...Counselor as Companion on the Hero’s Journey The story of the hero’s journey has been told and retold in oral and literary traditions for centuries. The hero motif captures the strength and perseverance of the human spirit of men and women so elegantly that it has not been bound by either culture or religious tradition (J. Campbell, 1949). In this article a counselor discusses his experiences while working with a male client named Steve. Steve’s story is very inspiring to everyone. His story shows us that we should believe in ourselves. This story has touched me and I believe people can learn from it. I believe the counselor learned many things from Steve. The first thing I believe that the counselor learned from Steve is that believing in yourself is the strongest belief you can have. If you don’t believe in yourself no one will. Also no one can change you or what you want or believe in. The counselor also learned that some people have a lot of hope; and with that hope people can do anything. Another thing that the counselor learned was that setting small goals is better for a person to do. It may seem hard and take more time, but you can still accomplish your goals and maybe more. The counselor’s behavior may have changed as a result of working with Steve. The counselor may have doubt in Steve also, feeling like he did have limitations as the other doctors were telling him. Another thing that may change as a result of working with Steve may be that the counselor treated...
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...From tragedy to triumph: counselor as companion on the hero’s journey. Counseling & Values, 44(2), 100 This article was very interesting in a way from a counselor’s point of view of a new student struggling with a sleep problem. Right away the counselor assumed that Steve (the student) was struggling with the fear of being a new student on campus and that could be the result of his problem. But little did the counselor know that his issues where based on a larger scale. The counselor found himself going on a hero’s journey with Steve which was going through his unique past. As the story goes on through Steve’s journey I think the counselor learned a lot from the student. In the story it states that Steve has a personal goal in mind that he just wanted to be normal. The counselor on the other hand wanted to help Steve through any issues he might be having. But I don’t think the counselor quite understood Steve’s frustration until the part of the story was shared where Steve started to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Steve took it upon his self during the schools winter break to check himself into a local outpatient group at a local hospital during the break. The counselor then recalls getting a phone call from a psychiatrist. That in which the psychiatrist explained Steve’s condition and his struggle with depression. I think this was a turning point for the counselor because he started to understand the struggles Steve has had to face due to some...
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...touched me and many people can learn from it. I believe that the counselor has learned many things from Steve’s story. The first thing the counselor learned from Steve, is that believing in yourself is the strongest belief out there, therefore; no one can change you or what you believe in. The counselor also learned that some people have a lot of hope. When people have a lot of hope they can do anything. Another thing she learned was that setting small goals is the best thing a person can do. At first, it may be hard and take some extra time, but you can achieve what ever you want, like Steve did. Some of the counselor’s behaviors that may change a result of working with Steve are: first, the counselor may doubt Steve, like the doctors did and tell him to give up. Steve did not like that at all. Also, another thing that may change a result of working with Steve may be if the counselor treated him like he is abnormal. The last result that would change the relationship between Steve and the counselor are if the counselor did not have any faith in Steve. I believe that most people you come in contact with may change your life in some way. Every person has a story to share and when they do you always learn something from them. Whenever a person shares a story you have a little part of them in you. I believe that you become more open minded about the things and aspects you have learned form other people. Steve has changed in a better way from the...
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...Characteristics and Behaviors of Effective Counseling So you want to be a counselor. Well, being a counselor is not necessarily about having the desire or education to help people. Being a counselor is about utilizing that desire and education in such a way to teach people how to heal (Erford, 2014). Effective counseling is not some award which is given upon receiving a degree from a university. Effective counseling is the proper usage of your characteristics and attained skills to bring out the best in your clients (Erford, 2014). Effective Characteristics Effective characteristics are vitally important to the success of the counselor. They are a means of motivation and connection with a client (Erford, 2014). Without such the counseling relationship is ineffective and the client is left in the same state of wanting as they were before they came to see you. Let’s briefly look at a couple of effective characteristics in order to see the impact they have on the counseling relationship. Characteristic One Most people enter the counseling profession for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the greatest reason for becoming a counselor is the desire to help people (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). For one circumstance or another, their many experiences in life have led them to desire to seek out people needing help. This desire to help is one characteristic of being an effective counselor. In our case study it is clear that Steve has the desire to help Bill to overcome his anger problem. Helping...
