Posts by Sarah Suzuki, AM, LCSW, CADC
Excerpt: A Harm Reductionist’s Guide to Dealing with Despair
Now is when we are most vulnerable to severe consequences from drinking: when we feel terrible but tell ourselves a story that we are drinking to celebrate.
Read MoreHow Does Midlife Crisis Affect Men and Families?
PsychCentral writer Jon Patrick Hatcher interviewed Sarah Suzuki on male midlife crisis (Check out the full interview here): Licensed Social Worker and owner of Chicago Compass Counseling Sarah Suzuki shares, “What I often hear from men is, ‘I’m already halfway dead, so what’s the point of going on?’ They feel as though their purpose is…
Read MoreAn Interview with Clinical Director Alexandra Backis of Chicago Compass Counseling
Spotlight on Alexandra Backis, Therapist and Clinical Director in Chicago, IL What does anti-racist practice look like in psychotherapy? Today, we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Backis, LCSW. As Clinical Director, Alexandra draws on over a decade of experience incorporating anti-oppressive practice in her work as a therapist and supervisor in how she guides…
Read MoreFounder and Group Practice Owner Sarah Suzuki Explains How the “Mass Shooter Mental Illness Myth” Perpetuates White Supremacy
Check out Sarah Suzuki’s widely shared article on how psychological profiles of mass shooters perpetuate White Supremacy (You can find the full article here): “And so, already — the media is pushing the false story that the Atlanta-area perpetrator was driven by “mental illness” — not racism. (See Reuters, Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may…
Read MoreIs My Pandemic Drinking Becoming a Problem?
October is National Emotional Wellness Month. As an alcohol counselor, I have to ask: how is your drinking these days? American adults are drinking 14% more often during the pandemic than 1 year ago, according to a recent report in the JAMA Network Open. Women, in particular, are drinking 17% more frequently than they were…
Read MoreRising Suicides Among Black Residents of Cook County
The Chicago Sun-Times interviewed Matt Lawson on the alarming increase in suicides among Black residents of Cook County. (Check out the full interview here): “Within the first month of George Floyd happening, that conversation became very front and center,” says Matt Lawson, a counselor at Chicago Compass Counseling. “That conversation has led into a lot…
Read MoreBeyond Performative Allyship: On Statement-Making and Organizational Commitments
Our group has been taking time to think about Black Lives Matter and how best to share our stance. It has been particularly interesting to see how various companies have crafted their responses. As a business owner and Asian American POC, I read countless organizational statements last week and asked myself: Why now? I noticed…
Read MoreFarewell, Strategic Accommodation: An Elegy to White Supremacy
What does it mean to live in survival mode, to survive as an Asian American in a racist country? As a child growing up in a white suburb during the 90s “colorblindness” era, I wasted many years strategically accommodating White Supremacy. Wasting energy. Wasting time. Diminishing myself to uphold White Supremacy. Again. And again. While…
Read More
Forget About #QuarantineGoals. Focus on Your Values to Achieve Success.
(Free eBook Download!)
*Be sure to download our free workbook, “Envisioning Values-Based Living During Quarantine!” Are you struggling to feel productive while sheltering-in-place? If so, you’re not alone. Everyone is struggling to operate at 100% right now. And that makes sense. If you’re able to work from home, this is not a relaxing work perk – it’s a…
Read MorePracticing Community Stewardship in Times of Crisis
Ask yourself how you want to remember yourself during this time, years from now. Will you look back and cringe? Or will you remember how you stepped up to be there for others?
Read More