St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Counseling Corner: Can Online Counseling Work For You?
By the American Counseling Association 03:23PM / Sunday, February 22, 2009
From groceries to diamond jewelry, you can have practically anything delivered via the Internet today. That list includes not just merchandise, but personal services as well, including online counseling help, or "cybercounseling" as it's sometimes called.
It's a service a lot of people are using. For someone suffering from a fear of crowds or going outdoors, or who's ill and housebound, online counseling can be a great alternative. But because of its ease and convenience, a lot of people are taking advantage of such online services. It's important to remember, however, that it's not right for everyone, or every problem, and it always lacks the face-to-face interaction that can sometimes help in communicating.
Many highly qualified counseling professionals now offer very effective help via online counseling, but you need to check out any counselor before starting work with them. It takes little effort or expense to create a Web site and call yourself a "counselor," despite lacking appropriate credentials or training.
Professional organizations, such as the American Counseling Association, have established ethical standards for cybercounseling that provide online counselors with clear guidelines to protect consumers working with them.
These standards require that counselors should offer complete and honest disclosure about themselves and their services. An online counselor should make it easy to find out what degrees are held and in what fields, what licenses and certifications are held, and professional organizations in which the person participates (such as the American Counseling Association or the American Psychological Association). Does the counselor specialize and have experience and expertise in the area where you are seeking help?
Where is the counselor located? There are now cases in courts asking whether it's legal for someone to be offering counseling services in a state where he or she is not licensed.
Answering such questions still does not guarantee the quality of the services being provided. A legitimate professional will offer a trial period, without requiring an expensive, long-term commitment, so that you can judge if the services offered are helpful for you.
A professional counselor, following the ACA ethical guidelines, will inform a client early in the relationship if cybercounseling is not the correct approach, and should suggest alternatives better suited to the problem.
Online counseling can be a valuable resource for many people, but it does have its limitations. Ask questions and evaluate carefully to make sure it's the best way to get the help you need.
You can check licenses for Massachusetts counselors at the state's Division of Professional Licensure here.
The Counseling Corner is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association, the nation's largest organization of counseling professionals. Learn more about the counseling profession at the ACA Web site, www.counseling.org.
