The profession of mental
health is changing, growing, and evolving by leaps and bounds. The developers of psychology have shown great
strides in the advancement on mental health forefront. Counselors are defined as those who support
individuals or groups of individuals with various problems focused on helping
the mental health of people through various programs and services. Becoming a counselor requires exemplary
listening skills, note taking, and responses that are positive in nature. Building a bond between the client and the
counselor is important as well because then the client will feel comfortable in
discussing matters that can be uncomfortable, awkward, or private. There are several types of counselors
including marriage, grief, job, diet and exercise, and drug just to mention a
few, either way each one of these improves life in different ways.
Living in America we are
faced with many ethnicities, races, and cultures. Based on this diversity, comes optimism as
well as energy. With that comes an
increased number of people who suffer from mental health issues each year. All ages and all races can be effected by
mental illnesses. This breeds a need for
mental health counselors. Positive
mental health is a good basis for success in family, society and the community.
As a mental heath
professional I hope to gain knowledge that I can use to make that impact on
those described above. Life experiences
will aid in counseling those with trauma and crisis, because Walden University
provides students with real life scenarios for which to build a strong
foundation in counseling. For someone
who has
experienced trauma and crisis understanding the client/patient’s feelings and
fears can help him or her relate to the one who does not understand where these
feelings are stemming from. On a
personal note, as the education continues I hope to gain more knowledge on how
to release some of the traumatic events that have occurred, grow as a person
and become more mentally healthy. Self
reflection here is important too, acceptance that you cannot change your past
but learn from it, to barrow a quote from one of the more popular Disney movies
The Lion King Rafiki is talking to
the now adult Simba and says “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the from way I see it, you
can either run from it, or... learn from it” (IMDb.com,
2012).
The
most important positive thing I hope to gain most out of becoming a mental
health counselor is to see that one moment when that one client sees that he or
she with correct direction can change for the better. Providing positive influence and a role model
for those who struggle with everyday life.
The field which I am hoping to work in will deal with one on one
counseling with those in law enforcement, I also would like to create a support
group for spouses and partners of police officers to educate them on the signs
of trauma and how to cope when they refuse counseling.
As
the field of mental health evolves, so will the need for mental health
counselors. Improving on the foundations
that were learned as an undergraduate will clearly pave the way for a
successful career as a trauma and crisis counselor. The Walden staff will bring real life
experiences to the discussions and show the future counselors how to handle
stressful situations and traumatic events in a way that is both helpful to the
client as well as the clinician. Having
this as a part of my education will help me help others, which is why I chose
this profession in the first place.
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