choice Recovery. (2024, November 13). Trauma Therapy: Types, Techniques, Processes and Challenges. Right Choice Recovery. https://rightchoicerecoverynj.com/addiction/therapy/trauma/

SafeHaven. (n.d.). SafeHaven of Tarrant County | Freedom From Domestic Violence. SafeHaven. https://www.safehaventc.org/

Skuse, T., & Matthew, J. (2018). Trauma recovery model. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/04/Trauma-recovery-model.pdf

Sue, S., Zane, N., Nagayama Hall, G. C., & Berger, L. K. (2009). The case for cultural competency in psychotherapeutic interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 525–548. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163651

Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas. (2014). Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas. Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas. https://www.sccenter.org/

Tarrant County Texas. (2021). Emergency/Crisis Issues. Tarrant County TX. https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/domestic-relations-office/child-support/additional-resources/emergency-crisis-issues.html

Texas Secretary of State. (2024). Texas Administrative Code. State.tx.us. https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac

Trauma Support Services. About Us | Trauma Support Services of North Texas | United States. Mysite. https://www.traumasupportservices.org/

Vasiljević, F., Ryan, J., Pietri, M., & Lin, A. (2021). Crisis Intervention: Video, Causes, & Meaning | Osmosis. Osmosis. https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Crisis_Intervention

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Grief and Trauma Practices provided by Schools

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Grief and Trauma Practices provided by Schools

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Pursuant to TEC §38.351 Section (b) and Sub-section (c-5) each school district may select programs related to this area of mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention for appropriate implementation in the district. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children and adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, grief and trauma. Schools can create grief and trauma-informed environments that mitigate against the impacts of trauma and grief, and nurture resilience. Resources related to this component of school mental health can foster grief and trauma-informed competencies, help reduce the effects of trauma and grief on children by recognizing trauma responses, inform accommodating and responding to traumatized students with evidence-based strategies within the classroom, educate and inform parents and families, and equip school student support teams to connect students and their families to mental health professionals when necessary.

To view resources on this component of school mental health you can visit the new Texas School Mental Health Website for the Mental and Behavioral Health Recommended Evidence-Based Programs and Research-Based Practices Repository.  This repository is updated as resources are reviewed and approved.

Return to Mental and Behavioral Health home page.

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Grief Informed & Trauma Informed Practices

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Pursuant to TEC §38.351 Section (b) and Sub-section (c-5) each school district may select programs related to this area of mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention for appropriate implementation in the district. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children and adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, grief and trauma.

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Search items by entering keyword(s) in the search field. The table will filter the results as you type.
Click the header of a column to alphabetically sort the items. Click again to reverse the order of the sort.

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SafeHaven’s 24-Hour Hotline: 1-877-701-7233

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For over 40 years, SafeHaven has been working to develop practical resources to educate, safety plan, and share information necessary to end domestic violence.

Whether you are looking for more information, or hoping to share material to a group, we have the resources for you.
Click here for a full list of resources

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SafeHaven of Tarrant County - Freedom From Domestic Violence

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For over 40 years, SafeHaven has been working to develop practical resources to educate, safety plan, and share information necessary to end domestic violence. Whether you are looking for more information, or hoping to share material to a group, we have the resources for you.

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Suicide crisis hotline at 214-828-1000.

Can also text "CONNECT" to 741741 anytime to reach trained, caring volunteers at the National Crisis Text Line.

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Crisis can strike any time, day or night. When feelings of hopelessness, isolation, shame, and anxiety lead people to think that suicide is their only option, they can't wait for help. They need to talk to someone at our suicide and crisis hotline...now.

2020 Fashion Stars for a Cause (FSFAC) Event Postponed

Thank you for joining Suicide and Crisis Center (SCCenter) in our very important mission to help so many in our communities through suicide prevention and crisis intervention. We feel in the current environment with COVID-19 that the responsible thing for SCCenter to do is postpone the Fashion Stars for a Cause (FSFAC) event until a more appropriate time.

This was not an easy decision as this event raises much needed funds for our programs (Teens Can Survive and Survivors of Suicide) as well as our 24/7 Crisis line which receives 2,000 calls a month. We believe this is a correct and responsible decision. Our primary concern in postponing the event is the health, safety and welfare of our generous donors, sponsors and participants.

