InSession- January 2026

INSESSION CREATED & PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

JANUARY 2026

Sitting with Complexity in Modern Clinical Practice

2 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

President’s Column

Greetings, and Happy New Year!

I am truly honored to step into the role of FMHCA President for 2026 and grateful for the opportunity to serve you in the year ahead. As we move forward together, our focus is simple yet meaningful: to strengthen our foundation, better support our members, and position FMHCA for long-term growth and success.

Over the past year, your FMHCA Board and administrative team have been working diligently behind the scenes to move the organization forward. These efforts include: Updated Bylaws, now finalized and ready for a member vote at the Annual Conference in February.

A new Policies and Procedures Manual, bringing greater clarity, consistency, and alignment to our operations.

A continued commitment to sound financial governance, aligned with nonprofit best practices.

A restructured membership model, designed to offer greater value, including access to general CEUs for licensure, free study sessions for registered interns, website templates, and many additional expanded member perks.

As we move into 2026, FMHCA remains deeply committed to advocating on behalf of all Licensed Mental Health Counselors at the legislative level. Supporting and protecting our profession continues to be a central part of our mission, and we will keep working to ensure your voices are heard.

While the year ahead will include some fine-tuning as we implement these updates, we are confident these changes will strengthen FMHCA and help us better serve our community now and in the years to come.

Above all, please remember that this is your organization.

FMHCA exists to support you, advocate for you, and grow alongside you. We are excited for what lies ahead and grateful to have you with us on this journey.

Respectfully Submitted,

Laura Peddie-Bravo Laura Peddie- Bravo, LMHC, NCC FMHCA President

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 3

INSESSION

Page 9 The Mask Anxiety Wears

Page 12 Through the Magic Mirror Page 15 Ask the Expert Page 16 It’s All Relative Page 18 FMHCA’s Favorites Page 21 High-Conflict Divorce Assessment: Centering the Child Amid Parental Polarization Page 24 Sitting in the Room: A Practical Introduction to Couples Therapy for Emerging Clinicians Page 29 Restorative Rest: Working With Clients Who Have Sleep Issues Page 34 The Mirror Moment: When Your Client’s Struggle Reflects Your Own Page 36 Surviving the Holiday Crush Page 38 Living in Limbo: Mental Health in the Age of Immigration Uncertainty 4 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

MAGAZINE Page 40 Integrating Spirituality & Faith-Based Practices in Counseling Toward Trauma Resilience Page 46 Imago Dialogue in Polycules: Expanding Connection Page 49 FMHCA Committee Updates Page 51 Submit for our next InSession issue InSession Magazine is created and published quarterly

by The Florida Mental Health Counselors Association (FMHCA).

FMHCA is a 501(c)(3) non for profit organization and chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

FMHCA is the only organization in the state of Florida that works exclusively towards meeting the needs of Licensed Mental Health Counselors in each season of their profession through intentional and strengthbased advocacy, networking, accessible professional development, and legislative efforts.

Let your voice be heard by becoming a FMHCA Member today!

Click here to view FMHCA's current Bylaws.

CONTRIBUTE: If you would like to write for InSession magazine or purchase Ad space in the next publication, please email: Naomi Rodriguez at naomi@flmhca.org

THE INSESSION TEAM: Naomi Rodriguez- Editor Victoria Siegel, LMHC- Expert Advisor

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY: There shall be no discrimination against any individual on the basis of ethic group, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

DISCLAIMER: Information in InSession Magazine does not represent an official FMHCA policy or position and the acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement or approval by FMHCA of any advertised service or product. InSession is crafted based on article submissions received. Articles are categorized between Professional Experience Articles & Professional Resource Articles.

Professional Experience Articles are writer's firstperson pieces about a topic related to their experience as a mental health professional, or an opinion about a trend in the mental health counseling field.

Professional Resource Articles are in-depth pieces intended to provide insight for the author's clinical colleagues on how to be more effective with a particular type of client or a client with a particular disorder, or tips for running their practice more efficiently

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 5

6 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

FMHCA's Mission Statement The Florida Mental Health Counselors Association (FMHCA) is the State Chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). FMHCA is the only organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the professional needs of Florida’s Licensed Mental Health Counselors.

The mission of the FMHCA is to advance the profession of clinical mental health counseling through intentional and strengthbased advocacy, networking, professional development, legislative efforts, public education, and the promotion of positive mental health for our communities.

Its sole purpose is to promote the profession of mental health counseling and the needs of our members as well as: Provide a system for the exchange of professional information among mental health counselors through newsletters, journals or other scientific, educational and/or professional materials Provide professional development programs for mental health counselors to update and enhance clinical competencies Promote legislation that recognizes and advances the profession of mental health counseling Provide a public forum for mental health counselors to advocate for the social and emotional welfare of clients Promote positive relations with mental health counselors and other mental health practitioners in all work settings to enhance the profession of mental health counseling Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of minimum training standards for mental health counselors Promote scientific research and inquiry into mental health concerns Provide liaison on the state level with other professional organizations to promote the advancement of the mental health profession Provide the public with information concerning the competencies and professional services of mental health counselors Promote equitable licensure standards for mental health counselors through the state legislature

The FMHCA Team President

Past-President

President-Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

Laura Peddie-Bravo

Kathie Erwin

Bridget Glass

Elizabeth Steuerwald

Taurean Wilson

NE Regional Director

NW Regional Director

SE Regional Director

SW Regional Director

Grace W. Cantor

Joseph P. Skelly

Liza Piekarsky

Kerry Conca

Executive Director

Executive Administrator

Marketing & Outreach Coor.

Diana Huambachano

Laura Giraldo

Naomi Rodriguez

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 7

8 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

Exploring the hidden emotions behind the masks we wear.

The Masks Anxiety Wears Professional Experience Article

Ask yourself this: What “mask” do you find yourself wearing most often and what does it protect you from? (Think about moments when you feel you can’t show all of yourself.)

How does your mask show up in your relationships? (Does it help you feel safe, accepted, or in control?)

If your mask could speak, what would it say it needs? (This can help you identify unmet needs like safety, validation, or rest.)

What does it look like to loosen the mask, even a little, in one safe space?

(Imagine what it might feel like to show up as your authentic self.)

When we slow down and look beneath the masks we wear, we often find softer truths: the fear we hide, the needs we ignore, and the parts of us longing to be accepted as they are.

The goal isn’t to rip the mask away— it’s to understand why it was needed, and to let authenticity return one breath at a time.

When anxiety walks into the therapy room, it doesn’t always call itself by name. Sometimes it shows up as overthinking, people-pleasing, or the constant need to look “okay.” I often meet clients who’ve worn these masks for so long they’re not sure what’s underneath anymore. They describe feeling exhausted from holding everything together or disconnected from who they really are.

One exercise I use is inviting clients to draw the mask they feel they wear most often. There’s no right or wrong way to do it — it might be a face, a pattern, or just colors and shapes.

Sometimes it even turns out to look like a

Halloween mask or something from a masquerade — playful on the surface, but holding deeper meaning underneath.

Putting that image on paper helps make something invisible visible. Often, it shows what words can’t: a smile hiding fear, bright colors covering sadness, or thick lines protecting something tender. The simple act of creating offers a new way to see the self — not as broken or flawed, but as layered, expressive, and human.

From there, we start to explore what’s living behind the mask. Using ideas from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we look at how certain thoughts keep the mask in place. Thoughts like “I have to hold it together,” “I can’t make anyone uncomfortable,” or “If I relax, I’ll fall apart.” These beliefs often shape how a person moves through the world.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 9

Through gentle reframing, we begin to soften those thoughts. Sometimes that means changing “I have to be strong” into “I feel like I need to be strong right now.” It’s a small shift, but it opens space for compassion and honesty — two things anxiety doesn’t often allow.

Clients begin to see that strength isn’t about perfection; it’s about being real.

As we work, I often invite reflection (see prompts at the beginning of the article).

When we slow down and truly look

10 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

beneath the masks we wear, we uncover softer truths — the fears we’ve learned to hide, the needs we’ve ignored, and the parts of us still longing to be seen.

The goal isn’t to rip the mask away, but to understand why it was needed, and to let authenticity return, one breath at a time.

Underneath every mask, there’s something true, something tender, and something waiting to breathe. And that’s where the healing begins.

Written By: Sarah Conklin, Registered Marriage & Family Therapist Intern Sarah is a Florida-based therapist and published poet with experience in state agencies, private practice, and school settings. She now runs her own practice, focusing on anxiety, self-esteem, anger management, inner child work, and couples therapy, while integrating creativity and mindfulness to support healing and growth.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 11

Leveling Up as a Counselor

Through the Magic Mirror Professional Experience Article

Sally Field’s character Janice in Dispatches from Elsewhere looks into a magic mirror, only to have her younger self recoil at who she became. The scene is disarming in its honesty. In attachment work (and in life) we do not always follow the path we once imagined. Sometimes we pivot, stumble through the fog, find a small opening, and build a new normal from the pieces that remain. That moment with the mirror helped me name my own path into counseling. I did not arrive in a straight line. I arrived by choosing meaning when the original script no longer fit.

What that taught me Younger and older selves can want different futures at the same time.

Grief over the older script is valid and workable.

12 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

Choice grows when we accept the pivot in front of us.

When I look back, I realize how often I’ve sat with people who are caught between two selves the person they hoped to be and the one who actually shows up each day. In the mirror between them, there is often pain, but also enormous possibility. My role as a counselor has become about helping clients hold both truths: the loss of an imagined life and the discovery of a new one still worth living.

From output to narrative repair In my early career, I measured success by productivity and outcomes. I prized output and certainty. My world was made of checklists, goals, and plans that could be evaluated on a spreadsheet.

Then, real stories began to interrupt my neat systems. A client grieved the life he

thought he should be living. Another whispered that connection felt too risky after years of rejection. The metrics fell away, replaced by something more complex and more human.

Training in clinical sexology widened my lens. Working with adults on intimacy, identity, and pleasure demanded that I move beyond symptom reduction. It invited me into a process of narrative repair, asking not just “What’s wrong?” but “Who am I now, and what future can still be true?” That shift was humbling. I began to see therapy less as fixing and more as midwifing new stories into being.

Clinical anchors I return to Name the story the body is carrying.

Reduce shame, increase choice.

Build one workable ritual that fits the nervous system.

Those three anchors keep me grounded when sessions become heavy. They remind me that healing is rarely linear.

Sometimes progress is simply staying in the room when the urge is to flee.

Sometimes it is naming the ache without apologizing for it.

Tabletop as a therapy toolkit Tabletop games offered me an unexpected doorway. Around a game table, people practice consent, collaboration, and courageous choices.

They build worlds together, experiment with failure, and learn to recover after the dice roll against them. I began inviting clients to borrow those same mechanics.

How play shows up in session: Party goal: a shared intention for the hour.

Scene timer: gentle structure that protects energy.

Debrief: what worked, what needs a buff.

Character sheet: strengths, values, supports, next quest.

Attachment dungeon map: small, safe quests toward repair.

Play makes hard things tangible. Story makes them livable. Within that space, people rehearse courage in low-stakes ways, often discovering that bravery and imagination can coexist with fear.

