February
"finding your clinical voice"
You don't have to sound like your supervisor. You don't have to sound like a textbook. This month is about discovering what makes your clinical presence uniquely effective—and giving yourself permission to grow into it.
💡 February Tip
Your calendar has more—trends to watch, clinical insights, and key dates for the month. Get the Winter 2026 Quarterly Kit →
Personalize Your Calendar
Your quarterly kit includes stickers for dates that matter to you—client milestones, personal reminders, or trigger dates to watch. Make it yours.
📋 January Goal Check-In
Last month you set goals for clinical skills, professional development, and sustainability. Before diving into February, take 5 minutes to reflect:
- Did you take that one small step you committed to? If not, what got in the way?
- Do your goals still feel right, or do they need adjusting?
- What's one win from January you can add to your wins folder?
- What do you want to carry forward into this month?
Finding Your Clinical Voice
This two-page worksheet helps new clinicians stop trying to sound like their supervisors or textbooks and start developing their own authentic clinical style. It walks through four reflection areas: identifying natural strengths in session, recognizing what you've borrowed from others (and deciding what to keep), clarifying your values about change and healing, and a permission slip to show up as yourself. The prompts are designed to build confidence without pressure — acknowledging that your voice will develop over time, not overnight.
Best for: New clinicians who feel like they're performing in session rather than being themselves. Also helpful for anyone experiencing imposter syndrome or struggling to find their footing after mimicking a supervisor's style that doesn't quite fit.
Available February 1stDepression Screening Quick Reference
This two-page reference guide helps addiction counselors screen for depression alongside substance use — because treating one while ignoring the other rarely works. It includes the PHQ-2 quick screen, signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder (which peaks in February and often gets missed), additional assessment questions to ask beyond the standard screening, and clear guidance on when to escalate or refer. Designed to be printed and kept within reach during sessions.
Best for: Addiction counselors who want a simple, practical tool for catching depression that may be driving or complicating substance use — especially during post-holiday and winter months when SAD peaks.
Available February 1stAmerican Heart Month: Take Care of Yours
Your heart matters too. Clinician stress, long hours, and emotional labor take a physical toll. This resource will cover the connection between burnout and heart health, quick stress resets you can do between sessions, and why self-care isn't selfish — it's survival.
Best for: Clinicians who forget their own body is absorbing the weight of this work.
Coming SoonCultural Competency Resources
February is Black History Month. Good intentions aren't enough—do the work. Here are resources to help you build cultural humility and serve diverse populations more effectively.
Self-Assessment
Start with honest reflection. Where are your blind spots? What assumptions do you carry into the room?
Cultural Humility Self-Assessment →Learn the History
Understand the historical context of addiction, treatment access, and systemic barriers in Black communities.
Recommended Reading List →Listen & Follow
Amplify Black voices in the field. Follow Black clinicians, researchers, and advocates doing this work.
Voices to Follow →📝 Related Reading
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Nobody Told Me About the Paperwork: – When the Administrative Burden Feels Heavier Than the Clinical Work
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I Can’t Handle This Caseload – When 40 Clients Feels Like 400 and There’s No End in Sight
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