The last few years have been filled with anxiety and stress about our physical, emotional and mental health, so it’s not surprising that the top articles for 2022 delve into those topics. Some other prominent issues in the counseling profession last year include the impact of legalized marijuana and the digital world on the profession, the need for financial change, clinical supervision and youth mental health. 

Here are 20 most-read articles in 2022 at ct.counseling.org:  

#1: Stress vs. anxiety vs. burnout: What’s the difference? 

By Lindsey Phillips  

People often view stress, anxiety and burnout as three interchangeable conditions, but understanding what differentiates them can help in addressing what lies at the heart of each. Read the full article.  

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#2: The emotional and social health needs of Gen Z 

By Lindsey Phillips 

Uncertainty and stress have left Generation Z feeling anxious, depressed and isolated and in desperate need of skills that counseling can provide. Read the full article. 

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#3: The impact of legalized marijuana on professional counseling 

By Bethany Bray

With more states legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, counselors are being forced to consider the potential pros and cons in their work with clients. Read the full article.

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#4: Counseling a broken heart  

By Bethany Bray

Romantic breakups often come with a lot of painful feelings and loss, but when processed in counseling, they can also be an opportunity to connect with oneself and make meaning from the experience. Read the full article. 

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#5: It’s time for a financial change in counseling   

By Derek J. Lee 

The fact that counselors are, by nature, helpers and are often willing to give freely of their time does not mean that they should be treated unfairly as a labor force. Read the full article. 

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#6: Self-diagnosis in a digital world  

By Lindsey Phillips 

Thanks to the popularity of social media postings about mental health and the ease of searching for symptoms online, more people are being tempted to self-diagnose. This article explores if that is necessarily a troubling trend for counselors. Read the full article. 

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#7: Making every moment of clinical supervision count  

By Tiffany Warner 

A three-step method can help counselor supervisors use their limited time more efficiently while building strong competency in supervisees. Read the full article. 

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#8: Journeying through betrayal trauma  

By Allan J. Katz and Michele Saffier 

Individuals who discover a partner’s infidelity and deception must undertake a challenging journey to find healing for the mind, heart and soul. Read the full article. 

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#9: Behind the scenes with a counselor-in-training  

By Allison Hauser 

This article provides a glimpse into what life is really like for counselors-in-training. Read the full article. 

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#10: ‘Not a monster’: Destigmatizing borderline personality disorder  

By Scott Gleeson 

The stigma attached to borderline personality disorder can make both clients and counselors resistant to treatment, but by working together, they can sort through these misconceptions and help clients rediscover themselves. Read the full article. 

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#11: Disarming anger  

By Bethany Bray

Viewing anger as a messenger rather than an adversary can help clients decouple it from shame, unpack its origins, explore related feelings and gain self-awareness. Read the full article. 

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#12: A cognitive behavioral understanding of social anxiety disorder  

By Brad Imhoff 

Once clients understand that anxiety is not something that is going to disappear altogether, they can turn their attention to managing it and loosening the grip it has on their lives. Read the full article. 

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#13: A beginner’s guide to alexithymia  

By Jerrod Brown 

People with alexithymia struggle to identify and express their emotions. This subclinical phenomenon is a known risk factor for a wide range of psychological and physical health problems, so it has significant implications for professionals working in the field of mental health. Read the full article. 

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#14: Sex-positive counseling  

By Lindsey Phillips 

Counselors must increase their own comfort and knowledge around sexuality before they can help clients navigate theirs. Read the full article. 

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#15: De-escalating conflict between parents and teens  

By Bethany Bray

Friction between parents and teenage children is an inevitable part of adolescent development, but often the parents need as much — if not more — work in counseling as the teen to build the skills needed to navigate conflict. Read the full article.

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#16: Getting triggered as a counselor 

By Lindsey Phillips 

Counselors will inevitably be confronted by countertransference, but by learning to recognize and manage it, an experience that has sometimes been stigmatized can become a tool for professional and personal growth. Read the full article. 

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#17: Building trust with reluctant clients  

By Bethany Bray

Rather than labeling hesitant clients as “resistant,” counselors should check their assumptions, work to better understand the underlying reasons and barriers these clients face, and double down on unconditional positive regard. Read the full article. 

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#18: What’s new with the DSM-5-TR?  

By Aaron L. Norton 

This article answers questions counselors may have about the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Read the full article. 

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#19: Responding to the youth mental health crisis in schools  

By Bethany Bray

A youth mental health crisis is rising to a crescendo in American schools, so now more than ever, school-based counselors need support and buy-in from school staff, parents and outside mental health professionals. Read the full article.

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#20: Confidentiality comes first: Navigating parent involvement with minor clients 

By Bethany Bray

Counselors must strike a balance between maintaining young clients’ confidentiality and accommodating parents who want to be kept in the loop about their child’s progress in therapy. Read the full article.

 

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What was your favorite article of 2022? What would you like to see Counseling Today cover in 2023? Leave a reply in the comment section below or email us at ct@counseling.org.

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