How I got here Like Janice, I followed clues in ordinary moments. I kept choosing presence over perfection. I learned to honor the part of me that loves structure and the part that loves wonder. When clients reflect on the mirrors in their own lives, I try to model curiosity instead of judgment. The goal isn’t to become who we were before but to become more ourselves on purpose.

What I offer today Sit with adults as they look in their own mirrors.

Normalize the pivot and the grief it carries.

Offer tools that reduce shame and grow choice.

Celebrate the life that is unfolding, not only the one that was promised When a client says, “I did not become who I thought I would be,” I can meet that truth with calm assurance and say, “Good. Now we get to decide who you are becoming.”

Written By: Josh Littleton, PhD, LMHC, CST, ABS Josh is a counselor in Florida who works with adults on identity, attachment, and sexual wellbeing. His practice blends clinical sexology, narrative therapy, and playful tools from tabletop gaming to build connection and courage. He is especially interested in queer aging and the stories we tell as we change.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 13

14 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

Ask the Expert FMHCA Member Questions Answered by President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, George F. Indest, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M.

Q A

As a Qualified Supervisor, can you bill insurance using your credentials for your supervisees / Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns?

Yes, as long as your contract with the paying insurance company does not state that it is prohibited. In the case of a Medicaid managed care insurance company, this is allowed by Medicaid laws and guidelines.

It is probably better to have a group provider number, and make sure the intern is signed up as a provider within the health insurance company and with the Medicaid Program, with their provider number re-assigned to the group. The group should then bill for the services.

Q A

When treating a minor child of divorced, separated or never married parents, what type of consent is necessary and from whom?

Unless there is an order from a court providing otherwise that you are aware of, each parent of a minor child is considered the natural guardian of a minor child. Either parent can sign a consent form and authorize any and all care and services.

Mr. Indest is board certified by The Florida Bar in the legal specialty of health law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, based in Orlando, Florida. The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision of legal advice.

Want your question featured in the next InSession issue? Submit Here Must be a FMHCA member to submit. Become a FMHCA member by clicking here.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 15

It’s All Relative Professional Experience Article

Perhaps one of the most overlooked beauties of humans are the nuances that color every perspective. Just like fingerprints, no two experiences are alike. No matter if everything else aligns down to the dust particles, my perspective will vary from yours.

This beauty is often mistaken for burden.

Viktor Frankl and Irvin Yalom played major parts in the development of Existential Therapy. Within this framework, there are core concepts apart of the human condition: freedom and responsibility (can’t have one without the other) awareness of death (spooky) the search for meaning (midlife crisis being a commonly highlighted one) and isolation is a part of life (bummer) 16 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

We are inevitably isolated to some degree due to our nuanced perspectives.

This isn’t because of lack of trying, it’s just as true as the sky is blue. Our experiences are not meant to match 100%.

blonde curls and deep blue eyes. We admire the beauty of her unique experiences and the lenses she peers into the world with.

This may be the most disillusioned truth to humanity. Why? Because people sure try their darndest to clone themselves in their lenses. This fact alone perpetuates my profession. The goal to healing a lot of the time is self-actualization and individualization AKA finding the courage to honor your own truth.

I could prioritize my parenting to indoctrinate my little monkey into a shadow closely resembling myself or my partner. We could quiet the rustlings of her novelty, shhhing them with shame, guilt, or otherwise “don’t do that, that’s not what Scotts do!”.

We become who we are from the messages we receive.

Generationally, we miss the mark when raising our little people.

However, I see the pain that accompanies this rigidity within the therapy room.

I giggle at the irony, because I had a baby that looks very little like me. However instead of harping on this fact, we celebrate. We lean into her vivacious

As children, we are wired to be egocentric. We experience the world as if we are at the center. This isn’t out of selfishness, but out of an instinctual

drive to survive. This is what perpetuated ‘survival of the fittest’. We had to be the center of our family’s world to survive ‘back in the day’.

Egocentrism does not really begin to fade until we become seven-ish years old. Then it slowly fades over time.

Slowly key word.

So it shouldn’t be a shock that when adults box us into becoming their clones or bust, we carry shame from being innately different. Experiencing our

perspectives differently, however being told we have control over what is secretly the uncontrollable.

We become who we are from the messages we receive.

Embrace the differences that are promised with the human condition.

Prepare yourself for the reality of nuances. Instead of fearing this, lean in with curiosity. We all have something to learn from one another, no matter the age difference.

Written By: Katherine Scott, MEd, EdS, LMFT Katherine is the Assistant Clinical Director and Lead LMFT at Puzzle Peace Counseling in NE Florida. She is a Level 1 Gottman Certified Couples Therapist and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She specializes in working with neurodiverse children/ young adults, including those on the autism spectrum, and their families. She practices from an experiential lens and authored the children’s book The Tail of a Trio.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 17

FMHCA's Favorites Mexican Wedding Cookies Ingredients: 1 heaping cup pecans 1¼ cups powdered sugar, divided 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium skillet over low heat, toast the pecans for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a food processor and pulse to form a coarse meal.

Measure ¾ cup of the powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside for rolling.

In another medium bowl, mix together the flour and the cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar, and the salt until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Gradually add the flour mixture and then the pecans and mix until combined.

Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Then, use your hands to roll it into balls and place them on the baking sheets. If the dough is too sticky to handle, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.

Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until just golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then roll the warm cookies in the reserved powdered sugar.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salad Pod The mason jar–inspired shape tucks neatly into a tote bag or backpack and keeps ingredients separate until you shake, mix, and dig right in—with a 2-in-1 design, the container becomes a bowl just by opening the front hatch. Not feeling the greens today? This goanywhere pod is just as convenient for toting grain or poke bowls, pasta, fruit, leftovers, and more.

2 in 1 Weekender Bag

Oura Ring

With its clever 2-in-1 design, it moonlights as a full-on garment bag—yes, it fits up to a 50R suit without creasing—then folds into a sleek, carryon-friendly weekender that holds everything from your tech to your toiletries. Whether you're heading to a last-minute wedding, a three-day conference, or a getaway with just in case dress shoes in tow, this bag keeps things hassle-free.

Track over 50 health and wellness metrics, and get personalized insights into your sleep, activity, stress, metabolic, heart health, and women’s health. With innovative, AI-powered tools like Oura Advisor, get exclusive access to actionable insights that become increasingly tailored over time.

Rainbow Tea Utensil Gift Set Ellipsoid Fidget The true tea connoisseur knows that loose-leaf blends offer the best flavor Toy and aroma, but you do need the right Experience tactile fidgeting delight with this mesmerizing ellipsoid, crafted for quiet, engaging play. This compact marvel promises endless fascination.

18 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

utensils to make the most of them.

Crafted from lead-free pewter, the three-piece set features delicate handdrawn florals, cheerful typography, and a vintage feel that makes every cup feel like a special moment.

Yoga Deck 52 cards in a pack, 52 weeks in a year. Try one new pose a week, for a year of yoga. If you are searching for a gift that helps those practicing yoga to keep to a routine or even be inspired by the many wondrous poses available, then why not gift the Calm Club Yoga Deck?

Candle Warming Lamp Acupressure Neck Wedge From working on a laptop to looking down at the phone, we put a lot of stress on our necks.

Take a break from scrolling and unwind with a unique memory foam wedge designed to enhance wellness and combat "tech neck."

Revolutionize your home fragrance! This candle warming lamp melts the surface of your candles, releasing its scent without a flame, soot, or pollutants.

So. Many. Planner Stickers.

Too many planner stickers? No such thing. This HUGE collection of fun and functional stickers will take your planner to the next level and make everyday planning a little more awesome. Use them to flag appointments, track goals, or mark vacations, paydays, book club meetings, brunch, and beyond. Stay organized all year long—and spread the sticker love!

Cooling Head Cap

Bath Tub Caddy

This cap can be cooled in the freezer for 4-6 hours for cold relief for a headache or relaxing sensation; or heated in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Easy to use, it is reusable and has a comfortable gel design.

This bath caddy is perfect for holding your favorite book, tablet, phone, wine glass and candle while you relax and soak in the tub. With everything you need at your fingertips, you can relax and indulge in a luxurious soak.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

Filled with secrets from a therapist's toolkit, this book teaches you how to fortify and maintain your mental health, even in the most trying of times. It tackles everyday issues and offers practical solutions in bite-sized, easy-to-digest entries which makes it easy to digest guidance.

Mini Moments Couples Explore 150 thoughtfully designed mini games to create moments of fun, laughter, and intimacy with your partner. Games are divided into two categories: 'Playful' mini-games that bring out your silly side and 'Connection' minigames that deepen your bond. With quick-to-learn rules and a range of game lengths, there’s always a perfect mini moment waiting for you.

The Original™ Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark This once-a-year favorite is crafted using the finest ingredients, including custom-blended chocolate and double-distilled oil of peppermint, and finished with a snowfall of peppermint candy pieces.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 19

20 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

High-Conflict Divorce Assessment Centering the Child Amid Parental Polarization Professional Resource Article

High-conflict divorces pose unique challenges for mental-health evaluators.

These cases are characterized by chronic litigation, entrenched hostility, and emotional triangulation that often obscure the child’s developmental needs.

This article presents an evidence-based framework for maintaining forensic neutrality and developmental focus. It integrates research on trauma, attachment, and systemic theory to guide evaluators in conducting thorough, ethically sound assessments that preserve the child’s welfare amid parental polarization.

The Nature of High-Conflict Divorce High-conflict divorce is distinguished not merely by disagreement but by chronic hostility, distrust, and rigid relational boundaries that persist long

after legal dissolution. The child becomes the nexus of unresolved adult trauma and unrelenting control struggles. The literature identifies 1 exposure to prolonged parental conflict as one of the most significant predictors of poor child adjustment following divorce. (2) The evaluator operates within this emotional crossfire, tasked with generating findings that withstand both scientific and legal scrutiny. The process demands disciplined neutrality, structured methodology, and an unwavering focus on developmental impact.

Principles of a Child-Centered Forensic Framework Three principles anchor effective evaluation: developmental attunement,

relational systems analysis, and empirical accountability.

1.Developmental attunement ensures all observations are contextualized through the child’s cognitive and emotional stage. (3) 2. Relational systems analysis recognizes that each dyad operates within broader subsystems of influence. (4) 3.Empirical accountability demands that every opinion be traceable to identifiable data—records, observations, or validated instruments. (5) Avoiding Narrative Contamination High-conflict parents often offer diametrically opposed accounts of reality. The evaluator must avoid narrative contamination; where the InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 21

assessment becomes an echo of one parent’s perspective. Objective documentation replaces judgmental language. For example, rather than “Mother is controlling,” note: “Mother redirected the child’s verbal responses three times in a ten-minute play segment.”

Structured collateral verification, psychological testing, and parent-child observation produce defensible findings.

Tools such as the Parenting Stress Index (6) or the MMPI-2-RF offer standardized anchors that guard against bias.

Forensic Neutrality and Emotional Regulation Evaluators face continual exposure to projection, splitting, and manipulation.

Emotional neutrality is sustained through cognitive empathy; that is, understanding without emotional absorption. Supervision and consultation provide containment and protect against forensic countertransference. Personality features commonly present in highconflict families, particularly Cluster B traits, must be identified for their systemic implications, not as diagnostic weapons. (7) Evidence-Based Evaluation Practices 1.Hypothesis Testing Formulate multiple hypotheses and revise them as data evolve.

