Top 10 List: Websites

Here are my top 10 picks for helpful websites for those who have disabilities and their caregivers!

10.  Top Disability Website

 **

I give this site two stars because there isn’t information on this website. Instead, I’m giving you a bonus and it’s a website that has 10 more websites! It’s a list of disability websites that offer resources, information, and support for those who have disabilities and their caregivers.

http://www.topdisabilitywebsites.com/

9. Cornell University: Disability Statistics

**

I give this website two stars because it’s an awesome site put on by Cornell University. It provides stats about disabilities and provides FAQs for those who have them. It’s a great informational website.

http://www.disabilitystatistics.org/faq.cfm

8. Kids Together, Inc.

**

This site gets two stars because it’s a neat place for kids and adults who have disabilities to come and find resources, but also blog and talk to others about their experiences. It’s kind of like a group forum and discussion opportunities for those who want information.

http://www.kidstogether.org/

7. Family Resource Center on Disabilities

**

Now this is a pretty cool website, however it’s based out of Illinois. It has workshops, resources, and guest speakers all for families who are facing disabilities. They even provide training and assistance to those who need it

http://frcd.org/

6. Support for Families of children with disabilities

**

This site, much like #7, provides resources, services, and upcoming events for families of children who have disabilities. I really like this site because it focuses on helping not just the person with the disability, but the family as a whole.  They also put on conferences that you can attend to gain more information and meet others who know what you’re going through.

http://www.supportforfamilies.org/

5. National Organization on Disability

 ***

This website is more of a professional website, but it provides Research, publications, and disability resources. Anybody can access it and anybody can gain information from here. It’s pretty cool in that it gives stats and results from research studies so people can use that knowledge and apply it to their own lives.

http://nod.org/

4. National Disability Rights Network

****

This site narrows information down by state, but it also provides really cool videos too! It’s a great advocacy website for those who have disabilities. It lists tons of “issues” that people might face and then gives information on how to handle them. This is a pretty awesome site!

http://www.ndrn.org/index.php

3. The American Association of People with Disabilities

****

This site contains resources, podcasts, and events for people who have disabilities. It also has blogs and the latest news on what’s going on in the disability world.

http://www.aapd.com/

2. Psychology Today

*****

I give this site 5 stars because it’s an awesome site for general information regarding counseling and psychology. It gives you tabs to look for therapists, topics, and expert opinions on whatever you happen to be looking for.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/

1. Disability.Gov

*****

This website is the top website for any and all information regarding disabilities. Anything that you want to know can be found here. They have stats, resources, blogs, latest news, and much more.

https://www.disability.gov/

Being Mindful

Mindfulness is something that's still very new to the field of counseling. I'm going to be talking about how mindfulness can be used as a coping mechanism for stress.

What is mindfulness?

Well, it simply is the act of being mindful.
Our lives can be filled with stress and pressures of trying to do our best, be our best, and make people happy. With that comes overwhelming feelings and thoughts.

In order to help with those, we practice mindfulness.
If intrusive thoughts enter our mind, we simply notice them, then blow them away.
We focus on the task at hand.
Now I know that sounds hard because there are so many things to worry about. But that's the point of mindfulness. You focus on one thing. When you drive, you drive. When you need to breathe, you simply breathe.

By focusing on one thing, it alleviates the stress of the rest of your worries.

Below I've listed some blog posts that I've found helpful. They both include some mindfulness exercises and I encourage you to try them!

Take a deep breath, let it out, and start your journey on becoming more mindful :)


http://pacifyingthepanic.blogspot.com/2015/01/mindfulness.html


http://mentalhealthsmm.blogspot.com/2015/01/stress-and-deep-breathing-exercises.html

Top 10 List: Twitter

Since we just talked about social media and keeping up with my top 10 lists, here are my top 10 picks  for twitter :)

Check them out!

1. Disability.Gov

   *****  

https://twitter.com/Disabilitygov

This twitter site gets 5 stars because this is the U.S. federal government website for information on disability policies, programs & services nationwide. This is extremely helpful for those who want information on what’s going on in the disability world.

2. Disability Now

****

https://twitter.com/DisabilityNow

This twitter site is interesting because it’s a UK site. It has all of the opinions, information, and articles that come out of the UK. While this may not apply to clients here in the US, it’s nice to know that others feel and think the same way.