Our 2020 Fashion Stars for the Cause join us in thanking you for your understanding. We pray for the safety of all during this time. We will be back with more information on rescheduling the FSFAC event.

24/7 Suicide & Crisis Hotline

If you are in crisis or have suicidal thoughts, please call our suicide crisis hotline at 214-828-1000. You can also text "CONNECT" to 741741 anytime to reach trained, caring volunteers at the National Crisis Text Line.

Guidelines for Media Reporting of Suicide

Suicide is a public health issue that should be handled with care and sensitivity when it comes to reporting by various news and media outlets. This is especially true in regard to headlines that may sensationalize or glamorize death, whether it be intentional or not. While such headlines may capture the reader's attention, an unintentional effect can be a higher risk of additional suicides. If you are a member of the media or press reporting on a suicide, please click the View Guidelines button to download best practices for reporting on this tragic public health issue.

Stay In Touch

Stay in-the-know by signing up for email updates on upcoming events and important information and statistics. You will also have access to newsletters that contain stories and articles about suicide, tips on surviving (for survivors of suicide), and information about current and/or past events. You can sign up for updates by clicking on the button below or text "HOPELINE" to 22828 (message and data rates may apply).

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Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas

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Crisis can strike any time, day or night. When feelings of hopelessness, isolation, shame, and anxiety lead people to think that suicide is their only option, they can't wait for help. They need to talk to someone at our suicide and crisis hotline...now.

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Dallas/Fort Worth Trauma Support Services

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Dallas/Fort Worth Trauma Support Services

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Trauma; Counseling; Mental Health; Training; Trauma Support Services of North Texas

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24/7 Crisis Hotline: 866.260.8000 or 844.672.5700

If you or someone you know is struggling or needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at, 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Reference

NTBHA. (n.d.). Home. North Texas Behavioral Health Authority. https://ntbha.org/

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North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) Information (for Dallas County)

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North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) Information (for Dallas County)

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Contact to connect or re-connect to services:
Dallas County
CCReferrals@ntbha.org | (800) 241-8716

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North Texas Behavioral Health Authority - ...think populations ...see individuals.

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NTBHA - North Texas Behavioral Health Authority

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Connect to Services Contact to connect or re-connect to services: Dallas County CCReferrals@ntbha.org | (800) 241-8716 Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall Counties SouthandEastCareCoordinators@ntbha.org | (469) 780-9159 crisis services 24/7 Crisis Hotline: 866.260.8000 or 844.672.5700 In the event of a life-threatening emergency, contact 9-1-1 If you or someone you know is struggling or needs support

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NTBHA

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For Mental Health Crisis Call/Text:

800-866-2465

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The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.

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About Us - My Health My Resources of Tarrant County

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My Health My Resources of Tarrant County

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Cultural competency is crucial for effectively counseling others. Understanding and cooperating with someone's cultural background is important for creating a relationship and gaining that individual's trust. If that person feels that you can relate to them or at least understand and see where they are coming from, that gives them more freedom to open up and share what they are going through/experiencing. Also, this understanding space makes them feel more welcomed to be themselves and share.

As a counselor, it is also important to be aware of what generational trauma your client could have possibly endured. Additionally, it is good to be aware of what cultural practices your client might practice. This will make you more aware of some behavior patterns and thought patterns. Ultimately, cultural competency is so important, especially in a future role of counseling others.

As a future counselor, I should make it my priority to make sure that I have an understanding and awareness of all cultures. I must be prepared to work with all people and be able to relate or at least understand them at certain levels. This will help me make them feel seen, comfortable, and ready to share.