2.Cross-Source Validation Require convergence across at least two independent data sources before forming major conclusions.

3.Attachment-Focused Inquiry Assess the child’s experience of emotional security, not the parent’s self-report of affection.

4.Trauma-Responsive Interpretation Distinguish trauma reactivity from intentional manipulation.

5.Functional Behavior Analysis 22 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

Evaluate what parents do (e.g. structure, attunement, and regulation) rather than who they are or who they appear to be.

The Child’s Voice Children deserve voice but not burden.

Their statements should be explored for meaning, not decision-making. Openended prompts such as “What feels different at each home?” yield developmental data without forcing alignment. (8) Documentation and Report Structure A defensible report provides a transparent chain of reasoning: Data Interpretation Opinion Recommendation.

→

→

→

Every conclusion must specify the empirical basis and its relevance to statutory best-interest factors. Avoid conclusory statements and maintain analytical tone.

Ethical and Legal Parameters The evaluator functions as an officer or an investigative arm of the court. Ethical and model standards for best practice from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)9 define role boundaries and confidentiality limits.

Any deviation from standard methodology must be documented and justified.

Maintaining Professional Resilience High-conflict work evokes compassion fatigue and moral injury. (10) Sustained resilience requires deliberate self-care, structured consultation, and professional community. Self-regulation, not detachment, is the foundation of objectivity.

Concluding Remarks The evaluator’s singular task is to translate complex family dynamics into actionable insight that serves the child’s

developmental welfare. Every interview, observation, and recommendation must converge on one organizing question: What arrangement promotes safety, stability, and continuity for this child?

When evaluators remain oriented toward that question, the noise of adult conflict fades, and the child’s best interest re-emerges as the guiding principle of justice and care.

References 1.Johnston, J. R. (1994). High-conflict divorce. The Future of Children, 4(1), 165–182.

2.Kelly, J. B., & Emery, R. E. (2003). Children’s adjustment following divorce: Risk and resilience perspectives. Family Relations, 52(4), 352–362.

3.Kelly, J. B. (2014). Listening to children’s views in custody decisions: The role of developmental research. Family Court Review, 52(2), 192–202.

4.Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy.

Harvard University Press.

5.Greenberg, S. A., Gould, J. W., Gould-Saltman, D. J., & Stahl, P. M. (2020). The art and science of child custody evaluations. Guilford Press.

6.Abidin, R. R. (2012). Parenting Stress Index (4th ed.). PAR Inc. 7.Johnston, J. R., Roseby, V., & Kuehnle, K. (2005).

In the name of the child: A developmental approach to understanding and helping children of conflicted and violent divorce (2nd ed.).

Springer.

8.Lamb, M. E., & Kelly, J. B. (2009). Improving the quality of parent–child contact in separating families with infants and young children. Family Court Review, 47(4), 505–522.

9.Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). (2022). Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation.

10.Figley, C. R. (2012). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. Routledge.

Written By: Jessica Duesler, LCSW-BCD Jessica has 20 years of experience, licensed in CO, FL, TX, and UT. She specializes in forensic evaluation, adoption trauma, and complex family systems. Certified in Advanced Forensic Social Work and Multicultural Practice, she provides expert testimony, clinical evaluation, and advocacy nationwide. She also serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Social Work, supporting excellence in child welfare and permanency practice.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 23

Sitting in the Room

A Practical Introduction to Couples Therapy for Emerging Clinicians Professional Resource Article

This article introduces couples therapy from a practical, skills-based perspective for novice clinicians. It outlines the therapist’s role, foundational theories, common presenting issues, assessment and intervention strategies, and key ethical and cultural considerations.

Emphasis is placed on the therapist’s self-awareness, supervision, and reflective practice. The goal is to provide beginning therapists with a grounded framework for engaging relational work confidently, ethically, and effectively.

Couples therapy presents a unique challenge for new clinicians because it involves two emotional systems, communication styles, and subjective realities in a single therapeutic space.

The complexity of managing competing perspectives can feel daunting for those early in their careers.

24 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Assistant Clinical Director at Marriage & Family Services, and owner of Elevate Me Allison, LLC, I specialize in working with couples and individuals navigating infidelity recovery, trauma, and relational distress. Through clinical work and supervision, I have found that couples therapy is less about fixing relationships and more about facilitating partners’ rediscovery of safety, curiosity, and connection. This article provides an introductory framework for emerging clinicians entering the world of couples therapy. Drawing from systemic, attachment, and experiential models, it highlights essential theories, techniques, and self-of-the-therapist considerations that strengthen therapeutic presence and confidence.

Why Couples Therapy Matters

Healthy relationships are central to mental health and overall functioning.

Research consistently demonstrates that relational distress contributes to anxiety, depression, and even physical illness.

When partners improve communication and co-regulation, their well-being, and that of their families and communities, also improves. Couples therapy extends beyond helping relationships survive; it strengthens entire systems. The couple’s dynamic influences family functioning, parenting, and broader social contexts.

When therapists help partners listen, regulate, and repair, they promote systemic stability and generational resilience.

The Therapist’s Role New therapists often believe their responsibility is to determine who is

right or to resolve each conflict.

However, the therapist’s true role is to facilitate understanding, not to arbitrate.

Neutrality should not be confused with disengagement. A balanced stance requires curiosity, empathy, and selfregulation. A grounded therapist models emotional stability and helps partners remain in dialogue even amid conflict. As one guiding reminder states, “If the therapist gets pulled into the dance, no one’s leading.” The therapist must maintain emotional equilibrium, serving as a calm presence that allows both partners to feel seen and supported.

Foundational Theories in Couples Work A solid theoretical foundation enables clinicians to conceptualize relational patterns and choose effective interventions. Although mastery takes time, familiarity with core frameworks enhances flexibility and confidence.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Developed by Sue Johnson, EFT uses attachment theory to help couples identify primary emotions and rebuild emotional safety.

The Gottman Method: Based on John and Julie Gottman’s research, this model emphasizes friendship, conflict management, and repair, guided by the “Four Horsemen” framework.

Bowen Family Systems Theory: Focuses on differentiation and intergenerational transmission, highlighting how family-of-origin dynamics influence current functioning.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Encourages couples to identify exceptions, amplify strengths, and envision preferred relational futures.

Cognitive Behavioral Couple Therapy (CBCT): Explores how cognitive distortions and beliefs influence emotional and behavioral interactions.

Rather than specializing in one theory immediately, novice therapists should experiment with models that align with their values and relational style.

Common Presenting Problems Couples often seek therapy for communication difficulties, infidelity, emotional disconnection, parenting stress, or major life transitions.

Additional issues may include cultural or religious differences, financial strain, and intimacy concerns. While these issues appear concrete, they often reflect deeper emotional needs for validation, safety, or belonging. Effective therapy requires moving beyond surface-level complaints to identify underlying emotional processes.

Assessment, Joining, and Alliance Building Assessment and joining are the foundation of successful couples therapy. Unless there are safety concerns, meeting both partners in the initial session establishes equality and shared accountability. During intake, therapists should gather a relational timeline that includes how the couple met, significant milestones, recurring conflict patterns, and moments of connection. Screening for domestic violence, substance use, and mental health concerns ensures client safety and informs treatment planning. Structured tools such as the Gottman Relationship Checkup or Couple Satisfaction Index can complement clinical judgment by organizing information and tracking progress. However, data alone cannot replace the importance of connection.

Joining involves building trust and helping both partners feel equally seen and understood. Balanced validation allows each person to feel heard without reinforcing blame. Statements such as “I can see how that was painful for you” and “I can understand why that felt like

pressure for you” demonstrate empathy and fairness. This collaborative stance helps couples view the therapist as an ally for the relationship rather than an advocate for either individual.

The Cycle Versus the Content A key concept in couples therapy is distinguishing the relational cycle from the specific content of conflict. While partners often focus on the immediate issue, such as household chores, finances, or parenting decisions, these topics usually represent deeper emotional experiences. Beneath the surface, couples tend to repeat familiar interactional patterns rooted in attachment needs, family-of-origin learning, and unspoken fears of abandonment or rejection. Recognizing these patterns allows both therapist and partners to shift attention away from who is right or wrong and toward the process that sustains their distress. For example, one partner may pursue connection through criticism, feeling anxious when emotional distance grows, while the other withdraws to preserve peace and avoid escalation. Over time, this dance creates a self-reinforcing loop in which the more one pursues, the more the other retreats. This cyclical pattern becomes the real problem, not the dishes in the sink or the late payment on a bill.

When therapists help couples observe and name their pattern, such as saying, “When you shut down, she panics, and when she panics, you withdraw,” they externalize the dynamic and place it outside of either individual. This subtle shift reframes the issue from “you versus me” to “us versus the cycle.”

Identifying the cycle also helps partners uncover the emotional needs that fuel it.

The withdrawing partner may not be disinterested but may fear failure or rejection if they engage. The pursuing partner may not be controlling but may long for reassurance that their emotional InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 25

world matters. Through reflection and guided dialogue, couples begin to recognize the vulnerability hidden beneath their defensive behaviors.

Therapists play a crucial role in slowing these interactions, naming the emotional subtext, and helping partners respond to one another’s deeper needs.

For instance, rather than interpreting silence as avoidance, the therapist might help one partner express, “When I go quiet, it is because I feel overwhelmed, not because I do not care.” Similarly, the other partner can learn to express longing rather than frustration by saying, “I raise my voice because I want to feel close, not because I want to attack.” By reframing conflict as a shared cycle rather than an individual flaw, the therapist helps both partners adopt a collaborative stance. The couple learns that the goal is not to eliminate disagreement but to change how they engage with it. Over time, this awareness transforms moments of disconnection into opportunities for repair and closeness. The relational cycle then becomes a map that helps both partners understand how their emotional systems interact and how, with support, they can begin to move together more harmoniously.

Managing Conflict and Escalation Conflict is inevitable in relationships and can serve as a path to deeper intimacy when managed effectively. The therapist’s presence often determines how conflict unfolds. Naming escalation helps regulate emotion: “I notice voices getting louder. Let’s take a breath before we continue.” Teaching repair attempts —such as a gentle touch or saying, “Can we try again?”—demonstrates that repair, not avoidance, builds safety.

Core Skills, Interventions, and Practice Beyond the Session Couples therapy relies on the 26 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

development of micro-skills that strengthen regulation, empathy, and connection between partners. Effective interventions help slow emotional reactivity and create space for understanding rather than defense.

Common techniques include reflective listening and validation, teaching “I” statements to shift from blame to ownership, encouraging grounding and breathing exercises to maintain emotional balance, and reframing accusatory statements into expressions of need. For instance, replacing “You never listen” with “I feel unimportant when you look away while I speak” changes the tone of communication and invites empathy. Small linguistic and behavioral shifts can reshape how partners experience one another, fostering safety and cooperation in the room.

The therapeutic process also extends beyond the session. Homework serves as a bridge between therapy and daily life, allowing couples to practice new skills in real time. Assignments may include Love Maps or Connection Questions from the Gottman Method, the Apology Letter Exercise, a Non-Sexual Intimacy Checklist, or weekly check-in rituals.