3. Disabled World

****

https://twitter.com/DisabledWorld

This is the twitter site of worldwide disability news and information. It contains health news, events, and even includes some pinterest ideas! It’s a helpful site for no matter where you live!

4. Disability Scoop

***

https://twitter.com/disabilityscoop

This is the Premier Source for Developmental Disability News. I thought this was really cool because it had entertainment news that related to disabilities. It’s always interesting hearing about disabilities in the world of movies, music, and tv!

5. Disability Website

***

https://twitter.com/Disaboom

This site provides disability information and resources for people with disabilities and their caregivers. On twitter, one of the best things to do is share resources. I found this cool because it not only included things for those with disabilities, but also their caregivers.

6. Disability Advocates

***

https://twitter.com/AdvocateAbility

This is an awesome twitter site! It’s for advocates of disabilities and a place for them to share their thoughts and findings! They state, “We advocate and facilitate action by persons with disabilities and the community to achieve equal access for all”. If that’s not awesome, then I just don’t know.

7. AbleSea Disability Community

***

https://twitter.com/AbleSea

AbleSea is a Disability Community with over 15,000 members providing information, resources, help, advice and support to everyone worldwide. It contains fun facts, resources, and articles all involving the disability community. It’s pretty neat to check out!

8. Disability Today

***

https://twitter.com/DisabilityToday

This site is kind of neat because it combines information on people, product, and places in the disability community. It also contains personal stories and opinions!

9. AAPD

**

https://twitter.com/AAPD

AAPD is America's largest disability rights organization. This twitter link provides information on internships, organizations, and workshops all in the disability realm. It’s a pretty cool site if you’re looking to get involved.

10. Disability Rights

**

https://twitter.com/CDRNYS

A center for advocacy and services for people of all types of disability, it includes blogs and opportunities for those who have disabilities. It’s a decent twitter site, but there are some better ones listed above. 

Tweet, Friend, and Pin: Counseling with Social Media

So I know we were on a roll with coping skills and how they can apply in the mental health and medical realms, but this week I want to talk about something that we've been discussing in class.

This week we are going to talk about how social media can be used in helping those with disabilities in the counseling setting.

Now you might be thinking:

1. What types of social media?
2. Are you asking to be my Facebook friend?
3. How can you be personal hiding behind a technological device?
4. Does that mean I need to be using social media to communicate with a counselor?


Social media can be used in many different ways when it comes to counseling. There are so many tools in technology that can be used as well, but that's a story for another time!

Now, to answer those great thoughts you must be having!

1. Twitter, Facebook, email, linkedIn, blogs, and even pinterest can all be used. Not all of them can used to counsel directly, but they can be used in one way or another. With linkedIn and facebook you can boost your business and clientele. With email you can counsel directly. With twitter, not only can you spread the word and post daily tips, but you can also allow clients to ask you questions. Kind of like a Q&A! Blogs are kind of obvious lol! With Pinterest, it can be used to add boards of things that clients can use outside of sessions.

2. Yes I want to be your facebook friend, but only in a professional way (if I ever have a professional counselor facebook page that is)! The thing with friending is that you want it to be professional and you want to set boundaries right off the bat. That all falls into the informed consent that you and your counselor will be discussing whenever the time arises.

3. Here's the tricky part. It can be done, but the rules for this might need to be discussed beforehand! For example, we had to do email counseling in class and it was great....with the exception that you can't read people through technology like you can if you're sitting with them. One of the suggestions that was given was to put in parentheses feeling words or to even use emoticons. So yes, it can be done!

4. No, you don't have to use social media with your counselor. It's just one of the many aspects of counseling! Nobody is going to make you do anything, I mean, we are a field of helpers....not pushers! It's just something cool that if you find helpful, it can be done :)

I hope this helps and is somewhat interesting! Tune in next week where we will pick back up with our coping skills!

Humor Helps

Before you begin reading this blog, I want you to watch this video:

http://youtu.be/zak5Aq1m_xg


What do you think?
Did you laugh?
Were you questioning yourself about if it's ok to laugh at this joke?

Well, in my opinion, it was hilarious because it's so true. I totally laughed my butt off at this joke and I didn't think twice about whether I should have been laughing or not!

