...Technology in Mental Health Counseling Tiauana Robinson MidAmerica Nazarene University The section on the American Mental Health Counselors Association “About Mental Health Counselors” upholds a great deal of information. It answers a variety of questions that the profession has on a daily basis such as “What is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor? Where can you find a Clinical Mental Health Counselor? What makes a good counselor? And What exactly is the American Mental Health Counselors Association?” To summarize and answer these questions a clinical mental health counselor is simply an individual in the helping field that provides flexible consumer oriented therapy that withholds the proper education, practice and training in the national standards. You can find a mental health counselor in various settings such as Psychiatric Hospitals, private practices, substance abuse treatments and etc. I also found the YouTube video titled “Evidence-based Treatment: What does it mean” and it gives advice on how to find a good counselor by reviewing three facts 1. Number of Studies: same outcome by different people in different settings 2. Quality of Studies: the treatment is being compared to another treatment with individuals being assigned to the treatment groups randomly and the groups are the same in the beginning but one group will have a...
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...Palmo, Weikel, and Boros (2006) discussed mental health counseling emergence dealing with moral treatment and vocational guidance. It was known that in the beginning those with mental health problems were seen to have a spiritual disorder and were sent to asylums with horrible conditions. Palmo, Weikel and Boros (2006) discussed the change in attitude that allowed those with mental illness to be viewed as people with serious problems. Instead of locking the people away, they were treated with various therapy methods to help them acclimate back in to society. There was also a need for counseling after the Civil War and institutions change dramatically. “State asylums were required to accept a broader range of patients, including alcoholics, the criminally insane and apparently deranged immigrant paupers” (p. 7). Vocational guidance was also introduced to help society with its employment problems. Post World War II, guidance was given to soldiers that were returning home from the war. This was to integrate them back into society as useful members. They had spent so much time fighting they needed help on how to return to the work force. Also with the world becoming more industrialized society needed help on how to use their current skills to be an active member in the work force. Frank Parson founded the Boston Vocational Bureau to help men match their skills and interest with the appropriate job (p. 8). This assisted those with job placement to find a career that suited...
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...she had a meeting to attend that was close by and other days and times were difficult to schedule. I found JK by contacting a local university and enquiring as to whether one of their LPC’s would be willing to be interviewed for this assignment. She no longer works for the university and is currently in her own private practice. Counseling presents a change in career for me, and I was not surprised when JK mentioned how her initial idealistic...
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...Code of Ethics: American Counseling Association (ACA) versus American Association of Christian Counseling (AACC) Kristen Howard Liberty University Abstract The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) have unique Codes of Ethics as they relate to each profession. The ACA Code of Ethics was designed as a set of guidelines for counseling professionals to adhere to for keeping their sessions ethically in line, to help society’s quality of life and indorse respect for every human’s dignity and diversity. The AACC Code of Ethics was created for the Christian Counselor community in an effort to assist counselors with not only boundaries of unethical counseling practices, but also, provide education for counselors in becoming helpers with ethical excellence capable of securing the best outcomes in counseling for their clients. The AACC Code of Ethics takes what the ACA Code of Ethics entails and expands it further with the foundation of biblical principles to help the counselor and clients. Both ethics codes were designed to create the best counseling result for both the professional counselors and their clients. The differences and similarities between the ACA and the AACC Codes of Ethics will be addressed in greater detail, along with three specific areas of ethical concerns: informed consent, counseling fees, and sexual intimacies. Code of Ethics: American Counseling Association (ACA) versus ...
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...Multicultural Awareness Mental Health Counseling After reviewing the results of my multicultural self-assessment scores, I have found that overall; I am very comfortable with myself and choices. In counseling, before understanding someone else you must first be able to understand yourself. Also the awareness of your own comfort range must be apparent. If it was not apparent, then how could you counsel someone else when you are uncomfortable with yourself? This self-assessment allowed me to realize factors that seemed to be unapparent before but, led me to see that they were important after all. “If you are lucky enough to be other, don’t ever change” I identified mostly with Jason Patton, PhD when he spoke about his first day at kindergarten, and he was made to feel other. What most got my attention was that he mentioned that he was an only child and spent a lot of time with adults, and was eager to be interacting the children his own age. I too was an only child and spent a lot of time with and adults. They adored me and made me feel loved, wanted and special. My first day at school was awful. The children looked at me as though I was an alien. I remember distinctly being called a chocolate girl, and then the comments about me being so tall began. From that point on I really did not enjoy school at all. I was afraid of being different. Being different meant that people might not like me. In my mind being called chocolate...
