...The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor COUN 6100-13 Intro to Mental Health Counseling Component I: Narrative Summation of Interview Mrs. Washington-Williams was able to explain to me the difference from a mental health counselor and a social worker. Mental health counselors focus on interventions and preventions for their clients. Although social worker and mental health counselors have some similar things in common there are also some that are different when it comes to working with our clients. A normal day according to Mrs. Washington-Williams goes as her checking in on her clients throughout the day, having one-on-one counseling session, group counseling, and looking over the client goals to determine if the client has worked towards their goals and made progress. All counselors do struggle with ethical and legal issues; but they do keep in mind on can help and hurt them. Because of that she has to keep in mind that the client she is working has a great imagination. Some of the clients like to come up with stories and see if anything will be done. She did state that an investigation is and reviewed to see if the stories are true or false. Not all counselors go by theories and apply them in their practice but they still acknowledge them. When asked about theories she stated that due to every client is different and the treatment various; she do not use theories as often but when they are need she does the research and apply what...
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...Counselor has just started the school year, to his surprise he gets a visit from a student who appears to be having problems sleeping. The counselor quickly assets without assessing the student. As the counselor sat down a learned more about the student’s situation and concerns. Steve the student was struggling with several issues one being a new student so far away from home for the first time made Steve nervous and causing him to lose sleep, Steve also had obvious signs of medical issues. Steve expressed feeling nervous about being far away from home for the first time. After many attempts by doctors and staff members get him to accept his limitations and very clear as to what he would be able to do and not do Steve decide to take the longer difficult path to recovery and accomplishing his life time life and educational goals. Steve felt he only had one option at becoming normal which was overcoming the obstacles many had said he would never do again. After meeting with Steve a few times I feel the counselor learned and understood more about Steve and his everyday struggles with physical impairments. I feel the counselor learned that although he is the counselor clients/students have the ability and power to change his view point and perception. One should never take someone’s visual appearance at face value. As the counselor counsels and gives advice he/she is also receiving a great influence them self. The counselor/student relationship in this case started out as the...
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...basic concepts on a Christian’s life along with the basic concepts which we believe Christian counselors focus on. He focused on spirituality, theology, and psychology along with the daily battles faced by Christian counselors in their personal and professional lives. In the book McMinn went into the most important components in the life of a Christian being prayer, scripture, confession, sin, forgiveness, and redemption and broke down in all the ways we are affected during our counseling sessions. In the book we are left with personal experiences from the author in which prayer and scripture should be used and in how much we should use them when dealing with each component in the life of a Christian. Many counselors are faced with regular struggles on knowing and deciding when it is the appropriate time to use scripture and the various biblical readings in there sessions because of various reasons such as not wanting to offend their clients, not wanting to have the client feel as if they are being judged, and not wanting to puncture another wound in an already broken individuals situation (McMinn 2011). The book began to open me up when McMinn stated that “Christian counseling is more complex than other forms of counseling because our goals are multifaceted” (McMinn 2011 pg. 39). He opened readers up to the fact that as Christian counselors we are more so concerned with spiritual growth and mental health and not just healing a puncture in the life of the client. With the focus...
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...Case Study 2: Suicide or Well-Reasoned End-of –Life Decision? In the case of Jason, the 38 year old gay man with AIDS who is considering a rational suicide, there are several ethical and legal issues that the counselor has to consider in order to effectively continue to treat the client. Jason has disclosed to his counselor that he was considering to stop taking his medications which will ultimately end his life. Upon receiving this information from the client , the counselor has to now consider if he or she has any personal, moral issues, or spiritual belief system about the end -of -life decisions that might conflict with what the client has decided. The counselor should consult with a supervisor or some one who has some experience in the area of end-of – life. If there are any conflicts, the counselor can chose to not work with the client and provide him with an adequate referral to make sure he get the help he needs. (Standard A.9.b). A counselor should never impose his or her beliefs, morals or spirituality on their client. This will impede the client’s ability to achieve autonomy and self –determination. According to the ACA Code of Ethics, the counselor has to protect the client’s right to self-determination, ensure that the client has a quality end of life that satisfies their emotional, physical , social and spiritual needs and to ensure that the client is competent to make the competent decisions via...