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...Counselors as Companions and Ethics in Human Services Human Service and the Environment Counselors as Companions and Ethics in Human Services In this article of from tragedy to triumph: counselor as companion on the hero’s journey, the counselor gained a lot of knowledge about himself and his counseling techniques during the time that he had Steve as a client. I believe the counselor was trying to come up with a solution to Steve’s problems and make his journey easier. By taking the longer, rougher road, Steve learned more about himself, his limitations and his strengths. This allowed for even bigger better possibilities in Steve’s life. The counselor can’t be responsible for Steve’s personal journey and guide him down the easier path. The counselor should only be along for the ride with Steve and help Steve through the difficult moments. Steve had to come to the realization that he had to choose a different path and create different goals. I think that the counselor will now change the way he tries to “fix” a client’s problems, and instead allow him to experience and overcome some of the rougher more challenging things in their life. I believe that there are people that we come into contact with that teach us life lessons and change us and the way we think and do things. As we meet extraordinary people, we learn from them and in many instances strive to be like them, or maybe to be the total opposite from them. Just like an infant, we are always seeing new things and...
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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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...1. What are some of the things you believe that the counselor has learned from Steve? What are some of the counselor’s behaviors that may change as a result of working with Steve? Do you think that most people you come into contact with change you in some way? Explain. Sometimes we are told that we cannot do something. Most of us sit back and listen. There are a few people that don’t. In Steve’s case, he was told he was not going to be able to walk, talk, or read. He managed to prove everyone wrong. He returned to school following his dream as it was never crumbled by an almost fatal attack from a stranger. At the time the counselor met Steve, he was beginning to understand his career. He knew the responsibilities it came with but was never too used to telling people to do something they felt out of their comfort zone. The things I believe that the counselor has learned from Steve were struggling with the fear of being a new student on campus and that could be the result of his problem. He assumes automatically that Steve’s problem stems from the fear of being a new student in campus though the problems are actually based on a larger scale (Woodside, 2011). The counselor, I believe, has learn a couple of things from Steve like the fact that, a counselor cannot be a travel guide on such deeply personal journeys such as Steve’s, he can only serve as a special travel companion who is willing to understand and respect the process of walking along sacred life path (Woodside,...
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...Counseling, Biblical or non-Biblical, in today’s society comes in many different forms and through many different people. Counseling could come formally through a pastor or a psychologist or informally through a friend, family member, or co-worker. When a person is deciding who to 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...
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...many questions arise to help make an informed decision as to where their efforts will be more useful. Even taking into consideration their own history, personality and desires. These attributes, when looked at from an informed perspective, allow individuals to put forth their best and become effective counselors. But what does being an effective counselor look like? For one, being an effective counselor begins with the question “what is motivating me to be a counselor?” (Sheperis & Ellis, 2014, pg. 162). According to the media provided, Gail Mear, Bob Walsh and Norm Dasenbrook explained some of the characteristics they thought are used during therapy sessions. These characteristics ranged from being a helping person, being able to set boundaries, being empathic so you are able to understand your client’s feelings and grasp where those feelings are coming from and collaboration. This paper will expand on some of those characteristics and also provide critique on a session to help understand not only those characteristics which are effective, but those that may be ineffective during a counseling session. Effective Characteristics Kottler believed that the professional counselor should inhabit characteristics in order to motivate and connect with clients struggling with a varying range of problems (Sheperis & Ellis, 2014, p.165). These characteristics include being vibrant, inspirational and charismatic as well as sincere, nurturing, wise, confident, and self-disciplined...
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...* * * * * * * * * Case Study: Steve and Cindy * * PACO 603 Premarital and Marital Counseling * * December 11, 2013 * Case Study: Steve and Cindy * When entering into marital counseling, a couple is often seeking help to resolve differences or problems either one or both are struggling to overcome. Steve and Cindy have recently begun this journey by seeking help with their marriage from a pastoral counselor at their church who uses Olson’s PREPARE/ENRICH program (2009). They have both taken the program’s online tests, which cover a multitude of key areas such as the couple’s background, relationship dynamics, and personalities. This paper addresses three main areas including the identification of the couple’s key strengths and weaknesses, a discussion of potential issues with the couple’s personality, and the development of a plan to counsel and support them through church ministry. * Key Areas Identified * Hawkins (1991.p.23) describes the concept of intimacy as “oneness with healthy separateness”. When reviewing the results of Olson’s PREPARE/ENRICH report (2009), it becomes evident that many areas of strength and weakness exist in the couple’s relationship. The answers provided under idealistic distortion indicate that both Steve and Cindy realize that there are problems in the marriage needing to be addressed but Steve is minimizing the severity of the problem. Cindy’s results state that she is...
