is an approved continuing education provider by the: Board of Registered Nursing (#13620) California Board of Behavioral Science (#1540) Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (BAP #753) NAADAC - The Association for Addiction Professionals (#478) National Association of Social Workers (#886382116) National Board for Certified Counselors (#6055) Ohio Counselor, Social Work and Marriage and Family CPE (#RCST090402) The Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (#52526) The Texas Board of Social Work Examiners (#CS3473) www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for the program.

This course introduces therapists to HIV through the experience of Sarah, a 33 year old woman. Through Sarah's journey I hope you see the relevance of learning about HIV, because Sarah could be almost any adult client, male or female, gay or straight.  We will follow Sarah's journey from the suspicion of having HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, through the anxiety of testing, and her subsequent feelings and actions.  In the Internet version of this course, Sarah's comments are in brown ink. In Sarah's own words to therapists:

"Tell them--tell everyone!  Talk openly to your clients about HIV and AIDS.  Educate everyone you know."

"We're special, we who have HIV and AIDS.  It doesn't matter to me anymore how someone got it, through sex or drugs or blood...the fact is, we are all in it together.  We share the same experience, and have the same hopes and dreams.  And nobody on this planet gets off alive.  It is just that some of us have to look at it sooner.  And maybe we're wiser, and maybe not, but judging and being judged doesn't help."

"And ask them, the therapists, to really look themselves in the mirror, and ask themselves if they are judging me.  Tell them no healing happens when a person feels judged, and nobody sets out to get HIV or AIDS.  Ask them if they judge children for getting measles. I am me, and I have my story, but also I am everyone, every man, every woman, every teenager and every child who has gotten HIV."

"And tell them that life is made up of many storms, big and small.  Getting diagnosed HIV+ is a really big storm: a hurricane.  And I know that I will have other storms in my life, some big, some small.  And if I get AIDS, that will be another hurricane.  But tell them that storms pass. They always do!"

HIV and AIDS are affecting the entire world.  Encountering clients such as Sarah, I am reminded once again of the phrase: "Remember, we are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but spiritual beings on a human journey."

I am enormously grateful to Sarah and to other clients and friends who allowed me to share part of their journey.  Thank you.  This course also wishes to thank the many websites which granted me permission to link.  You will find these throughout the text, and in Chapter 10: References and Resources.
 

HIV: The Storm Table of Contents Introduction 1. Meeting Sarah 2. Test Anxiety 3. Diagnosis: Shock 4. Legal and Ethical Issues 5. Anger 6. Depression 7. Grief 8. Hope 9. Post Script 10. References and Resources

We do adhere to the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. Our courses are carefully screened by the Planning Committee to adhere to APA standards. We also require authors who compose Internet courses specifically for us follow APA ethical standards. Many of our courses contain case material, and may use the methods of qualitative research and analysis, in-depth interviews and ethnographic studies. The psychotherapeutic techniques depicted may include play therapy, sandplay therapy, dream analysis, drawing analysis, client and therapist self-report, etc. The materials presented may be considered non-traditional and may be controversial, and may not have widespread endorsement within the profession. www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for the program and its content.