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...philosophy of guidance, as a future counselor someday, is to guide an individual live a life of happiness and contentment in the midst of a discontent world. For an individual to achieve this, I will help her realize and achieve his or her full potentials through growing in spirituality. Spirituality, for me, is having and maintaining a personal relationship with the Creator--God. As a Christian, I believe spirituality is very significant in an individual’s life. Personally, my own spirituality helped me become the person that I am today. It has helped me focus on the things that truly matter and see things beyond face value. I can also say that my spirituality helped me to be happier and be a better person. With regards to guidance and counseling in accordance with spirituality, the person of a counselor should have personal conviction in his/her own spirituality. He/she must have a deeper understanding not only of himself/herself, but also of his/her own spiritual life. He/she should be rooted in his/her own spiritual beliefs and that whatever goes against his/her way, he/she would still stand firm to what he/she firmly believes in. The counselor should be someone who could never be moved so he/she could be perceived by the client as someone they could rely and depend on. Most importantly, the counselor should be someone who has a personal relationship with the Creator and puts Him in the center of everything. In that way, his/her life would serve as living testimony...
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...turn to for counseling for any type of situation in their life, one question they may ask is “Who is qualified to be a Biblical counselor?” This paper will attempt to answer this question and show the Biblical qualifications of a Biblical counselor. Required Qualifications Romans 15:14 says, “And I myself also am persuaded of you my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” In this verse, Paul clearly indicates three distinct characteristics that an individual must possess to be a Biblical counselor. The first qualification that Paul indicates as a must for individuals to have is salvation. Paul shows us this with his use of ‘brethren,’ which means brother , in this verse. Paul uses brethren to signify that the people he was writing to in Rome were his brothers. These people were not physically his brothers, but they were saved so they were Paul’s brothers in Christ. The second qualification that Paul indicates in Romans 15:14 as a must for individuals to have is ‘full of goodness.’ Writers in the New Testament use three different Greek words for goodness. The word that Paul uses is this verse means moral goodness, upright, or virtuous. An individual, in order to be ‘full of goodness,’ needs to grow in Christ and learn to be morally upright. These people are not satisfied with the way that their life is, they have not reached perfection in their life so they must continue growing and learning. The third qualification...
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... Abstract Counselors should let people choose their own careers. By doing this, counselors allow their clients be who they are. No two people are alike and therefore they will make their own decisions even if it is a mystery. Instead, counselors can help the client by asking direct questions, using mental imagining, and focusing on their accomplishment Counselors should use their skills as an art by applying, adapting, and integrating a counseling style that works best for them while working along with and helping their clients. Key skills of the career counselor include, but are not limited to clarifying content, reflecting feeling, open-ended questioning, skill identifying, value clarifying, creative imagining, information giving, role-playing, spot-checking, summarizing, task setting, and establishing the “yes and buts.” Some other skills include an open invitation to talk, focusing, leading, and encouraging. However, counselors should use the “client-centered” theory approach of Carl Rogers; refraining from giving advice to their clients because it encourages the client to be dependent on the counselor’s insights, and the counselor cannot know what is best for the client. Keywords: counselor, client, career Objectives of Career Counseling Career counseling objectives focus on the counselor-client relationship that helps foster the best possible quality of life and overall welfare of the client. Counselors ensure this by assuming...