These activities encourage consistency and accountability while reinforcing emotional awareness. Rather than focusing on perfection, the goal is to help partners develop new relational habits that support ongoing growth and connection.

Common Mistakes of New Couples Therapists Beginning clinicians often struggle with predictable challenges, such as taking sides, trying to solve every issue, overemphasizing skills while neglecting emotion, or avoiding tension due to discomfort. Recognizing that growth occurs in tension helps therapists hold space for discomfort rather than rush to

resolve it. Couples learn regulation through observing the therapist’s steadiness.

The Self of the Therapist Therapists inevitably bring their own attachment patterns, values, and histories into the room. Self-awareness allows for intentional engagement rather than reactivity. Reflective questions may include: Do I feel anxious when clients argue?

Do I overfunction when one partner withdraws?

Do I identify more closely with one partner’s experience?

A therapist’s regulated presence models emotional containment and helps partners learn to self-regulate. Self-ofthe-therapist work transforms countertransference into clinical insight.

Ethical Considerations Couples therapy presents unique ethical challenges. Therapists should clarify early in treatment whether they follow a no-secrets policy, where private disclosures that impact the relationship cannot be withheld. Document clearly that the couple is the client, not either individual, and maintain transparency about confidentiality and consent.

Ongoing supervision is recommended when navigating complex ethical or safety issues.

Cultural and Identity Considerations Every couple brings a unique cultural, spiritual, and gendered framework into therapy. Culture, race, religion, gender roles, and family expectations shape how partners connect, communicate, and experience conflict. Cultural humility and curiosity are essential.

Therapists can ask, “How does your culture view partnership?” or “What messages about relationships did you grow up with?” Respecting both partners’ contexts while helping them

co-create shared meaning promotes inclusivity and relational balance.

Case Illustration: Post-Infidelity Work Consider a couple entering therapy after an infidelity disclosure. One partner feels guilt and urgency to repair, while the other feels betrayed and distant. The initial focus should be stabilization and safety rather than forgiveness. EFT provides a framework for processing attachment injuries, while SFBT offers tools for identifying incremental steps toward trust. Early interventions might include validating both partners’ emotions, identifying triggers, encouraging transparency, and defining boundaries for communication.

Forgiveness should emerge through consistent repair and accountability rather than premature resolution.

Integration and Growth Couples therapy is demanding work that requires ongoing reflection, consultation, and supervision.

Reviewing session recordings (with

consent), debriefing challenging cases, and participating in peer consultation groups foster professional growth.

Recommended readings include Hold Me Tight (Johnson, 2008) and The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (Gottman & Silver, 2015). Continuous learning reinforces both competence and humility.

Conclusion Beyond theory and technique lies the central question: What kind of space should I create for couples in my therapy room? The therapist’s tone, presence, and ability to remain grounded communicate more than interventions alone. When therapists embody curiosity, empathy, and calm, couples begin to believe that change is possible.

Couples therapy is one of the most rewarding and challenging modalities in the mental health field. Success depends on balancing structure with flexibility, neutrality with compassion, and knowledge with authenticity. The goal is not to fix what is broken but to help

partners reconnect with empathy and hope. When therapists approach this work with self-awareness and care, they become catalysts for transformation that allows love, trust, and resilience to take root again.

References Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work.

Harmony Books.

Johnson, S. M. (2008). Hold me tight: seven conversations for a lifetime of love. First edition. Little, Brown and Company.

Written By: Abigale Allison Thomas, LMFT Abigale is the Assistant Clinical Director at Marriage and Family Services in Plantation and owner of Elevate Me Allison, LLC. She specializes in working with couples and individuals (15+) navigating relational dynamics, infidelity, grief and loss, trauma, and cultural issues. Abigale’s approach integrates compassion, cultural awareness, and evidence-based practices to promote healing and meaningful connection.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 27

28 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

Restorative Rest

Working With Clients Who Have Sleep Issues Professional Resource Article

Is Sleep Hygiene Education the Answer?

Sleep is a vital but often overlooked pillar of mental health. Insufficient sleep undermines emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, and physical health—yet millions continue to struggle with sleep disturbances.

According to the CDC (2024), between 25% and 50% of U.S. children and over a third of adults in states like Florida lack adequate rest.

Insomnia is significantly more common among people with mental health disorders, with research suggesting that 40%–70% of those seeking treatment experience comorbid sleep problems (Schutte-Rodin et al., 2008). Still, the National Institutes of Health (2023) notes that formal education on sleep disorders is minimal in clinical mental

health counseling and graduate psychology programs, leaving many graduates feeling unprepared to address sleep-related issues in practice.

Encouragingly, a controlled trial found that after a foundational sleep education workshop, 70% of participating graduate programs integrated the Sleep Psychology Workshop into their curricula (Meaklim et al., 2023).

To support practitioners in overcoming these educational gaps, the next section outlines key guidelines and evidencebased information for working with clients, including strategies for sharing scientific knowledge and implementing effective sleep hygiene protocols. The first step in addressing any mental health disorder is to conduct a thorough evaluation. When assessing for

insomnia, this evaluation should include: 1.A general medical questionnaire to identify possible comorbid disorders.

2.A standardized sleep assessment to evaluate sleep quality and related behaviors.

3.A two-week sleep log to document and identify patterns in sleep–wake cycles Encourage your client to undergo a physical exam if warranted, and a mental status evaluation can help identify comorbid conditions and support a differential diagnosis (Schutte-Rodin et al., 2008). Once the initial evaluation is complete, common treatment goals for sleep disorders include not only improving overall sleep InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 29

quality but also addressing daytime impairments associated with insomnia (Schutte-Rodin et al., 2008). Ongoing monitoring of sleep diary data is crucial for tracking progress, identifying areas for improvement, and determining which coping strategies are most effective in achieving this goal. If a single intervention—or a combination of behavioral strategies—proves ineffective, additional approaches, such as alternative behavioral interventions or pharmacological treatments, should be considered.

When considering pharmacologic treatments, it is essential to determine whether the client is using any over-thecounter sleep medications. Residual medication effects—such as next-day drowsiness, grogginess, or sluggishness —are common among users of these products (Fitzgerald & Vietri, 2015).

Fitzgerald and Vietri (2015) also reported that individuals who rely on over-thecounter sleep aids often experience at least one or more nights per week of “unrestful sleep.” These residual effects can significantly impair functioning in all aspects of life, including work, home, and social settings. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM, 2017) advises against the use of antihistamines, analgesic sleep aids, and herbal or nutritional substances such as valerian and melatonin for the treatment of sleep problems, citing insufficient research on their safety and effectiveness (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018). For counselors, this naturally leads to the next question—where do we go from here?

At this stage, introducing effective behavioral strategies is crucial. One of the most useful tools for clients is learning good sleep hygiene, which is defined as a set of behavioral and environmental practices that promote consistent, high-quality sleep. Core 30 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

principles include maintaining regular sleep and wake times, creating a relaxing sleep environment, limiting caffeine and screen exposure before bed, and engaging in calming pre-sleep routines.

The goal is to strengthen natural sleep– wake rhythms and reduce behaviors that interfere with rest (CDC, 2024; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). For many clients, cultivating these habits is a powerful first step toward healing, regulation, and improved mental health functioning.Each of these practices helps support healthy sleep patterns and reduce sleep difficulties. As a provider, guide clients in adopting these healthy habits as a pathway to better sleep and recovery. The following section offers evidence-based tips and practical methods for effective sleep hygiene.

To improve well-being, maintain a consistent sleep schedule. This routine helps reduce stress and anxiety, while also supporting both physical and mental health. Structured schedules create stability that helps both adults and children thrive. Children, in particular, benefit from predictable sleep routines, which lead to improved sleep, enhanced emotional regulation, better academic performance, stronger family connections, and increased independence. Healthy sleep patterns in childhood also support positive development into adulthood (Schlieber & Han, 2021).

Creating a restful sleep environment can be both enjoyable and highly beneficial for improving sleep quality. Encourage clients to create a calm and comfortable bedroom space that promotes relaxation. Keep the room cool, dark, and quiet by using blackout curtains, a fan, or a white noise machine if necessary.

Reserve the bed for sleep and intimacy only, helping the brain associate the space with rest rather than wakefulness.

Invite clients to personalize their environment with soothing and comforting elements, such as a favorite blanket, soft lighting, calming scents like lavender, or gentle background music.

Remind them to limit stimulating activities before bed—such as screen time or work tasks—and to create a nightly “wind-down” ritual, like reading, journaling, or practicing deep breathing, to signal the body that it’s time to rest.

Limiting screen time is essential for children, adolescents, and adults. The research findings reveal a significant correlation between social media use, sleep, psychological health, and adolescent academic performance (Gull & Sravani, 2024). Studies done with adolescents found that one year later, screen use was associated with lower self-reported sleep duration and increased sleep disturbance (Nagata, et al., 2024). A meta-analysis of current research suggests that increased social media engagement may be associated with poor sleep quality (Ahmed et al., 2024). Studies conducted on the effects of pre-bedtime blue light exposure found that the ratio of deep sleep was decreased, and limiting this exposure increased deep sleep patterns (Ishizawa, et al., 2021). The blue light emitted from electronic screens can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin, thereby delaying the onset of sleep and disrupting the circadian rhythm. As a rule, it’s best to avoid using electronic devices—such as phones, tablets, and televisions—at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Ideally, televisions should be removed from the bedroom to promote a restful environment. If the TV remains in the room, it should be completely powered off and, if possible, unplugged from the wall outlet. While a plugged-in television may emit very weak electromagnetic signals from internal circuits, these are minimal and

well below safety limits. However, some individuals report sensitivity to electronic devices or find that reducing such exposure enhances their sense of calm. In these cases, covering the screen with a blanket or cloth may provide psychological comfort and minimize visual distractions from standby lights.

Avoiding stimulants and heavy meals in the evening can disrupt healthy sleep.

Caffeine in coffee, some teas, and chocolate can take up to 8 hours to wear off (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). The same source notes that consuming large meals before bed can lead to indigestion and chronic stomach issues. Nicotine is also a stimulant that releases adrenaline.

Smokers should wait 30 to 60 minutes before going to sleep.

As with most anxiety-related disorders, counselors should equip clients with a variety of relaxation techniques to promote restorative sleep. These may include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and mindfulness meditation. In addition to these evidence-based strategies, researchers continue to explore complementary and alternative treatments. For example, Lee and Kim (2023) found that acupuncture has a positive influence on several brain regions and neurotransmitter systems associated with sleep disorders, suggesting that the activation of brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may play a key role in improving sleep regulation. Similarly, aromatherapy has been shown to benefit sleep quality, particularly among inpatient and older adult populations, with 66.7% of participants in one meta-analysis reporting improved outcomes (Her & Cho, 2021). The use of sound and rhythm as sleep therapy is not new. As early as the 11th century, the Persian physician Jorjani described using “slow,

harmonious melodies” and natural sounds—such as running water and rustling trees—to induce rest (Dadmehr et al., 2023). Modern neuroscience supports these ancient observations, demonstrating that gentle auditory stimuli can reduce arousal and promote sleep by modulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Other lifestyle changes that can improve sleep are understanding how natural light affects the body. Our brains are hardwired to stay awake during daylight hours and fall asleep when it is dark. It is essential to consider how exposure to light impacts the sleep-wake cycle (National Sleep Foundation, 2025).

