Introduction: Say a Little about Yourself! {by 9/3}
For most of you this is your second semester of graduate classes (yay)! Please answer the following about yourself: (1) Name? (2) What college/university did you graduate from? (3) What is your most effective coping skill for graduate school? (4) What was your biggest take-away from your first semester of graduate classes? (5) What are your initial thoughts (or experience) about cognitive-behavioral therapy?!?
Your original post should be posted by 9/3. Post your two replies no later than 9/5. *Please remember to click the “reply” button when posting a reply. This makes it easier for the reader to follow the blog postings.
*Strong suggestion: Write all your blogs on a separate document. Then, copy and paste it. This will make your life easier and less stressful in case something “wacky” happens with technology.
*Your first post may not immediately appear on my website. I have strong spam filters. So, I may have to approve your first post before it is visible. I should only have to do this once unless you post in a different name and/or email address.
Dr. Adam M Volungis 
Sep 02, 2026 @ 11:30:49
My name is Braden Binger, and I graduated from Fairfield University in 2025. Right now, my most effective coping skill in graduate school is taking time to put on headphones and listen to music while doing nothing else. It helps me calm down and refocus on what needs to be completed. From the first semester of graduate school, my biggest take-away was to try to stay ahead of my assignments so I can avoid trying to complete multiple important assignments at the same time, as it can stress me out immensely. Regarding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), my initial thoughts are that I enjoy how CBT is planned out and provides a way for clients to see measurable progress. Additionally, I feel CBT can be too structured at times, which leads me to discuss the client’s emotions less than I would prefer.
Sep 05, 2026 @ 22:54:17
Hi Braden,
I agree with you; CBT is practical for measuring progress, and that is one of many reasons I enjoy it. In my case, my son’s ADHD and emotional dysregulation can be measured through specific, observable behaviors, rather than simply saying the child is “doing better.”
For example: Fewer emotional outbursts: decreased from 5 outbursts per week to 2 per week.
By reducing outbursts, we have time to focus on identifying emotions and strengthening coping skills.
Sep 06, 2026 @ 07:33:29
Hi Braden! I definitely agree that staying ahead is super important. With the amount of work that we sometimes get, its easy to slip through the cracks and get behind!
Sep 14, 2026 @ 23:58:57
Braden, I also relate to you about using music a coping mechanism. I always listen to music during and after my workout sessions and it really helps me a lot. Graduate school is more stressful and staying ahead on assignments should be a top priority as I am also working on myself to do so. Your thought about CBT were very interesting. I like that CBT has a structure that gives client a way to notice their progress. It is important for counselors to make space for clients to talk openly about their emotions while using CBT technique
Sep 02, 2026 @ 19:01:41
Hi everyone! My name is Francesca Reardon and I graduated from Assumption University this past May! My most effective coping skill for grad school is taking the time to be intentional about doing something for myself at least once a week. Whether that be treating myself to a Starbucks refresher or going to bed super early one night, being intentional and placing a name to how it’s an act of self-care and not just simply doing it because I feel like it has really helped to slow my brain down. My biggest take-away from last semester is that no one is expecting us to be perfect right now. I went into last semester with a lot of anxiety about messing up or doing something wrong, but I realized that now is the time to not be perfect or mess up (obviously within reason and without breaking clear rules). It is much better to mess up now and learn from it than mess up with an actual client in front of you. Personally, I am a huge fan of cognitive-behavioral therapy because it has helped me immensely with my own anxiety. I really enjoy the worksheets/practices as well, mainly because they actually provide a way for clients to see things differently and think through situations (specifically Thought Records).
Sep 04, 2026 @ 19:35:15
Hi Fran, I completely agree with you regarding how helpful the worksheets can be in CBT for the client. I feel like clients want to see visible progress in therapy quickly and the worksheets, whether they are thought records or discussing the individual’s goals, help clients visualize their progress in a way they can understand. Specifically, I feel like recording the improvement occurring when clients partake in behavioral activation could be particularly insightful for clients.
