| counseling psychologist, I enjoy a variety of clients | | | | help me learn about the disorder. I called up a few |
| each day with a variety of needs. I see couples who | | | | friends that were specialists on the topic and I did |
| are on the edge of divorce yet still want to save | | | | ever possible proactive thing to be more prepared |
| their marriage and I see young children who are | | | | for my client by the next week. |
| struggling after the loss of a parent or sibling. Some | | | | The things I have learned in the fifteen years since |
| of my most interesting clients are those that deal | | | | that first close encounter with someone struggling |
| with bipolar. I was never trained to specifically deal | | | | with bipolar are things I never expected to learn. I |
| with bipolar, so I had to dive in with my first bipolar | | | | have become so intrigued with the subject that I |
| client and learn as I went. | | | | have conducted a series of clinical research studies |
| I'll never forget meeting with my first (of many) | | | | aimed at bringing further understanding of bipolar into |
| client who was struggling with bipolar. I was a little bit | | | | the medical and psychological communities. Studying |
| afraid because I only had a basic knowledge of the | | | | and aiding people with bipolar truly has become my |
| problem and even less understanding of effective | | | | life's work and passion. In the strangest way it snuck |
| treatment plans for the disorder. The first three | | | | up on me and became all I could focus on. It has |
| sessions I had with this bipolar client I simply let her | | | | been my privilege to receive certification as a "bipolar |
| talk. I asked questions as a method of gaining | | | | needs specialist" and to begin teaching other |
| information, but I barely gave any tidbit of counsel or | | | | counselors how to aptly deal with the problems of |
| direction. Why? Because I didn't know what to say. I | | | | bipolar. |
| had never experienced someone in my years of | | | | If you or someone you know struggles with bipolar |
| preparation and internship for counseling who was so | | | | disorder, then my advice is simple: learn more. |
| clearly up and down and almost living two different | | | | Educating yourself on this important topic is the most |
| lives. | | | | important thing you can do. There is much to be |
| Each day after I met with my first bipolar client I | | | | learned and much victory to be gained in this area as |
| shut myself in my office and spent the day pouring | | | | more people learn the truth. |
| over books and other credible resources that would | | | | |