As stated earlier, I truly enjoy being able to help others. It is my belief that the want and need to help others has become one of my biggest assets. The opportunity that would be provided through this program would prepare me to give quality professional help to those who so desperately need it. The two biggest areas of growth for me would be learning new concepts and the process of application. In society today, well-rounded counselors are extremely important when it comes to believing in values, morals, and ethics now more than ever.
Witnessing the profound difference a compassionate and skilled counselor can make inspired me to aspire towards becoming that guiding light
Counselors need to be mindful of their roles as a professional as well as clients’ since
American Counseling Association (ACA) stated that ‘Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, education and career goals.’ Most of the people will face a lot of encounters throughout their life which need some inspiration, advice, support or counseling. Moreover people that have some problems like depression, mental and behavior health most likely use counseling to help them stand on their feet back to achieve goals that stunted before. Counselor is a person that trained to help the people who need help in their problem and focus them on healing. The task to be a counselor is quite challenging as it will take years and lot of dedication just to help people to enjoy their life.
Section 1: Professional Development Plan For most of my life I have been motivated to help people so when I made the decision to continue my education at Walden University, I knew that I was ready for the journey. I am currently seeking a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and I am expected to graduate in the winter of 2025. This paper was written on June 30th, 2023, with the intent of further understanding my motivations for seeking this degree as well as visualizing the type of counselor I want to be in the future. Throughout this paper, I also discuss what is expected of me throughout my degree program, counseling career, and overall professional development.
Most leaders within our agency were either counselors at some point or they have Rehabilitation Counseling degrees. I believe in being knowledgeable in all aspects of our operations, especially in the broadest service provided by our agency, rehab counseling. This program is the first step in securing a future within the agency. While I love my current role, I look forward to continuing with the progress that I have made within the agency. I look to gain knowledge and first-hand experience of being a counselor so that I can apply what I learn to agency programs.
Key philosophies of the profession has developed from the Freudian view that people are basically sexual animals (Freud, 1905/1958) (Hansen, 2012), to the vision of Carl Rogers self-actualization model and vision of human strength (Rogers, 1951) (Hansen, 2012), and the behavorists theory that describe humans as basicaly computers that can be programed to change (Beck, 1976) (Hansen, 2012), counselors have witness dramatic and lasting human change. Historically, creative visons have fueled advances in counseling, not scientific discoveries (Hansen, 2012).
These therapies are well-established and researched in the profession. I believe that although people seek counseling for many reasons, individuals primarily come to counseling because they would like something to be different in their lives. They may want to change a personal situation, for example, solve a particular dilemma, or work through a difficult time. Although the counseling process can be fun and exciting, it can also be challenging and difficult as well. One of the main goals of counseling will always be to bring about some degree of positive change.
I am working towards my Master’s degree. In May of 2016, I received my Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Lamar University. I understand that clients who seek therapy come for various reasons that range from one end of the
Through me becoming aware of the situation it enables me to maintain a professional healthy relationship and bias with the client. Therapy will allow me to learn how to observe, acknowledge confront, and deal with the situation ethically, and right away when it starts to happen. It can also allow me to identify and explore my blind spots that I am confronted with through my clients, and will allow me to help set my personal life away from work, and help succeed professionally. I believe that through personal therapy, it will enable me to engage in my own personal self-awareness and overall well-being, and decrease the possibility of burnout that comes with the profession. Therapy will also help develop my career goal and aspirations in a positive way in helping me
Collaborating with Fellow Professionals As a mental health counselor, a vital role as a professional in this career is to provide therapeutic services to individuals in need. We will be helping mediums to several diverse populations, including cultures, sexualities, and religions. We should go into each session with an open mind and heart, seeking clarity while listening to clients and strive to come up with goals for their personal growth, bearing in mind the ethical and moral values we have learned. Through the years, the counseling identity has been looked at through blurred lines. We are constantly trying to figure out where we belong amongst a world full of social workers and psychologists.
Doctoral level counselor education is central to the development of future educators, researchers, and supervisors, being that this is the terminal degree for professional counseling. Doctoral level counselor education strengthens the profession by solidifying the professional identity of future counselor educators. A need to clearly identify professional counseling as a helping profession has existed since the beginning of professional counseling. Counseling psychology is the oldest of the two, and often overshadows professional counseling. Entrance into the Health Care and Human Statistics Report compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health and Center for Mental Health Services in the 1990s (Gladding,2013), solidified counseling
I can vividly remember the advice given to me by my high school counselor. I was broken down, whispering to myself that I was not college bound. It was my counselor who made me realize that persistence was a key factor to continuing my education. The wisdom that was shared to me that day was instilled into my mind and was endorsed in my heart. I want to be the person that gives a glimpse of hope to students that need an extra push through education, just like it was given to me.
Like other professions in the mental health field and helping professions, counseling typically attracts those who are imbued with a need to help others, to make a difference in others’ lives, the community around them and sometimes even the world. There are many facets to a counselor and to counseling, some of which take on personal attributes such as personality, the values and beliefs held by counselors, and what they perceive their role in the counseling profession to be. Other facets involve ethical considerations in therapy, the importance of the profession, the value and process of change, important counseling practices and the value of necessary self-care a counselor ought to engage in. The role of a counselor is to act as a conduit to change and wellbeing in a client.
Not being able to cope with certain situations in my life, turned to many problems and made it hard to live, happily. After receiving therapy with a certified psychologist for almost nine years, my outlook on life has completely transformed. I have learned how to confront my emotions in a healthy way and how to have a positive attitude towards my day, regardless of the trials that life throws at me. I have been able to develop a character that others have called selfless, caring, and determined to help others. The influence of a psychologist 's help has exponentially heightened my interest in aiding people in dealing with difficult situations and inspired me to pursue a degree in
