Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Identify your reasons for seeking counseling to find the best possible counselor. Know when to seek counseling. Identify goals for counseling. Know what kind of counseling you want.

Answer: It's important to know what makes you want to seek treatment, so this can be communicated later on to match you with a counselor. Some common reasons to seek counseling include: Symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression Interpersonal difficulties with family or romantic relationship Grief (such as breakups, deaths, parental divorce, or other major losses) Questions/confusion about identity, sexuality, or gender Concerns about body image and relationship with food Trauma (such as experiencing a catastrophic natural disaster, sexual assault, relationship violence, or abuse) Thoughts of suicide or hurting others Harming behaviors, such as cutting or substance abuse Counseling can be helpful in many situations, but it is highly recommended in certain situations or conditions. A few examples include: You are unhappy most days You worry excessively, feel on edge constantly, or feel overwhelmed often You have experienced a change in your appetite or your weight that varies significantly from what is normal and there isn't a medical cause You have experienced a significant loss (breakup, a parent's death) You have dramatically increased your use of substances such as alcohol or drugs You have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else Before you seek counseling, try to be clear about what you are seeking. Think about what events or feelings are contributing to your current concerns. Consider the severity of symptoms, and remember nothing happens overnight. Think about what goals you want to accomplish by the end of counseling. This can be as simple as, "I don't want to feel sad anymore" or "I want to move past my disappointments". Working with a counselor will not solve all your problems. Instead, in working with a counselor, you will learn to build coping skills and problem-solving skills that will help you handle life's challenges in a more productive way. Other goals can be to reduce addiction, break free from an eating disorder, or escape an abusive relationship. Different types of counseling are available, including individual, group, family, and couples. Some religious organizations also offer counseling, in which case you will directly work with those organizations and not deal with insurance. Know what you want ahead of time so that when the time comes to seek a counselor, you know what you are looking for. Individual therapy is most common. You meet with your therapist one-on-one and you are the focus of each session. People suffering from chronic psychological disorders, such as OCD, bipolar, depression, and trauma benefit from individual therapy as a way to continuously monitor progress and learn ways to cope and work through issues. Group therapy is especially helpful in learning skills. Less attention is on you, and more time is devoted to learning skills, practicing them, and then enacting them throughout the week. Family therapy is often recommended for drug rehabilitation and eating disorder rehabilitation, as families can play a large role in recovery. Couples often seek counseling together when they feel a significant strain on their relationship. Counselors may choose to see couples together in addition to having separate sessions. If you want a religious context for counsel, seek a rabbi, pastor, priest, or other religious leaders in your community. Religious counseling is sometimes helpful for people who want to follow a path rooted in religious teaching.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Establish rules to ensure all dogs are safe. Have a meet and greet time. Designate a time-out area. Provide plenty of poop bags.

Answer: It is important to have rules so that you provide a safe environment for your guests. Some important rules include the following: All owners must be present. Do not allow owners to drop their dogs off at the party then leave. Require guests to bring leashes just in case there is conflict. Require all dogs to be up to date on all vaccinations to prevent the spread of any infections or diseases. Give the dogs the opportunity to sniff each other and get to know each other if they don't already. This will help to ensure that all the dogs get along and won't fight or be aggressive to another dog. If two dogs are meeting for the first time, avoid hovering over or pulling tight on their leash. A dog can sense stress from their owners, which can cause tension and possibly aggression. If at any time during the meet and greet session, a dog appears to show signs of aggression (e.g., the dog becomes very still and rigid, growling and snarling, showing teeth), it should be removed from the area immediately by its owner. Just like children, dogs may act up and need a break. Set aside an area at your party for a doggy "time-out" for dogs who appear stressed out or are playing too rough. If you can, have the time-out area be separate from the other dogs at the party. You can use a gate or have a few large crates to keep dogs in for a few minutes to calm down. Dogs will relieve themselves during the party, especially if they eat a lot of food. Make sure you pass out poop bags to owners during your party so you don't step in anything or have a huge mess to clean up when it's over. If your party is indoors, schedule a couple of mini-breaks for all the dogs to go outside and do their business to avoid having accidents on floors or carpets.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Go for a walk. Take a break. Talk to yourself. Listen to music.

Answer:
Walking can boost your creativity and help you work through problems. Take a short walk outside to help think through your ideas. You may or may not choose to think about your problem. If you find that ideas are starting to come to you, work them out as you walk. If you are still stumbling, clear your head, and do not think about it until you return. After about twenty or thirty minutes, you should stop brainstorming, and do another activity for five to ten minutes. You can get a snack, read a few news articles, or make a phone call. Do something that will take your mind off your brainstorming session. This will help refresh your mind, and give you new ideas when return to the brainstorming activity. Talking can help you process ideas and generate new ones. Even if you are alone, you can still talk out your problems. Pretend that you are discussing your ideas with someone. Explain to yourself what you need to get done and what roadblocks you are facing. You may find yourself coming to the solution as you describe your problem. If it helps, you can record yourself speaking to save any ideas that you might develop. Or you can listen to yourself to reflect on what you said. Before you start brainstorming or during breaks, you can listen to music to help boost the creative process. Choose upbeat music that you enjoy. When you are ready to start brainstorming, turn the music off. While listening to music before a task can boost creativity, trying to listen to music during brainstorming can distract you.