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...POSTMODERN APPROACHES Solution-Focused and Narrative Therapies Key Terms: Alternative story- a story that develops in counseling in contradiction to the dominant story that is embedded in a problem. Co-authoring- a co-joint process where client and counselor share responsibility for developing alternative stories. Deconstruction- exploring meaning by taking apart/unpacking the taken-for-granted categories and assumptions underlying social practices that are guised as truths. Dominant story- understanding a situation that is accepted within a culture that appears to represent reality. Dominant stories are developed through conversations in social and cultural contexts and these stories shape how people construct and constitute what people see, feel, and do. Exception questions- SF counselors inquire about times when the problem(s) have not been problematic. Shows that problems are not ever existing and always overpowering. Externalizing conversation- a way of speaking about a problem as if it is a distant entity, separate of the person. Based on the premise that people who view themselves as the problem limit themselves to the extent they cannot effectively deal with the problem. Formula first session task- observation homework given that must be completed between first and second session. They must observe what is happening in their lives that they want to continue to happening. Mapping-the-influence questions- a series of questions asked about a problem...
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...philosophies behind them. Successful leaders such as Steve Case, Peter Drucker and James Kouzes have all developed philosophies, associated attributes and best leadership practices to be successful in today’s fluid marketplace. There are commonalities and a leader can pick portions of different practices or beliefs to form a hybrid philosophy for leading change within their organizations while following Tarabishy’s (n.d.) recommendations for entrepreneurial leadership in today’s dynamic markets. Leadership is comprised of different styles. Organizations are different and so are the traits and styles of its leadership. While leaders want to accomplish the same thing, a successful organization, the methods of authentic, transformational and transactional leaders are different. As organizations and the associated leaderships differ, there are tools and resources that can help leaders in achieving its organizational goals. The Small Business Administration and Counselors to America's Small Business (SCORE) are two organizations that provide resources to assist leaders such as mentoring, starting a business, loans and training. Once leadership styles are understood and a philosophy is created, a leader can then develop a list of best leadership practices that best suits the leader and guides the organization to meeting its vision and goals to achieve competitive advantages and dominance. References Case, Steve (2010, February 24). People, passion, perseverance: You’ve...
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...Systems Chart and Annotated Bibliography April 16, 2012 Professor James Bell Systems Chart and Annotated Bibliography Introduction Every family has ups and down most of the time they are not even aware of them. And most of the time they are aware of their problems. Not every family looks at themselves as a system; a system is not a direct determination that a typical family would consider themselves because they just live life one day at a time. To be able to understand the system within ones family the family must first understand themselves and once that has been established them the family will then start to understand their individual system. A system within a family hold balance respect here understanding of on another. A family system also allows for the family to communicate when there are problem among them that would not be normal addressed. Annotated bibliography This article explains how incest is considered abuse. "Incest, as both sexual abuse and abuse of power, is violence that does not require force...It is abuse because it does not take into consideration the needs or wishes of the child, rather meeting the needs of the `caretaker' at the child's expense...incest can be seen as the imposition of sexually inappropriate acts, or acts with sexual overtones, by - or any use of a minor child to meet the sexual or sexual/emotional needs of one or more persons who derive authority through ongoing emotional bonding with that child." (Blume, 1990,...
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...living in. Learning foreign languages, literature and making cultural studies open one’s mind not only on others’ lifestyles, but also on their traditions and daily behavior. When working in multinational companies, an employee should be ready to deal with colleagues with different cultures and others that do not speak the same language as he does. So, being able to adapt oneself to those situations requires a certain knowledge that can be retained by studying humanities in business schools. Besides the oral part, writing is a necessity in communication. “Writing well is a fundamental principle of the communications business, deeply appreciated by clients and all others we work with.” Ken Makovsky, the top business-to-business counselor in the public relations industry, wrote in Forbes. He also insists on the influence of writing skills on the employee’s self-confidence saying that “everyone who possesses the grace and energy that the humanities develops in us, can only be secure in appreciating the rich heritage they have been given.” In...
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...Juvenile Services Comparison Archie Parks CJA/374 December 14, 2012 Steve Kurrle Juvenile Services Comparison Introduction For this comparison paper I have chosen to study two Juvenile programs that are actively involved in Norfolk Public School and work directly with student’s who have active cases in the Department of Juvenile Justice. This comparison will conduct research on the Youth Challenged Advised and Positively Promoted program (YCAPP) and the Tidewater Youth Services Commission (TYSC). The criteria for comparison is how both programs work to reduce juvenile crime, the major goals, objectives, and core beliefs of each program, who are the key participants are and what services they provide youths. In addition using the information that was researched a determination of which program is more effective in reducing crime and why will be discussed. Who They Are Both the YCAPP program and the Tidewater Youth Services Commission work with at risk youth to positively motivate them into the best person they can be. The direct beliefs responsibilities and goals for each is given below: a. YCAPP: YCAPP is a nonprofit organization who beliefs that youth no matter their circumstances and past transgressions can be positively motivated into productive members of society with bright futures. The YCAPP mission statement is to provide quality support and education to families in their natural environments through collaboration, positive inclusive interventions, and...
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