Welcome back empowered readers,
For this week’s empowered blog, I have chosen to discuss the key aspects and differences that separate a counsellor, life coach and a psychologist. As an instructor at a college part-time, the students asked me what the difference between a counsellor, life coach and a psychologist. This struck me as an important key concept that every individual should understand, especially when one is reaching out for support. What is a Life Coach? A life coach can be someone who does or does not have any formal education or preparation when working with clients. This does not mean that life coaches haven’t undergone some sort of training or have life experiences to share, this is not a regulated practice in Canada. Basically, this means that anyone can become a life coach. Typically, a life coach can offer guidance, support and advise as it pertains to one’s career, relationships or profession and create goals and plans in accordance to dealing with those challenges. Personally, I find that support from a life coach and a counsellor do over-lap, but the biggest difference lies within formal training and educational pursuits. Please, bear in mind that this does not mean that a life coach has not had a level of training, it just means that they do not have to or are bound by ethical guidelines. What is a Counsellor? A counsellor is a professional who has undergone some sort of formal training to provide support to others. For example, within my own personal training I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Master's in Counselling Psychology and undergone additional educational and training pursuits to develop my skills further. These educational pursuits have helped prepare me with a foundation to provide support to others. This includes such areas as ethical guidelines, counselling skills and techniques, the understandings of diagnostic disorders plus many, many more. A counsellor is also obligated to continue to grow their knowledge and skills as it pertains to updated information that better the well-being of our clients. Counsellors are trained to provide support to an individual, whether it is career guidance, goal pursuits or resolving past trauma and conflict. One of the biggest key aspects that separates a counsellor from a psychologist is that counsellors do not, and cannot, diagnose. This means that they have not undergone specific training for the assessment and diagnosis of mental health issues. What is a Psychologist? Within Alberta, a psychologist is a professional who can either possess a master’s degree or a doctorate degree in psychology or in counselling. A psychologist can provide assessment and diagnosis for mental health issues and can also provide counselling treatment. The goal and purpose of this blog was to really stress the importance of inquiring into a professional’s accreditations, approach and experience when choosing to work others when looking for support. As a “consumer”, whether you choose to work with a counsellor, life coach or a psychologist, be sure that the level of care that they can provide you aligns with what you are seeking. That way, you will get the most return for your investment. To your empowered living, Exchiela
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7/2/2019 0 Comments You're Eating WHAT?!Eating Habits
Welcome back empowered readers. I am reaching out because I need your opinions and answers to a few questions that pertain to YOUR Eating Habits. Please follow the link below to a 5-question survey that should only take a few moments of your time. Thank You for your time https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9MJRMHQ Cheers, Exchiela, MA, Counsellor DISCLOSURE: I understand that life is busy and I appreciate the time it takes for you to complete this survey. Information collected is only viewed by myself, Exchiela, and is being collected to help with my understanding and approach when working with clients as it pertains to consuming animal products or animal by-products. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate and reach out via e-mail through the link below. 6/18/2019 0 Comments How Counselling Changed Me...Welcome back empowered readers,
Thank you to all who entered the draw for the "Self-Love Package" at The Alice Sanctuary's opening day. The winner has been contacted and the prize has been claimed. For this months empowered journal I wanted to discuss how counselling has helped me. YES, you read that right, I have my OWN counsellor! I truly believe that every person would benefit from having a counsellor or a therapist. Someone to help guide you through the roller coaster of life and support you in ways that will both provide you the safe space to be YOU and challenge you to GROW. My counsellor asked me, “how has the value of counselling changed your life?” I answered, ‘in so many amazing and wonderful ways. It has allowed me to become a better counsellor, friend, significant other and an overall more confident and inspirational person’. I have learned so many tools and techniques that has helped me manage my emotions, stress, and transition’s in life. I’ve learned to live my absolute best life. Why you ask? I’ve transformed and developed the ability to achieve the goals that I want. Break patterns and let go of people and relationships that were no longer serving my greater good, release blockages that were holding me back from my full potential and help manage inevitable stress that presents throughout life's challenges. Having a counsellor has allowed me to step into the 4.0 version of myself and realize so many of my dreams including travelling and living in other countries. Obtaining education towards fulfilling my dream career and the confidence towards entrepreneurship. Plus, it has helped guide me in the realization of what I want in a life partner. I view having a counsellor as a life hack. To help you towards achieving greater things at a much faster pace. This is why I believe in counselling so deeply and I love providing emotional counselling services for my clients. With a counsellor, you can free yourself from past and current burdens, blockages, build resiliency, and develop self-love, self-awareness and self-compassion strategies, plus many, many more benefits. You realize that you have the power to live your BEST life! You’ll develop tools and strategies and recognize skills that you already possess to navigate through challenges with people in your life. This includes people like your boss, spouse, friends, loved ones or children. The more support you receive from a counsellor, the more equipped you are to take on life and the easier it is to turn your visions into realities by setting goals. If you want to experience the same benefits that I have from seeking support from a counsellor, please do not hesitate and reach out today. To your empowered wellness, Exchiela 5/29/2019 1 Comment Owning Your Stress.Welcome back empowered readers,
