Blog – Page 9 – Therapeutic Center For Hope

30Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

From the Eyes of a Birthmother Part I

Adoption

Life is breathtaking. It’s always exciting and often very unpredictable. Bringing you to the highest of highs and lowest of lows. One thing certain is that It is never guaranteed to be easy. It is possible to have a good life though. As a little girl you dream of all the amazing things you will experience growing up. My adult life has been pretty far opposite from all of those dreams. Little girls base their love life from Disney movies. It’s a fact. We all do it. We have our minivans full of beautiful babies. The perfectly manicured home with the best yard in the neighborhood with a golden retriever playing fetch in the back. However, we can’t forget about graduating college, having an amazing career, and trophy husband (of…

22Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

Supervision for Social Work Licensure

Blog, Supervision/Mentorship, Tips

Congratulations! You’ve earned your Master’s in Social Work (M.S.W)! It is time to explore the career path you desire. An MSW is one of the most widespread master’s degrees chosen and the career paths you’ve opened up for yourself are numerous. MSW’s have the opportunity to enter fields in human resources, adoption, child welfare, social work administration and work in a school setting. The opportunities seem endless, and the consideration for licensure is always there. What’s the difference you may ask? An L.C.S.W, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker is someone with a Master’s in Social Work, who chose to take their counseling degree one step further by becoming a licensed, specialized, social worker through more training in the field. If you choose this next step in your career path, it…

22Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

Your Complete Guide to the Adoption Process

Adoption, Parenting, Therapy, Tips

When you are adopting a child, уоu аѕѕumе all responsibilities fоr them whісh, Aside from gіvіng you lеgаl rіghtѕ, аlѕо makes уоu the lеgаl parent. Yоu are then fully accountable for the еmоtіоnаl аnd рhуѕісаl wеll-bеіng of thе child. Whether уоu аrе a couple оr аѕѕumе such rеѕроnѕіbіlіtу аѕ аn individual, іt is important for you to be confident that уоu are rеаdу for this process. Before you dесіdе, уоu nееd tо make sure thаt уоu'rе fіnаnсіаllу аnd mеntаllу capable оf brіngіng up a сhіld. I want to help you in that journey through this eBook. This book will be your trusted reference in answering questions that you might already have and the questions that you thought would not come up. [uxi_button link="https://dta0yqvfnusiq.cloudfront.net/alexi90572029/2017/09/Complete-Adoption-Process-E-book-59b197e9db5b8.pdf" new_window="0" tel="0" class="button-block button-block-mobile button-32" padding_x="15" padding_y="15"…

21Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

Adoption Equality: What the Numbers are Saying

Adoption, Blog, Parenting, Tips

The Case for Adoption Equality [caption id="attachment_3359" align="alignright" width="368"] Source: Family Equality Council [/caption] An estimated of 400,000 children in the U.S. have been removed from their homes and are now in foster care, wards of the state. With this many children, the main goal of the foster care system is to find each and every child a home within a reasonable amount of time. If the children’s biological parents have lost their right, finding a home is usually mandated 12-24 months from the removal date, ideally. The main goal of adoption is to find a child a home that is loving and can provide a stable environment for a child to grow up in. What is the Focus? Stability, according to the Florida state government means meeting minimum…

18Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

Know Your Deal Makers and Deal Breakers

Blog, Relationship, Therapy, Tips

As You Enter Into... A new love relationship, navigating this new chapter of your love story can get very complicated especially if you and your partner are looking through the rose colored lenses many of us have at the beginning of any relationship. For those of us looking for something long term and serious, its important to know the traits you definitely want to see in a potential partner, and the possible deal breakers. Having standards that are too low, might leave you unhappy, but having super high standards can end up making you feeling lonely. How do you find this balance? Know exactly what you want and need and what you don’t in a relationship. Navigating the ups and downs of a new relationship often gets complicated especially at…

14Nov 2016 by alexiamcleod

8 Reason Divorce is Your New Beginning

divorce, Motivation, Therapy

With a divorce or break-up, it is important that you acknowledge it as an important experience that you can definitely gain from. Keep your thoughts in a positive stream so that you will not fall into negativity and say that it was a waste of time or it was meaningless. Always remember that an end of something is the beginning for something else. As you process through the divorce process, here are 8 things that can help you with moving on from the heartbreak and bitterness There is no need to rush into a new relationship before first working on yourself (Statistics show that while about 50% of first marriages end in divorce, second and third marriages are even more likely to end in divorce, 60% and 73% respectively). The…

25Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

The Strength of Single Mothers

Blog, Parenting, Therapy, Tips

The single mothers I have come across in my lifetime are some of the strongest women I know. I ask myself, how is it that this woman has been through more than most, and came out on the other side empowered and able to conquer everyday obstacles with patience and grace? So I decided to ask them. For the sake of their privacy, their names have been changed, so we’ll call them Tamara and Kristina. Kristina's Story Kristina is a close family friend who married the love of her life, has three beautiful and resilient adult children, and continues to overcome residual struggles from the last 15 years of her life. In 2001, Kristina’s husband was laid off from his job, a huge blow to both his confidence and to…

21Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Domestic Violence Survivor Resource List

Relationship, Therapy, Tips

Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Advocates for Victims Hotline numbers: (305) 758-2546 or (305)247-4249 (Homestead) Hotline TTY numbers: (305) 758-2546 or (305)247-7674 (Homestead) P.O. Box 380817 Miami, FL 33238-0817 Administration: (305)758-2804, ext. 224 FAX: (305)756-1347 Shelters: The Lodge Hotline number: (305) 693-0232 P.O. Box 470728 Miami, FL 33147 Administration: (305) 693-1170 FAX: (305) 693-2831 http://www.thelodgemiami.org/ Shalom Bayit (For Jewish Victims of Domestic Abuse) SHalom Bayit offers full spectrum of compassionate and confidential services to survivors and their children who are victims of domestic abuse. In order to help them make the transition to a new life free of fear and intimidation, JCS Shalom Bayit offers short-term stays in a safe house, financial assistance, counseling, child care, job training and placement. Pro bono legal and medical services are offered as available. Shalom Bayit Hotline…

18Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Graduate Mentorship: Your Complete Guide

Blog, Business

What is Graduate Mentorship? Graduate mentorship in psychology is supervised clinical practice required by almost all graduate level and doctorate level programs in the United States. Once a student choose psychology for their academic and career path, they begin to learn clinical practice on a more hands-on level than their undergraduate studies. Why is Graduate Mentorship important? The importance of having a mentor who can help you navigate through the new world of practicing psychology as a therapist, counselor or social worker is key to gaining professional experience in the real world, outside of a classroom setting. It is one thing to learn the theories and research developed in the field of psychology from a lecture with a professor explaining and providing examples of hypothetical situations a student might see…

18Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Parenting Special Needs Children

Blog, Parenting, Tips

It’s no secret that being a parent is hard. It’s seemingly impossible to be a perfect parent, and that’s okay; after all, we are all human. While being a parent within itself is difficult, being a parent to a child who has special needs can sometimes be even more difficult. If you look online, there are endless tips and tricks to make life easier. While they all seem great in theory, it’s sometimes hard to apply those tips to your actual life. We found a few tips that aren’t very hard to incorporate in your daily life, yet they can make a huge difference. We also interviewed a parent who knows what it is like to have a son with a disability. Hopefully some of our findings can help you,…