Getting daily light exposure is just as important as regulating light at the end of the day. Exercise is also a predictor of sleep quality. The first thing exercise does is increase the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Second, exercise reduces stress, which is often an impediment to falling asleep and staying asleep. Third, physical activity improves mood, increasing enthusiasm for physical exercise and creating a positive feedback loop (Alnawar et al., 2023).

Despite these promising interventions, significant racial and ethnic disparities persist in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of sleep disorders. For example, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely than White individuals to report short sleep duration, and Black adults particularly demonstrate greater odds of poor sleep quality, short sleep, and greater sleep-disordered breathing, even controlling for income and other factors. Studies find that minority patients are less frequently prescribed insomnia medications and may have reduced access to specialty sleep treatments. Counselors must therefore practice culturally responsive care, attend to systemic barriers (such as

access, mistrust, and social determinants of health), and consider how intersectional factors (including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and discrimination) shape clients’ sleep health and treatment trajectories (Omenka et al., 2024). Counselors can address these disparities through culturally responsive interventions, advocacy for equitable access to sleep care, and psychoeducation that acknowledges systemic factors affecting clients’ sleep. Understanding how social determinants—such as neighborhood lighting, shift work, and exposure to chronic stress—impact circadian health is essential to promoting holistic wellness.

Expanding education on sleep disorders within counselor training programs is essential for effective client care. Many graduate counseling curricula devote limited time to sleep assessment, sleep hygiene, and the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health (Meaklim, et al., 2023). Yet, research consistently demonstrates that untreated sleep problems can exacerbate anxiety, depression, trauma responses, and overall emotional dysregulation. By incorporating dedicated instruction on sleep physiology, behavioral sleep medicine, and evidence-based interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, counselor education programs can better prepare future clinicians to recognize, assess, and treat sleep-related issues.

Integrating this content not only strengthens diagnostic competence but also supports holistic, wellness-oriented care that aligns with the counseling profession’s emphasis on prevention and whole-person health.

Counselor education programs can integrate sleep content in practical and accessible ways. Brief modules on sleep assessment tools, circadian rhythm InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 31

education, and evidence-based treatments such as CBT can be incorporated into courses on assessment, diagnosis, or wellness counseling. Case studies that explore the interaction between sleep and mental health conditions help students apply this knowledge in a clinical setting.

Additionally, incorporating sleepfocused competencies into practicum and internship supervision encourages future counselors to routinely screen for sleep issues, collaborate with medical providers when necessary, and design interventions that promote overall wellness.

References 1.Ahmed, O., Walsh, E. I., Dawel, A., Alateeq, K., Oyarce, D. A., & Cherbuin, N. (2024). Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses.

Journal of Affective Disorders(367), 701-712. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.193 2.Alnawar, M. A., Alraddadi, M. J., Algethmi, R. A., Salem, G. A., Salem, M. A., & Alharbi, A. A. (2023). The effect of physical activity on sleep quality and sleep disorder: A systemic review.

Cureus. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43595 3.CDC. (2024, November 1). CDC Sleep FastStats. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/dataresearch/facts-stats/children-sleep-factsand-stats.html 4.Dadmehr, M., Akhtari, E., & Haqiqi, M. (2023). The effect of music on the improvement of sleep quality: a report from the viewpoint of Jorjani. Neurological Sciences, 1787-1789. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-02306702-2 5.Fitzgerald, T., & Vietri, J. (2015). Residual effects of sleep medications are commonly reported and associated with impaired patient-reported outcomes among insomnia patients in the United States. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2015, 1-9. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/607148 6.Gull, M., & Sravani, B. R. (2024). Do screen time and social media use affect sleep patterns, psychological health, and academic performance among adolescents? Evidence from bibliometric analysis. Children and Youth Services Review(164), 1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.

107886

32 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

7.Gumport, N. B., Gasperetti, C. E., Zieve, G. G., & Harvey, A. G. (2024). Therapist training in treating sleep problems: A survey study of clinical practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(9), 1943-1956. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23511 8.Harvard Health Publishing. (2018). Drugstore sleep aids may bring more risks than benefits.

Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/drugstore-sleep-aids-may-bringmore-risks-than-benefits 9.Her, J., & Cho, M.-K. (2021). Effect of aromatherapy on sleep quality of adults and elderly people: A systemactic literature review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies of Medicine(60), 1-12. doi:http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102739 10.Ishizawa, M., Uchiumi, T., Takahata, M., & Yamaki, M. (2021). Effects of pre-bedtime blue-light exposure on ration of deep sleep in healthy young men. Sleep Medicine(84), 303307. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.05.04 6 11.Lee, S., & Kim, S.-N. (2023). The effects of acupuncture on sleep disorders and its underlying mechanism: a literature review of rodent studies. Frontiers in Neuroscience. doi:http://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.124302 9 12.McAlpine, T., Mullan, B., & Clark, P. J. (2024).

Re-considering the role of sleep hygience behaviours in sleep: Associations between sleep hygiene, perceptions and sleep.

International journal of Behavioral Medicine(31), 705-717. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-02310212-y 13.Meaklim, H., Meltzer, L. J., Rehm, I. C., Junge, M. F., Monfries, M., Kennedy, G. A., . . .

Jackson, M. (2023). Disseminating sleep education to graduate psychology programs online: a knowledge translation study to improve the management of insomnia. Sleep Research Society(46), 1-17. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad169 14.Nagata, J. M., Cheng, C. M., Shim, J., Kiss, O., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., . . . Baker, F. C. (2024).

Bedtime screen use behaviors and sleep outcomes in early adolescents: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Adolescent Health(75), 650-655. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.

06.006 15.National Sleep Foundation. (2025). National Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from National Sleep Foundation web site: https://www.thensf.org/good-light-badlight-and-better-sleep/

16.Omenka, O., Briggs, A., Nunes, J., Seixas, A., Williams, N., & Jean-Louis, G. (2024). Ethical and policy implications of racial and ethnic healthcare disparities in sleep health. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 25092515. doi:http://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-02301716-0 17.Ruan, J. Y., Liu, Q., Ho, K. Y., & Yeung, W. F. (2025). Effects of sleep hygiene education for insomnia: A systemic review and metaanalysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews(82), 1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2025.10210 9 18.Schlieber, M., & Han, J. (2021). The role of sleep in young children's development: A review. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 182(4), 205-2017. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2021.19 08218 19.Schutte-Rodin, S., Broch, L., Buysse, D., Dorsey, C., & Sateia, M. (2008). Clinical guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic insomnia in adults. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 5(5), 487-504.

20.Smith, E., Colistra, A. L., Shawver, J., & Wilson, L. M. (2023). Insomnia diagnosis and treatment across the lifespan. The Journal of Family Practice, 72(1), 18-28. doi:http://doi.org/10.12788/jfp.0545 21.US Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). In Brief: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files /publications/11-5800.pdf.

Written By: Julie Vogel, EdD, LMHC, LPC, ACS, NCC Julie Vogel is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has licenses in Florida, Virginia, and Tennessee.

She currently is an Assistant Professor at South University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.

She has had multiple roles throughout her career in all aspects of community service and mental health.

Julie prides herself in advocating for those individuals who experience prejudice within the systems of society.

She believes all individuals can succeed in their desired endeavors.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 33

The Mirror Moment

When Your Client’s Struggle Reflects Your Owm Professional Experience Article

The shift happened so suddenly I almost missed it.

I was in a Gestalt coaching session with an LMFT (shared here with their full permission). We'd smoothly discussed three cases that morning—a client processing grief, another navigating a breakup, a perfectionist learning selfcompassion. The therapist was confident, demonstrating skilled clinical thinking.

Then we got to the fourth case.

The moment they started describing this client, everything changed. Their voice tightened. Frustration bled through every word. "It's so obvious they're angry, but they won't admit it," they said, exasperation filling our video session.

The client struggled to set boundaries 34 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

with their boss, unable to speak up despite repeated violations. The therapist had tried multiple approaches —different techniques, various angles— all aimed at helping the client acknowledge their anger. Nothing worked.

"No, I can't be angry. This is regular work stuff," the client kept saying.

I sat with what I was observing. Then I asked: "Do you find it difficult to express your own anger sometimes?"

Everything went quiet.

They stopped making eye contact. Their body shifted. Several moments passed.

Then it started to emerge—areas in their own life where they couldn't set boundaries, relationships with people who "push them around," places where

they'd never been able to express how angry they actually felt.

"When did you learn to do this?" I asked.

The answer came immediately: their mother.

The messages they'd internalized growing up were clear: "It's always better to be in good terms with everybody." "You don't want to be seen as the conflicting person." "Showing anger is embarrassing."

In that moment, they could see it. Their client's inability to verbalize anger was a mirror reflection of their own unfinished work around expressing anger and setting boundaries.

This is what I call a mirror moment: when a client's stuck place reveals our own.

This happens with grief we haven't fully processed, with vulnerability we're afraid to show, with anger we've learned to suppress—anywhere we haven't done our own work. The patterns show up differently for each of us, but the dynamic is the same.

After this awareness emerged, I encouraged the therapist to explore this on their own—to connect with the part of them that learned these messages, without judgment.

When they returned for our next session, something had shifted. They reported that their work with that particular client had transformed. They could now connect with the client's emotional experience in a genuine way. By humanizing their own emotional block —understanding how it served them and why it existed—they could help the client do the same.

The resistance they'd been so frustrated by? It wasn't resistance at all. It was

protection.

Here's what I've learned: we can only guide our clients as deep as we've been willing to go ourselves.

Not because we need to be perfectly healed or completely resolved. But because our capacity to be present with emotional material is directly tied to our willingness to face that same material within ourselves.

The challenge is recognizing when it's happening—noticing in real time that we're hitting our own edge so we can pause and refocus on what our client actually needs rather than what our unfinished business is pulling us toward.

If you've ever felt unusually frustrated with a client's "resistance," pause for a moment. Ask yourself: What is this touching in me? What might this be reflecting about my own unfinished business?

These mirror moments aren't failures.

They're invitations—opportunities to discover where we're still limited by our own edges and chances to deepen both our own healing and our capacity to serve our clients.

The depth we can offer depends on the depth we've explored within ourselves.

Written By: Carmen Palacios Camacho, LMHC Carmen is a licensed mental health counselor in private practice serving clients throughout Florida via telehealth. Originally trained as a Clinical Psychologist in Peru, she specializes in Gestalt therapy, helping people create lasting change when insight alone isn't enough. Carmen particularly loves working with fellow therapists through individual therapy, professional training, and clinical coaching—supporting them in transforming patterns like burnout, peoplepleasing, and perfectionism into embodied, sustainable change.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 35

Surviving the Holiday Crush Professional Experience Article

Every year at this time I begin to feel the pressure. It sneaks up, gradually builds, and leaves me feeling worn out, grumpy, and guilty about not being more. As people in a helping profession, the joy that we receive from the success of others often compels us to say yes to everything that comes our way. While this is a noble trait which many of us may not want to change, it also has the unfortunate side effect of pushing us to overwhelm.

