I spent the day today at the Northern Illinois Employee Assistance Professionals Association annual conference. There were some excellent presentations and the opportunity to network with a great many EAP and treatment professionals.

Another law that tries to force an extreme agenda at the expense of common sense According to a story that appeared on Yahoo! News today, the Florida legislature is preparing to pass a law – being pushed by the National Rifle Association – which goes far beyond the issue of gun rights. It strays dangerously… Continue Reading Common Sense Takes Another Hit

Economic decisions can trump ethical ones Today’s New York Times has a guest column by two management experts who have studied ethical decision-making in business. Their findings suggest that the line of reasoning that fines and penalties should deter unethical behavior is not borne out by research. Instead, these measures seemed to encourage irresponsibility because they… Continue Reading Psychology and Ethical Behavior

Joe Bageant, a man of great conscience and insight, as well as a wicked sense of humor, died March 27 after a battle with a particularly aggressive form of cancer. A note about it on his blog is here. 

Last summer, my sister (who directs a university counseling center) sent me a link to a story in the online journal, Inside Higher Education . The story was about a lawsuit brought by a student at Eastern Michigan University, Julea Ward, who was dismissed from the Master’s degree in counseling program after she refused to… Continue Reading A Contentious Issue in Counselor Training

I received a link today to an online poll being conducted by a therapy practice in Alaska, which asked the respondents to give their opinion on the question of whether licensing boards should require that therapists have gone through their own therapy as part of their training. I gave my response (which I’ll explain a… Continue Reading Should therapists in training be required to be in therapy?

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan as they struggle to recover from these terrible disasters. Global links for assistance and support   Chicago-Area Psychological Support Through the Japanese-American Service Commitee, a well-established social service agency in Chicago, a series of free support groups has been set up for those with family… Continue Reading Japanese-American Disaster Support Groups in Chicagoland

Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology views human life in terms of social connectedness, and mental health in terms of how well we are meeting the tasks of life. Adler saw these tasks as falling into three main categories: Love and intimate relationships, friendships and social connections, and work. Adlerians view the task of work in terms… Continue Reading Work, Justice, and Social Responsibility

Self-help and empowerment are better tools than self-downing and feeling defective. Continue Reading New research reports on addiction

Over 20 Years of Serving DuPage Residents Continue Reading Spotlight on Service: DuPage Community Clinic