Sep 05, 2026 @ 22:43:07
Hi Fran,
I understand what you mean about CBT being helpful for anxiety. My son has ADHD and generalized anxiety, and CBT has really helped him learn to manage his emotions. Sometimes, traditional CBT can be too wordy or complicated for kids, but my son’s therapist made it more concrete so it worked better for him.
For example, instead of just telling a child, “You need to control your anger,” CBT might teach them steps like these:
Catch it: “My body is getting hot, and my fists are tight.”
Name it: “I’m at an 8/10 angry.”
Calm it: Take five slow breaths or step away.
Check the thought: “Am I thinking something that is making me even angrier?”
Choose: “What can I do instead of yelling or hitting?”
I was also able to continue applying the strategies while he was not in therapy; reinforcing the skills helps so much, and that is one of many reasons why I am very fond of CBT.
Sep 03, 2026 @ 09:35:57
My name is Franciele Bonatto, and I graduated from Fitchburg State University in 2023. My most effective coping skills as a graduate student are spending time with my family—going out for dinner, visiting the park, camping—making memories with my kids and husband, and being in nature with them and our dog, Luna, which helps me to cope with stress. My takeaway from last semester is the professors’ support at Assumption University. At my last university, students were on their own; we were expected to know because we were adults, which is reasonable, but I had never been a graduate student before, so a little empathy and support would be nice. I am fond of the CBT approach; I have seen how effective it is with a family member who received CBT therapy, and I have been a fan since then.
Sep 03, 2026 @ 15:06:51
Hi! My name is Grace Owens and I graduated from Suffolk University in 2025. I think my most effective coping skill is running/working out to release any pent up stress or tension I might have! I’m also training for a half marathon right now so running has been super helpful. My biggest takeaway from first semester is the importance of knowing you don’t have to be perfect right away! Counseling is going to take so much practice and it’s okay to make mistakes right now. I have learned about and used CBT techniques before in my own life and in school. I am excited to learn more about the practical applications of it so I can use it in my future practice, as I have found it very helpful for myself!
Sep 04, 2026 @ 19:28:23
Hi Grace! Recognizing that learning to do CBT and therapy with people in general will involve us making mistakes is a good thing to keep in mind. I sometimes forget this because I always try to do things without mistakes. Everyone needs to acknowledge that we are all going to make mistakes when we are starting out and that is okay as long as we learn from those mistakes.
Sep 14, 2026 @ 23:33:01
Hi Grace, I agree with your point of not having to be perfect when learning counseling skills. We all know how counseling takes a lot of practices and making mistakes helps us to improve and be more effective. I am looking forward and very excited to learning more about how we can apply CBT techniques in real counseling situations. I also agree that exercise can be a great way to manage stress and clear your mind because I also work out a lot and it really helps calm my nerves down.
Sep 06, 2026 @ 07:31:54
Hi Grace! I totally agree that we don’t have to be perfect right away. This is something I touched on in my own discussion post, as I had a really hard time at the beginning of the first semester. It’s important to slow down and recognize that the point of going to grad school, or just school in general, is to learn, and sometimes making mistakes is how learning happens! Also, good luck training on your half marathon, that’s huge!
Sep 14, 2026 @ 04:05:13
My name is Jude Kyeremateng, a transfer student from Anna Maria College. My most effective coping skills is working out at the gym and playing basketball as it releases a lot of stress on my shoulder and helps me concentrate more. My biggest takeaway is that, it is okay to make mistakes as human because that is the only way we can learn from to improve ourselves. I used to be so nervous to speak in class because I was scared to make mistakes. My initial thoughts or about CBT is that, it helps prevent distorted thoughts or negative mindset. The question I want to throw here is, does it completely prevent distorted thoughts? Especially when you do something really bad and now you want to seek help because you are being hunted. Is there any sense of guilt you will live with in your entire life?