As part of my doctorate program, I was lucky enough to work with Dr. Debbie Sturm. She often notes that self-care shouldn’t be responsive. Instead, selfcare should be proactive. Fixing burnout is much harder than avoiding it all together. In order to do this, we need to prioritize items that allow us to feel energized instead of drained. I can’t say 36 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

that I’m an expert at any of this, but here are a few tips that may help you feel a little less stress this holiday season.

holiday card. Play a card game with friends. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Play- Research has shown that engaging in play based activity has a number of benefits to mental and physical wellbeing and stress reduction. Play can be creative, energetic, and/or relaxing. It can be done with others or by yourself. If you can, throw away the rulebook and let the game or activity flow in whatever way feels right at the time. If you have children, you may believe that you are playing all the time. However, the kind of play that really helps manage stress is the play you engage in because it sparks something in yourself. Engagement in play must be voluntary for it to be effective. So play with your kids and then take a bit to play the way you like to play.

Dance to your favorite song. Paint a

Say No- This may be the hardest part for many of us. We tell clients to work on maintaining boundaries while over committing our time. This season, think of your time as money in the bank (or spoons). Prioritize how you spend the valuable time you have and make sure you are one of the priorities. Schedule a nap, a good lunch, a massage, or a yoga class. Whatever gives you peace. Say no to the things that can’t fit into the budget you have made for your time.

Surround Yourself With SupportStanding beside someone who has your back feels so good. This season, surround yourself with those folks that show up, offer to help (let them), and cheer you on through the hard days. We are stronger

together.

Written By: Nattalie Wolff-Tseng, LMHC, CST, Doctoral Candidate

Taking care of yourself is key to your ability to take care of others. The sooner you start, the better you will feel!

Nattalie is a doctoral candidate at James Madison University, an adjunct professor, and certified sex therapist. She has a private practice in Florida where she sees couples and individuals.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 37

Living in Limbo

Mental Health in the Age of Immigration Uncertainty Professional Experience Article

As a licensed clinical social worker—and a naturalized citizen who once navigated the long, complicated path of legal immigration—I’ve always understood that mental health cannot be separated from the sociopolitical realities shaping our clients’ lives. In recent years, especially with the shifting political climate surrounding immigration, I’ve watched fear and uncertainty seep into my clients’ worlds. Policies that once felt abstract now show up in my therapy room as anxiety, disrupted life plans, and decisions driven more by survival than stability. Regardless of where one stands politically, the psychological toll is undeniable.

The volatility of immigration policy is no longer just a legal or political matter; it has become a significant mental health concern. Many of my South Asian clients 38 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

on work visas, such as H-1B holders, live with chronic worry. These are highly skilled professionals whose ability to remain in the United States depends on shifting legislation, processing delays, and job security. One client confessed that he checks immigration forums multiple times a day, terrified that a sudden policy shift could dismantle everything he has built. Chronic uncertainty becomes a heavy emotional burden, disrupting sleep, concentration, and overall well-being. Sessions often begin with the same refrain: “I’m scared something will change overnight.” Their future depends on forces beyond their control. When clients report slipping performance at work due to fear of losing their visa, I am reminded that persistent uncertainty is more than stress—it steadily erodes emotional and cognitive

capacity.

Travel—once a source of relief—has become another trigger. Long-planned vacations get canceled because clients fear denial of reentry. For many South Asian families, holidays like Diwali, Vaisakhi, and Navratri offer reunion and cultural connection, yet missing a grandparent’s milestone birthday or a sibling’s wedding has become a sacrifice made in the name of legal safety. Some clients spend hours each week monitoring immigration news, consulting attorneys, and preparing for worst-case scenarios. Cultural rituals that once grounded them are now overshadowed by risk management.

What should bring joy instead creates anxiety, sleepless nights, and emotional fatigue.

Political uncertainty also infiltrates relationships. Some couples feel pressured to fasttrack engagements or marriages—not because they are ready, but because legal partnership feels like a buffer against instability. Milestones that should be rooted in love and readiness become strategic decisions, leaving clients with guilt, confusion, and shame. The emotional burden extends far beyond the paperwork.

As clinicians, we absorb these stories daily, and many of us carry our own parallel anxieties. My colleagues and I often talk about the emotional residue that lingers after sessions with clients facing such high-stakes uncertainty. We sit with their fear, grief, and frustration, sometimes feeling the limits of systems we cannot change. Even those not personally affected by immigration policy feel the distress of witnessing constant instability in their clients’ lives.

Over time, this exposure can lead to empathy fatigue, helplessness, and the ongoing vigilance required to stay informed. Despite our training, the

political environment challenges even seasoned clinicians, layering worry and grief onto our professional responsibilities.

Legal immigration is more than a bureaucratic structure—it profoundly shapes mental health. Policies, delays, and public narratives influence clients’ sense of belonging, safety, identity, and their ability to envision a future. As social workers, we must acknowledge these human costs, validate our clients’ emotional realities, and advocate for traumainformed, humane approaches.

Politics affects mental health in real time; legislation is not abstract. It determines whether the people we serve feel grounded, secure, and hopeful. Our role is to help clients reclaim agency within overwhelming systems while treating the psychological impact of political decisions.

In this climate of uncertainty, our therapeutic presence becomes an anchor. Through grounding techniques, evidence-based interventions,

compassionate listening, and advocacy, we help clients regain stability in a world that feels unpredictable. Resilience grows not in isolation but in community —both within and beyond the therapy room. And just as we guide clients toward care, we must also attend to ourselves through supervision, consultation, peer support, or personal therapy. These practices aren’t optional; they are essential to sustaining this work. Political uncertainty may be out of our control, but the support we offer—to clients and to one another—is not.

Written By: Mobin Chadha, LCSW Mobin is a South Asian LCSW, Consultant, Expert Witness, and Certified Anger Management Specialist licensed in FL, NJ, and PA. She brings a multicultural, personcentered, and strength-based approach, with specialized experience supporting women and children impacted by violence and working with diverse communities.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 39

Integrating Spirituality & FaithBased Practices in Counseling Toward Trauma Resilience Professional Resource Article

Trauma is known to disrupt the person’s inner self and render such a person helpless, with difficulty adapting to life.

A traumatic event is by nature an overwhelming force that shakes the core being of a person, especially if such an event is repetitive and experienced at an early age (Chu, 2011). This overwhelming force is linked to the circumstances of the event as well as the survivor’s perceptions and experiences. It has been estimated that more than 20% of Black women are traumatized as rape victims during their lifetimes, and about 9 in 10 knew their perpetrators (Green, 2017).

Among Black Indigenous women of color in the United States, a woman is nine times more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner. Many researchers found disparities in the prevalence of BIWOC being exposed to or victims of 40 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

trauma and reported that Black women particularly immigrants have higher prevalence rates of being victims of violence, rape, or homicide, 42% than the overall general population of women and 31.5% in the United States (DuMonthier et al., 2020). Best practices for trauma-informed care with immigrant populations are necessary for clinicians to incorporate theoretical approaches that bring light to clients’ struggles by using a treatment methodology that is appropriate to their culture and reality while promoting emotional and behavioral health (Kress et al., 2021).

The cumulative cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical reactions to trauma could eventually lead the person to contemplate suicide due to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness about the

future. Trauma treatment traditionally derives from implementing counseling approaches focusing on cognitive and behavioral techniques. However, an increasing body of research and practice in recent decades highlights the significance of integrating spirituality and faith-based practices in the therapeutic process to manage distress and promote healing (Cho, 2023; Toussaint et al., 2022; van der Kolk, 2018). Research indicates that spiritual practices play a role in alleviating posttraumatic stress symptoms and fostering adaptation to trauma correlating to resilience or posttraumatic growth (Cho, 2023; Osborne et al., 2021; Schwalm et al., 2022; Toussaint et al., 2022).

Integrating spirituality and faith-based practices in counseling can foster deeper resilience, meaning-making, and hope

for those navigating the aftermath of traumatic experiences, but how? This article will first highlight why such an integration is important, then explain how it can be implemented with certain groups like Black Indigenous Women of Color (BIWOC).

Understanding Trauma and the Need for Holistic Healing Trauma may result from a wide range of experiences, including abuse, loss, violence, or disasters that overwhelm the individual’s internal resources and produce longlasting psychological, spiritual, emotional, and relational symptoms that render the individual in a helpless state and make it difficult to bounce back to normal (Anda et al., 2020; Levers, 2023; Maté and Maté, 2022; van der Kolk, 2018). Trauma disturbs the survivor’s world, beliefs, and views of the self and surrounding environment. Zepinic (2019) talked about the traumatized self to explain the extraordinary power of affect reactions and emotions after experiencing a traumatic event. Although some traumatic reactions like being in a constant state of high alert, avoidance, or intense anxiety and stress are considered normal posttraumatic reactions for some, others have stronger reactions often linked to intergenerational or systemic trauma which Goldsmith et al. (2014) summarized as “contextual features of environments and institutions that give rise to trauma, maintain it, and impact posttraumatic responses” (p. 117). In building resilience to systemic trauma, it is important to consider the full range of influence of such environmental institutions as schools, churches, media, and judicial systems as well as other concepts like racism, discrimination, and immigration.

Holistic healing acknowledges the

interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, suggesting that spiritual and faith-based resources are vital in the journey toward recovery and resilience.

While symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress are commonly addressed in therapy, trauma also disrupts the individual’s self-worth and deep sense of identity, purpose, connection, and faith. In a recent research study done by Dr. Hilaire-Jules (2025) with a sample of Black Indigenous Women of Color on their lived experiences with trauma and spirituality, all the participants endorsed experiencing PTSD symptoms in forms of flashbacks or nightmares, negative changes in mood and thinking, emotional numbing, and increased arousal and reactivity. Seeking help or simply acknowledging their need for counseling or mental health treatment resulting from the impacts of their traumatic experiences was a difficult undertaking and, for most participants, not an option. Unanimously, all participants identified spirituality or belief in the goodness of God as their utmost coping mechanism that was proven effective in building resilience amid trauma. All described their faith in God and spiritual practices as a lifeline for healing and posttraumatic growth.

Understanding The Role of Spiritual Practices in Trauma Recovery Research shows people as a group tend to turn to religion or spirituality in times of crisis and disaster not only for comfort and guidance but more so a sense of inner peace and stability (Benson et al., 2016; Bentzen, 2021). Using Google search, Bentzen (2021) investigated religiosity during the COVID-19 crisis to analyze how prayer religiosity has increased around the world with potential long-term consequences as people turn to prayers for answers.

Bentzen (2021) looked at the dynamism

between stress relief and religious practices during the pandemic to assess “the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has increased religiosity across the globe” (p. 542). The findings of this study indicate a persistent rise in prayer searches using the internet throughout the lockdown and the reopening of the economies marked by rising distress along with symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Another study by Pearce et al. (2018) examining the effects of spiritual practices on emotional well-being among trauma survivors demonstrates a positive correlation between spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer and enhanced emotional well-being including lower levels of anxiety and depression. In contrast, Pargament et al.

(2016) demonstrated that negative religious coping such as feeling abandoned by a higher power was linked to poor psychological adjustment. Park et al. (2017), exploring how meaningmaking processes influence posttraumatic growth among trauma survivors, advanced in their findings that individuals who were able to find meaning in their traumatic experiences reported higher levels of posttraumatic growth and resilience.

