Counselling Response to Colleagues

EXPRESSIVE ARTS INTERVENTION

Expressive Arts Intervention

Breanna

I find it interesting that Breanna intends to specialize in trauma and crisis. I feel that this is an ideal specialization owing to the need to help people navigate the challenges of modern society. This is a concern that Breanna alludes to with the assertion that at present, the lives of most people have been turned upside down by the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic (Uwishema et al., 2022). I feel that my colleague’s specialization would be crucial at a time like this – and going forward. I am of the opinion that there are various courses of action that my colleague could embrace in an attempt to further enhance her abilities to help clients in this realm. These include, but they are not limited to regularly reading peer-reviewed journals highlighting recent findings on trauma and crisis counselling research. The relevance of continuing education cannot also be overstated.

Brittany

Brittany indicates that she would be interested in working with athletes – specifically those presenting with eating disorders. I find this to be particularly intriguing owing to the fact that available literature indicates that amongst those most vulnerable to eating disorders are athletes. This has been attributed to performance anxiety and thinness emphasis rooted in societal expectations (National Eating Disorders Association – NEDA, 2022). Owing to the negative impact that eating disorders have on health and wellbeing, there is need to have professionals – like Brittany – provide the relevant interventions on this front. In seeking to further enhance her capabilities, Brittany could seek to engage a mentor who would ideally be a professional who has served in this role for a long period of time. There are also a wide range of resources, specifically online, that Brittany could consult on the subject. These could especially help with current info on eating disorders as well as the most recent statistics on the same. Such info would provide the insight and orientation that she needs to perform effectively in this role.