At Counselors for Change we believe that everyone has the capacity to be a counselor– one who advocates for the wellbeing of another. The Counselor for Change Spotlight is dedicated to highlighting counselors, in and outside the field of mental health, who advocate for change, end stigma, and promote equity.
If you know a “counselor” who is making a difference in your community, please reach out to us at c4cnicole@gmail.com.
James Journey
James Journey highlights the power and impact we have in each other’s journey, a journey that transcends beyond our lifetime. The journey for this amazing group of young men began in childhood with friendships that span their lifetimes. Rallying together after the untimely loss of their best friend James to suicide, they gathered in their grief and channeled their collective pain into a mission to continue the legacy of a cherished life cut short, prevent others from suffering in silence, and increase awareness and access to mental health care. Their collective purpose and meaning became James Journey.
“For all of our adult lives, we’ve been told that our friend group has been friends for an abnormally long time. Most people don’t have friends for decades at our age like we do. That being said, when we lost one of our best friends at the age of 22, it was devastating. Immediately after we experienced this, we banded together and put together an impromptu flag football tournament to raise money for suicide awareness and prevention. Four tournaments later and we’re still going strong. It’s our belief that the people that we choose to have in our lives are one of, if not the, most important things to live for.
Because of who we are and what we stand for, we’ve historically donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Counselors for Change, Stop Solider Suicide, as well as creating our own scholarship for college bound teens from our hometown of Smithtown, NY. Through everything we do, our goal is to fight the stigmatization of mental health problems. We want people, especially young people, to know that they are not alone.”
Isaiah Rodriguez on behalf on the James Journey team
Billy Ferris, Brendan Sevenson, Brian Danzinger, Dylan Nolan, Isaiah Rodriguez, James Ahern, Joe Impostato. Joe Funaro, John Zupka, Jon Castagna, Justin Couto, Matthew Kelly, Mike Scarola, Nicholas Sadusky, Robert DeChristofaro, Ryan VanDuyne, Steven Bair , Thomas Portoghese, Tyler Indelicato
Beyond Trauma Podcast
We would like to highlight the excellent work of Jennifer Savage, LPC, Bridger Falkenstien, PLPC, and Melissa Sundwall, LPC , creators and hosts of the Beyond Trauma Podcast. They are dedicated to providing a free resource for everyone who is thinking about or taking the courageous journey of personal growth. Their compassionate presence, which you can actually feel just by listening to them, humanizes our experiences by putting them into a context where all of our responses make sense. The validation and information allows listeners to move into a place of empowered being and action.
Their vision is to bring healing and relief to those suffering from the symptoms of trauma and give information about EMDR through the lens of the client as well as therapist. They are open about their own experiences on both the couch and the therapist’s chair. Great therapists have a great therapist! Their other podcast, Notice That, provides resources specifically useful for therapists to hone and advance their skills.
You can listen to episodes on most listening platforms or even through their website. They also provide great information and resources on their Facebook. Check them out and share. You won’t be disappointed.
Dr. Kirk Honda with Psychology in Seattle Podcast
Dr. Kirk Honda has a Doctorate in Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, and has been working as a therapist with individuals, couples, and families since 1996. He has been a university professor since 1998.
His podcast and YouTube channel inspire change with open and informed dialogue on important topics such as relationships, mental health, and popular culture. His reaction videos of popular reality shows, like 90 Day Fiancé and Love is Blind, provide a therapist POV that challenges misconceptions of mental health, ends stigma, and normalizes therapy illustrating how it can improve daily life.
Dr. Kirk Honda’s work provides accessible and relatable mental health information making him a Counselor for Change worth checking out.