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A great article showing examples of when Cultural Competency assists in Therapy

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A great article showing examples of when Cultural Competency assists in Therapy

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Reference

Sue, S., Zane, N., Nagayama Hall, G. C., & Berger, L. K. (2009). The case for cultural competency in psychotherapeutic interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 525–548. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163651

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The Case for Cultural Competency in Psychotherapeutic Interventions

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Cultural competency practices have been widely adopted in the mental health field because of the disparities in the quality of services delivered to ethnic minority groups. In this review, we examine the meaning of cultural competency, positions…

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Training on the Importance of Cultural Competency in Counseling

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Training on the Importance of Cultural Competency in Counseling

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Reference

Hughes, R. L. (2025). Cultural Competence in Counseling. Youtube; Innova Recovery. https://youtu.be/WvngSjvmFko?si=wlojcwtatxJALN8K

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Reference

Texas Secretary of State. (2024). Texas Administrative Code. State.tx.us. https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac

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Reference

CarePatron. (2025, January 16). Counseling Referral Form & Template | Free PDF Download. Www.carepatron.com. https://www.carepatron.com/templates/counseling-referral-form

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A counseling referral form is a document used by counselors when they are referring their patient to another clinician. Although the structure and layout of referral forms may differ depending on the practice, they typically include the referring clinician's details, the patient's details, the referred clinician's details, and information regarding why the patient requires different treatment. The referral process is extremely important in the healthcare industry. It ensures that patients are receiving the care that they need, improves communication between providers, and facilitates a more seamless insurance process. One of the most critical components of this referral process is ensuring that the patient being referred and the clinician they are being referred to have access to all relevant information required to make accurate clinical decisions. For this reason, we have developed an intuitive and well-designed counseling referral form template that can be easily implemented within your counseling practice. The downloadable form separates information into different sections, making sure that patients and clinicians are kept informed during the entire referral process.

Printable Counseling Referral Form Template

Download these templates for Counseling Referral Form to improve your counseling intake process and HIPAA compliance.

How to Use This Template for Counseling Referral Form Template

Although accessing and using this counseling referral form template is highly intuitive, we thought we'd break it down into a step-by-step guide. You'll be able to see how exactly you can get the most out of this resource, in just a few steps.

Step One: Access the template

First and foremost, you need to access the template. We have included a link to the resource on this page and you simply have to click on the link and it will open in a PDF reader on your device. After you have accessed the referral form, it is a good idea to download it and save it to your computer. This will make it much easier when you need to access it at a later date.

Step Two: Complete the form

When you have a session with a patient who is being referred to a specialist or other clinician, it's time to complete the form. This step is made significantly easier if you have the form easily available. You have a couple of options here: you can either use an electronic form and process it virtually, or you can use printed copies. Either of these solutions are fine, but we think using an electronic copy is the most time-efficient method.

Step Three: Give the form to your patient

Once you have completed the referral form, you need to give it to your patient, who can then use it to schedule their appointment with the referred clinician. It can be a good idea to store an electronic copy, as well as printing out the form, so there is a backup option if it is lost at any time.

Counseling Referral Form Example (Sample)

To help you visualize what the referral form looks like, we've included a couple of resources. You can have a look at what the layout of the form looks like, and we've also included a sample referral form. The sample is based on a fictional session with an individual patient who is receiving one-on-one counseling.

Who Can Use this Printable Counseling Referral Form (PDF)?

Fortunately, our printable counseling referral form can be utilized by a range of different practitioners. We understand that being versatile is an important component of working in healthcare, and have tried to ensure our template is responsive to this. Some of the counselors who will benefit from the form include:

Relationship Counselors

Grief Counselors

Marriage and Family Counselors

Mental Health Counselors

Rehabilitative Counselors

Child, Youth, and Teenage Counselors

Additionally, these practitioners will have a broad professional network of other clinicians that they refer their patients to. The referred practitioners may include:

Psychologists

Psychiatrists

Occupational Therapists

Psychotherapists

Mental Health Specialists

Why is This Form Useful for Counselors?

It is well-known that healthcare practitioners, including counselors, lead busy lives and operate under tight schedules. As such, it is very important that any resources they use have a few purposes. Some of the uses of the counseling referral form include:

Increased organization: Managing documentation is time-consuming and demanding, albeit necessary. With this referral form template, counselors can significantly reduce the amount of time they spend organizing and structuring their documents, as the information is already presented neatly and coherently.

Automate the referral process: One of the primary purposes of using a referral form template is to streamline referrals. Although very important, referrals can be a complicated process to navigate. Counselors have to ensure they are making the right decisions and have gathered enough relevant data to inform the referred clinician of the patient's health status and treatment. ‍

Save precious time: By using the referral form, you will be able to reduce the amount of time you spend writing, editing, and storing documentation. The referral process will be automated and you can use the time that you save completing other, more pressing tasks.