Spirituality is the search for meaning, purpose, and connection to something greater than oneself and is essential and central to human nature created as a tripartite entity, an integrated system of body, mind, and spirit. For many, spiritual beliefs and practices provide comfort, hope, and strength during times of crisis. Spirituality. Several studies indicate that individuals with strong spiritual beliefs exhibit better coping mechanisms in the face of trauma. For instance, Pargament et al.

(2016) examined individuals’ wholeness in their optimal functioning, which is comprised of values, beliefs, practices, InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 41

emotions, and relationships and showed a positive correlation between better psychological outcomes and positive religious or spiritual coping strategies such as seeking spiritual support and reappraising stressful situations through a spiritual lens. Findings of the recent study done by Hilaire-Jules (2025) indicate that belief that God is good shaped participants’ perspectives on adversity, fostering posttraumatic growth and reinforcing hope. These findings demonstrate how believing in God’s goodness makes a difference in coping with trauma by helping individuals find meaning in adversities as well as healing and empowerment.

Finding meaning is “an inherent expectation, its denial has dire consequences,” (Mate & Mate, 2022, p.

291). Therefore, integrating spirituality in counseling can: Facilitate Meaning-Making: Spiritual narratives help clients reinterpret their experiences, find purpose in suffering, and develop new life perspectives.

Promote Hope and Optimism: Faith traditions often emphasize hope, forgiveness, and renewal, which are essential in trauma recovery.

Enhance Coping Skills: Prayer, meditation, and rituals offer practical tools for managing distress and fostering inner peace.

Strengthen Support Networks: Faith communities can provide social support, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.

and in managing mental health symptoms like depression (ReyesEspiritu, 2023; Springstead et al., 2024; Zhu, 2022). Schwalm et al. (2022) indicate findings from prior studies that consistently show a moderate positive correlation between spirituality and resilience. Religious coping theory refers to people’s use of religion as a means to cope with adversity and uncertainty like health problems (De la Rosa et al., 2016), death of a loved one, or the thought of dying or facing natural disasters (Pomerleau et al., 2020; Rahill et al., 2016). Bentzen (2021) found, in times of natural disasters, people are more likely to rank themselves as a religious person to seek God’s comfort and presence in their lives. A study by Pearce et al. (2018) examining the effects of spiritual practices on emotional wellbeing among trauma survivors demonstrates a positive correlation between spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer and enhanced emotional well-being including lower levels of anxiety and depression. In contrast, Pargament et al.

(2016) demonstrated that negative religious coping such as feeling abandoned by a higher power was linked to poor psychological adjustment. Park et al. (2017), exploring how meaningmaking processes influence posttraumatic growth among trauma survivors, advanced in their findings that individuals who were able to find meaning in their traumatic experiences reported higher levels of posttraumatic growth and resilience.

Integrating Faith-Based Practices in Counseling

Integrating faith-based practices in counseling trauma survivors starts by first establishing a therapeutic relationship with them and second by creating and maintaining a traumainformed care environment guided by the following core principles: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality;

Faith-based practices, though vary according to cultural, religious, and individual preferences, are recognized as religious coping in times of distress across culture, race, and economic status in a global crisis. They are an important contributor to cross-cultural integration 42 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

empowerment; voice and choice; and cultural, historical, and gender issues (Powers & Duys, 2020). When clients feel respected and secure, they respond well to interventions and have greater confidence in their ability to develop a sense of purpose and control (Blitz et al., 2020). This therapeutic alliance with trauma survivors is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of their cultural backgrounds, perceptions of their issues, and effective coping mechanisms (Kress et al., 2021; Levers, 2023). Effective engagement with trauma survivors necessitates a deep familiarity with their personal histories, cultural contexts, and spiritual beliefs to fully comprehend their lived experiences and the foundation of their resilience to trauma and adversity (Cho, 2023; Kress et al., 2021; Levers, 2023). Counselors’ engagement to comprehend the dynamic context in which clients’ cultures, social identities, privileges, and power are operating is essential to successful treatment outcomes (Scott & Wolfe, 2015). Faith-based practices in traumainformed care counseling help clients find safety, security, and a sense of empowerment They may include: Prayer and Meditation: Guiding clients in prayer or meditation can help them connect with their faith, reduce anxiety, and increase selfawareness. As a practice assignment, prayer and meditation can serve as buffet to create and maintain emotional and psychological safety.

Scripture and Sacred Texts: Utilizing passages from religious texts can not only offer comfort, wisdom, and perspective on suffering and healing, but also helps in thoughts restructuring and positive selfaffirmation toward stability and control.

Spiritual Assessment: Counselors may use spiritual genograms or

inventories to explore clients’ spiritual history, beliefs, and resources.

Referral to Faith Leaders: Collaborating with clergy or spiritual leaders can supplement clinical care and offer specialized spiritual guidance.

It is essential for counselors and clinicians to incorporate theoretical approaches that bring light to clients’ struggles and strengths through a treatment methodology that is appropriate to their culture and reality to promote emotional and behavioral health (Kress et al., 2021). Integrating spirituality in counseling with traumatized clients that are already culturally inclined to faith-based practices is effective to empower them to mitigate trauma impacts in all dimensions of their functioning (Cenat et al., 2020; Salusky et al., 2021).

Cultural Sensitivity and Ethical Considerations Integrating spirituality and faith-based practices requires sensitivity to the client’s background, beliefs, and preferences. Counselors should : Honor diversity, avoid imposing their own beliefs, and ensure that spiritual interventions are client-led.

Create a trauma-sensitive therapeutic environment in conformity of individuals’ culture and beliefs as best practices in addressing mental health needs and reduce the impacts of trauma and chronic adversities in individual functioning.

Be well-imbued of clients’ culture, history, and reality to integrate spirituality or spiritual practices in treatment. Research shows that mental health clinicians should draw up clients’ spiritual beliefs and practices to achieve complete

integration for healing and posttraumatic growth (Hilaire-Jules, 2025; Jerome et al., 2022; and Holton and Snodgrass, 2023).

Ethical practice including informed consent, respect for autonomy, and collaboration with other professionals when appropriate is crucial. Counselors need to strongly consider but carefully assess clients’ adherence to spiritual practices and beliefs in God’s goodness and discuss which aspects to integrate in treatment planning. Though several tools and approaches exist in the healthcare system to assess the level of influence of spirituality on clients’ wellbeing and recovery, considerable limitations are noted for cultural sensitivity in respect of clients’ background and values.

Benefits of Integration for Trauma Resilience Integration of spirituality into counseling practice matters in enhancing spiritualityoriented coping mechanisms such as prayer and meditation to reduce stress and foster hope and resilience in helping traumatized clients find meaning and purpose in their experiences. Research indicates that clients who engage their spiritual and faith resources in counseling often demonstrate greater resilience, faster recovery, and improved wellbeing. Spirituality can help clients reframe traumatic experiences, cultivate forgiveness, and develop a sense of transcendence that empowers them to move forward. Faith-based practices can also reduce isolation, promote community engagement, and foster longterm healing. Several research findings indicate that spirituality or religious belief plays a role in alleviating post-traumatic stress symptoms and fostering adaptation to trauma correlating to resilience or posttraumatic

growth (Cho, 2023; Schwalm et al., 2022; Toussaint et al., 2022). Other research identifies religious belief as an important contributor to crosscultural integration and in managing mental health symptoms like depression (Springstead et al., 2024; Zhu, 2022). Schwalm et al.

(2022) indicate findings from prior studies that consistently show a moderate positive correlation between spirituality and resilience.

Religion/spirituality and culture are intertwined in corroborating traditions and beliefs in their expressions. Levine (2023) reported that scholars like Schmidt (2006) argue that “every culture and every religion is in an ongoing state of change and includes different expressions, depending on situation, time and people” (p. 43).

Conclusion Integrating spirituality and faith-based practices in counseling offers a powerful pathway to trauma resilience. By honoring the whole person—mind, body, and spirit— counselors can support clients in finding meaning, hope, and strength on their healing journey. As the field continues to evolve, embracing spiritual diversity and collaborating with faith communities will remain essential to fostering holistic recovery and well-being. This confirms the need for a collective integral approach to trauma care that englobes trauma survivors’ cultural and spiritual resources and strengths. Mental health agencies and practitioners are to be careful in defining treatment plan interventions solely grounded in theories or school of counseling. Research findings show that clients are more inclined to engage fully in treatment if their voice and beliefs are in forefront of the process, thus the necessity to prioritize the collective contribution and InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 43

influence of the forementioned entities in implementing theory and practical interventions.

References 1.Benson, P. W., Dyrud Furman, L., Canda, E. R., Moss, B., & Danbolt, T. (2016). Spiritually sensitive social work with victims of natural disasters and terrorism. British Journal of Social Work, 46(5), 1372-1393. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcv053 2.Bentzen, J. S. (2021). In crisis, we pray: Religiosity and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 192, 541-583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2021.10.014 3.Blitz, L. V., Yull, D., & Clauhs, M. (2020).

Bringing sanctuary to school: Assessing school climate as a foundation for culturally responsive trauma-informed approaches for urban schools. Urban Education, 55(1), 3-180. https://doi.org/10.117/0042085916651323 4.Cénat, J. M., McIntee, S. E., & Blais-Rochette, C. (2020). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 273, 55–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.046 5.Cho, E. D. (2023). Migration, trauma, and spirituality: Intercultural, collective, and contextual understanding and treatment of trauma for displaced communities. Journal of Pastoral Psychology, 72, 403-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-01067- x 6.Chu, J. A. (2011). Rebuilding shattered lives: Treating complex PTSD and dissociative disorders(2nd ed.). Wiley 7.DuMonthier, A., Childers, C., & Milli, J. (2020). The status of Black women in the United States. Institute for Women's Policy Research. https://iwpr.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/0 8/SOBW_ExecutiveSummary_Digital-2.pdf 8.Green, S. (2017). Violence against Black women – Many types, far-reaching effects.

Institute for Women Policies & Research. https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/raceethnicitygender-and-economy/violence-againstblack-women-many-types-farreachingeffects 9.Goldsmith, R. E., Martin, C. G., & Smith, C. P. (2014). Systemic trauma. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 15(2), 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2014.87166 6 10.Hilaire-Jules, F. (2025). Elucidating Bondye Bon (God is Good) in trauma context: A phenomenological study of the lived

44 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

experiences of first-generation Haitian women immigrants in the United States.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, 7590. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/ 7590 11.Holton, M. J., & Snodgrass, J. L. (2023). A theoretical and theological reframing of trauma. Pastoral Psychology, 72(3), 337-351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-023-01063-1 12.Jayaram, K. (2022). A selection of Haitian Creole proverbs on religion. Delos: A Journal of Translation and World Literature, 37(1), 114. https://dx.doi.org/10.5744/delos.2022.1001 13.Jerome, A., Heath, M. A., Williams, M., Winters, R., & Cutrer-Parraga, E. A. (2022).

Traversing trauma: Resilient women’s religious and spiritual stories of hope and strength. Journal of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(2), 177-187. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000491 14.Kress, V. E., Seligman, L., & Reichenberg, L. W. (2021). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: Systems, strategies, and skills(5th ed.). Pearson.

15.Levers, L. L. (2023). Trauma counseling: Theories and interventions for managing trauma, stress, crisis, and disaster(2nd ed.).