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...Capella University Annotated Reference List Anonymous. (2001). Code of ethics of the American mental health counselors association. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 23(1), 2-21. Written by and for the American Mental Health Counselors Association, the Code of Ethics reflects the oath in which individuals in the mental health profession agree to take upon embarking on their career. The preamble of the code of ethics opens the document and reiterates the belief that dignity and worth of individuals are at the forefront of services. In addition, it touches upon basic requirements to assess, interview, consult, write reports, respond to subpoenas, and offer expert testimony during one’s career in mental health. The code of ethics state individuals will also act according to any applicable state and federal law. With this, they must possess appropriate knowledge and competence prior to practicing and will not offer personal opinions or bias while conducting business. Overall, the code of ethics is an inclusive set of principles of what is explicitly allowed and not allowed by an individual in the mental health industry. The code of ethics relates to the final ideal organization project in that it applies to all places of employment concerned with mental health. As a whole, this source seems legit and conclusive but according to the website for the American Mental Health Counselors Association, a new version exists. For the purpose of the project, it will be of worth to...
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...Clinical psychology is an expansive branch that combines general practice with health services. In clinical psychology, the main focus is on diagnosing, assessing, evaluating, and treating behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders. This field became more widely recognized toward the end of the nineteenth century (American Board of Professional Psychology, n.d.). Research and statistics help the field to grow and helps psychologists and those in the mental health field to understand more about disorders and behaviors. This field also shares some similarities, as well as differences, with other mental health professions. The history of clinical psychology is a rich one, and the field continues to grow. Clinical Psychology History Before psychology was a science, it was a practice. It is believed that the practice of psychology has always existed. However, the science of psychology emerged from philosophy. The many ideas and thoughts of philosophers laid the foundation of psychology (Benjamin, 2005). The field of psychology began as a mixture of philosophy, medicine, and theology. In the late 1800’s, The Elements of Psychophysics was published by Theodor Fechner, and Principles of Physiological Psychology was published by Wilhelm Wundt. These two publications allowed the explanation that physics and physiology could be used to answer questions on a psychological level. Wundt opened the first laboratory for psychology in Germany. When he opened his laboratory, psychology as...
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...Multicultural Awareness Multiculturalism has a vital role in counseling. According to Hays (2010) this type of counseling pays attention to the cultural diversities of clients in order to offer better services. To achieve multicultural awareness, the counselor has to know his or her own cultural characteristics. This article will contain the results of the multicultural-assessments I completed, my reflection on being “other,” as well as my statement of counseling identity and the explanation why multicultural awareness is important in the mental health counseling profession. Results of Self-Assessment Completing Petrone’s (2004) multicultural self-assessment was interesting and eye opening. In this test, choice number 1 means seldom, if ever; number 5 means almost always. Most of my scores were either fours or fives; these results tell me that I am interested in other people, paying attention to listen, and I am comfortable with new situations. I scored three threes in the following subjects: 1) I ask questions until I am sure I understand what others are saying; 2) If I were at an event with people who differed from me, I would make every effort to talk with them; 3) I try not to assume anything. Reaction to Self-Assessment After I finished the self-assessment, I immediately started thinking about the results. I realized that my not asking questions until I understand what others are saying is connected to the lower score about not assuming anything. Levitt (2010) talked...
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...relevance of understanding the historical background of a profession and then briefly highlight the important points in Chapter One, adding any statements from his or her own background plus any appropriate comments. The major points of this chapter (which could be covered in an instructor’s introduction of the chapter) are as follows: 1. Occupations, including counseling, develop because there is a need. 2. The need for such personal assistance - advice, guidance, counseling - has existed, and in various ways been attended to, over the ages. 3. Many of the well-known historical figures (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Charlemagne, Rousseau, and Thomas Jefferson) have expressed “counseling” points of view. 4. Psychology emerged as a field of study and psychiatry as a specialized branch of medicine in the late 1800s. 5. The development of programs of guidance and counseling in American education began in the years just prior to World War I. Frank Parsons is usually credited with much of the success of its early beginnings. 6. Parsons considered three factors necessary for the wise choice of a vocation. They were: (a) a clear understanding of self; (b) a knowledge of the requirements and conditions for success, compensation, and opportunities in different careers; and (b) true reasoning on the relationships between (a) and (b). 7. Other influences on the development of the counseling movement were: a. the development of standardized...
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...Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling Abstract In the past, counselors have lacked the knowledge and skills to interpret ethical guidelines in multicultural counseling. The ethical guidelines dictate how a counselor should have the necessary tools when conducting a counseling session. There is a shortfall of training and education when dealing with race, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds in today’s society. Ethics is a hot topic for counselors, partially because there are so many different situations that can be affected by ethical behavior. These situations can range from betraying the clients trust to injustice. There tends to be a lot of ambiguity for how to handle a situation ethically since there are a lot of variables involved in ethical issues. This involves disagreements in having one response that would be the most ethical response to that situation. There are many areas of ethical issues: privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, time and role boundaries, unplanned endings, finances, competence, and therapist initiated termination. Code of Ethics The code of ethics in social work, psychology, and counseling will continue to go through changes over time. Mental health professionals are expected to practice with the standards, and ethical code established by their professions. According to Pack-Brown, Thomas, and Seymour (2008) the American Counseling Association has established ethical responsibility for counselors to have enhancing human...