For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss the concept of stress and how one can OWN their stress. After reflecting on a pamphlet at a physician’s office, it stated that if someone is experiencing high blood pressure one should make steps to eliminating or lessening the amount of stress in one’s life. Although I agree with that piece of advice up to a point, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that wouldn’t the more beneficial way to help cope with stress is to… Change how one reacts to stress? The fact of the matter is, is that stress is inevitable and that not all stress can be avoided, eliminated or lessened. Stress forms and manifests in many different ways and areas throughout life. There is “good” stress that can motivate you by propelling you forward and helps you to achieve goals, for example, by pursuing further education. These are generally relatively short bouts of stress and provide motivation to help get something done or to help overcome an obstacle. There are also other forms of stress that can present, for example, through one’s environment. This can be experienced through surviving a natural disaster, like a hurricane or earthquake. Stress is key for survival, but too much stress can be detrimental. Then there is “bad” stress, this type of stress can stay around for weeks or months and can weaken the immune system and cause such health effects like high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety and even heart disease. So, this leads to the question…. “How can I change how I react to stress?” Ways to OWN Your Stress
Are you experiencing physical, psychological and emotional impacts of stress on your well-being? Seeking support from a counsellor can help you cope with such life issues as work-related stress, bereavement, an upsetting physical health condition or a difficult life event. Reach out today. To your empowered wellness, Exchiela Benusic, MA Welcome back empowered readers,
For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss self-love tips for those in the helping profession, those who volunteer as helpers, and caregivers. Empathy is the tool that helpers, healers and caregivers must use to establish a healing relationship. Over time, working in continuously emotionally charged situations, this empathy can become overtaxed and exhausted, even when the helper is diligently maintaining self-care skills. Burnout, secondary/vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue affect most helpers at some point in their professional cycle and are challenged to reach out for help. This is a very difficult position as one may feel fear of judgment, ridicule, difficulty trusting other professionals, and fear of exposing ourselves. This can prevent us from reaching out for the help we need. Some self-care tips include: Connection & Support Feeling supported, heard and cared about by your colleagues is a crucial skill to maintain resiliency and combat burnout and compassion fatigue. Meet with other professionals to reduce the feelings of isolation. For example, within my own professional network I have created a support group for other helping professionals where we meet every 6-8 weeks. This has helped normalize my own experiences while providing support to others. This can also include accessing your own personal support group, like friends and family, to help you feel connected. Revitalization There are a number of ways that we can re-fuel and revitalize by utilizing self-care. For some, it can include more physical components while for others it is more refined. It is our responsibility to learn and regularly practice what works for us to sustain our energy, buoyancy and hope. Some examples that work well for most people and represent the essential components of good self-care include: Regular Exercise * Healthy Diet * Good Sleep Hygiene * Regular Social Activities * Spiritual Practices * Creative Activities or Hobbies * Professional Enrichment If you are currently feeling impacted by the work that you do, the good news is that burnout and compassion fatigue is very responsive to treatment. When we, the helper or healer, take the crucial first step of reaching out to ask for help, we are well on our way to recovery. Treatment programs offered through Empowered Wellness & Solutions include the Accelerated Recovery Program and the balanced YOU program. If you would like to learn more about our programs, please click the button below. To your empowered wellness, Exchiela Benusic, MA Welcome back empowered readers,
For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss stress and the workplace. Stress should really be termed the disease of the 21st century. If left untreated, stress can manifest in physical symptoms that can include high blood pressure, heart disease, or even heart attacks. Stress can also be described as a “silent stalker”, with employees and managers wary to speak its name. But it is this exact environment that stress thrives on. Because when one adapts to stressors, instead of resolving stress, this can lead to chronic stress and very high costs for the company and individual. Every organization can prevent the effects of workplace stress by spotting the signs of stress and knowing when it’s time for a stress management program. Despite the nature of stress, there are many signs that can tip off the problem. Here are examples of key indicators: Absenteeism and High Turn Over Health problems that can be set off by chronic stress include a suppression of the immune system, tissue repair system, and digestion, which multiply with sick days and absenteeism. If employees know how to manage stress, and management understands what fuels it, absenteeism is no longer the only coping option. And when employees feel there’s no possibility of stressors changing, they may decide to just quit. If your company, or the company you are employed with, are seeing more people heading for the exit sign, look closely, and stress may be the driving force. Burnout Burnout is a red flag for stress, the terminal fatigue and cynicism that comes with experiencing burnout includes a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that is caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout is perceived when an individual’s demands outweigh resources. Reduced Efficiency and Production When individuals are experiencing burnout, rumination on stressors can distract employees from attention on tasks at hand and future planning. Chronic stress can zap physical vitality as stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline deplete the body’s energetic resources. It is not working harder and longer that pick up productivity, but working smarter. This can include taking breaks, developing proper self-care strategies and investing in the wellness of your employees. If you would like to learn more about our workplace wellness programs, click the button below. To your empowered wellness, Exchiela Benusic, MA 4/23/2019 0 Comments Pushing the Reset ButtonWelcome back empowered readers,
For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss wellness and spirituality. Health and wellness is much more than merely exercising, eating healthy and being physically fit. Your overall holistic wellness incorporates interconnected components that include…
This past weekend I got to experience a much needed connection and deepening with my own spiritual wellness…..nature. Spirituality to me is connecting with nature, as this connection helps to revive and re-center myself. But it wasn’t until I was out of the city and in the country side that I realized my own need for re-connection.