Benefits Of Counseling Referral Form PDF

Using a counseling referral form has been shown to result in a wide number of different benefits, both for individual counselors and for the practice that they work in. Some of the advantages include:

Help patients get the treatment they deserve

Counselors typically refer patients in situations where they believe the patient will only receive the care they require if they are treated by a different practitioner. Because of this, referrals are one of the most important aspects of ensuring that patients receive the quality of care that they deserve. With an automated and organized referral process, ensuring that patients are continuously being met with quality professionals becomes much easier.

Improve communication

Using a referral form also helps to improve communication between clinicians. Because counselors won't typically work at the same facility they are referring their patient to, it is important that there is a method that facilitates easy communication between them - which is exactly what these forms aim to do. They ensure that both the referring and the referred practitioners have access to important information without having to continuously chase each other up.

Collect accurate data

In addition to streamlining communication, a referral form will allow healthcare facilities to collect accurate patient data. Unfortunately, given the vast amount of documentation that is completed as part of the healthcare process, errors and mistakes do occur, meaning that the collection of patient data isn't always 100% accurate. By using a form that has the various sections pre-prepared, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of mistakes occurring.

Maintain professional network

Referrals are only possible if a counselor has a solid network of professional contacts. During a patient's treatment journey, it is often the case that they are seen by a number of different practitioners (which is where the referral forms come in). Utilizing resources that automate this process and improve inter-provider communication will help counselors maintain and strengthen their professional networks.

Achieve better clinical outcomes

Finally, optimizing referrals will contribute to overall better clinical outcomes. As you have seen, there is a range of different benefits that arise from implementing a referral form, and these will contribute to patients receiving better quality care. With improved communication, transparency, efficiency, and accuracy, patient care is prioritized and good clinical decisions will become more effective.

Why Use Carepatron For Counseling Referral Form?

Carepatron is the leading practice management software in today's industry. Implementing a platform like Carepatron will help you elevate your referral process and ensure patient needs are being looked after. In addition to offering a robust set of templates and resources, Carepatron is integrated with patient engagement tools, like the client portal. A secure platform that clients have access to, the client portal displays appointment and payment information, as well as providing an easy way to communicate with counselors. By improving the transparency of the care process, counselors can strengthen their relationship with their clients while simultaneously streamlining the referral process.

If you are looking for a solution that goes further than patient engagement then don't worry - Carepatron can still be the option for you. The system was designed in collaboration with healthcare practitioners, ensuring it has all of the features required to optimize administrative and clinical procedures at a healthcare business. These include clinical documentation, appointment scheduling, mobile health and remote care, and medical billing. With Carepatron, you're guaranteed to save both money and time, and you can focus more closely on looking after your patients.

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Counseling Referral Form & Template | Free PDF Download

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A counseling referral form is a document used by counselors when they are referring their patient to another clinician. Although the structure and layout of referral forms may differ depending on the practice, they typically include the referring clinician's details, the patient's details, the referred clinician's details, and information regarding why the patient requires different treatment.

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Reference

Skuse, T., & Matthew, J. (2018). Trauma recovery model. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/04/Trauma-recovery-model.pdf

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Reference

Vasiljević, F., Ryan, J., Pietri, M., & Lin, A. (2021). Crisis Intervention: Video, Causes, & Meaning | Osmosis. Osmosis. https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Crisis_Intervention

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Reference

Right Choice Recovery. (2024, November 13). Trauma Therapy: Types, Techniques, Processes and Challenges. Right Choice Recovery. https://rightchoicerecoverynj.com/addiction/therapy/trauma/

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Involves the explanation and insight of:

1. Attending Behavior

2. Questioning

3. Confronting

4. Focusing

5. Reflecting

Reference

Australian Institute of Professional Counselors. (2009). Five Counselling Microskills. AIPC Article Library. https://www.aipc.net.au/articles/five-counselling-microskills/

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Counselling Microskills are specific skills a counsellor can use to enhance their communication with clients. These skills enable a counsellor to effectively build a working alliance and engage clients in discussion that is both helpful and meaningful.

