This blog post is a bit different from all the others. Rather than targeting your own mental health, it is meant to help you help others. I’ve realized in my counseling work that this is one of the greatest mental health gaps in society: we often want to help those who are hurting, but we don’t know what to do.

Surely, I thought, my determination, resources, and intellect are superior to this cat’s instinctual clothlust. I tried everything...