Bri Crowl: Licensed Professional Counselor

My educational goal is focused on becoming a school counselor and developing a theoretical orientation that will provide a framework for me to choose and direct therapeutic interventions with students. My theoretical orientation will guide me as I provide resources and services to students, staff and parents. Also, I want to be able to work with students so they are able to identify, understand and appropriately display the feeling they experience.

How do I make use of counselling skills and knowledge in helping interactions and/or in helping work?

Through my work in counseling, I will aspire to be respectful of and sensitive to my client’s developmental needs and therapeutic goals. It is imperative for counselors to recognize that the counseling process can be intimidating for many clients. I will draw from a variety of

Calli N. Morrison and Constance R. Tullis are students at the School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

For this assignment, an interview was conducted with Traci Richards, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with Genesis Counseling Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. Relying on Christian principles as the basis of the therapy, Genesis Counseling Center offers comprehensive counseling and psychological services, including individual, marriage, family, Biblical counseling, psychological testing, group therapy, life coaching, online counseling, consulting, leadership coaching, and licensure supervision, in an outpatient setting. The office in Chesapeake is part of a larger practice, the Genesis Group, which has served the Hampton Roads community for decades and has locations in Hampton, Yorktown/Newport News, Williamsburg, and Suffolk.

A counselling relationship is likened to being on a journey - a beginning, middle and end (Smallwood, 2013). During the beginning phase the client develops sufficient trust in the counsellor and the relationship ‘to explore the previously feared edges of his awareness’ (Mearns and Thorne, 1988, p.126).

For my informational interview I interviewed Hasty Elementary School Counselor Candace Thurman. Mrs. Thurman earned her B.A. in Psychology from Salem College and a MA Ed.S in Mental Health Counseling from Gardner Webb University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed School Counselor. Her maternal grandfather suffered from mental illness and was homeless. Seeing the impact his condition had on him as well as her family compelled her to choose a career in mental health. Mrs. Thurman worked in the middle school setting for 11 years. This year is her first year in an elementary school.

There are many resources and organizations available for the professional development of counselors in all areas of specialization. The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) is a national organization that provides addiction counselors “…nationally-standardized certification, education, and clinical training to obtain the skills, qualifications, and experience that allow you to make progress in your career” (NAADAC, 2013). Their concern for professional development helps addiction counselors by giving them the tools to advance in their careers and continue to develop the personal skills necessary for working with clients struggling with drug, alcohol, and many other addictions. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is an international organization that offers “…a wealth of professional development opportunities, from its annual conference to its regularly scheduled webinars, from self-paced topic specialist training to one-day workshops” (ASCA, 2014). While both organizations offer education to the counseling professional,

Dear Past Murray, this is your present-day self. I am writing this letter to help guide you in your journey through the Masters of Counselling graduate program. You are going to experience a fundamental shift in your perspectives on human nature and the nature of change. Currently, your point of view and insights are limited to a behaviorist context (Skinner, 2012) and to a behavior analysis approach (Fee, A., Schrieber, E, Nobel, N. Valdovinos, M, 2016). This has served you well in your work with youth and young adults with challenging behaviors. However, as you start this journey you have started to ask yourself what theory to follow. The answer to this question will be found when you take a step back from the various models of counselling to look at what really makes a difference to client outcomes and to develop a

Interview paper with a Counselor (Rebecca Alexander), and a Social Worker (Mina McVeigh). This interview is for Mrs. Scott’s online class.

The national level licensure indicate that a counselor has passed the national exam, but cannot practice in the state. The state board will indicate the different type of licensures at the state level and as following: (LPC) Licensed Professional Counselor, (LMHC) Licensed Medical Health Counselor, (LCPC) Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and (LPCC) Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. The correct licensure is provided form the state when a counselor call. As established and regardless of their specific titles that each individual recognize them as all are considered professional licensed counselor.

Stevens, P., & Smith, R. L. (2013). Substance abuse counseling: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Primary Counselor met with Pt. for his one hour monthly individual session. Pt. showed up late to this session. Counselor greeted him and asked him how he has been since last session. Pt. reported to be busy at work and he requested to reschedule this therapy session for tomorrow, 1/31/17. Counselor discussed why therapy is important for his recovery and encouraged him to don’t reschedule the session for tomorrow when he can do it today. Counselor stated, “Counseling is one of the keys to reaching his goals.” Pt. agreed to stay for the session, but this writer encouraged him to receive his dose of methadone before starting the session. After 5 minutes, Pt. returned to the office and agreed to sign his Record of Services sheet. Pt. stated that

In addition, I will include antisocial behavior counseling that involves being peer pressured and attachment to peers. For this counseling session, parents and delinquents are both going to participate. Thus, counselors will gain a better understanding of the family structure and delinquent’s peers. During this counseling section, counselors will pay attention to their body language, how they interact with one and another, and any disagreements. Similarly, to the educational counseling, counselors are going to first conduct an interview with the consent of using a tape recorder. After the interview is completed, counselors are going to spend at least 30 minutes to discuss about the delinquent’s peers such as, have you ever experienced being

This paper will reflect the practice session taping number six that I did for this class. In this reflection, I will estimate my strengths and weaknesses from the taping for improving on my counseling skills. I will also evaluate the techniques and skills that I have learned and we have discussed so far in the course. This paper will be a guide to my process and assess the skills that I need to work on for the near future. In closing for the paper, I will discuss the various ways that I can advance myself in the practice session taping so that I can strengthen my skills as an effective counselor overall.