In this article, you will briefly consider five of these core skills of counselling which alone or together can help a client to access their deepest thoughts or clarify their future dreams.
Microskill 1: Attending behaviour
Attending is the behavioural aspect of building rapport. When a counsellor first meets with a client, they must indicate to the client that they are interested in listening to them and helping them. Through attending, the counsellor is able to encourage the client to talk and open up about their issues.

Eye contact is important and polite (in Western society) when speaking or listening to another person. This does not mean that the counsellor stares at the client, but maintains normal eye contact to show genuine interest in what the client is saying.

Geldard and Geldard (2001) suggest that to assist clients to relax, counsellors can include in their repertoire, the matching of non-verbal behaviour. This skill can take a little time to learn effectively, but it begins with the counsellor sitting in the same position as the client.

For example, if at first the client is sitting on the edge of her chair with her arms outstretched resting on her knees the counsellor can reflect or mirror this position.

As the client speaks more, the counsellor can either lean forward, to indicate empathy and understanding, or slowly slide back into the chair to take up a more relaxed sitting position. If the rapport has begun to be built between client and counsellor, the client is likely to follow suit. This will reduce the anxiety levels for the client.

Counselling consists mainly of listening and talking, but sometimes the use of silence can have profound effects on the client in the counselling session. When we first begin as counsellors, sometimes silence can be awkward and we rush to fill the gaps, but as our experience grows, we become more comfortable with the concept of simply "being" with the client.
Microskill 2: Questioning
Questions during the counselling session can help to open up new areas for discussion. They can assist to pinpoint an issue and they can assist to clarify information that at first may seem ambiguous to the counsellor. Questions that invite clients to think or recall information can aid in a client's journey of self-exploration.

Counsellors should be knowledgeable about the different types of questioning techniques, including the appropriate use of them and likely results. It is also important to be aware and cautious of over-questioning. Asking too many questions sends a message to the client that the counsellor is in control and may even set up a situation in which the client feels the counsellor has all the answers.

In determining effective questioning techniques it is important to consider the nature of the client, their ongoing relationship with the counsellor and the issue/s at hand. There are two main types of questions used in counselling: (1) Open and (2) Closed.

Open questions: Open questions are those that cannot be answered in a few words, they encourage the client to speak and offer an opportunity for the counsellor to gather information about the client and their concerns.

Typically open questions begin with: what, why, how or could. For example:

What has brought you here today?

Why do you think that?

How did you come to consider this?

Could you tell me what brings you here today?

"How" questions tend to invite the client to talk about their feelings. "What" questions more often lead to the emergence of facts. "When" questions bring about information regarding timing of the problem, and this can include events and information preceding or following the event.

"Where" questions reveal the environment, situation or place that the event took place, and "Why" questions usually give the counsellor information regarding the reasons of the event or information leading up to the event.

It should be noted that care must be taken by the counsellor when asking "why" questions. Why question can provoke feelings of defensiveness in clients and may encourage clients to feels as though they need to justify themselves in some way.

Closed questions: Closed questions are questions that can be answered with a minimal response (often as little as "yes" or "no"). They can help the counsellor to focus the client or gain very specific information. Such questions begin with: is, are or do. For example:

Is that your coat?

Are you living alone?

Do you enjoy your job?

While questioning techniques can be used positively to draw out and clarify issues relevant to the counselling session, there is also the very real danger of over-using questions or using questioning techniques that can have a negative impact on the session.

The wrong types of questioning techniques, at the wrong time, in the hands of an unskilled interviewer or counsellor, can cause unnecessary discomfort and confusion to the client.

Ivey & Ivey (2003) describe the following five problem questioning techniques:

1. Bombardment/grilling: This occurs when counsellors get caught into a pattern of asking too many questions one after the other. In doing this, the counsellor is always deciding which issue should be discussed next.

2. Multiple questions: This occurs when counsellors ask several questions at once. For example "Please tell me about yourself - how old are you, where were you born, do you have any children and what do you do for a living?"

3. Questions as statements: This occurs when counsellors use questions as a way to sell their own points of view. For example, "Don't you think it would be helpful if you studied more?" "What do you think of trying relaxation exercises instead of what you are doing now?"

4. Questions and cultural differences: This is where a counsellor needs to be aware of any cultural influences that may make asking questions inappropriate for clients from a specific culture. For example the rapid-fire North American questioning style is often received less favourably by other cultures.