Springer.

16.Maté G., & Maté D. (2022). The myth of normal: trauma, illness & healing in a toxic culture. Avery.

17.Powers, J. J., & Duys, D. (2020). Toward trauma-informed career counseling. Career Development Quarterly, 68(2), 173–185. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12221 18.Salusky, I., Tull, M., Case, A. D., & SotoNevarez, A. (2021). Fostering well-being through social support: The role of evangelical communities in the lives of Dominican women of Haitian descent.

American Journal of Community Psychology, 67(1-2), 205-219. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12467 19.Schmidt, B. E. (2006). The creation of AfroCaribbean religions and their incorporation of Christian elements: A critique against syncretism. Transformation, 23(4), 236-243. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43052675 20.Schwalm, F. D., Zandavalli, R. B., de Castro Filho, E. D., & Lucchetti, G. (2022). Is there a relationship between spirituality/religiosity and resilience? A systematic review and metaanalysis of observational studies. Journal of Health Psychology, 27(5), 1218- 1232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105320984537 21.Schwartz, A. (2016). The complex PTSD workbook: A mind-body approach to regaining emotional control & becoming whole. Althea Press.

22.Scott, V. C., & Wolfe, S. M. (2015). Community

Psychology: Foundations for Practice. Sage Publications.

23.Springstead, J., Sol, K., Morris, E. P., Kraal, A. S., & Zahodne, L. B. (2024). Specific aspects of religious involvement protect against depressive symptoms among immigrant versus U.S. born, Hispanic older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 28(4), 658-666. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2023.2265 848 24. Toussaint, L., Kshtriya, S., Kalayjian, A., Cameron, E., & Diakonova-Curtis, D. (2022).

Christian religious affiliation is associated with less posttraumatic stress symptoms through forgiveness but not search for meaning after hurricane Irma and Maria.

Psychology of Religion & Spirituality, 15(1), 79-82. https://doi.org/10.1037/re10000454 25. Van der Kolk, B. (2018). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.

26. Zepinic, V. (2019). The self and complex trauma. Austin Macauley Publishers.

ProQuest Ebook Central. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty /detail.action?docID=5928677 27. Zhu, L. (2022). Personal mental impacts of Christian faith in cross-cultural adaptation of Chinese migrants in Ireland. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(4), 448–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2022.2028 749

Written By: Filise Hilaire Jules, EdD, LMHC, MAMFT Filise Hilaire Jules recently is a licensed mental health counselor and a certified trauma treatment professional in the clinical field for more than 25 years. She recently completed her graduate studies in Traumatology at Liberty University. She is conference speaker, a qualified supervisor, and an educator in her community who has been training community leaders and interns for more than a decade. Besides Florida Mental Health Counselors Association, Dr Hilaire Jules is also affiliated with Palm Beach Counselors Association, South Florida Christian Counselors Association, and Christian Mental Health Professionals.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 45

Imago Dialogue in Polycules Expanding Connection Professional Experience Article

As a clinical sexologist and psychotherapist practicing in Florida, I often tell my clients that the relational map of today looks very different from the one most therapy models were designed for. Many therapeutic frameworks still assume monogamous dyads as the default, but in my practice (especially among queer, kinky, neurodivergent, and polyamorous communities) the relational landscape is far more expansive. And with that expansion comes a need for clinical tools that can stretch with it.

One of my favorite tools for this work is Imago Dialogue. Originally built for couples, Imago emphasizes presence, structured listening, emotional safety, and empathetic reflection. When adapted for polycules, it becomes a stabilizing anchor in what can 46 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

sometimes feel like an emotional ecosystem with multiple climates happening at once.

Navigating the Constellation Polycules introduce complexities that go beyond the stereotypical “poly problems” people imagine. We’re not just talking schedules, shared calendars, or group chats, though those matter too.

We’re talking overlapping attachment systems, communication styles, and histories of safety or rupture. Imago Dialogue creates intentional pauses within this web. It offers each partner the chance to speak without interruption, be mirrored accurately, and feel validated before any problemsolving begins.

One of the biggest benefits I see in polycule work is the shift from dyadic

thinking to constellation or network thinking. A conflict between two people reverberates across all partners, whether directly or indirectly. Imago helps regulate those ripples. Instead of triangulation or silent resentment, partners learn to slow down and say, “Help me understand your world,” which fosters curiosity instead of defensiveness.

I often compare it to cooperative board gaming, everyone has different character abilities, different blind spots, and different emotional “stats.” The goal isn’t to win individually; it’s to stay in connection as a group. Imago gives structure to that cooperation, especially in moments of rupture where the stakes feel high.

When polycules integrate this practice

regularly, something beautiful emerges: a shared emotional culture. Partners begin to understand what safety looks like for each member, how reassurance can travel through the network, and how love can be expressed without competition or scarcity. For fellow clinicians, Imago Dialogue is an adaptable, affirming way to support polyamorous clients without forcing

them into monogamous frameworks. It honors complexity, celebrates intentionality, and helps each person feel like there is room for them at the relational table. And in a world where connection is often fragile, helping people communicate clearly (whether two partners or five) is one of the most meaningful things we can do.

Written By: Josh Littleton, PhD, LMHC, CST, ABS Josh is a counselor in Florida who works with adults on identity, attachment, and sexual wellbeing. His practice blends clinical sexology, narrative therapy, and playful tools from tabletop gaming to build connection and courage. He is especially interested in queer aging and the stories we tell as we change.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 47

48 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

FMHCA Committee Updates Provided by Committee Chairs Get Involved! View all of FMHCA’s Committees here.

Registered Intern & Graduate Student Committee Committee Chair: Lauren Malone, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern Greetings everyone! Our committee’s big news is that the leadership of the committee is changing! Here is your new Committee Leadership Team as of 1-1-26: Lauren Malone, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, Chair Jessi Broom, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, CoChair Michelle Taylor, Graduate Student, Co-Chair This year, our committee will be meeting virtually on the last Thursday of the month from 11am-12pm EST. FMHCA members may register in advance for these meetings here.

In order to stay up to date with committee happenings, please go to our committee forum on the FMHCA website. Please note: the FMHCA office must grant you access to the forum, so if you’re not already a committee member, please call or email the FMHCA office to join today! Additionally, you will be added to the committee email list, and you will receive the latest on meetings and other events. To be added, which is FREE for FMHCA members, please call the FMHCA office at: 561-916-5556 or email the office at Office@FLMHCA.org Registered Intern & Graduate Student Committee Committee Chair: Aaron Norton, PhD, LMHC, LMFT, MCAP, CRC, CCMHC FMHCA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC) and lobbyist, Corinne Mixon of Rutledge and Escenia, have been working on several projects over the past few months, including: 2026 Legislative Priorities As reported in our update in the previous issue of InSession, FMHCA is prioritizing two legislative issues this year: (1) Renaming “registered mental health counselor interns” as “registered associate mental health counselors,” and (2) adding 491 board licensees to a list of healthcare professionals who can be appointed by the courts to evaluate and offer expert witness testimony on certain mental health-related issues connected to

criminal cases. As of this writing, no legislation has yet been introduced for either priority, but FMHCA’s lobbyist continues to work on the issue, and we’ll update members as soon as we have one or more bills to support.

Letters to Florida Board of Education on Recommended Rule Revisions After FMHCA mailed letters to Florida’s Board of Education (copying the Florida Department of Education and the Governor’s Office) advocating for LMHCs to be added to two rules in the Florida Administrative Code related to assessments for ESE program eligibility and Vocational Rehabilitation eligibility, we reached out to the Florida Counseling Association (FCA), inviting them to send a letter as well. Our lobbyist has also reached out to the Board of Education to follow-up on the recommendation.

Letter to the Governor’s Office regarding 491 Board Appointments Similarly, the GRC invited FCA, Florida Family Therapy Alliance (FFTA), and the Florida chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-FL) to send letters to the Governor’s Office urging the Governor to appoint board members to fill vacancies on the 491 Board. Our lobbyist has also reached out to the Board of Education to follow-up on the recommendation.

491 Board Disciplinary Case Taskforce The GRC and FFTA formed a joint taskforce that has been working on an annual report providing statistics and details about disciplinary cases finalized by the 491 Board. The subcommittee has completed Phase 1 and 2 of the project, which involved two reviewers being assigned to each 491 Board meeting to extract disciplinary data and entering that data in a crosswalk chart. The subcommittee has also completed Phase 3, which involved communication with the executive director of the 491 Board Committee (Ashleigh Irving) to clarify some information about disciplinary case processes. We are now in Phase 4, which involves assembling the data we’ve collected into a publication draft, which will be reviewed by both the administrative staff of the 491 Board and the FMHCA Board of Directors and administrative office before publication, which we project will happen this quarter.

InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org | 49

Artificial Intelligence Legislation The GRC has been exploring concerns related to HB 281, which, if passed, would regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by mental health professionals. Specifically, there is a concern that the bill, while well-intended, would inadvertently illegalize several uses of AI that are evidence-based, safe, and ethical. The GRC is forming a subcommittee to explore the issue further and collaborating with NASW-FL, FFTA, FCA, and legislators on the issue.

491 Board Meeting Attendance on 12/11/25 The GRC Chair attended the 491 Board meeting on 12/11/25 and has offered some key takeaways. Additional details can be obtained by listening to the audio or reading the minutes on the 491 Board website when they are published (visit https://floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov/meetinginformation/, then click “Show Past Events”): Do not frame clients as “coaching clients” and then use that logic to abstain from keeping clinical records, such as treatment plans, diagnoses (if applicable), and progress notes.

Avoid dual relationships with clients (e.g., contracted work, friendships).

Familiarize yourself with board rules requiring you to report certain arrests, convictions, and disciplinary actions to the 491 Board within specified timeframes.

For registered intern and licensure applicants: If you have been treated for a condition that could have impaired practice within the past five years and have therefore reported such a history in your application, offer the Board thorough documentation of current stabilization form any/all relevant providers (not just one or two), with

50 | InSession- January 2026 | FMHCA.org

specific conclusions about ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety.

The 491 Board is currently working on two possible rule revisions that members may find important: (1) defining “on the premises” in such a way as to permit registered interns in private practice settings to have electronic access to a licensed mental health professional during telehealth sessions; and (2) permitting licensure for mental health counselor applicants who have graduated from a program that has an open CACREP accreditation application that has not yet been approved. There is currently no guarantee that either rule will pass, and we will provide updates.

Military Services Committee Committee Chair: Joshualin “Jay” Dean, LMHC, NCC The Military Services Committee will convene in person at the 2026 Annual FMHCA Conference, where the committee will focus on recruiting new members and sharing opportunities to support service members, veterans, and their families.

Following the conference, the committee will resume monthly virtual meetings beginning in March, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m.

FMHCA is also pleased to welcome Joshualin “Jay” Dean, LMHC, NCC, as the new Chair of the Military Services Committee. Jay serves as the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Program Coordinator and Assistant Training Program Director, and is a Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE) Responder at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Her leadership and expertise in military and veteran mental health will be a valuable asset as the committee moves forward.

More information about committee involvement and meeting access will be shared following the conference.

InSession Magazine will be back in April!

To contribute an article, please do so here by March 15th Questions and ad inquiries can be emailed to naomi@flmhca.org