For me personally the most difficult aspect of working with individuals who have experienced trauma would be keeping my emotions and reaction professional. I wouldn’t necessarily say I wear my heart on my sleeve but there are certain topics and individuals that I closely identify with that would make remaining objective difficult. As a counselor, remaining objective and emotional stable is paramount. A counselor needs to give their undivided attention to the client. If they are distracted, stressed out or otherwise compromised then they may miss key behaviors and symptoms which could affect the path of treatment or indicators of things such as suicidal ideations. One positive aspect of working with someone who was severely traumatized is the ability to assist that individual in there healing process. Most individuals who …show more content…
The closest experiences I have to a counselor role are my roles as a Sexual Assault Prevention Response Victim Advocate (SAPR VA) and career counselor. In my role as a VA I am bound by a strict policy of confidentiality and putting the client first. VAs are trained to empower and help restore a client’s control over their life. We are not authorized to tell our client’s what to do nor do we give advice. We provide information and support the decision the client makes. I have only had one client acting as a VA and the client wanted very little to do with a Navy sponsored advocate. As a career counselor I provide career information, guidance on how to maintain healthy work ethics, financial advice and effective ways to deal with emotional/personal issues. I truly enjoy working as CC, it allows me to interact with a wide range of sailors and provide professional and personal guidance. Self-care is very important in order to remain effective as a counselor or psychologist. I chose to remain very active, travel every chance I get, surround myself with friends and read as many books as I