Now there might be a difference between you and I. I have a disability and you might not.

But that still shouldn't take away from the fact that this was funny.

See humor helps in a lot of ways.

If you have a disability, humor is one of the top coping skills used to make someone feel better.
If you don't have a disability, humor can not only make light of a serious situation, but it can also influence a person's attitude and thoughts toward a disability and toward someone who has a disability.

I know for a fact that I love laughing, making people laugh, and just making a dark situation, somewhat lighter.

Humor does that!

Seeing people with disabilities able to not only make fun of themselves, but making fun of people that make fun of them, it's just an awesome outlook to me.

While not everyone with a disability feels this way, research does show that humor is a great coping skill.

You just have to be able to smile and laugh :)



Here are two funny videos that I suggest you watch! They even have a whole "Comedians with Disabilities Tour" that travels around the country! Check them out!

http://youtu.be/XBWlgRf6FL4?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA

http://youtu.be/lLkX0ybNn6Q?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA

Top 10 List: Blogs and Podcasts

Hi! 

So throughout the semester for my class I will be researching the resources that I feel are helpful and then I'll be sharing them with you! Here is the first list that's filled with blogs and Ted Talks. I highly recommend checking them out :)

10. The Bloggess

 ***

This blog is about a mother/wife/woman/author/person who suffers from mental illness.  I give it three stars because it is a hilarious and honest blog about what it’s like from the person who suffers from a mental illness and the daily struggles she faces. This blog is helpful for those reasons I just stated: it’s honest, funny (sometimes inappropriate), and just raw. If you want to laugh and probably relate to her, go check out The Bloggess!

http://thebloggess.com/

9. The Gimp Parade

****

This is another blog that provides information and opinions on disabilities and all that comes with it. I give it 4 stars because It shares personal stories, songs, videos, and ideas about how to deal with disabilities and what to think about them.

 http://thegimpparade.blogspot.com/

8. Dave Hingsburger/ Rolling Around in my head

****

This blog is about raising awareness about disability. It also touches on diversity and differences. I give this blog 4 stars because it’s a man’s personal experiences and stories, along with videos of other people in order to raise awareness about disabilities. This blog is one of the biggest blogs in Canada about disability and has won numerous health and various blog awards! Check it out!

http://www.davehingsburger.blogspot.com/

7. Phil Hansen/ Embrace the shake: Ted Talk

***

This is a Ted talk about a man who developed a tremor in his hand. He tells his story of how he thought he would never be able to draw again, until one day, when he realized he could use it to his advantage. This is a very resourceful video because it shows that you can find the positive in the negatives. It also shows that you can still follow your dreams even though there may be some obstacles in the way.

http://youtu.be/YrZTho_o_is

6. Aimee Mullins/ It's not fair having 12 pairs of legs: Ted Talk

****

This is another ted talk about an amazing lady who helped design prosthetics because she herself is in need of them. This is a funny and lighthearted video. I really learned a lot watching it! I give this four stars because Aimee talks about beauty and how she hopes to make it to where people don’t label her disabled because they know nothing about it, but instead, they learn to see beauty in it.

http://youtu.be/JQ0iMulicgg

5. JJ Hanley/ JJ’s list

****

This is a blog that is a goldmine for people with disabilities. I give it 4 stars because it has everything that you could ever want from information and resources to personal stories. The website itself is a communications and marketing website for businesses who want to make their businesses more disability friendly. The blog though is the main resource that I feel is important. Like I said above, it has tons of information on awareness, employment, benefits, and just resources in general.

 http://www.jjslist.com/blog/

4. Maysoon Zayid/ I got 99 problems... palsy is just one: Ted Talk

****

This is a video of a comedian who has a disability. She goes on throughout the video to tell her story in a hilarious, lighthearted, and uplifting way. I give this video 4 stars because it represents the perfect combination of what someone is looking for when they look for resources on people with disabilities. It has humor, truth, and an outlook on life that’s genuine. Maysoon pushes her own limits and succeeds because she knows she can.

http://youtu.be/buRLc2eWGPQ?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA

