Final Project: Interview with a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Lauren Robinson Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Lamar University Final Project: Interview with a Clinical Mental Health Counselor The purpose of this paper was for me to introduce myself to a day in the life of a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Throughout my paper I will generate ideas to that prove I have an understanding of the field and the material. I will show that I understand the field in which I am studying and the issues that come along with occupation as a Mental Health Counselor. I will also apply and integrate source material and there be evidence in this paper that I can develop and organize my ideas in the form of notion and …show more content…
Riverside General Hospital is funded by the state and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, Private health insurance, and self-payments. The opportunities for staff development available at Riverside General Hospital are various kinds of trainings, employees’ resources that they can use on their own to further their careers, and offering employee development activities which creates a more versatile and prepared workforce and helps move the company forward. Part 2: The Professional Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor The professional counselor’s job title I interviewed is a Program Counselor for the Women’s Mental Health Unit at Riverside General Hospital. The types of services and programs she offers as a counselor for the women’s mental health unit are: substance abuse counseling with in-house residents, detoxification, transitional living for the women’s unit, outpatient program, and mental health counseling. She also aids in helping her clients in gaining custody of their children. When I asked her what a typical day consists of as a Mental Health counselor she simply replied, “There is no typical day that is the challenge and enjoyment of mental health. No two days are the same as no two service users are alike.” R. Solomon (personal communication, September 3rd, 2014) She did however tell me what she normally does most days. Which is starting
The philosophy that underlies the counseling profession is unique among mental health professionals. According to Remley & Herlihy (2014), the philosophy is made up of four components. First, counselor 's view mental health challenges through a positive, wellness-oriented lens. The primary goal of the wellness model is for the client to achieve the highest degree of mental health possible. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers follow the medical model of mental health. The goal of these clinicians is to cure the client’s illness, which differs drastically from counselor’s view of clients.
“Counseling’s focus on development, prevention, wellness, and treatment makes it attractive to those seeking healthy life-stage transitions and productive lives” (pearson). In the early 1900’s, there was a movement within the counseling profession that centered on promoting the prevention and the objects that provided purpose in a person’s life. The idea was to help individuals avoid problems and “focus on wellness, development, mindfulness, meaningfulness, and remediation of mental disorders” (pearson). This was the beginning of one of the three philosophies that comprises the key philosophies of counseling.
This essay will explore the counselling relationship along with the benefits and limitations as well as discussing other factors that have an important impact in relation to the outcome of counselling. Counselling is an interpersonal relationship between the client and qualified therapist, the relationship involves communicating with the client and using skills to explore the client's feelings. The counselling/ therapeutic relationship can be used in all types of counselling such as psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioural, person centred and cognitive therapy. As mental health disorders increase so does the need to deliver effective counselling, which means that the therapeutic relationship is more crucial than ever. (Miller, Hubble, Duncan and Wampold 2010; Norcross and Lambert 2011).
The key principle of supervision is for the worker to be able to carry out their job role as effectively as possible. Enhancing their understanding of their own practise.
As the standards of the counseling profession are continuously being shaped, I desire to play a role in the educating
I believe counseling is a collaborative partnership between client and counselor. Furthermore, this collaborative partnership is built from trust and acceptance of both client and counselor. I hope in conjunction with clients to understand the issues and concerns so to help them tap into their wisdom, creativity, and strengths to meet their current challenges. I believe in a comprehensive perspective through which clients can better comprehend themselves in the framework that our thinking about events can lead to emotional and behavioral upset. Moreover, counselors are to provide a safe environment for clients to explore their challenges and identify ways to move differently in overcoming these challenges.
A mental health counselor often helps their clients make positive choices and changes due to the decisions and insights they help facilitate. Many counselors work in hospitals with psychiatric patients or with mentally ill adults in continued day treatment programs. Some choose private practice or practice in counseling centers, government agencies, and corporations and youth homes. They usually work in pleasant and comfortable surroundings, working a standard workweek. Some counselors are available weekends or evenings for the convenience and needs of their clients. Mental health counselors are an extremely valuable part of the healthcare system.
Ironically, I was not always interested in the psychology and counseling field. My first two years of undergraduate school I was a Mathematics major until I took Advanced Calculus and decided that Math was not for me. Then I began taking more and more Psychology courses as electives and realized that I had found the information interesting. After speaking with my father, I made the decision to pursue a career in this field while also following in his footsteps.
This model focuses on both affective and cognitive learning. It allows for discussion of the choice and application of a particular theoretical model and attempts to stimulate personal and professional growth (Gysbers & Henderson, 2006). There are three stages of counselor development. The first stage is one of reliance. In this stage the supervisees are highly motivated but they lack basic counseling skills. During this stage, the supervisee’s focus is mainly on how to perform a skill and master that skill. They rely significantly on their supervisor at this time. They depend on textbook theories rather than real world experiences and the utilization of theories in practice. During this stage, it is required that the supervisor teaches the fundamentals of counseling to enhance the trainees’ skills. Stage 2, the trial and error phase, is when a lot of the performance anxiety and lack of confidence comes into the picture. It is the job of the supervisor to support the supervisee and build their self- confidence. Supervisors need to bring awareness to the ineffective behavior that the supervisee may exhibit without destroying their confidence and desire to work in the field. During this stage, the supervisor’s focus shifts from reflection on data from the counselor/client relationship to the supervisee’s performance anxiety. This is a time for questioning and experimenting allowing
Marcovitch, S. G., Gold, A., Washington, J., Wasson, C., Krekewich, K., & Handley-Derry, M. (1997).
On a bright and crisp morning of March 25, 2015, I interviewed Joni Roche and learned what a typical day was like for this Professional Counselor. Mrs. Roche has owned her own practice for nearly eighteen years and has truly loved every single part of it. Mrs. Roche has received a Master of the Arts degree and is a Licensed Profession Counselor and a Nationally Credited Counselor. During my interview with Mrs. Roche, I truly learned so many things from different counseling techniques, what it is like to have a private practice and the good and bad things counseling comes with that people do not necessarily speak about.
The purpose of this paper is for me to present a summary of a personal interview had with Heather Smith, a clinical mental health counselor. It will further explore a day to day basis on how working as a clinical mental health counselor, may be. Lastly, it will also reflect my personal reflections about my future as a counselor based on information learned in this course.
When mental health counselor’s work at outpatient mental health facilities; it is inevitable they will work with numerous clients who have multiple issues with multiple diagnosis. It is also favorable to say that mental health counselors wear many hats when working with their clients who can experience different crisis on a day to day basis.
The beginning section of the book describes the challenges counselors face in dealing with clients. (1). Moving from Two Areas of Competence to Three (2). Blurred Personal-Professional Distinctions (3).Expanded Definitions of Training (4). Confronting Dominant Views of Mental Health (5). Establishing a Scientific Base (6). Defining Relevant Ethical Standards (McMinn, 2011). After mapping out the challenges facing interdisciplinary integration, McMinn first divides his renowned book into eight rewarding chapters including summary and reflection following each of them. He also uses vignettes in order to ask his readers”What if this Happens” scenarios (McMinn, 2011)
The following essay is a case study of a client named John who is suffering from major depression and was sent to see me for treatment by his concerned wife. I will provide brief background information about John then further discuss interventions and strategies I believe can be applied in each session with my client in order to make John's life more manageable. In the essay, I will be writing as the therapist, and the sessions are based on a ten week period.