5. Why questions: This is where the counsellor asks too many why questions. For example "Why did you do that?"

Microskill 3: Confrontation
Generally speaking the term confrontation means challenging another person over a discrepancy or disagreement. However, confrontation as a counselling skill is an attempt by the counsellor to gently bring about awareness in the client of something that they may have overlooked or avoided.

There are three steps to confrontation in counselling. The first step involves the identification of mixed or incongruent messages (expressed through the client's words or non-verbals). The second step requires the counsellor to bring about awareness of these incongruities and assist the client to work through these. Finally, step three involves evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention evidenced by the client's change and growth.

During the counselling process there are four (4) discrepancies which the client could display. The discrepancy can be between:

1. Thoughts and feelings

2. Thoughts and actions

3. Feelings and actions or

4. A combination of thoughts, feelings and actions.

Having identified a discrepancy, the counsellor highlights this to the client, using a confrontation statement such as:

"On the one hand ..., but on the other hand...."

This is a standard and useful format for the actual confrontation. Of course, you may also use variations such as:

"You say ... but you do ...," or
"Your words say ... but your actions say ...."

Eg: "Your words say you would like to spend more time with your sister, but your actions say that it's not a priority for you."
Microskill 4: Focusing
Ivey and Ivey (2003) have identified seven areas a counsellor can focus on in the counselling session to bring about broader perspectives and potential solutions.

The first is Individual focus, where the counsellor begins the counselling session by focusing totally on the personal aspects of the client; the demographics, history, and the reasons why counselling is sought, from the client. The counsellor will often use the client's name, to help bring about total focus on that client. For example, "Joan, tell me a little about yourself". "Joan, are you the oldest daughter in the family?"

The second is: Main theme or problems focus. Attention is given to the reason why the client sought counselling. Other focus, as no problem is truly isolated, the client will often speak of friends', colleagues, extended family members and other individuals that are somehow connected with the reason for the client seeking counselling.

Family focus, concerns siblings, parents, children. Flexibility is required in the definition of "Family", as it can have different meanings to different people, i.e. traditional, single parent, nuclear and/or can include extended family members, or very close friends who are given family titles such as Aunt or Uncle.

Mutuality focus is concerned with how the client reacts to the counsellor, because this could be an indication of how the client develops in relation to other people. It attempts to put the counsellor and client on an equal level, with the counsellor asking: "How can we work together?" "How would you like me to help with this situation at this point?"

Interviewer focus is where the counsellor may disclose information about themselves. Finally, Cultural/environmental/context focus. The counsellor will understand how a client is influenced by the community, in which they grew up, but this can be extended to other issues such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status to gain a greater understanding of the person the client is today.
Microskill 5: Reflection of Meaning
Reflection of meaning refers to the deeply held thoughts and meanings underlying life experiences. For the counsellor who uses reflection of meaning in their work, they will find that clients will search more deeply into the aspects of their own life experiences.

For example, imagine two individuals who take a holiday on an island resort: the same island, the same resort, the same time of year. One of them passionately expresses the wonders of the sunsets, walks along the beach and leisurely life style. While the other complains about the heat, sunburn and boredom they experienced.

This example illustrates how the same event can have a totally different meaning to the different individuals experiencing the event. Hence, the skill of reflection of meaning is to assist clients to explore their values and goals in life, by understanding the deeper aspects of their experiences.

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Counselling Microskills are specific skills a counsellor can use to enhance their communication with clients. These skills enable a counsellor to effectively build a working alliance and engage clients in discussion that is both helpful and meaningful.

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How to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

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How to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

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Includes tips on helping families that are struggling economically and finding them the right resources.

Also, includes tips on how to get children involved in the community.

Reference

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

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How to Help a Child through a Traumatic Death:

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How to Help a Child through a Traumatic Death:

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Many great techniques on how to help a child suffering from a traumatic death are included.

Reference

Cohen, J. A., & Mannarino, A. P. (2011). Supporting children with traumatic grief: What educators need to know. School Psychology International, 32(2), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034311400827

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Reference

Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. (n.d.). Categories of Trauma.

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Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15 - 19 year olds.

In this resource, there are strategies on how to prevent suicide and some at-risk signs/behaviors.