3. Stella Young/ I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much: Ted Talk

****

This video is absolutely wonderful. I give this video 4 stars because of Stella’s humor and honesty. In the video Stella tells her story and how growing up people would think she’s an inspiration when she doesn’t think she is. It’s an important resource because it shows that not everyone who has a disability likes being the “inspiration” and sometimes, we are just regular people.

http://youtu.be/8K9Gg164Bsw?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA

2. Amy Purdy/ Living Beyond Limits: Ted talk and Greeting Adversity: Ted Talk

*****

This is the only link on here that you will see 5 stars because it's the best video about disabilities that I've seen. It’s also the only number that has 2 links with it. I went ahead and added the second video because it’s very similar to the first, but with a different spin on it. I LOVE Amy Purdy. She’s amazing and just a good person in general. In the video she talks about how she lost both of her legs and her journey to live beyond the limits placed upon her. This is a great resource because not only is it inspirational and funny, but it’s an amazing story to hear. It's also raw and emotional and she nearly breaks down a few times sharing her story because it's just that real. 

http://youtu.be/N2QZM7azGoA?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA (10 Minutes)

http://youtu.be/YhnCNC6ROGc?list=FLXYdkcx30DCwuatxBnyS6hA (16 Minutes)

1. Kara Dingess/ Ribbons, Bows, and Hospital Bracelets

****

I’m a little biased on this one. This is my personal blog and it includes information on what it’s like to be a kid growing up with a chronic illness. I give it four stars (not because it’s my blog), but because it involves personal stories, information, and things that you can truly relate to if you have a disability. It’s great for kids, parents, and those who have a chronic illness, but have no one to relate to. It also aims to raise awareness that kids get arthritis too!

http://ribbonsbowsandhospitalbracelets.blogspot.com/

Spirtual Coping

In researching many different coping styles, I figured it would be best to do one a week! This week's is about spiritual coping.

Now you don't have to be religious for spiritual coping to work for you. You can replace God with whatever being/object/food/etc. that you want.

With that being said, here's the definition of what positive spiritual coping by Reynolds, Mrug, and Guion (2012), "Positive spiritual coping reflects the use of faith for comfort during difficult times, while negative spiritual coping reflects struggle, doubt, or abandonment by a God-figure".

Research has showed that spiritual coping has fewer internalizing and externalizing problems. Whether it be the faith of the individual, the hope, or the comfort that the idea of God provides, coping spiritually has benefits that can help those who are suffering mentally or physically, or both.

Check out one of my friend's blogs. She does a great job at showing how you can cope spiritually in a mental health world.

https://proverbs1522.wordpress.com/



If you are interested in research, here is the article I cited above. It's an interesting read and provides more information and data about spiritual coping!

Reynolds, N., Mrug, S., & Guion, K. (2012). Spiritual Coping and Psychosocial Adjustment o      Adolescents With Chronic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(5), 559-565.        http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.09.007 

Advocating and Awareness

One big thing in the counseling world today is advocating for your client, or if you're a person with a disability, then advocating for yourself.

What does advocating mean though?

Well webster defines it as :
"to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly"

Basically, you're fighting for what you feel you need or what you feel is best. 

Counselors will advocate for their clients in many ways. They will push to get them the accommodations they need, an example of this is the ADA with making buildings accessible for those with disabilities. Another way counselors advocate is by getting their clients extra help or services provided to them.

You can advocate for yourself by making it known what it is you exactly need. 
Not everywhere is accessible and often times, it can be harder for those who have disabilities to get places because it is so inaccessible.  

By advocating for yourself and your disability, you are bringing awareness to the topic. That's one of the most important things, in my opinion, that counselors and those with disabilities should strive towards. We should strive towards bringing awareness to issues that are in the dark in order to normalize them. 

Below you'll find some links to some interesting reads and videos that highlight bringing awareness to certain issues. 

Here, Demi Lovato (formerly a star on the Disney Channel) is bringing awareness to her mental heath struggles. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMCb9cE3oPY


Here is a website that features information, resources, and facts about how kids can get arthritis too!

http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/

What's great is there are tons more websites and links out there for many disabilities and mental health problems that provide people with information on the subject. Advocating for yourself and raising awareness on things that are important to you, are both important steps in shedding light and normalizing disability and mental health.


Stay tuned! Next week we will be learning about coping skills!

Have an awesome day!!