Michelle Gill Interviews Clifton Fuller on Mental Health Trends, Narcissism, and Resilience

An insightful conversation exploring mental health trends, narcissism, resilience, and the evolving landscape of counseling with author and counselor Clifton Fuller.

Michelle Gill, Buffalo Creek Designs, interviews Clifton Fuller, Life Coach, Supervisor, LCSW-S, LPC-S, LMFT-S

I was honored when Michelle Gill of Buffalo Creek Designs reached out to interview me for her Creatives Circle series, a group of eclectic authors and people who hold interest to her and her readers. Michelle has a gift for drawing out meaningful conversations, and our time together covered a wide range of topics — from current mental health trends and the rise of anxiety and depression to the growing awareness of narcissistic personality disorder, the impact of smartphones on emotional development, and the evolving world of counseling and virtual therapy.

I appreciated the opportunity to share insights from my years in practice, as well as reflections on resilience, marriage dynamics, and the challenges facing today’s youth and future therapists. I’m grateful for Michelle’s thoughtful questions and the chance to contribute to her community of authors and creatives.

Here's a link to her article:

https://www.bcreek.co/post/interview-clifton-fuller-counselor

Here's a link to her 'creatives' (author's) circle: Creatives Interviews | Buffalo Creek Designs

For those of you who would like to read the interview directly, here it is:

Clifton Fuller is a counselor in private practice in San Antonio, Texas. He holds three professional licenses in counseling, marriage and family therapy, and clinical social work, along with multiple other certifications and fifty plus years of experience.

Mr. Fuller is the fifth of seven children. His father, Red, a World War II veteran, had a sixth-grade education and eventually became an alcoholic, putting the family into poverty. Mr. Fuller struggled in school with dyslexia and dysgraphia. He failed in first and fourth grade due to these learning disabilities; however, in fourth grade, he learned to read due to neurological maturation. He couldn't read one day, and suddenly the next day he could as his brain suddenly 'connected the dots.' His parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he, along with his mother and younger siblings, moved into a childcare institution. He and his siblings lived there as residents while his mother worked there as an employee.

Upon high school graduation, he was offered a college education paid for by the institution. Mr. Fuller not only obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology (cum laude) but also a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (summa cum laude). After obtaining his master's degree, the childcare institution, where he had been raised, requested he return to serve as its Chief Operating Officer. This was a short‑term turnaround role, as several board members resisted meaningful change. Seeing that progress would be slow and continually opposed— “like turning a battleship”—Clifton recognized the resistance would persist and chose not to continue.

He and his family relocated to San Antonio, where he initially opened a private psychotherapy practice, later working in psychiatric hospitals as both a therapist and an inpatient hospital director, finding the work deeply rewarding for many years. He eventually returned to private practice to have greater control over his schedule and more time with his family. Following the COVID era, many people became increasingly familiar with—and even preferred—online counseling. In 2021, he transitioned to a full‑time virtual practice, which has proven convenient and highly effective in meeting his clients’ needs.

During our interview, Mr. Fuller shared a lot of specifics about how counseling has changed over the years and the mental health needs of our society. Of course, we all know the introduction of smartphones has changed society in many ways, especially for kids growing up with smartphones. Kids today often compare themselves to unrealistic images on social media and become conditioned to expect constant, immediate feedback. They struggle to form real connections and often feel isolated. Mr. Fuller states that he is seeing a significant parallel rise in depression and anxiety in the clients in his practice as a result.

The positive aspect of these changes is that psychology is now much more acceptable and accessible.

Mr. Fuller has recognized another change in his practice, which relates to marriages. In times past, society expected too much from marriage, as we expected all our needs to be met through marriage. Two tools that can be taught through counseling that he suggests for a healthy marriage are:

1) develop good, clear communication skills

2) develop the ability to resolve conflict

One more little nugget that I would like to explore further is something Mr. Fuller shared: "Dreams are the brain's way of getting you to let go of emotions."

In Mr. Fuller's current practice, he not only offers counseling and coaching services but also supervisory services for counselors in training. In his monthly newsletter, he shares wisdom from his years of experience in his mentoring section for future psychotherapists.

Even though he struggled as a child with learning disabilities, Mr. Fuller has authored multiple books on mental health issues and the narcissistic personality disorder, which are available via his website and from Amazon.

I asked, "What is one thing that you would advise someone interested in becoming a counselor to do?" He said, "For those who want to be a therapist, I recommend that they understand they will practice by the licenses they obtain, not by the degree they obtain. Make sure their degree meets the requirements of whatever license they intend to practice under, and that social work allows a broader scope of practice."

Mr. Fuller's Favorite Restaurants in San Antonio:

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

La Fogata Mexican Cuisine

Recommends: The Alamo Museum, specifically Phil Collins' Collection, the RiverWalk, and of course, the Spurs!

Learn more by visiting his website.