When we look at mental illness through a systems-informed lens, we see that powerful forces well beyond any individual’s sphere of influence are major contributing factors, yet we ignore these factors in treatment. How much better would therapeutic outcomes be if our economy and powerholders did not inflict so much unnecessary suffering on the disadvantaged?

If we turn towards the suffering of the world, grieve all that has been lost to ignorance and injustice, and allow ourselves to be changed by grief, we may finally wake up to what needs to be done.

There are challenges at many levels that make it difficult to wean off of unpaid labor. But, the future generations of counselors deserve to get through their training with as few burdens as possible. The future of mental health will partly depend on our ability to make the industry fair and accessible to the general population.

After years of school and working with clients as a counselor, I’m happy to say that there only a couple of core ideas that you need to know in order to begin effectively navigating interpersonal conflicts. A trauma-informed, attachment-based lens of relationships can help cover the bases. Let’s look at the core ideas of these models.

If we consciously notice what we and others are feeling when challenge arises, then we can make conscious choices about how to work with the challenging emotions.

Managing relational issues in a team is a type of emotional labor, which does not draw upon the same skills or capacities that normal work involves. Instead, it draws on one’s personal and relational development, or one’s ability to see, understand, and work with challenging emotions effectively and skillfully.