Reference

Boston Children's Hospital. (2024). Suicide and Teens | Boston Children’s Hospital. Www.childrenshospital.org. https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/suicide-and-teens

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Suicide and Teens | Boston Children’s Hospital

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Suicide is intentional self-harm that results in death. Among children between the ages of 15 and 19, suicide is the second leading cause of death, and the leading cause of death for 14- to 15-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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A Great Resource with Multiple Screenings for different Disorders

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A Great Resource with Multiple Screenings for different Disorders

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Can use in the future when determining what a client's symptoms might be indicating.

Reference

Mental Health America. (2020). Take a Mental Health Test. Mental Health America Screening 2 Supports. https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/

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Skip to content

Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.
Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

How does it work?

After your mental health test, you will see information, resources, and tools to help you understand and improve your mental health.
How can online mental health testing help me? What do my mental health test results mean?
Please note: Online screening tools are meant to be a quick snapshot of your mental health. If your results indicate you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, consider sharing your results with someone. A mental health provider (such as a doctor or a therapist) can give you a full assessment and talk to you about options for how to feel better.

This website is an informational resource. We are not a crisis support line. If you need immediate help, you can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or using the chat box at 988lifeline.org/chat. You can also text "MHA" to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. Warmlines are an excellent place for non-crisis support.

For all other screening-related questions and non-emergency support, please use MHA's Contact Us form.

Mental Health America Inc., sponsors, partners, and advertisers disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of these screens.

MHA Screening is made possible through the generous contributions of individuals and organizations that share our vision of mental health for all. This program is supported, in part, through philanthropic contributions from Abbvie, Alkermes, The Anthem Foundation, Janssen, Neurocrine Biosciences, The NFL Foundation, Sage Therapeutics, Takeda Lundbeck Alliance, and Teva.

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Skip to content Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

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Suicide rates are higher than they have ever been.

Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 29). Suicide data and statistics. Suicide Prevention; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html

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Reference

Healthery. (2018, October 12). Mental Health Statistics in America (US) (Statistics, Facts, and Data). YouTube. https://youtu.be/aCyd_3zqkhY

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Mental Health Statistics in America (US) (Statistics, Facts, and Data)

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Reflection:

This assignment was such a great resource on exemplifying what is like to hear a client's circumstance and experiences and then look for resources and language to help that client. I feel like I got practice on talking to a client and understanding what type/form of crisis they are in, and how I can help. It was very great for my learning and understanding of responding to others struggles and situations. I felt like I was really talking to my client, "Rosa", and preparing ways and plans to help her.

It was also very helpful to organize the case on the different types of resources she was in need of. For instance, I didn't just try to help her emotionally but I also got clear insight on the client's physical, mental, and social needs. This a valuable skill to have that will definitely help clients in the future.

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Crisis Prevention and Threat Assessment: Sex Trafficking

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Crisis Prevention and Threat Assessment: Sex Trafficking

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Reflection:

For this assignment I gained insight on how to work collaboratively in a group. At schools and other organizations there is usually a team of people who work together to form a crisis prevention and intervention plan. Therefore, this assignment really gave me insight on how working in a group and creating a plan may be like.

Additionally, I did learn about a lot of resources that are in place for victims of human trafficking and I also gained knowledge on aspects that put a person more at risk of being trafficked. It is so valuable to know this kind of information. With this new knowledge, I feel that I am now responsible for sharing with others certain circumstances that might put one more at risk for being trafficked and to look out for others who might already be in these dangerous circumstances.

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate 

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate 

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Reflection:

This online course was a great learning tool in my understanding of how to respond in crises. First, there was training and lessons on how to respond to people who had just experienced a crisis (like a tornado or major flooding). Then, the online course had an animated scene of people affected from a crisis. In this module, we were able to click on characters to see their needs and got to choose how we should respond to them. It was very engaging and helped me get practice for helping people who had just experienced a crisis. This assignment really gave me language and steps on addressing people who may need help during difficult times (times of crisis).

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online_Certificate (1)

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Developmental Discussion on Trauma Artifact

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Reflection:

Our trauma assignment taught me so much about the effects of trauma on a person, and the people involved. Through reading and learning from the resources provided (and a couple found through independent research), I got a clear sense of the types of trauma and their effects and possible outcomes. I also learned a few techniques and strategies in helping children through adverse childhood experiences (ACES) like grief or traumatic events.

