[humanser] Question for discussion

[Judith Bron]

Carmella, You summed it up beautifully.  Does this woman think that the 
handicapped aren't people too?  In today's world there are counselling 
services for everyone ranging from the individual with a chronic mental 
health issue to the person who suffers from hangnails.  Counselling services 
people with different situations that have to be addressed.  What you said 
about self esteem is true.  If a person sees everyone around him or her 
functioning in one way but feels self conscious because they have to do it 
differently due to a handicap, they should seek help to deal with this 
problem before it starts affecting all the good they have to offer as a 
person.  Judith Bron
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carmella D Broome" <cdbroome at worldnet.att.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:20 PM
Subject: [humanser] Question for discussion


>I know something similar came up on this list when we talked  about Voc 
>Rehab counselors a while back.  A counseling colleague recently emailed me. 
>She stated of knowing of a woman who  was director of a local program for 
>people with disabilities. This woman told my colleague that people with 
>disabilities didn't "need" counseling. My colleague is perplexed. Below is 
>part of her comments and my response.  I asked  if I could open  her 
>concerns for discussion and she said sure, as long as I  didn't give any 
>identifiable info. So, please feel free to  let me know on or off list what 
>you think.  I will share responses with  my counseling colleague.
>
> Colleague: She says people with disabilities don't need counseling.
> In fact she says it hurts them...  I know that counseling will not change 
> a disability
> whether it is physical or psychological, but I can think of many ways
> it can help a person with or without a disability.  What are your
> thoughts?
>
>
> My response:  I can see how counseling from someone with  a negative  or 
> limitting view of  disabilities
> or the people living with them could be a problem.  Clients wouldn't need
> pity or to be cottled or to have things sugar coated for them.  Counseling
> can be just as appropriate for this population as for any other, though. I
> don't think someone with a disability automatically needs counseling, and
> there are times when they may need counseling for issues  completely
> unrelated to their disabilities.
>
> I think  some issues in my book relate to how someone with a disability
> could be helped to accept their limitations, capitalize on their 
> strengths,
> address self-esteem issues and identity formation, etc. through 
> counseling.
> I may have been more "well adjusted" if I'd had some counseling around 
> these
> issues in high school or early college. I eventually did  get involved in
> counseling for other reasons, but it helped with these blindness related
> concerns, as well. I also  think the  ongoing stress associated with 
> living
> with any chronic physical concern that  causes a person to constantly have
> to "work around" it  could bring about, at some point, the need for
> counseling. Things such as rejection,  the discrimination that still 
> exists
> and is alive and well, and  the extra effort that goes into planning and
> executing some daily tasks, can lead  to feeling depleted and frustrated 
> at
> times and counseling may help with these things. Any depression or anxiety
> condition that may be associated with a physical  disability is just as
> appropriate for counseling as anything else.  I wonder what she   thinks
> counseling is for, if not for adjustment and life issues?
>
> She may think that peer support is the best thing, such as those in AA do.
> That idea would be that no one else could understand. She may also think
> that counseling "pathologizes" a disability.  Why would that be anymore 
> than
> it  "pathologizes" marriage problems or even real mental health 
> conditions,
> such as depression, bipolar illness, etc.  I don't get it.  Is she saying
> people with disabilities should "never" see a counselor, or that they 
> don't
> all automatically need to see a counselor?  Does she have a disability
> herself?
>
> Can I  post this, anonymously, to  a couple lists I'm on for other
> counselors who are blind?   I can then forward you any responses they 
> have.
> I'll just say "I have a colleague who is concerned about..." and 
> paraphrase
> what you've said here about confusion over why someone working as 
> Director
> of a program for people with  disabilities would maintain disabled people
> shouldn't have or don't ever need counseling. Let me know if this is okay.
> I won't do it without your consent.
>
> Carmella
>
>
>
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