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...wellbeing and impair their ability to counsel clients. When dealing with clients who have experienced sever traumatic life experiences counseling professionals can begin to face emotional issues of their own. Understanding and recognizing how this happens, why it happens and ways to effectively combat it when it does are an important aspect of being a professional counselor. The Wellbeing of Counseling Professionals Pray, eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, take time for yourself and talk to someone. Six common and well know key pieces to dealing with the daily struggles of life, they help control stress and reduce anxiety. But what if you are the one that people turn to when they need to talk, to share distressing life experiences and are seeking understanding and compassion. Caring for the needs of others can quickly over shadow the needs of caring for ones self, what are the consequences of this and how can we as counselors maintain healthy lives so that we may serve others to the best of our abilities. In order for a counselor to be effective in the help that they give to their clients they must offer a more vulnerable side of themselves during a session. This is extremely important in helping the client feel safe and allows them to see the counselor as someone in whom they can trust, but this type of relationship can leave the counselor feeling mentally and physically depleted. “When clients express feelings of pain, confusion, shock, trauma, distress...
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...Final Project: The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor Books, television, and movies are full of stories revealing the day-to-day realities of various professions. These stories provide a behind-the-scenes look at the often unknown stress, joy, and effort involved in being a doctor, law enforcement agent, or even a chef. What do you think the day-to-day life of a mental health counselor is like? What constitutes a typical day for a mental health counselor, or is there no such thing? For the Final Project in this course, you uncover the hidden realities of the daily life of a mental health counselor. The Final Project requires you to interview (in person) a licensed mental health counselor who works with a population in a setting that interests you. For example, if you are interested in working as an in-home counselor with children diagnosed with mood disorders, interview someone who does this work. You then apply the information from this course, as well as in an interview you conduct, to your understanding of what it means to be a mental health counselor. *Please note that it is NOT acceptable to interview a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, addictions specialist, school counselor, or other mental health provider for this assignment. Although the Final Project includes interview material, this is not the only component of this assignment. Please make sure to review the full project description below. The Final Project is a 7- to 10-page paper that...
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...Running head: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH 1 From Tragedy To Triumph Dawn Little Professor Nemeth Kaplan University FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH 2 I think that the counselor has learned a lot from his time spent with Steve. One of the big things I think the counselor has learned is that being a counselor doesn’t always mean that you have to have all the answers and that you have to fix the problems of your clients, that maybe your clients already have the answers and they just need guidance and reassurance to help them reach their goals. In the article Halstead states, “At times, I can become lost and uncertain about what I can do to help, focusing on the curse of the tragedy instead of the potential for something new and perhaps better to emerge.” (Halstead, 2000) I think Halstead has learned that as in almost everything in life, we are always learning. There are always going to be those ‘firsts’ in our career and there are always going to be those ‘rare occasions’ when things happen that we may not always know how to deal with at first. As counselors and as people in general we have to learn to deal with things as they come. Life is a constant learning experience. The counselor has learned a lot working with Steve, not only personally but I think professionally as well. The counselor’s behavior may be changing in that way also. Personally his behavior may be changing in a way that he is realizing that he may not always have the answers...
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...Professor of Counselor Education at Franciscan University of Steubenville. She obtained her doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Duquesne University and has worked in the field as a counselor since 2000. Christin is a licensed professional clinical counselor, as well as a National Certified Counselor. Her clinical work spans a variety of issues and includes counseling with individuals, couples, and families. Currently, she offers pro-bono counseling services in Steubenville and Wintersville, Ohio through the Catholic Diocese of Steubenville. She is the editor of The Counselor’s Companion: What Every Beginning Counselor Needs to Know (co-written with Jocelyn Gregoire), as well as numerous articles. Christin also has conducted trainings abroad in the Seychelles Islands and in Mauritius, which have been aimed at providing consultation to emerging counseling programs. Jocelyn Gregoire, CSSp, EdD, LPC, NCC, ACS has been a Roman Catholic priest for 25 years and has been involved in the counseling field for many years. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Psychology, and Special Education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to his doctorate in Education, he holds two other graduate degrees. Through his expertise as a professional counselor, Dr. Gregoire has helped thousands of people across the world in their journeys toward personal growth and healing. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed...