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...The American Counseling Association (ACA) has officially approved the multicultural competencies and has put much more emphasis on these competencies. Unlike the ACA, the American Psychological Association (APA), however, has only established non-obligating instructional rules for multicultural competencies (Ridley & Kleiner, 2003). Nonetheless, a noteworthy period of progress came forth with the publication of the “Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2003). Supporters of multiculturalism worked together to incorporate and combine multiculturalism into the field of psychology and specific for APA (Arredondo & Perez,...
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...“As a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, I understand my rights as a counselor. I vow to be honest, fair, dependable and understanding of the rights of others. I respect the values, diversity and religious facilitations of whom I serve. I will be compassionate in my commitment to helping others and providing guidance; allowing clients to make an informative decision for themselves, relationships in their lives and their future. I expect to make a difference, where they lack the connection, ability or desire to break frustration, hate or anxiety and replace it with love, power and will. As I reflect on where I’ve been and my heritage, I pledge to look at their views, in correspondence to evidence-bases research, theories, and practicums. A dream that will allow me to console someone, provide professional support and treatment to a person who has sustained their discrepancy of their self-awareness, self-worth or identity. With the encouragement of prosperity, I promise to promote positivity and strengthen overpower a challenge. My word of honor, Is to treat others how I want to be treated and live a life that is substantial to others. With this, my goal is to...
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...Contrasting of Ethic Codes Used in Counseling GXXXXX January 26, 2013 COUN 501 – B49 LUO Liberty University Abstract Enclosed within this paper is a compendium of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics (2005) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) Code of Ethics (2004) which are two forms of ethics codes that professional counselors frequently use. It is the aim of this document to not only supply the reader with some basic information about these two formalized sets of guidelines, but also to show the similarities that they have with each other as well as their distinct differences. In addition, aspects of colleague relationships, the counseling profession’s relationship to society, and client protection are also highlighted in a compare and contrast framework that offers its reader an increased understanding the unique specialties that each has to offer. Keywords: ACA Code of Ethics, 2005, the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) Code of Ethics, colleague relationships, professional counseling’s relationship to society, client protection Contrasting of Ethic Codes Used in Counseling Many human beings, at one time or another, have come to places in their lives where the administration of wise counsel has been an invaluable aid in helping them regain their equilibrium. But, since the delivery of these counseling services are provided by other human beings who also have the potential to live just as ineffectively...
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...Some of the challenges about ethics and law related to my future counseling practice include imposing my own values, beliefs and ideals on clients, maintaining the competence and skills needed to effectively abide by said ethics and laws and deciphering how to take action when laws and ethics collide. Ethics are the philosophical underpinnings of human conduct, and it is important for counselors to uphold all aspects of ethics in order to provide the highest level of care and avoid charges of unethical conduct (Bradley & Hendricks, 2008). Two forms of ethics that exist are principle ethics and virtue ethics. Principle ethics embody moral principles that are widely agreed upon beliefs that make up helping professions. The six main moral principles include autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity and veracity. The second form of ethics is virtue ethics. Virtue ethics revolve around personal characteristics and virtues and entail integrity, discernment, acceptance of emotion, self-awareness and interdependence with the community (Remley & Herlihy, 2014). According to Jennings, et al. (2005), one key to avoiding ethical dilemmas is by avoiding personal biases and views in client sessions. According the ACA Code of Ethics (2005), any personal views that are not aligned with counseling goals must be avoided, and counselors need to remain aware of these views and respect all forms of diversity when it relates to clients, trainees and research participants. Because...
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...Counselors (AACC) was established to exceed the mark of professional counseling as a Christian counseling. The AACC is based on Christian principles with a strong biblical foundation. The AACC incorporates Psychology and theology to develop and expand effective Christian counselors. The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics was designed to raise the bar of the counseling profession. The primary focus of the ACA Code of Ethics is based on a worldly perspective. The AACC and ACA share several similarities and differences between the two Codes of Ethics as the AACC offers the Christian perspective, while the ACA provides the worldly point of view. These two viewpoints influence ethical values and decisions as counselors. Section I: General comparison of the two codes The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and American Counseling Association (ACA) share the same goal of helping clients and ultimately striving to be phenomenal professional counselors. The American Association of Christian Counselors was created in 2004, and the American Counseling Association was established in 2005. The primary purpose of the AACC Code of Ethics is to aid and encourage the members to effectively provide extraordinary Christian counseling to their clients. In doing this, “the primary goals of the AACC- to bring honor to Jesus Christ and his church, promote excellence in Christian counseling, and bring unity to Christian counselors” (AACC Code of Ethics...
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