We can get so distracted with our everyday lives that we don’t even realize our need to connect with ourselves, our thoughts, emotions and needs. Although it is easy to forget, put it off or feel like it is enough, recognizing our own needs at any given time is self-care. If you are feeling the need to reflect, re-connect and re-gain balance in your life, then reach out to me as I offer a program called “a Balanced YOU” starting at $89 with a commitment of only four-1 hour sessions. Book Today: https://empoweredwellnessliving.as.me/ To your empowered wellness, Exchiela Benusic, MA 4/16/2019 1 Comment How Does Your Self-Care Measure Up?Welcome back empowered readers,
This week I want to take the opportunity and get a sneak-peak into what self-care looks like for YOU. This is because each individual self-care plan is unique. So, how do you view self-care? What do you do to maintain wellness? Please take a few moments to complete the attached survey, the results will only be viewed by myself. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZCKBJ7W To your empowered living, Exchiela, MA 4/4/2019 1 Comment The Importance of Self-LoveWelcome back empowered readers, For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss and remind my readers about the importance of self-love. Today I was reminded of how easy it is to slip on self-care. Waking up with a head cold, I have been using the day to self-reflect on how easy it is to preach self-care, but also on how easy it is to fall-out of our much needed self-care practices. Even when we have the best intentions. What is Self-Care? Self-care means asking yourself what it is that you need at any given time and then following through on that honest answer. Self-care is an act of self-love and can range from taking a bubble bath to saying “no” when you are needing a break. Why is it so hard to consistently engage in self-care? We all experience stress, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Even when things in life are not going as planned and things can’t seemingly get worse, something can happen again to add additional stress and frustration. It is specifically at these times we need to make our self-care practices a priority, but learning to press the pause button seems to be the last thing on our minds. But what can I do during these times of over-whelming stress and exhaustion? Learn to say “I Need Help”. Being able to identify the need for support and being vulnerable is a BIG STEP, especially in our society. Being vulnerable can be seen as a weakness, but is a place where we can meet ourselves with self-compassion instead. 3-Tips for Self-Love
To your empowered living, Exchiela, MA Providing support for:
Commitment of only four-1 hour sessions @ $89/session 3/26/2019 0 Comments The Workplace and Burnout![]() Welcome back empowered readers,
For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss the notion of burnout in the workplace. Workplace burnout is a special type of work-related stress. By definition, “burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity”. Burnout is not technically a diagnosis, but research suggests that many people who experience job burnout don’t believe that their jobs are the main cause. Yet many people report suffering from over-exertion and exhaustion as it relates to their workplace. What Does Burnout Look Like? Burnout does not always appear as painful despair. But signs of burnout can include feeling cynical about the way your life is going, the feeling that nothing you do matters, having a sense of hopelessness, and can mimic symptoms of depression. Things that one might say include:
Symptoms include asking yourself:
It is also very important to note that to begin the process of healing, one has to recognize the signs your body and mind give you once you are at the edge. Burnout is not the same as having a bad day at work. But rather it is like having an unending sequence of bad days at work. What causes burnout?
The hardest part of coping with burnout is that one can feel shame. We can put on a mask for the world, but internally we are feeling isolated and exhausted. Burnout will never go away on its own. The more you ignore burnout, the greater the risks in the future. Healing from burnout can take weeks, months or even years. If you feel that you are experiencing burnout there is help. Reach out today and begin your healing journey. Now offering: A Balanced YOU Program Starting at only $89 Providing support for:
Commitment of only four-1 hour sessions @ $89/session Book Today: https://empoweredwellnessliving.as.me/ |
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