Though, where I feel like I got a deep dive and understanding of trauma was in the viewing and analyzing of the documentary, Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Story. In the watching of this film I got to witness the effects of trauma. I was able to see the symptoms of a girl who had experienced multiple traumatic events. The resources provided allowed me to be able to recognize complex trauma and secondary trauma in the film. This allowed me to not have simply a definition for certain types of trauma but real examples and evidence of it. The analysis of this film provided great insight in issues I might see in working with people who have experienced something traumatic.

Reference:

Birman, D. H. (2020) Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown story [Film]. Birman Productions, Inc

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders (1) Artifact

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders 

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders 

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NOTE: Additional Resources for each disorder are provided in the spreadsheet attached.

Reflection:

This assignment was a great opportunity for me to grow in my knowledge and understanding of multiple mental health disorders. As a future licensed professional counselor (LPC) it is important that I am aware of these disorders and knowledgeable about their symptoms so that I can recognize certain disorders in future clients. Additionally, it is necessary that I know the causes for disorders so that I can do my best to prevent them in clients.

With that being said the research on the importance of early intervention was very enlightening to me. This helped me understand how important it is that we address mental health and prevent issues from growing worse. Overall, I learned that the earlier the intervention, the easier it will be to transition back into healthy functioning and improved well-being.

Lastly, the input of helpful resources was such a great tool for extra growth and knowledge. Researching different articles allowed me to take a deep dive into specific types of disorders and helped me to understand them more clearly. This assignment made me so knowledgeable on specific types of mental health disorders. This artifact is definitely one that I will be using throughout the rest of my career as an LPC.

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders (1)

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Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge Artifact

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Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge 

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Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge 

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Reflection:

Analyzing the resources provided in this unit really opened my eyes to how many of us in this country and world struggle with some kind of mental health disorder. It brought awareness to me on how many people need help and aid mentally and emotionally. I am glad that I am aware of this now, especially because I plan on becoming a professional in counseling others through their mental health struggles.

This unit also taught me how important it is to speak out and ask real questions to individuals. For instance, sometimes I feel like I might be seen as a "Debbie Downer" when I ask people how they are doing in hard situations. Therefore, sometimes I avoid asking certain questions in fear that I am going to trigger them. However, in learning how many people are struggling (and this is just people who openly admitted it, that are counted) then it encourages me to ask the deep questions, to check in with others, to not be hesitant on getting vulnerable and open, and to most importantly, offer a listening, kind ear.

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Introduction and Assessing Prior Knowledge Trauma

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Here is also a link for the state of Texas Codes:

https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=22&pt=30&ch=681&sch=C&rl=Y

This link has the necessary requirements in order to get an LPC Associate license in the state of Texas, rule §681.91 specifically. The following rule §681.92 has the necessary supervision hours needed to get your LPC license (3,000), and the other requirements needed. This is all important information since my long-term professional goal is to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC).

In regards to the Code of Ethics attachment from the American Counseling Association there is so much valuable information in here. Some of this information is on how to counsel minors and their inability to give consent. This is important to me because I would like to work with teenagers if possible. There is also great information on remaining culturally sensitive. I was also not aware that as a counselor I have to document the client's progress and the services I provided. I am glad that I am aware of this now so that I do everything according to the code and policy of an LPC.

References:

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

Office of Secretary of State. (2025). Texas Administrative Code. State.tx.us. https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac%24ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=22&pt=30&ch=681&sch=C&rl=Y

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My name is Tatiana Trejo and I am in the Masters in Professional Counseling LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) Program here at ASU. One personal goal I have is to develop skills and strategies to help people understand themselves better and be able to teach them coping techniques when necessary. Moreover, a professional goal I have is to get my Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license in the upcoming years, after my LPC-Associate. It is also very important to me that I gain as much wisdom and knowledge as I can to be the best counselor that I can be.

In regard to the course, I hope to understand the effects of trauma more deeply. Also, I would like to learn techniques and strategies to help people work through and heal from past trauma.

Lastly, I feel very blessed to be in this course and to have this opportunity to grow and learn in this area.