A Day in the Life

Welcome everyone to the start of my new Blog. This is a new facet of CRM Counseling meant to not only give a deeper insight into therapy, but also to offer you tools and information to help you on your journey of growth.

I thought I would start by letting you know a little bit about me and how I operate for a successful day. To begin with, routine is extremely important. It helps to have a structure and know what needs to be done on a day-to-day basis. I start each day with a bit of meditation or self-reflection. This can look like many things to many people, for some it could be prayer, or time in the garden with a good book, a run, or time with your thoughts with a nice cup of coffee in the morning. Time to yourself away from screens when you wake up sets the pace and centered headspace for your day.

Next, I begin to get organized. I go through my planner, and check emails so I can see my outline for the day. This allows me to go into the day with structure, and not feel so foggy. I recommend some sort of organization for your day-to-day life so that important things do not get forgotten and you aren´t got off guard. Some people even like to do a run through of their day in their head during their morning commute.

At work most of my day is spent in one-on-one counseling sessions with clients. Due to the nature of my work, these are scheduled throughout the day, and every day looks different adding a bit of daily variety. If you struggle with a lack of variety even the smallest things can make a difference. It may be changing your lunch or midday snack or trying a new café down the street. These minor changes can help you to add more variety even if other things remain the same.

During my client sessions I provide a confidential space for clients to discuss their issues and work on their mental health. Confidentiality means that what is said in the room stays in the room. This allows my clients to feel safe and willing to share the things they need to work on in a safe and supportive environment. This is accentuated by comfortable sitting spaces and a homey decorative style to really make my clients feel at home.

The second most important part of the client session is what happens after the sessions. I review my notes taken during the sessions to track the progress of my clients and to work on treatment plans to better assist my clients on their journey. This also involves the administration tasks such as billing, scheduling, and client communication. While I do some of these administrative duties, I could not do them all on my own, which is why I have a team that collaborates with me to run our private practice. Working with others, and acknowledging the work done by your work partners is just as important as the work that you do. Everyone likes to be appreciated and doing so helps to build relationships and trust in your team and coworkers. This also involves taking advice from colleagues, which is why I often meet and have consultations with my fellow counselors to ensure that we are providing the best care for our clients.

Part of a successful day is the break. I like to take short breaks between sessions to recharge, grab a quick snack, and refocus and get energized. This is always important, regardless of your line of work. If you spend a lot of time sitting, going for a few quick walks around the room can help to get the blood flowing which can give you quite a bit of energy. Even better is being able to spend 5-10 minutes outside in the sunlight which aside from being energy is a nice break for your eyes from the computer screens. To better help my clients, I invest time staying updated with the latest research and therapeutic techniques through online courses, workshops, or reading relevant literature. Investing time in yourself and skills that are important to you and setting goals is a great way to stay focused and become better at what you do. Goals are one way to add meaning to your day- to-day life. All of that being said, you can´t help or take care of others if you don´t first take care of yourself. Self-care is one of the most important parts of a happy healthy life and having a successful career, and successful relationships. This looks like many different things to many different people, and can be anything from exercise, to relaxing, to spending time with loved ones, to any of many other activities. The best part of self-care is that it is totally personalized and can be anything you want it to be. For me I like going on walks, spending time with my pets and family, or reading an enjoyable book. This time allows me time to enjoy the things that for me make life worth living, and to truly recharge so I am ready for another day. I am a therapist because I have a passion for helping others to overcome their challenges and improve their mental well-being. It is deeply rewarding to see clients make progress, gain insight, and find better ways to cope with life´s difficulties. I believe in the power of therapy to make a positive impact on people´s lives, and that is why I have chosen this profession. That is all I have for today, thank you for joining and reading a little bit about my day-to- day life. I hope this was helpful and that just maybe you found some new tips and tricks to use and remember throughout your day. If there are topics, you would like me to write about don´t be afraid to reach out. Until next Time -Clara Monroe Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S)