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...counseling. Currently, as a school counselor for a high school in Duncanville, Texas, a suburb outside of Dallas, I find the results of the assessment to be very accurate. Making the decision to become a counselor is a rewarding and exciting career choice. In the world of counsling, there are many individuals who place emphasis on not just basic implications, but also on theoretical studies that usually are a part of their professional and personal experiences. As times have change, so have educational curricula. Counselors and educators, their philosophies, and educational standards continue to change; therefore, educators have to take on responsibility and think more about their chosen roles within the educational system and the various means of combining theory and practice. The general examination of the different roles in counseling, personal career assessments and ideological relationships each play a role in the area of education and counseling. As a result of the choice as having a career as a counselor attaches the decision to continue to research theories and then integrate them into areas of education helps to build a solid foundation, which will in due course will led to the creation of a personalized educational philosophy. The choice to be a counselor or educator gives an individual a chance to become more connected and familiar with both primary and present-day educational theories. Nature of the Work As a high school counselor works with high school aged...
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...McMinn is a synopsis of several approaches in counseling sessions and how patients deal with their everyday life after each session, in order to create a more accurate description of how counseling actually affects the life of each patient. One of the main topics of the text deals with how essential it is for counselor to be conscious of their own personal spiritual life and how knowledgeable they are. This reminds me of the quote that says "You must love yourself before you can love others" since you cannot help others unless you yourself are prepared for the task mentally, physically and spiritually. One crucial component McMinn (1996) explains in the text about counselor-patient relationship is trust. Once the patient begins to trust the counselor that is when real progress is made. It makes sense because most people are not willing to talk to strangers about their problems, but they would be able to open up to someone they trust and feel safe with. In order for counselor's to reach this important milestone in patient-counselor relationship they must create a safe haven for the patient in which they do not feel judged or looked down upon. The author explains how important is to confront a client hand to hand with trusting in order to get a successful relation between the client and the therapist. In the case that trust is not present between the patient and counselor is best not to discuss any kind of sin as this can cause confusion during the session. In order to make progress...
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...being used in conjunction with counseling, it is imperative that counselors are educated about these medications. Counselors need to understand the medications their clients are taking in order to better serve the client. Counselor's who are educated on phsychopharmaceuticals can assist clients with important information related to the medications they are taking such as possible side effects, interactions with other medications, and general information pertaining to the medication. Counselors may be faced with many dilemma's when it comes to psychopharmeceuticals and their clients. Counselor's do not and cannot prescribe psychopharmeceuticals for their client's thus necessitating the need for the client to see a psychiatrist or other doctor when there is an indication that psychopharmeceuticals would be beneficial in the treatment of the client. Foxhall (2008) points out that most patients spend considerably more time with their counselor than with the prescribing physician (p.1). One ethical delimma a counselor might face would be dealing with a client who is on a medication that the counselor feels is not working or is not the right medication for the client. Due to the nature of psychpharmeceuticals, there are a number of medications that treat a variety of different illnesses. Since the counselor spends considerably more time with the client than the prescribing physician, the counselor is in a better position to see, and discuss the medication with...
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...com/downloads/bshs-312-week-5-individual-assignment-paper-personal-model-helping/ For More Courses and Exams use this form ( http://hwguiders.com/contact-us/ ) Feel Free to Search your Class through Our Product Categories or From Our Search Bar (http://hwguiders.com/ ) Personal Model of Helping All theories have different views on ways of helping and different goals to imply. By using the person-centered approach ones view of human nature comes from one’s helping style. One would require a style that would make the client believe he or she is safe and understood. By the client knowing his or her therapist or counselor does understand him or her then he or she will believe he or she is safe and accept the help offer by the therapist or counselor. One could possibly set his or her on goals for change or except those of the therapist or counselor. “Person-centered therapy holds an optimistic view of human personality and focuses on present rather than past experience. Focusing on the inner experience of persons rather than on observable behavior, it holds that behavioral change evolves from within the person rather than through the manipulation of the environment” (Parrott III, 2003). View on Helping Developing a personal theory for the way one would want to understand human nature and provide him or her with the help he or she needs takes careful consideration. From what I have learned from this counseling and psychotherapy class is that the helping professional...
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